Mailbag: Which NFL rookie is poised to make the biggest contribution in 2017?

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Which NFL rookie is poised to make the biggest contribution in 2017? - Ben, CA

This is a tough question. I would love to hear what other people think. Many pundits have a few rookies that they are definitely high on whether it is Christian McCaffrey, Corey Davis, John Ross, or anyone else in the field. The main indicator for “contribution” will be opportunity. Without having a real ability to forecast the future I am going to go out on a small limb with my pick. I am going to select 2nd round Cleveland Browns QB Deshone Kizer as my pick. This is all due to opportunity. At the QB position alone I see Kizer with the easiest route just ahead of Deshaun Watson, in Houston, for snaps. I think Kizer can win the job out of camp or, at the very least, take over the reins early on in the season. I think Texans’ QB Tom Savage will be able to hold off Watson much longer if he stays healthy. I can see Kizer starting 10 games for Cleveland this season and showcasing what he can do for the Cleveland franchise. I don’t expect this team to be any better than 4-12 though.

Who is a sleeper Shortstop to add? - @RedZoneIT

Without knowing much to go on for league details I will do my best to answer. Some deeper shortstops that I think could have some value include:

• Marcus Semien (back from injury)
• Amed Rosario (will be called up any day by those loveable Mets)
• Ketel Marte (only 6% owned, dominated AAA pitching, just needs every day at bats)
• Willy Adames (solid prospect and has potential to be called up this season)
• J.P. Crawford (likely to be called up in August after the Phillies move some pieces at the deadline)

Who is the most overrated fantasy player at each offensive skill position? - Rex, FL

I am going to make these calls based on current ADP. So, remember these are players overrated for fantasy purposes not real life.

QB : Dak Prescott QB Dallas Cowboys This is the hardest position to find a guy that is overrated. I think the best thing to do is wait on a quarterback, so rather than take Dak in round 9 I will continue to wait. Prescott had a fantastic rookie season and had a lot of pressure taken off of him by fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliot. I think he will be a victim of a sophomore slump though. I think he doubles his interceptions from last season as teams now have film on him and I think he still struggles to get to 3,500 passing yards when you have the likes of Rivers and Stafford still on the board who have upside to throw for 4,500 to 5,000 yards.

RB : Jordan Howard RB Chicago Bears - Howard is currently going at the beginning of the second round. With the combination of Mike Glennon/Mitchell Trubisky defenses will be stacking the box to slow down Howard and make the quarterbacks beat them. He will not be worth this price tag.

WR: Michael Thomas WR New Orleans - Thomas is currently going at pick 2.05. He is the top option in a big passing attack for the Saints, but this will be a catch-22 for Thomas. Teams won’t be doubling, bracketing, or blanketing Brandin Cooks on the other side of him. There is a big difference between getting single man coverage as a number 2 WR and being the new go-to guy. Just ask the 2015 Packers after the loss of Jordy Nelson. I think Willie Snead in the 7th round is a much better pick off of this team.

TE : Rob Gronkowski TE New England Patriots - When Gronk is healthy, he is a force on the football field. The issue with Gronk is he just isn’t healthy enough. He is getting older and back injuries are nothing to take lightly. Gronk is currently going in the middle of the second round as the first TE off the board. I would much rather wait until round 4 and grab either Travis Kelce or Jordan Reed if you want a top 3 TE.

Please look for next week’s mailbag and enjoy the MLB All-Star break!