A year after watching the fantasy football landscape get turned upside down with six wide receivers finishing inside the top-10 of fantasy scoring among non-quarterbacks, everyone will be looking for the next breakout pass catcher in upcoming 2016 fantasy drafts. One intriguing option will be rookie Corey Coleman.
Coleman was the first wide receiver taken in the 2016 NFL Draft when the Cleveland Browns selected him with the 15th pick in the first round. A team does not select a wide receiver this early in the draft to not be a big part of his new team’s offense. The Browns choose the 5’11”, 185-pound pass catcher from Baylor University to be the team’s home run threat that it desperately needs considering that last year the Browns rostered the likes of Dwayne Bowe, Andrew Hawkins and Brian Hartline at the wide receiver position.
In his three-year college career, Coleman finished with 3,009 receiving yards and 34 total touchdowns including 1,363 yards and 20 touchdowns his junior season. While it is common for college production to not carry over to the NFL, Coleman’s skill set is ready to translate at the next level.
The Browns’ new offensive weapon ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at his pro day at Baylor. While this top end speed has big play written all over it, what separates Coleman from the other wide receivers is his jumping ability. At the combine, the 2015 consensus All-American demonstrated some ridiculous hops. He recorded a 40.6-inch vertical jump as well as a 129-inch broad jump. Expect to see some highlight reel like catches from the vertical threat in 2016.
This big-play ability should have fantasy players excited to target the first-year pass catcher this season. Coleman should enter 2016 as the Browns’ top option at the wide receiver position and should be heavily targeted as the only other real threat in the passing game for Cleveland will be tight end Gary Barnidge.
Another factor working in Coleman’s favor is Hue Jackson. The Browns’ new head coach is one of the league’s top offensive minds and certainly will be able to put Coleman in a position to find some success in 2016. Jackson will be creative in finding ways to get the ball in the hands of his newest playmaker, including some end arounds. In his college career, Coleman rushed the ball 33 times for 164 yards.
The big question, of course, will be how much success will he have? Even though there are some concerns regarding Coleman’s game at the next level, lack of effort being the biggest, the wide receiver is worthy of a 10th-round selection in re-draft fantasy drafts. While he may not yet be a polished NFL pass catcher, Coleman should without a doubt lead the Browns in targets in 2016. And in fantasy football targets are king. The large amount of opportunities to make a big play is just too much pass on given his physical gifts.
But, of course, brace yourself. Robert Griffin III is expected to be the Browns’ starting quarterback this season. So as you prepare for your re-draft leagues, Coleman has to be considered a high upside WR3, with a chance to sneak into bottom-tier WR2 territory in 2016. Given his athletic ability as well as the lack of competition around him, Corey Coleman at the very least seems like a lock to duplicate the 2015 numbers of the now-departed Travis Benjamin.
In his last season with the Browns, Benjamin finished with 68 catches, 966 receiving yards and five touchdowns and was the 28th-best wide receiver in fantasy football. With Coleman destined to be a focal point of the Browns’ passing game, take a flier on the ex-Baylor wide receiver in your 2016 fantasy drafts.
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