Will Matthew Golden Be A 2025 NFL Draft Boom Or Bust?
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by New Era, players like Matthew Golden have a history of busting, longshots in the draft, and dynasty trade targets.
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by New Era:
It’s a tale as old as time …
A non-elite WR runs a blazing 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, launches their draft stock into Round 1, and then flames out at the NFL level when their skill doesn’t ever catch up to their speed.
Think Darrius Heyward-Bey, Phillip Dorsett, John Ross, etc. etc.
In 2025, we have a very similar case with Texas WR Matthew Golden, who ran a 4.29 at the combine.
What Do We Do With Matthew Golden?
While many evaluators did not consider him a Round 1 talent (or even a Round 2 talent) before the Combine, he’s now routinely mocked in the first round—both Thor Nystrom and Matthew Freedman have him going to Seattle at pick 18 in their latest versions.
There was even some buzz that the Cowboys would take a long, hard look at him at No. 12 (Jerry, you know, loves the local guys).
But it’s hard not to look at Golden’s profile—which Ian and Dwain dug into on a recent ep of the Fantasy Life show—and see all kinds of red flags.
His production profile is significantly worse than all of the other top WRs in this class and his Super Model Rating is being propped up almost entirely by his projected draft capital.
Still, if he does go in the Top 20, I don’t see any way we avoid him in 2025 redraft leagues (and specifically in best ball where we don’t need to guess when he’ll spike) because the opportunity will be there.
On the flip side, I’d be proceeding with serious caution in dynasty leagues where the bust risk (and opportunity cost) is far more detrimental to a squad over a span of multiple years.
For more Draft hypotheticals and players on the move in dynasty, check out the pieces from Gene and Jonathan below …
DWAIN’S WR SUPER MODEL RANKINGS
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Giants Get A Do-Over With Ashton Jeanty?
The story has been told so many times, especially in the past few months leading to Saquon Barkley being the main cog in the Eagles’ Super Bowl-championship run. The Giants took Barkley second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft and he immediately posted over 2,000 scrimmage yards in an OROY campaign. Yet the Giants went 5-11 and made the playoffs just once in six seasons with Barkley’s otherworldly talent. Then he fled for Philly, and the rest is …
Fast forward to later this month. The Giants sit on the No. 3 pick. Could they run it back with Ashton Jeanty to prove they can win taking a mega-talented RB that early in the draft? Gene Clemons projects Jeanty and four other players as potential longshots to be taken in particular spots in this month’s NFL Draft.👇
SHEDEUR SANDERS DREAM LANDING SPOT
Time to Trade for Justin Fields and Garrett Wilson in Dynasty
With all the recent activity in NFL free agency, the dust is starting to settle on values for players in dynasty leagues. Time to talk some trades, and recent data shows that there are a number of players who are quite popular in trade chatter, even three weeks before the NFL Draft.
Two players getting the attention of Jonathan Fuller in this article are the Jets’ tandem of Justin Fields and Garrett Wilson. Could this be the stop where Fields fulfills his dual-threat talent? In the process he might be able to elevate Wilson, who as of yet does not have a lot of target competition. Check out who the other players are who are moving in trades.👇
A DOLPHINS WR HAS BEEN ON THE MOVE
The latest fantasy nuggets, silliness, and NFL gossip from our merry band of football nerds:
🔮 What are Travis Hunter and Tetairoa McMillan projected to do as rookies?
🎯 All targets are not created equal, but are still so vital for fantasy.
🙏 An update on Rashee Rice’s rehab. Sounds like good news.
📣 Duuuuuval! He’s never going to live that down.
🤔 Are the Patriots shopping a QB? Teams are interested.
🤷 Some thing the Titans haven’t decided what to do at No. 1. Hmmm.
🍻 Who is the next Brock Bowers? Kendall has three possibilties.
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