Mel Kiper Jr., Football analyst 9y

Mel Kiper's 2015 NFL fantasy rookie rankings, sleepers

Fantasy, NFL, San Diego Chargers

Any seasoned fantasy football player knows that big-name rookies tend to be overrated by lesser fantasy players, and are far more often useful as depth than as pillars of a great lineup ... except don't tell that to the countless numbers of seasoned players who saw Odell Beckham Jr. pile up 139 points over the last six weeks of 2014 and win a league title for many. And don't mention how Jeremy Hill was easily one of the best fantasy running backs in the NFL last season, particularly over the second half.

"Second half" is really the key here, because the reality of drafting rookies is that you're typically drafting depth and delayed satisfaction. A top receiver could get stuck with a lousy QB. A great running back still might not be great in blitz pickup and lose valuable fantasy reps. Tight end is a position where production is so often about chemistry and trust, which doesn't happen in Week 1. And rookie QBs? We all know that score.

That said, as last year proved to us yet again, you better know who these rookies are, because the talent often means more than where they are on the depth chart in Week 1.

Here are my top 12 fantasy rookies, ranked based on point predictions:

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