The NFL Draft is right around the corner and beyond that, fantasy football season is looming. But what if there were fantasy players you could draft right now? No, I’m not talking about best ball again. I’m talking about Dynasty fantasy football and more specifically, Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson.

Lost? No problem. Here’s a refresher on how Dynasty fantasy football works.

What is Dynasty fantasy football?

Ever wish you could keep your loaded fantasy team for next season? That’s Dynasty. When an influx of rookies enters the NFL you hold a separate draft for them while retaining your star players from the previous season, just like it works in the real world. That’s why Lucio Vainesman and I will be running through the top prospects and naming their best Dynasty fits.

The name of the game with wide receivers in Dynasty: volume and maximization. Can the receiver get a large enough volume of targets? How can the team maximize that player’s skillset? Both of those questions may not be answered right away and that’s fine. Remember, when you draft these players, they’re on your teams forever—unless you trade or cut them.

Now, let’s get to our next prospect.

JAHAN DOTSON, WR, PENN STATE

Dotson’s become one of my favorite wide receivers in this year’s class. Despite standing an inch shorter than six feet, Dotson routinely makes himself seem taller thanks to his super reliable hands and his leaping ability. In Dotson’s scouting report, Damian Parson says Dotson is probably best in a spread offense or a vertical passing attack as a boundary receiver. And while that’s likely his best fit, Dotson has shown enough versatility to be moved around in an offense, which is always a bonus.

6 BEST FITS FOR DOTSON

Atlanta Falcons

It’s almost too easy, right? Atlanta’s suddenly desolate wide receiver room needs all the help it can get. That’s why I already listed the Falcons as a top fit for Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson. But Dotson is also a good fit, if not a better one. In Arthur Smith’s first season as head coach, the Falcons threw the ball at the eighth-highest rate in the league. While quarterback Matt Ryan’s average depth of target (ADoT) was relatively low — fourth-lowest among 31 eligible quarterbacks — it doesn’t mean Dotson won’t see involvement in other areas of the field. Dotson could have an immediate impact in Atlanta with room to grow due to a hefty early target share.

Detroit Lions

Call it a gut feeling, but Dotson just seems like a Detroit Lion. Can you blame me? Like the Falcons, the Lions need wide receivers. Amon-Ra St. Brown was a nice breakout player toward the end of last season but he primarily operates in the slot. And can we really trust D.J. Chark, anymore? He’s on a one-year prove-it deal after missing 13 games in 2021. Dotson could come in and instantly take over Josh Reynolds’ spot on the perimeter. Sure, Jared Goff isn’t the best quarterback for young wideouts but Reynolds and Quintez Cephus still combined for nearly 10 targets a game. Translation: don’t worry about Dotson competing for targets in Detroit, even with tight end T.J. Hockenson in the fold. I’m more comfortable with any rookie wide receiver long-term than any current Lions receiver not named St. Brown.

Green Bay Packers

Is this the best spot for Dotson on this list? No, but there is still plenty of opportunities for Dotson to produce. With wide receiver Davante Adams stealing a fair share of targets, Dotson can take the other boundary role that was previously split by the now-departed Allen Lazard and free agent Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The duo combined for nine targets per game, which means Dotson could be in-line for a viable target share. He’s also arguably better than Lazard and Valdes-Scantling outright. In terms of maximization, the Packers used three-receiver sets on 70% of their passing downs last season, which was actually below league-average. On the flip side, Green Bay used two-receiver sets on 21% of their passing downs, which was the sixth-highest rate in the league, per Sharp Football Analysis. They also have quarterback Aaron Rodgers, so yeah, Dotson would be in a pretty good situation.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Sorry to any Jaguars fans, but they still lack a true No. 1 wide receiver. Despite getting paid like one, Christian Kirk has a limited sample size as a WR1. His addition — along with Zay Jones and Evan Engram — shouldn’t be enough to keep Jacksonville from drafting another receiver. For my money, I’d rather have Dotson than any of those guys. He’s arguably more dynamic than Jones and incumbent starter Marvin Jones. Even though Dotson may come in and surrender some targets to those veterans, it’s hard to see a path where he doesn’t become Jacksonville’s top receiver. Not to mention the potential of developing an early connection with quarterback Trevor Lawrence. If Dotson does land in Duval County, I’d advise some patience for what could be a very pleasant pairing down the road.

Why pay Christian Kirk all that money when you could’ve drafted Jahan Dotson at the top of the 2nd round?

(This is not a player comp, this is me saying Dotson > Kirk.)

— Zach Cohen (@ZachCohenFB) March 15, 2022

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins drafted wide receiver Jaylen Waddle last year and franchise-tagged ‘hybrid’ tight end Mike Gesicki. They also brought in Chase Edmonds, a capable receiving back. After that? There isn’t much else to be inspired by. Wide receiver DeVante Parker is aging and not as reliable as he was in 2019. Adding Cedrick Wilson can put a damper on Dotson’s immediate impact, though again, you’re playing the long haul in Dynasty. He could play opposite Wilson or Parker for a season before becoming the WR2 behind Waddle, who mostly plays inside. While we don’t know exactly what this offense will look like in year one of the Mike McDaniel era, McDaniel comes from an offense that frequently schemed its players open. Dotson can be well utilized in Miami with more volume likely looming down the road.

Philadelphia Eagles

Do I expect the Eagles to draft another wide receiver in the first round? No, not really. Do I expect them to draft another receiver at all? Definitely. That receiver room outside of DeVonta Smith isn’t too inspiring. Dotson could come in and quickly become Philadelphia’s primary outside receiver. And while he would almost certainly help out quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Eagles signal caller’s development is the big question here. Philadelphia resorted to run-heavy game plans down the stretch of last season to offset Hurts’ deficiencies as a passer. Therefore, they didn’t pass the ball that much. If that’s the type of offense we get next season, it may be a while before Dotson finds his true footing in fantasy. Still, adding a wide receiver of Dotson’s caliber may convince Head Coach Nick Sirianni to scheme Dotson the ball more than he did with Jalen Reagor and co.