The Raiders selected Dylan Laube with the 208th pick in the draft… and I’m in love for Dynasty and Best Ball Fantasy Football.
Yes, he comes with low Draft Capital. Yes, he hails from a D1AA pedigree (UNH). Yet, in Laube, I see a talent and skillset I really like, entering a wide-open depth running back room, selected by an evaluator with a penchant for nailing pass-catching RBs.
Let’s dive into why I think Laube has a strong fantasy football outlook in both long-term Dynasty, and even in 2024 Best Ball, especially at his current price (re: free).
Who is Dylan Laube?
Dylan Laube’s Athletic Profile and Traits
Dylan Laube may be arriving to the NFL from the little-known University of New Hampshire, but don’t let his “small school pedigree” fool you: the man can ball.
First, as an athlete Laube is, at minimum, solidly above-average in every trait. Via PlayerProfiler and Keith Platte:
In particular, Laube’s agility stands out, as he scored ELITE in RAS’s agility grade, while ranking in the 97th percentile for PlayerProfiler in the same category.
This shiftiness pops on Laube’s tape in various ways. As a runner, Laube’s incredibly adept at bouncing and cutting back to the open lane. He also regularly makes defenders miss in open space and, even more impressively, in congested, “phone booth” situations.
Where Laube’s agility really shines, though, is as a pass-catcher. He is a phenomenal route runner, with an expansive tree that extends far beyond the typical screens and dump-offs. He is mismatch nightmare for linebackers, and can also attack defenses deep in the wheel game, too.
Laube is also strong for his smaller size. He consistently churned out yards after contact and fought through arm tackles, rarely going down at the point of attack. Laube also throws a mean stiff arm, too. He reminds me of Austin Ekeler in his ability to play low to the ground, and get behind his blockers; similarly, to Ekeler, Laube was also a TD machine.
Dylan Laube Production Profile: Elite
Laube’s college production was nothing short of remarkable. He led the FCS in all-purpose yards in both 2022 (194.3 yards per game) and 2023 (209.5), racking up 37 TDs across those two years (tops in the nation).
During his senior season, Laube hauled in 68 receptons for 699 yards and seven TDs, too. Combined with the year prior, he was well over 100 catches and 1,000 yards, and many regarded Laube as a Top-3 receiving back in this class.
Laube ultimately accounted for a whopping 36.5% of UNH’s total yards and TDs, ranking 86.5% in this “dominator” metric.
But Wolf, you may quip. This production came against much lower-level competition.
This is certainly fair to point out. Yet, we can’t punish Laube for dominating like he was supposed to. Moreover, he performed the best when the competition was highest.
In their toughest matchup vs. Central Michigan, Laube hauled in an absurd 12 catches, 295 yards, and 2 TDs (NCAA record). He was also a Senior Bowl standout, according to all reports, as Sports Illustrated called Laube, “One of the biggest winners of the week… there is a strong argument that no player in Mobile raised his stock as much as Laube.”
The article continued to highlight Laube’s stand performance among the nation’s top prospects:
“Throughout the week, Laube showed his athleticism and his ability to be one of the most versatile weapons in this draft class. He was able to create plays from the backfield, in the slot, and consistently dominated 1-on-1 opportunities against some of the top prospects from around the country.”
Simply put, the kid is an athlete… and the kid can ball.
The Raiders: A Perfect Landing Spot for Dylan Laube
The Raiders vacated 289 opportunities (sixth-most, 63.3%) and added no other RBs to a fairly barren depth chart, with only Zamir White as the lead threat. White was solid as the starter last year, but he’s not a world-beater. At minimum, Laube only has to beat out career nonfactor Ameer Abdullah for a receiving role.
Beyond the available volume, don’t discount new Raiders’ GM Tom Telesco’s track record with evaluating pass-catching RBs. During his time with the Charges, Telesco first brought in Danny Woodhead, who was the PPR RB12 and RB3 in his two healthy seasons in San Deigo. He posted receiving lines of 76 rec (87 targets), 605 yards, 8 TDs, along with 80 rec (107 targets!), 755 yards, and 6 TDs.
Telesco’s next replacement? A little UDFA named Austin Ekeler. Prior to last year, Ekeler had finished as the RB1, RB3, RB13, and RB6 in PPR FPPG, notching 127, 93, 65 (only 10 games), and 108 targets. Yes, Telesco has a type, and Laube seems to fit it quite nicely:
“We’re always looking for comps, but as far as the concept of style how they play, yeah, there’d be some similarities there,” Telesco said. “Obviously, Austin [Ekler] is a big-time player in this league, so I wouldn’t put him in that category yet. Same as Danny Woodhead, Danny who we had with the San Diego Chargers, he was amazing for us. But as far as a running back with receiving skills Dylan [Laube] ran a 4.49 so he had some good speed but can do a lot of different things as a football player which those two guys had to do.”
Between the available volume and Telesco’s strong pass-catching RB track record, Laube landed in a perfect environment for short and long-term fantasy goodness. Is he likely to be the next Woodhead or Ekeler? No. But the fact it’s even in the range of Laube’s outcomes makes him a steal at this price.
Summary: Dylan Laube’s Dynasty, Best Ball, and Redraft 2024 Fantasy Outlook
Laube enters a wide-open Raiders RB running back room with the pass-catching chops and athleticism to do some real damage. He will need to beat out Ameer Abduallah, which should not be difficult, and even stealing RB1 duties from Zamir White is within his range of outcomes.
Going in Round 4 or often undrafted in SuperFlex Dynasty Drafts, Laube is an absolute steal. He’s fully capable of making a Year 1 impact, with plenty of upside to see his role grow as White’s rookie deal winds down.
He’s also fully capable of a major 2024 splash, and Laube is a phenomenal last-round pick in early Best Ball Drafts. Yes, he faced lesser competition, but he produced at an elite level, and Laube performed best when facing his toughest opponents. I firmly believe Laube will carve out a meaningful role full of TDs and receptions from Day 1, and be among the best RB Values in 2024 Fantasy.
Dylan Laube 2024 Projection: 60 targets, 45 receptions, 650 YFS, 5 total TDs
