Why Dynamic Score Matters

The Breakout Finder is all about zigging while others zag. The same can be said of certain college prospects. While most make their bread through the air, unique players find a way to contribute to their teams in different ways. This is why the Breakout Finder has the dynamic score, a unique metric that you won’t find at any other site.

The dynamic score takes into account a prospect’s role on the ground and in the return game. When certain receivers are clearly elite, their college coaches will put the ball in their hands in any way possible. This talent should be recognized, as not every player earns those reps. And if you were to take a gander at the best dynamic scores in the Breakout Finder database, you would spot some talented names.

Top-Tier Talents

Percy Harvin checks in with the highest dynamic score in the database at 185.2. In his three-year career at Florida, Harvin accumulated 1,852 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground at a mind-bending 9.5 yards per clip. He was also an elite return man on top of his receiving production of 133 catches for 1,929 yards.

Percy Harvin was on one of the most dynamic college football offenses of all time

Harvin’s insane production while playing alongside names like Riley Cooper, Aaron Hernandez, and Jeff Demps gave him the No. 3 overall score in the database. He was selected with the 22nd pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and his dynamic ability immediately translated. Before injuries derailed his career, Harvin averaged 70 catches and 27 rush attempts over his first four seasons.

A better example of why dynamic score matters is new Raiders wideout Antonio Brown. Brown was an undersized receiver from Central Michigan who did not test well at the NFL Combine. But he did have some of the strongest production in his class. He was dominant at a young age and never caught fewer than 93 balls in any of his three collegiate seasons.

Antonio Brown at Central Michigan

That didn’t stop him from dropping to the 195th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, but scouts didn’t have access to the Breakout Finder database then. Brown was active on special teams and rushed 42 times in his final year for 341 yards and three scores, giving him a dynamic score of 87.4. If NFL scouts saw that No. 8 overall ranked figure, he would have skyrocketed up draft boards. Instead, the Steelers found the best wideout of our generation in the sixth round.

Brown and Harvin aren’t the only dynamic prospects that worked out. Randall Cobb checked in at No. 2, T.Y. Hilton was No. 10, and even Wes Welker was No. 13 in the dynamic score rankings. While the dynamic score isn’t a 1-for-1 correlation with NFL success, it clearly has some capacity to predict talent at the next level.

Bad 2019 Class

This is bad news for the 2019 receiver class, as most of the marquee names check-in near the bottom of the entire database. Kelvin Harmon, D.K. Metcalf, and Marquise Brown are tied for No. 510 out of 602 prospects. None of these guys recorded a carry in college. The three were all non-factors in the return game and they all have late breakout ages, according to Player Profiler.

Andy Isabella is a hot prospect in the frozen tundra that is the 2019 class. His 40/342/2 career rushing stat line and 32 punt/kick returns give him a 38.4 dynamic score, good for No. 4 in the class and No. 67 overall. While it was against UMass competition (-59.3 LOC), Isabella posted a market share of 45 percent to complement his groundwork during his best collegiate season.

Andy Isabella at UMass

The electric Parris Campbell’s 30.3 dynamic score places him just behind Isabella in the 2019 class. His best-season market share of 21 percent seems low, but Campbell’s production needs to be put into context. Playing at Ohio State alongside the likes of Curtis Samuel and Terry McLaurin, Campbell’s teammate score of 153.1 ranks No. 20 all-time. Unlike Isabella, Campbell’s No. 62-ranked LOC also indicates that he faced tougher competition than the average receiver, putting a premium on his rushing and receiving production.

Conclusion

Good players command the ball. If fantasy gamers want to find a breakout player, they need to focus on the right details. Dynamic receivers that are active through the air, on the ground, and in the return game offer better upside than one-trick ponies. Next time you’re sifting through dynasty prospects, check the dynamic score. You just might find the next Antonio Brown.