The Breakout Finders: Top 5 All Time

Because you love lists

This is why you came isn’t it? To see just exactly what the Breakout Finder truly values in a prospect while simultaneously satiating your thirst for lists — yeah, you love lists.

Give it to me straight​

This list is eclectic to say the least and will almost certainly not let you down (we hope).

#5) Mike Williams, USC (2005/Pick 1.10)

This should come as no surprise to anyone as Williams had one of the most productive freshman and sophomore college seasons we’ve seen, and in our system that matters a lot. Though what is most impressive is that it was done with a relatively high teammate score (76.9) after playing with Steve Smith, Keary Colbert, Dominique Byrd, and Kareem Kelly. For a player to post the numbers that Mikey Will did while having multiple early round talents around him means he was special. And although Williams’ teammates may have bumped his overall score, it was his early career production that skyrocketed him up our list.

#4) Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh (2015/Pick 2.24)

The definition of a “Year 3 Breakout” and a player that many of us have been rooting for from the beginning — Boyd wins with nuance, not freak athleticism (obv). His teammate score on the other hand? A mind-bendingly low score of 18.7 comparative to others on this same list whom are almost literally four times that number. This just means that Boyd had very little talent competition, which he took advantage of. Posting one of the most diverse college resumes we have ever seen, Boyd became a play maker everywhere on the field. Posting big time production early not only at the wide out spot but as a kick returner and ball carrier out of the backfield as well, it was this ability that propelled Boyd’s dynamic score (65.6) and launched him up the Breakout Finder ranks.

#3) Percy Harvin, Florida (2009/Pick 1.22)

Has there ever been a more dynamic game-changing talent than Percy Harvin? We don’t believe so. With arguably the purest blend of teammate score (75.4) and dynamic score (185.2) in the entire Breakout Finder database, Percy was destined for big things at the NFL level. Coming out of college there was a belief that Harvin was more “gadget” than all-around play maker, but those statements were chewed up and spit back out after his first few seasons in the NFL. Harvin’s persistent injuries and migraines were as much a reason for the downfall to his career as they were headaches for fantasy owners and fans alike.

2) Sammy Watkins, Clemson (2014/Pick 1.04)

Oh Sammy, where did it all go so wrong? Truth be told, Watkins may actually be the single-greatest dynasty prospect of all time… and we’re not kidding. Again this is a case of prolific talent meeting a solid teammate score (101.5) which has a track record of resulting in hits at the next level. So once you adjust for his early career production and dynamic score (47.9), it becomes blatantly obvious why he propelled above 99% of the names in our database — which is where he deserved to be.

#1) Marquise Lee, USC (2014/Pick 2.07)

This has to be a legitimate shock to everyone who immediately skimmed down to #1. Maybe you were too young to remember, or perhaps your cable TV was shut off for three full years during the time period of 2011-2013. Either way, we can assure you that Lee was absolutely dominant across a majority of this stretch. The importance of who he played with can’t be overstated, either, because Robert Woods and Nelson Agholor both played alongside him, which added major points to his score. Yet, like with many others in the Breakout Finder database who never hit their projected ceilings, Lee’s career has been riddled with injuries.

There are a multitude of ways for a player to enter the good graces of the Breakout Finder database. As you can see, dynamic scoring, teammate scoring, and level of competition scoring can all play a major factor in a player’s Breakout Finder rating. But just like this list above, there isn’t one singular combination of the three that vault you into elite — you just gotta produce.