Show Navigation
Show Menu

Dynasty Prospect Scouting Report: K.J. Hamler

By Jared Smola 8:04am EDT 4/2/20


K.J. Hamler, WR, Penn State

Height: 5’11

Weight: 178

Age: 20.7


Combine results:

A hamstring injury kept Hamler out of the Combine. Penn State’s Pro Day was cancelled due to Coronavirus concerns, so we have no athletic testing on him.


College career:

Hamler was tabbed a 4-star prospect by most scouting services. But a 2016 torn ACL cost him his final high school season and had him redshirted for his 1st year at Penn State.

Hamler was clearly back to 100% in 2018, though. He burst onto the scene, leading the Nittany Lions in catches and receiving yards. He ranked 2nd on the team with his 5 receiving scores. The season included a big 4-138-1 line against Ohio State. Hamler’s market shares: 20.5% of the team’s catches, 26.6% of the receiving yards and 23.8% of the receiving TDs.

His 18.0 yards per catch ranked 19th in the nation among players with 30+ grabs. Sixteen of Hamler’s 42 receptions (38%) went for 20+ yards. He also scored a rushing TD and handled return duties, averaging 26.2 yards per kick return and 6.9 yards per punt return. The redshirt freshman was named honorable mention All-Big Ten as a receiver and returner.

Hamler remained Penn State’s lead dog this past year and boosted his numbers across the board. He accounted for 25.8% of the team’s receptions, 31.4% of the receiving yards and 32% of the receiving TDs. Those marks rank 13th, 10th and 12th out of 23 of this year’s top WR prospects. His 2.48 yards per route run was good for 13th among those 23.

Hamler added 43 more yards on 13 carries and averaged 21.4 yards per kick return and 5.5 yards per punt return. He was named 2nd-Team All-Big Ten as a receiver and honorable mention as a returner.


Film study:

Courtesy of @WhatsOnDraftNFL

Games watched - Ohio State (2018), Idaho, Pittsburgh, Michigan, Minnesota

If he was healthy enough to run at the Combine, Hamler would have challenged Henry Ruggs for fastest WR in Indy. When he opens it up, it looks like someone hit the fast-forward button. That makes him a major weapon on both downfield shots and after the catch.





Hamler carries that speed through his breaks to create separation on short and intermediate routes. Pro Football Focus charted him with a step or more of separation on 64% of his targets 10+ yards downfield last year — the 4th highest rate in college football.


Hamler was almost exclusively a slot receiver at Penn State, playing 92% of his snaps from the inside over the past 2 seasons. That’s where he figures to play as a pro.

Hamler’s size is a real limiting factor, though. At 5’9, 178 pounds with 17th percentile arm length, he has a tiny catch radius. He’s not gonna win many contested balls and rarely makes a catch with a defender near him.




Hamler’s hands are also inconsistent. Per Pro Football Focus, he dropped 16 of 114 catchable targets over the past 2 years — a worrisome 14.0% drop rate.


Fantasy potential:

Hamler’s size is a legit concern. There have only been 13 instances of a sub-180-pound WR posting 800+ receiving yards over the past 10 seasons. Five of those came from DeSean Jackson; John Brown and Jamison Crowder accounted for 2 each; and the other 4 were by Travis Benjamin, Anthony Armstrong, Cole Beasley and Andrew Hawkins.

Jackson — who was just 5’10 and 169 pounds coming out of Cal — is the optimistic projection for Hamler. Jackson has reached 120 targets in just 2 of 12 seasons but has still tallied 8 top-36 fantasy finishes.

Hamler is unlikely to ever be the focal point of an NFL passing game. And landing spot will be important. Ideally, he ends up with a play-caller who knows how to maximize his ability and with an accurate QB that can put the ball on Hamler’s number.

But that speed will certainly translate to the next level and gives him a shot to be a high-ceiling fantasy play.


Related Fantasy Football

Premium Content Premium Content2023 Superflex Dynasty Rookie Rankings

2023 Superflex Dynasty Rookie Rankings

2:53pm EDT 5/28/23

Where do C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, and the rest of the QBs fall in the 2023 superflex dynasty rookie rankings?

Read More »
2023 Dynasty Rookie Rankings

2023 Dynasty Rookie Rankings

8:53pm EDT 5/26/23

With the NFL Draft in the books, here are our 2023 dynasty rookie rankings (top 60 overall and positional rankings).

Read More »
Top Fantasy Rookies 2023

Top Fantasy Rookies 2023

10:12am EDT 5/26/23

Who are the top fantasy rookies for 2023? And what can they deliver for your fantasy squads in 2023 and beyond? Let's review, position-by-position.

Read More »
Michael Mayer Dynasty Fantasy Football Value

Michael Mayer Dynasty Fantasy Football Value

2:05pm EDT 5/22/23

Michael Mayer boasts high-end production and pro polish. Call it a strong starting point for his dynasty fantasy football value in Vegas.

Read More »
Dynasty Superflex Rookie Mock Draft

Dynasty Superflex Rookie Mock Draft

1:34pm EDT 5/19/23

How high should this year's crop of QBs go? We gathered the staff for this dynasty superflex rookie mock draft to answer that and much more.

Read More »
Luke Musgrave Dynasty Fantasy Football Value

Luke Musgrave Dynasty Fantasy Football Value

9:41pm EDT 5/18/23

Luke Musgrave wasn't a major producer in college, but he has all the athletic traits of a TE1. How high could he climb up the dynasty rankings in Green Bay?

Read More »
Hendon Hooker Dynasty Fantasy Football Value

Hendon Hooker Dynasty Fantasy Football Value

1:36pm EDT 5/18/23

At age 25, Hendon Hooker's dynasty value makes for a tricky assessment. Let's see what clues we can find inside his marathon college career.

Read More »
Winning Your League Starts Here Trophy
Why Wouldn’t You Invest
$36 to Win Your League?

Check out thisleague-winning info

2023 Draft Package Now - Sept 15th

$39

Get Instant Access
2023 In-Season Package Sept 5th - Mar 7th

$39

Get Access Sept. 5th
2023 DFS Package Sept 5th - Mar 7th

$49

Get Access Sept. 5th
Best Value – All Access Pass
DS Insider Membership All 3 Packages

$127 $36

Semi-annual auto-renew
Get Instant Access
Draft War Room Included Draft War Room Draft War Room Draft War Room Included Draft War Room
Award-Winning Player Rankings Included Award-Winning Player Rankings Award-Winning Player Rankings Award-Winning Player Rankings Included Award-Winning Player Rankings
3D Projections Included 3D Projections 3D Projections 3D Projections Included 3D Projections
Live-Draft Sync Included Live-Draft Sync Live-Draft Sync Live-Draft Sync Included Live-Draft Sync
In-Depth Player Profiles Included In-Depth Player Profiles In-Depth Player Profiles In-Depth Player Profiles Included In-Depth Player Profiles
Mock Draft Tool Included Mock Draft Tool Mock Draft Tool Mock Draft Tool Included Mock Draft Tool
Round-by-Round Draft Strategies Included Round-by-Round Draft Strategies Round-by-Round Draft Strategies Round-by-Round Draft Strategies Included Round-by-Round Draft Strategies
Insider Sleepers & Busts Included Insider Sleepers & Busts Insider Sleepers & Busts Insider Sleepers & Busts Included Insider Sleepers & Busts
Average Draft Position by Scoring Included Average Draft Position by Scoring Average Draft Position by Scoring Average Draft Position by Scoring Included Average Draft Position by Scoring
Scientific Injury Predictor Included Scientific Injury Predictor Scientific Injury Predictor Scientific Injury Predictor Included Scientific Injury Predictor
In-Season Weekly Rankings In-Season Weekly Rankings Included In-Season Weekly Rankings In-Season Weekly Rankings Included In-Season Weekly Rankings
“Who Should I Start?” Tool “Who Should I Start?” Tool Included “Who Should I Start?” Tool “Who Should I Start?” Tool Included “Who Should I Start?” Tool
“Team Intel” Tool w/ Analysis & Notifications “Team Intel” Tool w/ Analysis & Notifications Included “Team Intel” Tool w/ Analysis & Notifications “Team Intel” Tool w/ Analysis & Notifications Included “Team Intel” Tool w/ Analysis & Notifications
Live-Sync Free Agent Finder Live-Sync Free Agent Finder Included Live-Sync Free Agent Finder Live-Sync Free Agent Finder Included Live-Sync Free Agent Finder
Trade Navigator Trade Navigator Included Trade Navigator Trade Navigator Included Trade Navigator
Player Shares Player Shares Included Player Shares Player Shares Included Player Shares
In-Depth Free Agent Gems In-Depth Free Agent Gems Included In-Depth Free Agent Gems In-Depth Free Agent Gems Included In-Depth Free Agent Gems
Buy/Sell/Hold Trade Advice Buy/Sell/Hold Trade Advice Included Buy/Sell/Hold Trade Advice Buy/Sell/Hold Trade Advice Included Buy/Sell/Hold Trade Advice
Strength-of-Schedule Data Strength-of-Schedule Data Included Strength-of-Schedule Data Strength-of-Schedule Data Included Strength-of-Schedule Data
DFS Lineup Builder DFS Lineup Builder DFS Lineup Builder Included DFS Lineup Builder Included DFS Lineup Builder
DFS Ownership Projections DFS Ownership Projections DFS Ownership Projections Included DFS Ownership Projections Included DFS Ownership Projections
Weekly GPP Picks
(DraftKings & FanDuel)
Weekly GPP Picks
(DraftKings & FanDuel)
Weekly GPP Picks
(DraftKings & FanDuel)
Included Weekly GPP Picks
(DraftKings & FanDuel)
Included Weekly GPP Picks
(DraftKings & FanDuel)
Weekly Cash Game Picks
(DraftKings & FanDuel)
Weekly Cash Game Picks
(DraftKings & FanDuel)
Weekly Cash Game Picks
(DraftKings & FanDuel)
Included Weekly Cash Game Picks
(DraftKings & FanDuel)
Included Weekly Cash Game Picks
(DraftKings & FanDuel)
Weekly Top Stacks Weekly Top Stacks Weekly Top Stacks Included Weekly Top Stacks Included Weekly Top Stacks
High-Stakes DFS Line-up Reviews High-Stakes DFS Line-up Reviews High-Stakes DFS Line-up Reviews Included High-Stakes DFS Line-up Reviews Included High-Stakes DFS Line-up Reviews
DFS Independent DFS Independent DFS Independent Included DFS Independent Included DFS Independent
Daily Fantasy Advice Daily Fantasy Advice Daily Fantasy Advice Included Daily Fantasy Advice Included Daily Fantasy Advice
Personalized Email Advice Personalized Email Advice Personalized Email Advice Included Personalized Email Advice Included Personalized Email Advice
Premium Insider Articles Included Premium Insider Articles Included Premium Insider Articles Included Premium Insider Articles Included Premium Insider Articles
Daily FF Email Updates Included Daily FF Email Updates Included Daily FF Email Updates Included Daily FF Email Updates Included Daily FF Email Updates
Breaking News Updates Included Breaking News Updates Included Breaking News Updates Included Breaking News Updates Included Breaking News Updates
To-the-Minute Game Day Inactives Included To-the-Minute Game Day Inactives Included To-the-Minute Game Day Inactives Included To-the-Minute Game Day Inactives Included To-the-Minute Game Day Inactives
All-Access
Draft Sharks App
All–Access Draft Sharks App
Included All-Access
Draft Sharks App
Included All-Access
Draft Sharks App
Included All-Access
Draft Sharks App
Included All-Access
Draft Sharks App
Get Instant Access Get Access Sept. 5th Get Access Sept. 5th Get Instant Access

Turn your phone into a draft weapon with our FREE APP

Download on the App Store Get It on Google Play