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DeutschNow that the NFL scouting combine is behind us, we have a clearer picture of the talent available in this year’s class and how they should be valued in fanasy football dynasty leagues. Below you can see my dynasty rookie rankings, which have expanded the top-90 skill position prospects.
While we won’t be able to finalize the rankings until we know landing spots and draft capital, here’s where things stand following the combine.
Jeremiyah Love stands out as the one truly elite prospect across all positions and the unchallenged 1.01 in dynasty rookie drafts. The 20-year-old is expected to be a top-10 real-life selection and has the size, skill, pass-catching ability and athleticism to be a three-down workhorse at the next level. Love will be even more coveted, since the rest of the running back group is filled with question marks.
No one has separated themselves as the RB2 in this class, which isn’t surprising given the dropoff in talent after Love, but Jonah Coleman and Mike Washington Jr. have intriguing profiles to make a case for that spot. Coleman is a smooth runner who flashes excellent short-area quickness and good power in his 5-foot-8, 220-pound frame. Meanwhile, Washington is one of the hottest names out there after a solid Senior Bowl week and a dominant performance at the combine. Both Coleman and Washington will be players to watch for on Day 2, since we’ll likely see their stocks rise into the late-first or early-second of dynasty rookie drafts if they end up in the right offenses.
Among receivers, there’s a definitive top trio with Makai Lemon, Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson, who will all be top-five picks in dynasty rookie drafts. Don’t sleep on the next three receivers, though, with K.C. Concepcion, Denzel Boston and Omar Cooper Jr. all having a strong chance to hear their names called in the first round as well. From my perspective, there are nine prospects whom I am confident selecting in the opening frame of dynasty rookie drafts and Cooper is the final name on that list. Once that group of nine is off the board, there’s no consensus on the next 10-12 picks, so you can expect drafts to vary wildly once you get to that range.
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While Round 2 rookie picks might not have the same value as most years, there are still players I’ll be targeting in that area, including receivers like Malachi Fields, Zachariah Branch and Chris Bell. Though Fields’ 4.61-second 40-time at the combine was disappointing, he still has enough tools to be a strong No. 2 WR in the pros — with an outside shot to develop into a No. 1. His tape is filled with circus catches thanks to him high-pointing the ball and using outstanding body control to adjust on the fly. He’s also sneaky after the catch, refusing to go down easy. Branch is a smaller dynamic athlete with high-end speed, soft hands and undeniable playmaking ability. The key for him will be finding an offense willing to use him as a meaningful starter and not just a gadget option and special teamer. Finally, Bell is coming off a torn ACL in November, but is a physical possession receiver who fantasy managers will be getting an injury discount on.
Kenyon Sadiq reaffirmed his spot as top tight end in this class after a phenomenal combine, but Eli Stowers used the week to push himself into contention to be the second player drafted at his position. Stowers’ athleticism is off the charts and any concerns about his blocking ability might not matter since he’s more of a receiver than a tight end anyway. When considering that massive group of prospects, which will be taken from the late-first round of rookie drafts to the late second, Stowers is now bubbling up closer to the top of that tier.
In most dynasty rookie drafts, once you get into the third or fourth round, it’s smart to turn your attention to running backs. We do that since they’ll be the players who fill out backfield depth charts across the league, putting them an injury or two away from potential starts. However, this year’s running back class lacks enticing sleeper prospects, so my advice is to think long and hard about the tight ends in that range. Max Klare, Joe Royer, Jack Endries, Justin Joly, Michael Trigg and Oscar Delp all have the ability to eventually emerge as startable options. And they’ll likely be undervalued by most managers.