The NFL draft is finally upon us. After months of anticipation, we finally know where these prospects will call home this fall. The draft’s first two days can be a grind, watching and waiting for each name to be called. Today is all about the reaction. So, grab a few bottles of water, take some Ibuprofen, and stretch it out. Let’s discuss the first two days of the NFL draft and how it relates to dynasty fantasy football rookie rankings.
What follows are my rankings in a typical Superflex, PPR / Tight End Premium league.
Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings – ROUND ONE
| DRAFT SLOT | NAME | POS | TEAM | ANALYSIS |
| 1.01 | Caleb Williams | QB | Bears | Regarding the Caleb vs Marvin at 1.01 debate: For Caleb Williams to return value, he can fall into a range of outcomes, from Patrick Mahomes to Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert. Caleb Williams will be throwing to one of the best sets of receivers in the entire NFL. For Marvin Harrison Jr. to be as valuable, the only outcome is for him to become the next Justin Jefferson. Could he? Sure. Is it guaranteed? No. Take Caleb Williams. |
| 1.02 | Jayden Daniels | QB | Commanders | Now, if you want to debate Harrison over Jayden Daniels, I’m willing to listen. |
| 1.03 | Marvin Harrison | WR | Cardinals | Get ready for years of hearing Scott Hanson saying “JJ to JJ!” on your Red Zone broadcasts. The rumored Vikings landing spot for McCarthy came true, so he is the solidified fourth spot in Superflex for me. I trust Kevin O’Connell’s offensive mind to turn a collegiate winner into an NFL winner. Between Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones, and T.J. Hockenson, JJ McCarthy will also be a fantasy winner. |
| 1.04 | JJ McCarthy | QB | Vikings | Get ready for years of hearing Scott Hanson saying “JJ to JJ!” on your Red Zone broadcasts. The rumored Vikings landing spot for McCarthy came true, so he is the solidified fourth spot in Superflex for me. I trust the offensive mind of Kevin O’Connell to turn a collegiate winner into an NFL winner. Between Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones, and T.J. Hockenson, JJ McCarthy will also be a fantasy winner. |
| 1.05 | Malik Nabers | WR | Giants | This pick is more an indictment of Drake Maye’s landing spot than it is about my feelings on Nabers. Honestly, count me in on Daniel Jones to Malik Nabers. I think the explosive Nabers is a great fit in New York, and I’m excited to see him flourish under Brian DaBoll. |
| 1.06 | Drake Maye | QB | Patriots | I wasn’t big on Drake Maye going into the draft, and now couple that with the landing spot in New England? Bonus points for not being a fan of Ja’Lynn Polk, either? Count me out. If I miss out on him, so be it. In an actual draft, I’d rather trade down and get one of the next few players than pick Maye here. |
| 1.07 | Bo Nix | QB | Broncos | The Nerds team has done monthly rookie mock drafts leading up to this weekend, and back in February, I took Bo Nix at 1.09, saying: I’m not sure everyone’s ready to have this conversation, but Nix is consistently popping up in the first round of recent NFL mock drafts. If that’s the case, he will be a first-round pick in rookie Superflex drafts. And here we are. I like Nix, and I really like Nix with Sean Payton. |
| 1.08 | Brock Bowers | TE | Raiders | This might seem too low on Brock Bowers, but I realistically don’t know which player in the top seven I’d drop below him. |
| 1.09 | Rome Odunze | WR | Bears | Ultimately, Odunze and Bowers always belonged here in the middle of the first round, but now we know their landing spots. I love Odunze, but the reality is that he’s behind two of the best wide receivers in the NFL. If you draft him, you hold him until he’s the man. His value likely won’t be this high again for at least another year. See also: Jaxon Smith-Njigba |
| 1.10 | Xavier Worthy | WR | Chiefs | And now, the rest of the draft. “Chiefs WR to the moon!” is in full effect here. Once the top nine (top eight plus Nix, I suppose) are taken, I think Worthy is deserving of going next. It’s hard to argue the speed, hard to argue the profile, hard to argue the landing spot. The Chiefs traded up to get him, so let’s trust Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. |
| 1.11 | Michael Penix | QB | Falcons | One of the most-discussed early first-round picks in a long time, we can at least agree that Michael Penix landed in a great spot with great weapons… if only you remove Kirk Cousins from the equation. Therein lies the issue. Like Odunze, if you take Penix, you’re holding him until he’s the man. How patient are you willing to be? Jobs are on the line, so he’s going to get a chance. When will it come? |
| 1.12 | Keon Coleman | WR | Bills | It’s worth taking a shot on a good profile who landed with a great quarterback. I’m not the biggest fan, but someone has to catch the ball in Buffalo. Between Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir, they have enough little guys. They need another big body besides Dalton Kincaid. |
ROUND TWO
| DRAFT SLOT | NAME | POS | TEAM | ANALYSIS |
| 2.01 | Ladd McConkey | WR | Chargers | Perfect landing spot. Great match with Justin Herbert. Will the volume come? Was the lack of production due to being in Georgia, or was it something more? |
| 2.02 | Ricky Pearsall | WR | Niners | Another great landing spot, but it’s Saturday, and Deebo and Aiyuk are still on the team. We always have trouble figuring out who to start in San Francisco. Will Pearsall prove to be as frustrating? |
| 2.03 | Jonathon Brooks | RB | Panthers | When he’s healthy, he should be the RB1 on Bryce Young’s Panthers. It will matter, but the question is how much? Their offense is going to have to show significant improvement for me to care about their starting running back. |
| 2.04 | Trey Benson | RB | Cardinals | I like the next several wide receivers below, but each of them has question marks. Each of them might be tough to consistently trust in your lineups. James Conner is not long for the Cards’ roster, and so when Trey Benson takes over, this pick in the early second will likely prove cheap to get the starting running back on a good offense. |
| 2.05 | Adonai Mitchell | WR | Colts | He paired up with Jayden Daniels for the next four years, and only the 33-year-old Zach Ertz stood in his way. |
| 2.06 | Brian Thomas | WR | Jaguars | I’m probably lower on Brian Thomas than most. What does Brian Thomas do that Gabe Davis doesn’t? And Evan Engram? Zay Jones? Parker Washington? Christian Kirk? They all feel very same-ish to me, so I’ll let the confusing situation slide to someone else. |
| 2.07 | Malachi Corley | RB | Jets | “The YAC God!” Likely better for the Jets than your dynasty lineup on a week-to-week basis. |
| 2.08 | Ben Sinnott | TE | Commanders | He will be paired up with Jayden Daniels for the next four years, and only the 33-year-old Zach Ertz stood in his way. |
| 2.09 | Jermaine Burton | WR | Bengals | Possibly a year away (or even less?) from being the WR2 in Joe Burrow’s explosive offense across from Ja’Marr Chase. |
| 2.10 | Xavier Legette | WR | Panthers | This far down for a wide receiver taken in the first round? Yes. I wasn’t a big fan of Legette coming into the draft, and I’m not a fan of Bryce Young. I’m sure others will take him before I would ever get him here, but I am okay with that. |
| 2.11 | Roman Wilson | WR | Steelers | I don’t want to bank on the overblown myth that the Steelers are great at drafting wide receivers. Roman Wilson is a very willing run blocker, and for his fantasy value, I worry that will be his primary role in their new offense. He will probably be “fine” in this offense, but another player who shouldn’t be very high in your dynasty fantasy football rookie rankings. |
| 2.12 | Blake Corum | RB | Rams | Blake Corum will come into value if Kyren Williams gets hurt, and that’s all I have to say about Blake Corum. |
THE REST
| Marshawn Lloyd | RB | Packers |
| Luke McCaffrey | WR | Commanders |
| Ja’Lynn Polk | WR | Patriots |
| Jalen McMillan | WR | Buccaneers |
| Tip Reiman | TE | Cards |
I liked Lloyd coming into the draft, but he is now landlocked on the Packers’ offense behind Josh Jacobs and AJ Dillon. Same story with McMillan behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Trey Palmer. Reiman will enjoy watching Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison, Jr. score fantasy points, something he won’t be doing himself. Luke McCaffrey is a good replacement for Curtis Samuel on the Commanders, and I am simply not high on Ja’Lynn Polk. With a Nerd Score just clearing 70, neither are Garret and Jared.
Day 1 and 2 Dynasty Rookie Rankings – IN CLOSING
What did I get right in my dynasty fantasy football rookie rankings? What do you disagree with? Let me know in the comments. Best of luck in your upcoming rookie drafts!
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