Dynasty rookie draft season is finally upon us. After months of recycling the same talking points and mock drafts, we finally have real landing spots and draft capital, and for many of us only a couple days to digest all this information and make decisions with it. This big board will be assuming  a 12-team Superflex Tight End Premium format.

 

 

As I’ve mentioned in the past, the dynasty rookie draft is the only time you can acquire a game-chaging talent with a single draft pick, and yet most of us are statistically likely to whiff on most of our picks. While we can’t predict anything perfectly, using the reasoning behind these tiers, even if you don’t copy them exactly, can give you an edge.

 

First, I’ll show position-specific tiers before showing overall tiers and why each player goes into each tier. 

 

Quarterbacks

 

 

Running Backs

 

 

Wide Receivers

 

 

 

Tight Ends

 

 

1.01

 

Ashton Jeanty

 

Jeanty should be the 1.01 in all dynasty leagues. He's a rare talent walking into a bellcow role with an offensive coordinator who wants to play a high-paced offense. 

 

1.02

 

Omarion Hampton

 

For me, there are two reasons Hampton actually is by himself in the second tier. Firstly, running backs with first round draft capital turn into “hits” and turn into star players at their position with more regularity than even 1.01 quarterbacks and wide receivers drafted in the top ten. 

 

Secondly, Hampton ended up in the smash spots to end all smash spots. Yes, Najee Harris might be annoying for the first couple weeks. Even if he was annoying for the entirety of his 1-year contract, Hampton is a first round talent drafted to a team with all of the following: 

 

A head coach who stylistically wants to run the ball, and especially at the goal line. And who raved about Hampton's pass-catching ability after the draft.

 

An offensive coordinator who designs an outstanding run game, and even made J.K. Dobbins a high end RB2 while splitting 40% of opportunities with other running backs. 

 

One of the best offensive lines in football. A quarterback who keeps defenses honest and keeps safeties back. 

 

Even playing a less premium position than quarterback and wide receiver, Hampton gives you a close ceiling and much higher floor.

 

 

1.03-1.05 

 

Cam Ward

 

Quarterbacks taken 1.01 not only tend to be good fantasy assets on average, but they have insulated value because they have incredibly long leashes. 

 

Beyond the draft capital and situation, I believe Cam Ward to be a good fantasy prospect because he has the kind of arm talent and confidence to sustain a pass-heavy offense and consistently finish high up in passing yardage and touchdowns. 

 

Ward has excellent arm talent, including the ability to throw with touch and anticipation, as well as vary his arm slot when facing pressure. He shows excellent control of his offense and knows what’s going to be available based on the look the defense is showing. 

 

Travis Hunter

 

Travis Hunter on talent alone fully deserves to be the 1.02, but the risk that he might not play a full snap share on offense is enough to “drop” him a tiny bit into tier 3. 

 

Yes, the Jaguars have said that Travis Hunter will play primarily wide receiver and slowly ease into playing defense. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean he will be on the field all the time on offense, as the Jaguars may selectively give him a few plays or even a whole series off here and there to keep him fresh. 

 

Here is the really important part. The Jaguars are not trying to win fantasy football games. They are willing and able to pull the rug on your dynasty wide receiver’s fantasy value if they think it helps them win real football games. 

 

The Jaguars have every intent to play Hunter at wide receiver, but once you draft Hunter, there are just so many ways it can go wrong. For example, Hunter could play significantly better at corner than receiver during camp, and the Jags could flip it on us. Or, the Jags could full-send playing him both ways, but that results in 70% of snaps on offense and a WR2 ceiling. 

 

Even scarier, the corner depth on the Jaguars could get depleted and they might decide their only possible choice is to make Hunter a full-time corner and part-time receiver. You get the idea. There are other risks I won't bore you with. 

 

 

The point of all this isn’t to predict exactly how or why Hunter might fail in fantasy. More so, it’s to illustrate it’s inherently dangerous that the Jaguars have different incentives from you and me. While owning him, you will always fear that circumstances change such that the Jaguars think the best thing for their franchise is for Hunter to play fewer snaps at wide receiver. 

 

Lastly, I will mention that competing with Brian Thomas Jr. for targets is a bit of a bummer, albeit not a deal breaker. With the 1.03 or after, roll those dice. Safety is an illusion. But at 1.02, I would lean Hampton. 

 

Don’t get me wrong. I agree you shouldn’t draft scared. Hunter's upside is so tantalizing that by my tiers, you can justifiably take him with the 1.03. I’m that excited about his talent level. 

 

Tetairoa McMillan

 

I gushed about McMillan in my scouting report on him. He absolutely has a WR1 skillset, is a nuanced route runner who gets separation, and rewards his quarterback for running the offense through him. 

 

Dave Canales agrees, and made him the WR1 in an offense that made Adam Thielen a borderline league winner. These types of players tend to have insulated value and the upside of being a locked-in WR1 is massive.

 

1.06-1.07

 

TreVeyon Henderson

 

TreVeyon Henderson is an elite passing game back who is explosive enough in the run game to justify outside carries. He’s an elite pass blocker, meaning he’ll be on the field for all two-minute drills. And there is upside here that he just dusts Rhamondre Stevenson, or that Stevenson fumbles the job away, literally. 

 

 

Quinshon Judkins

 

Browns general manager Andrew Berry told us to our faces that Quinshon Judkins can be a bellcow; he literally used that word. Sure, Dylan Sampson will be part of a “thunder and lightning” tandem with him, but Judkins is the one to own. 

 

Running backs with early second round draft capital are still safer than first round wide receivers and tight ends, and Judkins has RB1 upside.

 

1.08-1.09 (TE Premium)

 

Tyler Warren

 

The first round tight ends don’t appear any higher on this list because tight end is an extremely fickle position that has seen tons of first round busts. 

 

While many are justifiably excited about Colston Loveland being tied to Ben Johnson, the most important thing for a tight end’s fantasy production is that they be a first or second option in their team’s passing game. The second most important thing is that the tight end plays as many snaps as possible.  

 

For this reason, I do recommend drafting Tyler Warren first. There are more ways to give him designed touches, he’s higher up in his team’s pecking order, and there isn’t an annoying blocking tight end with contract insulation on his team.

 

Stylistically, Warren also meshes better with my preference for tight ends, namely that he gets open using physicality at the top of his stem. Loveland gets disrupted by contact in his routes a little too much for my liking. Still, Loveland makes it into the same tier because you can justifiably take him first based on draft capital and his offensive environment. 

 

 

Colston Loveland

 

As Ben Johnson’s first drafted skill player, Colston Loveland is an exciting prospect, but there are a couple concerns related to usage. 

 

First off, we saw how Sam LaPorta dropped off due to Jameson Williams emerging as a designed touch siphon. Well, Loveland is competing with a lot more players for touches than LaPorta was, and Ben Johnson went out on a limb to draft Luther Burden, likely a designed touch outlet a la Jameson. 

 

Secondly, Cole Kmet’s presence on the team will be annoying for fantasy. He’s a better blocker than Loveland, and he’s no slouch in the passing game. Loveland will absolutely be the Bears’ TE1 in short order, but he might play only 70% of snaps due to the presence of Kmet, who will be preferred in specific situations and packages. That limits Loveland’s fantasy ceiling. 

 

1.10 - 2.03

 

Emeka Egbuka

 

The landing spot is theoretically a bit of a bummer, but I do think we have to take a long term view with Egbuka. At the end of the day, we’re talking about a receiver who is certified good at football, was built in a lab to rack up receptions in PPR leagues, and just got top 20 draft capital from a team that is theoretically set at wide receiver, which is an incredibly strong signal about how high they are on him.

 

Early draft picks tend to see the field, and murky roster situations tend to clear up. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is just about the worst case for this, and he is now coming off a breakout season. This draft selection could also be a bit of a signal Godwin’s recovery isn’t progressing as well as the Bucs may have hoped a couple months ago. 

 

Jaxson Dart

 

On film I have three major concerns about Jaxson Dart. Firstly, he has a tendency to drop his eyes and run for the hills if his first read isn’t there. 

 

Secondly, he can make all the throws if he can step into them, but doesn’t have the arm talent to complete high level throws if his platform isn’t steady, for example if he needs to reset his feet and throw in a murky pocket.

 

Thirdly, he was in an extremely college-y offense that didn’t test his post-snap decision-making, which means his translation to the NFL is pure projection. 

 

Despite those concerns, Dart is an accurate quarterback with a gunslinger mentality and first round draft capital. He’ll be starting sooner rather than later, and plays the most premium position in superflex. 

 

 

R.J. Harvey

 

I get it, he’s on the older side and his draft capital is “only” a late second round pick, but when Sean Payton handpicks a running back, we listen. Harvey is an explosive, elusive back with pass catching ability, and Sean Payton won’t hesitate to use that. 

 

Harvey has very uninspiring competition for touches, has the belief of his head coach, and can play all three downs. 

 

Kaleb Johnson

 

While technically only a third round pick, the Steelers could very well have had a second round grade on Johnson, given they didn’t own their second round pick. For his part, Johnson is a hand-in-glove fit in Arthur Smith’s offense, which just recently gave 260 carries to Najee Harris, a much less explosive running back. 

 

Third round running backs still have higher hit rates than late first round wide receivers, and Johnson will step right into a starting role in an offense all but guaranteed to be top 10 in rushing attempts, and most likely with a non-mobile quarterback who won’t steal goal line work. 

 

Johnson is also just a talented pure runner with surprisingly good hands who can catch checkdowns from (presumably) Aaron Rodgers. 

 

Matthew Golden

 

While this might be surprisingly late for Golden, who has first round draft capital, wide receivers picked in the 20s have fairly low hit rates. The really good wide receivers just tend to go sooner. 

 

For his part, Matthew Golden is stepping into an extremely murky wide receiver room that tends not to give any one wide receiver a massive snap share. In some cases, I would tell you not to fear the ambiguous wide receiver room, but I just don’t think Matthew Golden has the skillset to assert himself as the alpha.

 

More likely, Golden becomes another WR2 in a room full of them, and will struggle to dominate in an offense that might just run through Josh Jacobs anyways. 

 

One thing I will say though, is that this room at least has the opportunity for an alpha to step in. If Golden is just way better than anybody realizes, the upside would be immense, and it could come to fruition as soon as this year’s second half of the season. That’s something I can’t say for Egbuka or Jayden Higgins. 

 

 

Jayden Higgins

 

Jayden Higgins could not have gone to a much better landing spot. Pre-draft, I was extremely concerned Higgins would get drafted to a team who would pigeonhole him into their X receiver role, something he would struggle in. 

 

Instead, he’s going to a team with an established stud X receiver and a flamethrower quarterback who supported multiple excellent fantasy assets as a rookie. On the Texans, he’ll get to move around the formation and do damage underneath, something he’s well suited for. 

 

The Texans reportedly considered taking him in the first round before moving down, meaning they’re extremely invested in him as the team’s long term WR2. 

 

2.04-2.09

 

Jack Bech

 

I’m planting my flag with Jack Bech as a “my guy”, and I’m going to have a lot of shares of him because I’ll be drafting him earlier than my league mates. 

 

Bech is a skilled and physical route runner who catches absolutely everything. His main weakness is his lack of speed and pure explosiveness, but we’ve seen many receivers thrive despite poor testing numbers in the past. 

 

On the Raiders, the sky is the limit for Bech. His path to being the WR2 on that team is absolutely wide open, and if he doesn’t surpass Jakobi Meyes this year, it’ll happen eventually. 

 

Luther Burden

 

Whatever the opposite of a “my guy” is, that’s Burden for me. I just don’t believe in his football character. I see him run too many routes without effort or attention to detail, even in “gotta have it” situations. 

 

Still, I can’t put him any lower than this tier. He’s immensely talented and seems locked in as Ben Johnson’s slot receiver, which has proven to be an extremely valuable role in the past. Still, I think this is a landmine we can spot from a mile away. 

 

 

Mason Taylor

 

I think the hype train for Mason Taylor has long since gone off the rails. He’s a finesse player in a non-finesse position. While he moves great and has fantastic hands, he doesn’t get off contact well during his routes, and his blocking technique needs major improvement at the NFL level.

 

Still, Taylor has a legitimate chance to be the second option in his team’s passing game, and has the draft capital to back it up. On the other hand, Justin Fields isn’t exactly the quarterback to unlock his receiving upside. 

 

All told, we can’t put Taylor any later than here, especially not in TE Premium leagues.

 

Tre Harris

 

Harris could not have gone to a better landing spot. While I don’t see him out-targeting Ladd McConkey any time soon, there is nothing impeding him from becoming the Chargers’ main passing outlet on the outside. If he’s any good at all, he’ll dust Quentin Johnston. If he isn’t, the competition doesn’t matter anyways.

 

Harris was incredibly efficient in college, but ran an absolute Mickey Mouse route tree, essentially just hitch-hitch-go. Granted, he was great in that role, and even snatched ankles the couple times I saw him run outbreakers, but he’s a massive projection.

 

Cam Skattebo

 

While his footspeed is not NFL-caliber, Skattebo is an NFL-caliber athlete in every other area. He has great footwork and fluidity to efficiently win the corner, and moves well on a football field. He’s an excellent tackle-breaker, with great contact balance to get into the second level. 

 

However, the lack of footspeed does leave big plays on the field, and he’ll have to prove he can maintain his efficiency once bigger players start tackling him. 

 

With ok draft capital and a landing spot absolutely begging for an early down back, Skattebo will have a chance to start and then whatever else he earns is totally up to him.

 

 

Bhayshul Tuten

 

While he’s theoretically in a crowded room, Tuten is in one of those situations where if he’s actually good, the competition won’t matter. The Jaguars have been souring on Travis Etienne for a while now, and Tank Bigsby had a great bounceback year but isn’t preventing a stud from emerging.

 

Similar to Bucky Irving last year, Tuten controls his own destiny. If he plays well, the competition for touches will suddenly appear laughable. If he doesn’t, then the competition wasn’t why he failed.

 

For his part, Tuten is an extremely explosive back who is also stoutly built and can shrug off arm tackles. He’ll make good on any space schemed up for him by Liam Coen, at which point he could become a household name.

 

2.10 - 3.04

 

Kyle Williams

 

While the third round draft capital is a bit of a bummer for Kyle Williams, he’s stepping into a wide receiver room where he can instantly emerge as the top option. A washed up Stegon Diggs is his only “competition” and might not even start the season on the active roster. 

 

For his part, Williams is an excellent deep threat who might connect on several long touchdowns with Drake Maye, but he’s also good against zone and has excellent run-after-catch ability.

 

All of the ingredients are in place for Williams to be a breakout asset. He has the quarterback, the traits, and the opportunity. The draft capital says the NFL thinks he’s not good enough to take advantage, but if he proves them wrong, look out. 

 

Jaylin Noel

 

I’m slightly fading Noel at this point. Third round draft capital is not a good indicator for dynasty wide receivers. The ones the NFL truly believes are good just go way sooner. 

 

Back when it seemed like the NFL was going to be extremely high on him, I was interested in his supreme play speed and ability to make cuts at high speed. However, the NFL clearly did not make it a priority to draft this guy, and now he needs to compete as an underdog with Christian Kirk and Jayden Higgins just to be the WR2 on his team.

 

Noel’s big weakness is that he’s unreliable over the middle of the field, and if he drops a few balls while in a training camp competition, it might be over for him before it starts. 

 

On the other hand, if Noel is just way better than we realize, Christian Krik and Jayden Higgins might turn out to be strawmen, and Noel can step right in as C.J. Stroud’s WR2.

 

 

Jalen Milroe

 

Quarterbacks taken in the third round essentially never hit. The only reason I’m even slightly in on Milroe is because he has the rushing ability to be good for fantasy even if he’s bad in real life. If Jalen Milroe ever, ever gets a start, his value will skyrocket and at worst you’ll have a chance to sell high on him.

 

If you stick it out, you could end up with a singular dynasty asset, namely a quarterback with plus-plus rushing ability. I’m also not entirely convinced Sam Darnold will hold down a job without Kevin O’Connell around, so Milroe’s chance may come sooner than we expect. 

 

Tyler Shough

 

Like with Milroe, the hit rate on Day 2 quarterbacks is just terrible. Shough has a clearer path to starting than Milroe, but he also doesn’t have the same rushing upside. 

 

At his best, Shough is accurate, can throw on the run, and can make bucket throws with great touch. On his worst days, the ball placement slips away and his offense doesn’t look functional. He’s worth a dart throw at least. You’ll know what you have pretty quickly. 

 

Pat Bryant

 

I didn’t like Pat Bryant when scouting, mostly because he lacks explosiveness out of his breaks. However, he was hand-selected by Sean Payton, who raved about how direct and sudden he is in his release, even comparing him to Michael Thomas.

 

I’m willing to invest in Bryant, on the chance this is a player who wouldn’t look good in just any role, but who got selected to play a role that’s perfect for him. This is also a wide open receiver room, where even Courtland Sutton won’t hold him back if he has a meteoric rise. 

 

Elijah Arroyo

 

Arroyo is a seam-busting tight end with good hands who runs like a deer, but I don’t think he’s overly fluid in his routes. When blocking, Miami really only asked him to seal slot defenders, and didn’t trust him with anything more. 

 

The Seahawks are clearly excited about Arroyo, and there isn’t real competition for playing time if he’s better than we expect, but I don’t love his game and I don’t foresee him earning a dominant snap share, based on his weaker blocking ability. 

 

 

Terrance Ferguson

 

While not overly productive in college, Ferguson tested as the best athlete at the tight end position this cycle. For tight ends, athleticism has tended to out-predict production at the NFL level, so we should be keeping an eye on him. Sean McVay invested some pretty serious draft capital in Ferguson, so all the ingredients are in place for a classic late rookie pick breakout. 

 

However, it’ll be a slow burn. McVay likely wants to use more 12-personnel this year, so Ferguson will see the field, but not in a fantasy-relevant role behind Tyler Higbee. However, if Ferguson supplants him later in the year or takes over next year, he’ll surge in value.

 

At the end of the day, Sean McVay produces league winners with startling regularity, and he tends to mercilessly funnel touches to his favorite players. I’ll want shares of somebody he decided deserved second round draft capital.

 

3.05-3.08

 

Isaac TeSlaa

 

The Detroit Lions invested two third rounders into TeSlaa, so the team investment and belief is definitely there. TeSlaa is raw as a route runner, with extremely choppy strides into his breaks, but he’s very agile for his size and catches everything. 

 

He’s probably on the outside looking in with all the playmakers in Detroit, but there’s certainly athletic upside there if the pecking order ever clears up.

 

Dylan Sampson 

 

Sampson is likely never to be the Cleveland Browns’ bellcow back, but this backfield should operate similarly to the days when Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were both viable fantasy players. He’ll come with massive contingent upside if Judkins ever goes down.

 

Sampson is a very explosive runner who is also willing to grind between the tackles, and the Browns have talked a big game about unlocking him as a pass catcher.

 

Jaydon Blue

 

While the draft capital isn’t what we wanted, Blue steps into a wide open Cowboys running back room, and he's easily the most explosive option in that room. In a lot of ways, this is a dream landing spot. Blue should easily win pass catching duties by the end of the season, and there are tons of carries up for grabs.

 

While Blue might just settle in as a third down back who isn’t fantasy relevant, there is a tail here where he becomes a James Cook-esque diminutive runner who still dominates the rushing work. 

 

 

Jarquez Hunter

 

Hunter plays an extremely physical brand of football, initiating contact while keeping his balance and continuing to chug along for more yards. He’s more fluid than explosive, but looks extremely effective as a downhill runner. 

 

There is a bit of a concern this play style won’t translate due to his smaller size, but he looks plenty strong on tape. 

 

Like I mentioned with Ferguson, Hunter might be on the outside looking in for playing time, but McVay produces league winners like nobody’s business, and he’s not shy about immediately pulling the rug out from under players who fall out of his circle of trust. You’ll want Hunter on your roster if that ever happens to Blake Corum and Kyren Williams. 

 

3.09 - 4.09

 

Now starts an extremely big tier of players who are all highly unlikely to pan out but bring some longshot upside to the table. This is really a choose your own adventure from here. 

 

Sheduer Sanders

 

The NFL told us loud and clear that Sanders is not actually a first round talent. Even after bombing the interview process, teams would still have invested an early pick in him if they believed he had first round tape. 

 

With Sanders, we’re talking about a quarterback with mediocre arm talent and athleticism, a ton of maturing to do, and no draft capital. Similar to Troy Franklin last year, we need to forget about the mock drafts and understand what the NFL is trying to tell us.

 

Dillon Gabriel

 

The Browns are clearly very excited about Dillon Gabriel, so much so that I expect he’ll eventually start a couple of games this year. Still, he just profiles as a long term backup. When he’s up against it, the arm talent just isn’t there, and the height leads to bad decisions due to poor field vision. 

 

 

Harold Fannin Jr. 

 

While Harold Fannin Jr’s  tackle evading and production raises eyebrows, the Browns seem to view him more as a versatile TE2 that gives them options for formations and alignment, rather than as Njoku's heir.

There is some upside here if he blows the Browns away and they don’t re-sign Njoku after this year.

 

Devin Neal 

 

I’m a big believer in Devin Neal’s talent. He has Houdini-like ability to make defenders miss in tight spaces and perfect footwork to continue the play at full speed from that point. He's also a capable pass catcher. 

 

Neal has the ability to dust Kendre Miller as Alvin Kamara’s backup, especially if Miller can’t stay healthy, at which point he’s on the map as a dynasty asset.

 

Gunnar Helm

 

Helm is a capable football player lacking in high-end athletic upside. There is some shot he returns value by out-competing Chig Okonkwo, whose hype train is a fun ride every year but who doesn’t seem to have staying power.

 

Elic Ayomanor

 

I’m really down on Ayomanor’s ability to be a target-earner at the next level, but he’s at least stepping into a wide open battle to be the Titan’s WR2, and might develop a rapport with Cam Ward in camp. If he holds on to the ball, that is. 

 

Oronde Gadsden II

 

If Gadsden is way better than we expect, he could be a massive breakout player as Justin Herbert’s tight end. He’s a fifth round pick who can’t block as well as Jim Harbaugh might like, so we can’t rank him much higher than this. Still, the pass catching upside and the opportunity are both there. 

 

Tory Horton

 

The Seahawks seem pretty committed to building the whole plane out of slot receivers, but Horton has plenty of opportunity to win a role as an outside receiver. While his draft capital wasn’t good, he has a good release package and very reliable hands.

 

Jalen Royals

 

Royals is a dynamic run-after-catch threat with a promising release package. The path to playing time isn’t there in the short term, but we should listen closely if he starts building momentum in camp. If he does, Andy Reid is exactly the kind of coach who can get the best out of him.

 

 

Kyle Monangai

 

If Monangai can dodge a Bears free agent signing at running back, he will absolutely dust DeAndre Swift for early down between-the-tackles rushing duties. If. 

 

Jordan James

 

Any running back on Kyle Shanahan’s roster is worth a look, but realistically Jordan James is competing with Isaac Guerendo just to be Christian McCaffrey’s backup, and even if he eventually retires, the Niners will probably just go draft somebody else. 

 

We’re drafting him on the thinnest of hopes that he dusts Guerendo as the backup and then McCaffrey goes down. 

 

Brashard Smith

 

While the draft capital is terrible, Smith could quickly step in a role as a pass catching back, which was startable for Jerick McKinnon a couple years ago. A lot would have to go right for his role to progress beyond that. 

 

D.J. Giddens

 

Giddens is elusive but we’re drafting him as pure handcuff here. Still, Jonathan Taylor’s handcuff has been a profitable fantasy role in the past, and if Giddens really impresses, there is a tail where he takes over after Taylor ages. 

 

4.10-Priority UDFAs

 

Woody Marks

 

Marks will be competing with Dare Ogunbowale to be the Texans’ pass catching back, but this not a fantasy-relevant role given how dominant Joe Mixon’s share of touches is. 

 

Trevor Etienne

 

Etienne is an explosive back who steps into a crowded room with Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle. We’re always interested in a running back Dave Canales wants to invest in, but more at UDFA prices in Etienne’s case.

 

 

Ollie Gordon III

 

The Dolphins needed a more physical between the tackles runner after last season, and Gordon will try to outcompete several other backs for this role. I don’t think he’ll do it, but this is an incredibly valuable role if he does.

 

Tahj Brooks

 

While Chase Brown dodged any serious competition to his bellcow usage from the second half of last season, Tahj Brooks at least has a chance at being a two-down back if he impresses in camp.

 

Jordan Watkins

 

It took an injury to Tre Harris for Jordan Watkins to finally break out, but he took full advantage of that opportunity with a couple of massive games.

 

Watkins is extremely explosive and at least has the physical tools to impress in a crowded wide receiver room. I would not draft him, but I’d listen to camp buzz about him at have an itchy trigger finger on the waiver wire.

 

Konata Mumpfield

 

Realistically, Mumpfield doens’t have the draft capital or opportunity to breakout. He’s a 7th round outside receiver behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. 

 

Still, I really like this player. He’s an extremely snappy, herky-jerky route runner who creates huge pockets of separation. While you'll have to live with the occasional focus drop, Mumpfield makes some breathtaking adjustments to catch poorly thrown balls. 

 

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

 

Croskey-Merritt is a reasonably talented and explosive running back with only 7th round draft capital, but who steps into a theoretically more open running back room. 

 

More likely than not, he won’t challenge Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler for playing time, but if he gets to camp and impresses, there is room to siphon off touches from them.

Phil Mafah

 

A hulking, bruiser of a running back, Mafah will try to compete for touches in the Cowboys’ wide open backfield. He’s probably fourth in the pecking order, but his competition is truly abysmal.

 

Mitchell Evans

 

Evans has decent peripherals as far as tackle avoidance and athletic ability, but at his size, he profiles more as a blocking tight end behind Ja’Tavion Sanders. 

 

Savion Williams

 

As much as the Packers would like to insist otherwise, Savion Williams is not going to see the field except as a gadget player. You should track the training camp hype and pick him up if injuries start opening up a path for him to get real receiver snaps.

 

Dont’e Thornton

 

While he got decent draft capital, Thornton projects as purely a deep threat. He’s extremely raw and even his best case is a role that’s not very useful for fantasy. 

 

Chimere Dike

 

Dike got drafted on the back of his combine but almost exclusively ran in a straight line out of the slot in college. There is some upside he can unlock a big slot role in Tennessee.

 

Jaylin Lane

 

Jaylin Lane is a slot-only run-after-catch player who likely won’t run enough downfield routes for the Commanders to return fantasy value. He might return kicks and punts.

 

Tai Felton

 

Felton is a deep threat but very linear in other routes. He’ll compete with Jalen Nailor for the Jalen Nailor role, which isn’t startable in fantasy unless there are injuries. 

 

 

Xavier Restrepo

 

As a UDFA, Restrepo is a longshot to make the Titans roster. I do think he’s good enough to climb the ladder and eventually be a starting slot, but there are too many things that have to break right for me to invest a draft pick.

 

Synopsis

 

Anybody not left on this list is not a priority as a post-draft free agent. If you are particularly interested in one of them, such as LeQuint Allen or Damien Martinez, you need to wait for the logjam in front of them to clear up before investing a roster spot.

 

Players beyond this tier don’t have a path to playing time to increase their value and their roles project to be very limited, so they won’t make an appearance in my dynasty rookie draft tiers.