2017 Dynasty Rookie Rankings: Consensus First Round

Ken Kelly Posted On May 1, 2017

Editor’s Note: Make sure you’re ready for your dynasty league rookie draft by checking out our 2017 Rookie Draft Guide, our current Dynasty Rookie Rankings and our convenient Rookie Draft Cheat Sheet. There are simply no better resources out there for dynasty fantasy football draft preparation.

This year’s rookie draft talent pool was one we’ve been looking forward to for years. Many savvy dynasty owners have stockpiled selections for this year because of the perceived elite depth, especially at the running back and tight end positions. With what look to be future stars like Leonard Fournette, Corey Davis, Christian McCaffrey, Mike Williams and Joe Mixon highlighting the draft, we were also given a depth of other talent unmatched in a few years. We’ll take you through our initial rankings player-by-player all week. Learn more about each of them by clicking on their name and going to our exclusive Rookie Draft Guide Player Profile page for an in-depth look at each of them you’ll simply find nowhere else. All of this should help you decide who to take and hopefully dominate your upcoming rookie drafts.

Let’s dig in with this year’s top twelve, as comprised by our initial consensus rankings. Keep in mind, these will continue to fluctuate here and there throughout the off-season. Stay current with our latest Dynasty Rookie Rankings.

TIER ONE

The tiers and commentary I’ll make on this post are my own, comprised of my opinions. I see this year’s consensus rankings as including three clear tiers in the first round, starting with an elite receiver and two extraordinarily talented running backs.

1.01 – Corey Davis, WR TEN

Davis was our consensus 1.01 going into the draft and being taken by Tennessee with the fifth overall pick did nothing but solidify that. He was a collegiate monster, posting 332 catches, 5,285 receiving yards and 52 touchdowns during his record-breaking career at Western Michigan. Davis now joins Randy Moss as the only two MAC receivers ever taken in round one of the NFL Draft. While his competition can be questioned, he posted 52 catches for 701 yards and five touchdowns in nine career games against the Big Ten. Davis can run any route on the route tree and is simply built physically and mentally for the NFL. Going to Tennessee to be the true alpha receiver for the developing Marcus Mariota is the icing on the cake.

1.02 – Leonard Fournette, RB JAX

Fournette is really the only player to challenge Davis to be the 1.01 in rookie drafts this year. Dynasty owners have marked their calendars for this year and many have traded pick after pick just to get the chance to land Fournette. He’s a freak of nature and likely the best combination of speed and power we’ve seen come into the draft since Adrian Peterson. Fournette runs downhill in a very angry way and punishes would be tacklers, commonly leaving them in his wake. The questions surrounding him revolve around his durability and pass catching ability, though he showed nice promise in the pass catching department at the combine. Jacksonville has a suspect offensive line and there were better landing spots out there for Fournette. Still, seeing him slip out of the top two or three picks in a rookie draft would be pretty surprising.

1.03 – Christian McCaffrey, RB CAR

McCaffrey is simply polarizing. He’s truly one of the most talented and dynamic football players ever to play in college. Being taken at #8 overall tells us the Panthers will waste no time getting him on the field as well. McCaffrey leaves Stanford after posting 3,922 rushing yards, 99 catches, 1,206 receiving yards and scoring a total of 31 touchdowns. The challenge here is attempting to project just how the Panthers will use him. Will he carry the ball 20 times a game and catch 4-5 passes as well? If so, you can make a case for him at 1.01. If not, he’s likely a mid-first round pick who will still be super productive as a runner, receiver and special teams returner. One thing we know for sure is you don’t take a running back at #8 and keep him on the bench.

View our latest 2017 Dynasty Rookie Rankings

TIER TWO

The first three players are pretty well set in stone. However, this tier includes two unbelievably talented running backs who carry big question marks and a receiver who has the talent to ascend to WR1 status early in his career.

1.04 – Joe Mixon, RB CIN

It’s not our place to be your moral compass. Instead, it’s our duty to share analysis with you and help guide you through your draft. That being said, we all know Mixon comes with major risk and baggage. If he didn’t, it’s possible he’d be at the top of this list, not the middle. On the field, Mixon is tremendous. Last season, he posted 1,274 rushing yards and scored ten touchdowns on just 187 carries. In fact, he averaged just under seven yards per carry throughout his career at Oklahoma. Mixon is an explosive athlete who could be a dominant force in the NFL. Taking him here in this draft means you believe any trouble he’s had is all in the past. He should make Jeremy Hill expendable and form a potent attack with Gio Bernard. In a draft full of great talent, Mixon may actually be the most gifted player of them all.

1.05 – Mike Williams, WR LAC

When Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Williams was the most complete receiver he’s ever had, everyone listened. As you know, Clemson has churned out some great talent at the position, including Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins. Williams responded by recovering from a serious early career neck injury to become one of the most coveted prospects in this draft. He posted a massive 1,361 receiving yards in 2016, the third-best in Clemson history just behind the aforementioned Hopkins (1,405) and Watkins (1,464). Williams is a powerful receiver who thrives on back shoulder throws and is fearless going through the middle. He has a lot of competition for targets in Los Angeles early on but he has the tools to be productive early in his career. In the long-term, he has the talent to be a WR1 in dynasty leagues.

1.06 – Dalvin Cook, RB MIN

Cook was under consideration for some at the 1.01 until he flopped at the NFL Combine and questions about his character and previous shoulder injuries started to surface. Those concerns were enough for him to drop from a possible top ten NFL Draft pick all the way to the second round when Minnesota scooped him up. Cook has power, speed and elusiveness rarely seen. He’s also ultra-productive as he finished with over 1,000 rushing yards in every season at Florida State and broke Warrick Dunn’s all-time rushing mark with a whopping 4,464 rushing yards and a school-record 46 touchdowns. Minnesota has an awful offensive line and many owners were certainly hoping for a different landing spot. Still, if you believe the tape, Cook could be the Rookie of the Year in fantasy and reality and a steal in rookie drafts in this slot or beyond.

View 2017 Dynasty Rookie ADP

TIER THREE

This rest of the first round includes three great tight end prospects, two former PAC-12 receivers and a running back who could make his mark in the league very soon.

1.07 – OJ Howard, TE TB

Don’t be fooled by the lack of production that comes with Howard. He was brutally underutilized at Alabama and is the best tight end prospect in a class loaded with great ones. Howard checks all the boxes physically and should make for a great weapon in Tampa Bay. Owners should realize it takes time for tight ends to develop and the presence of Cameron Brate doesn’t help early on. However, Howard should be a TE1 to build around in short order. Any owner who takes Howard will have their patience rewarded.

1.08 – John Ross, WR CIN

The speedy John Ross set the combine record with a 4.22 40 and posted 1,150 receiving yards on 81 catches (14.2 average) last season at Washington. There are major concerns about his durability (he’s had two major knee injuries) and some feel he may be a bit of a one trick pony. However, those who have really studied the tape see a player who is truly dynamic (in a time where that word is drastically overused) and a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He could be the next DeSean Jackson and give you inconsistent production or be the next Antonio Brown and be truly electric. There is a lot of risk with this pick but those who roll the dice could have a true superstar on their hands.

1.09 – JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR PIT

It’s hard to ever say a first round rookie pick has been a disappointment but that’s really where we are with Smith-Schuster. Once thought of as a can’t miss, future elite receiver, he underwhelmed at USC again last season with a 70/914/10 line. While most players would be thrilled with that, he has the talent to do much, much more. Still, the Steelers are highly regarded as the best in the business at developing receivers and while owners will have to be very patient with him as he attempts to climb the depth chart in future years, it would be no shock to see him as one of fantasy’s best receivers one day. Unfortunately, it would also surprise to nobody to see him continue to underwhelm. How lucky do you feel?

1.10 – Alvin Kamara, RB NO

Kamara would undoubtedly be a bit higher on this list had he gone to a more desirable location. The Saints surprised everyone by taking Kamara when they already had Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson on the roster. Still, think of him as a poor man’s Christian McCaffrey in an offense that’s had success with players who can contribute without being a bellcow like Darren Sproles and Reggie Bush. Owners need to be very aware they may not get immediate returns but Kamara was always likely to be complementary back and the Saints find ways to make players like him very productive.

1.11 – David Njoku, TE CLE

Some will prefer another tight end (namely Evan Engram) or a running back (Kareem Hunt) in this spot but Njoku is also pretty tantalizing. At 6’4″ and 246 pounds, Njoku has the size and speed to be a matchup nightmare for opponents. He’s still a work in progress but he has as high a ceiling as any tight end in a stacked draft class. You just have to hope the Browns can solve their quarterback issues. That should be easy, right!?!

1.12 – Evan Engram, TE NYG

Engram narrowly beats out the likes of Kareem Hunt to make the top twelve in our initial set of rankings. A favorite of our own Ryan McDowell, Engram lands in a great spot with the Giants where he’ll have every opportunity to make an impact early and often. It’s rare (in fact, in the eleven years we’ve run this site, it’s unprecedented) to have more that two tight ends in the first round but this would be the year to break the mold. Engram needs to work on his blocking to truly unlock his potential. However, at 6’3″ and 234 pounds, he has elite athleticism and massive potential. He was also very productive last year with 65 catches for 926 yards and eight touchdowns for Ole Miss. He’ll be a red zone magnet for Eli Manning.

Be sure to check out the subsequent articles in this series.

Dynasty Consensus Rookie Rankings Round Two

Dynasty Consensus Rookie Rankings Round Three

Finally, don’t forget to check our constantly updated, always evolving 2017 Rookie Draft Guide!

Open the 2017 DLF Rookie Draft Guide

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Ken Kelly

Co-Founder at DynastyLeagueFootball

Ken is a corporate trainer by day an a tireless editor of dynasty content by night. His passion for the World Champion Seattle Seahawks is second only to his love of fantasy football and the dynasty format.

Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK