DLF Community Rookie Rankings

Ken Moody

Our Summer-long Community Rookie Rankings experiment has finally wound down! Starting back in May, you, the good readers of Dynasty League Football, began casting your votes for the top 36 rookies – three rounds of a twelve team rookie draft. Through the twists and turns of the off-season and my many personal delays, we voted together for our favorite new NFL offensive players. With the voting booths now closed, we are left to look back upon our rookie selections.

I have taken the liberty of reformatting this page a bit, cleaning things up and cutting to the final rankings. My (highly suspect) comments on all draft spots are shared below. I invite you to share your thoughts on the final results in the comments section below. What picks have aged well, and which have not? Are there rookies who didn’t make the list who should have?

Thank you to everyone who has voted, followed along and shared your feedback. Just because the voting has ended doesn’t mean you can no longer comment. Share your thoughts and questions below, and best of luck in your 2019 fantasy football season!

Please be sure to also check out all of the other valuable draft and ranking resources listed at the end of the article. In particular, you can keep up with our Rookie Rankings as well as our Live MFL Rookie ADP – rookie draft data drawn from actual dynasty leagues run on MyFantasyLegaue. MFL is an awesome place to host your next dynasty league, as is RealitySportsOnline – the most realistic team management experience anywhere. But, I digress.

To the final results of the DLF Community Rookie Rankings!

Community Rookie Rankings

Results of the polls are shared here in the form of these dynasty fantasy football rookie rankings.

Round One

1.01Josh Jacobs, RB Raiders
Josh Jacobs wins with a pretty comfortable, and maybe even slightly surprising, margin of victory. For good reason. Jacobs lands in a terrific situation with a clear path to quality playing time. He has all the skills to be an RB1 in the NFL and in fantasy. While an argument can be made for N’Keal Harry to be drafted in this spot, no one will look sideways at you for drafting Jacobs with the first overall pick. In fact, they may even be a little envious.

1.02N’Keal Harry, WR Patriots
No surprise here at all, N’Keal Harry wins by a landslide. Jacobs and Harry are almost certain to be the top two picks in every 1QB rookie draft. Harry also finds himself in a great situation. He will be catching passes from one of the greatest QB’s to ever play the game, a a head coach who will know how to maximize his considerable skill set. His floor is pretty high but his ceiling is even higher.

1.03Miles Sanders, RB Eagles
Sanders finishes this poll Miles ahead of the competition. Not terribly surprising given his landing spot and his natural talent. Check out a few of his NFL Draft Prospect videos and see for yourself. He’s a consistent pick at third in our May Rookie ADP.

1.04David Montgomery, RB Bears
David Montgomery wins the 1.04 spot running away. Montgomery is not the most amazing athlete ( see his Rookie Draft Prospect Profile ) but he does land in a spot where he may have opportunity. If he can push Mike Davis for playing time, which he should be able to do, he’ll be ale to carve out a solid RBBC role. The presence of Tarik Cohen will limit his upside though.

1.05DK Metcalf, WR Seahawks
Narrowly winning this round by a mere handful of votes, DK Metcalf secured the 1.05 spot in our community dynasty rookie rankings. Despite sliding all the way the 64th pick in the NFL Draft, Metcalf and his ridiculous physique landed in a good situation in Seattle. He will have a ton of opportunity catching passes from Russell Wilson.

1.06AJ Brown, WR Titans
Not surprising to see AJ Brown pull this one out. He was neck and neck with DK Metcalf for the 1.05 spot. There are a lot of mouths to feed in Tennessee right now, and it’s fair to wonder if Mariota is the Iron Chef they are looking for at QB. But AJ may be the best WR on the roster and while he may not have a high ceiling, he is certainly a high floor, quality, safe draft pick.

1.07Parris Campbell, WR Colts
Parris Campbell is, at the time I am writing this, the 7th overall ranked rookie in our Dynasty Rookie Rankings, and that’s exactly where he falls according to the DLF community. Campbell is a big play WR who finds himself in a great situation with Andrew Luck as his QB. What’s not to like?

1.08TJ Hockenson, TE Lions
The surprise here was not necessarily that TJ Hockenson won the vote for the 1.08 spot. Even though he is at the time of this writing ranked as the overall 11th rookie in our dynasty rookie rankings, several of the rankers did have him at or above the 8th spot. In fact, in our current MFL Rookie ADP data (which draws data from real world rookie drafts on MyFantasyLeague.com), Hockenson is showing up as the overall 1.07 rookie. Clearly several of our rankers are ranking him below market perception, pulling his average ranking down a bit. But no, the surprising bit is that he received more than twice as many votes as the next closest rookie. That’s a little unexpected. Indicating there may be a bit of a tier drop here, between Hockenson and the next group of rookies. At least, according to you, out esteemed DLF Community.

1.09Darrell Henderson, RB Rams
If Hockenson at 1.08 was a bit surprising, Darrell Henderson securing the 1.09 in the community rookie ranking polls is stunning. Or… is it really? We are entering the part of the rookie draft where anything can happen. Forget the fact that our current dynasty rookie rankings have him at 17th overall, with no-one ranking him higher than 12th. Ignore the MFL Live Rookie ADP, adjusted for this league type, which has him at 15th overall. All of that means nothing. At this stage of this draft, players can potentially go anywhere. And this is not just a single errant mock drafter selecting him too high – Henderson was chosen by over 28% of the poll respondents. Look, there is a lot to like about Henderson. He is drawing some lofty comparisons in camp. He was extremely productive in college. And he is fast. But how much of a role can he carve out behind Todd Gurley, or more importantly, how serious are the concerns about Gurley’s knee? Those are two good questions. And if you feel like you know the answer to either, well… maybe he worth drafting at 1.09.

1.10Deebo Samuel, WR 49ers
Deebo Samuel secures the 1.10 spot with a solid showing. Deebo is a tough, hard-nosed WR who will secure a prominent role in the Niners passing game, if he can remain healthy. Get a full recap of Samuels’ prospects in San Francisco in his Post-Draft Rookie Recap.

1.11Noah Fant, TE Broncos
Noah Fant lands at the 1.11 spot, keeping in line with his overall rookie rankings and Rookie ADP. Fant landed in a terrific situation in Denver and will have a ton of opportunity to grow into a top TE. Just keep in mind, rookie TE’s typically take time to develop. Have patience.

1.12Marquise Brown, WR Ravens
Finally coming off the board (or onto it), Ravens WR Marquise Brown is the last player selected in round one. He is currently listed as eighth overall in the DLF Rookie Rankings, and 14th in the May DLF Rookie ADP. Clearly there is some variation on his value, but as previously stated, players in this part of the draft could go anywhere. On to round two!

Round Two

2.01Kyler Murray, QB Cardinals
In a one QB league, it may be a tad early for Kyler Murray to go off the board here. But it depends entirely upon the makeup of your league, if you have a need at that position, and how other owners in your specific leagues value QB’s. In some 1QB leagues, he may not even make it this far. It all depends. My feelings aside, this draft spot is not at all inconsistent with current Live MFL Rookie ADP. Our consensus Rookie Rankings have him a bit lower at this time, but it’s not crazy to draft him here if you see Murray as a future star QB in the NFL. Rather than offering my own review of Murray, go check out our recent Rookie Update Profile on Murray. It covers all you need to know when considering Murray for your draft pick.

2.02Mecole Hardman, WR Chiefs
A solid win by Mecole Hardman to unsurprisingly win the 2.02 spot. But no commentary from me tonight. I’m still reeling from the #GameOfThrones finale. Here’s some Mecole Hardman analysis.

2.03JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR Eagles
My apologies for the lengthy delay on this round of voting folks. Had some site issues to address. But we’re back, and the several day respite gave our readers plenty of time to select JJ Arcega-Whiteside as the next rookie off the board. He’s going a bit higher in both Rankings and ADP, making Arcega-Whiteside a bit of a ‘steal’ here at the 15th overall spot. He’s a pro-ready WR who will have to fight for early playing time, but is a solid bet to be a capable if not good NFL WR. Read more about JJ Arcega-Whiteside in his DLF post-draft rookie analysis.

2.04Andy Isabella, WR Cardinals
Landing at the 2.04 spot in the community dynasty rookie rankings, Andy Isabella is often being drafted in rookie drafts only slightly ahead of his fellow Arizona rookie WR teammate, Hakeem Butler. This despite being drafted 41 picks earlier. Isabella is a fast WR who should find a place in the revamped Arizona offense. Read more about Isabella in his post-draft rookie update.

2.05Hakeem Butler, WR Cardinals
In a not too surprising result, Hakeem Butler lands a solid win here at the 2.05 rookie ranking. As the other new WR threat in Arizona, Butler was ranked higher early on but fell to pick #103 in the NFL Draft. The Cardinals are stocking the shelves with talent for another rookie draft pick (coming soon, no doubt). This will eventually be an exciting team to watch, and Butler has a good chance to be a star in that offense. Which is wy, despite being drafted so much later in the NFL draft, he’s going right around the same spot in dynasty rookie drafts as Isabella.

2.06Devin Singletary, RB Bills
With the 18th overall pick, Devin Singletary is selected by our voters at the 2.06 spot in the dynasty rookie rankings. This is entirely consistent with our current dynasty rookie rankings and exactly where he is being selected in the current live rookie ADP in leagues matching this format. Be sure to check out some his college game videos as well as all of the latest news and articles about Singletary.

2.07Justice Hill, RB Ravens
Ravens rookie RB Justice Hill comes in at the 2.07 spot. Hill is a dynamic runner who can carve out a role as a complementary runner to Mark Ingram. He may not be a true three down back, but the talent is there and he’ll be an exciting player to watch develop in the Ravens re-tooled offense.

2.08Damien Harris, RB Patriots
Another RB is drawn by the community at the 2.08 spot in our dynasty rookie rankings. Damien Harris was drafted in the third round by the Patriots, who traded up to select him. This suggests they have a plan for Harris, though as part of a clear RBBC it’s difficult (barring injury) to count on consistent production. Especially in the New England offense. Still, he is a talented RB in a good offense. You can do a lot worse approaching the end of the second round in a rookie draft.

2.09Irv Smith Jr., TE Vikings
Selected in the second by the Minnesota Vikings, Irv Smith Jr. in an intriguing prospect and a potential value for a TE needy team with a little patience. He’ll start behind Kyle Rudolph, but has a decent chance to become the starting TE in Minnesota once Rudolph’s contract is up after the 2019 season. Selected here with the 21st overall pick is consistent with his market value, considering he’s the 20th overall rookie in our May Rookie ADP, and the 19th in our rookie rankings.

2.10Diontae Johnson, WR Steelers
Diontae Johnson is the a terrific selection late in the second round of a rookie draft. The Steelers know how to spot WR talent, and he finds himself in a great situation. You can do a lot worse at this point in the draft than a guy with solid WR 2 upside. Go get ’em.

2.11Miles Boykin, WR Steelers
Miles Boykin is snapped up at the end of the second round. A good spot to gamble on a boom or bust athletic player. He’s facing some competition in the suddenly crowded Ravens WR corps, but he does have a shot at carving out a role in this young but improving offense.

2.12Kelvin Harmon, WR Redskins
It’s been another lengthy delay between picks. My apologies. Too much going on lately! But after a good long stretch of votes, the DLF community has selected Kelvin Harmon to go in the last draft spot of the second round. Personally, I think it’s a terrific selection. Harmon was a highly regarded WR prospect who fell to the sixth round, before being drafted into a somewhat murky WR corps with the Redskins. He has his issues for sure, which is why he slid in the draft, but like Hakeem Butler, Harmon could be a late round gem for the Redskins. Others think this may be the case as well. You can read our Rookie recap of Harmon and keep an eye on where he is going in real-world rookie drafts. But don’t let him slide past the end of the second in your rookie draft, as he could be one of the steals of the 2019 rookie draft.

Round Three

3.01Dwayne Haskins was a not-surprising selection to begin round three. Some had him pegged as the best QB in the 2019 class, and he landed in a good situation behind a solid OL. Granted, his WR weapons are questionable, but with fellow Ohio State rookie Terry Haskins joining him along with Kelvin Harmon, Josh Doctson, and Paul Richardson, there is some potential there. Somewhere. maybe… Hey. It could be worse.

3.02 – This really is the point in the draft where anything can happen. Probably more likely when it just takes one guy making a wild stab. Look. I like Bryce. @Pete_Law doesn’t hate him either. But based on our Rookie Rankings and the current MFL Live APD, Love is more of a mid 3rd round pick. Still, he’s a talented back who’s suffered some unfortunate injuries. He is a swing for the fences type rookie pick. Just don’t count on him coming through or being consistent. Kinda like me and this column.

3.03Alexander Mattison gets the nod here from the DLF community. He’s an intriguing prospect who lands in a decent situation. His selection at this spot is a little sooner than the DLF Rookie Rankings have him, but is also a few ticks later than the current MFL Live Rookie ADP has him going. So this spot is probably about right.

3.04 – The ‘Redskin run’ continues as Terry McLaurin is the fourth Washington rookie taken in the last five picks. McLaurin is a solid selection at this point in the draft. He has some upside, as outlined in our post-draft rookie analysis, and his draft stock has been slowly rising. You could definitely throw a worse dart here.

3.05 – The fourth TE off the board, Jace Sternberger was a third round pick by the packers. He may not be ready for your fantasy roster this year, but his longer-term outlook is generally positive. He’s a good value at this point in the draft.

3.06 – One of my personal favorite later-round rookie picks, Jaguars RB Ryquell Armstead is an intriguing selection with some upside. He will of course have to fight for a roster spot, and assuming Leonard Fournette remains healthy, his playing time will remain limited. But he has NFL size and power, and given the chance, should have a decent likelihood for success. Keep an eye on camp to see how the situation progresses. He’s a worthy late round flier, especially if you own Fournette.

3.07Benny Snell lands at the 3.07 spot. He’s as good a pick as any here. Snell has good vision and is quick through the hole, but he isn’t a home run hitting speedster. Still, the Steelers took a chance on him in the fourth round when they already had James Conner and Jaylen Samuels, so they must see something promising. And while Conner surprised with a great season last year, Snell has enough talent to carve out a role. And maybe more.

3.08 – After a looong drought between posting picks, yours truly is finally catching up. Jalen Hurd nails down the 3.08 spot in our little rookie draft poll. He’s currently our 28th ranked rookie and is on average the 32nd rookie overall taken in real world MFL rookie drafts of a similar format. Hurd is a raw but versatile player. He may carve out a gadget offense player role in the Shanahan offense. At this point it’s all dart throws, so he certainly is a reasonable gamble at this point in the draft.

3.09Dexter Williams is a solid selection at this point in a rookie draft. He’s earned some praise from coaches early in camp, and was selected as our Summer Sleeper in Green Bay. Despite missing plying time at Notre Dame due to injuries, he has the physical tools to be an every down back and appears to be a smart, mature player. Great pick near the end of the third.

3.10 – Coming off the board late in the third round is the New York Giants rookie QB, Daniel Jones. Solid but not exceptional, Jones is unlikely to see real playing time in 2019 unless the wheels really fall off for the football Giants. Which… is not out of the question. He’s a better long term play so if you draft Jones, you’ll want to be patient, and keep expectations realistic.

3.11 – Chiefs RB Darwin Thompson is a another nice third round selection in your rookie draft. Though currently behind starting RB Damien Williams, Thompson has the ability to carve out a role in the high powered Kansas City offense. He’s a Darren Sproles type of player who may never see full time starting duties, but he is very much worth a pick at this late stage of a rookie draft.

3.12Tony Pollard, RB Cowboys
The voting concludes with the selection of the Dallas RB, Tony Pollard. Pollard has certainly acquitted himself well through the first pre-season game. It remains to be seen if he is able to carry the full load of an NFL starting running back, should Elliott not play in week one of the regular season. But he’s a super option at this point in a rookie draft as he is going in the middle of the third round of August MFL Rookie Drafts.

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That’s a wrap, folks! Thank you again for voting and staying with this through the occasional long spells of inactivity. I hope you enjoyed the process, please let us know if you’s like to see us do this again next summer. Until then, have an awesome fantasy football season!

Other Great Resources

At various points I may mention some of the other great resources available to you. Below are a few of those resources. You really should be checking these out.

2019 Dynasty Rookie Rankings – Our latest rookie rankings.
Dynasty Rookie ADP – The industry standard for monthly rookie ADP value.
Live MFL Rookie ADP – Live draft data drawn from actual, real-world dynasty rookie drafts.
2019 Rookie Draft Guide – The ultimate resource for your dynasty rookie draft!
2019 Rookie Cheat Sheet – Quick and handy rookie draft reference sheet.
Dynasty Trade Analyzer – More than just a trade calculator!
Dynasty Trade Finder – Find real-world trades pulled from over 4,000 real MFL dynasty leagues.
NFL News Source – Your secret weapon for researching player news.

ken moody