Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Mock Draft: Expert Edition

Ryan McDowell Posted On April 25, 2022

Not all mock drafts are the same. Recently, I was fortunate enough to host one final dynasty rookie mock draft with the “who’s who” of fantasy content creators. While we all recognize that rookie value will change later this week when players’ landing spot and draft capital are revealed, that’s part of the fun. It’s also important and interesting to recognize which players are gaining or losing value post-draft.

Let’s get to the field who participated in this superflex dynasty rookie mock draft, in the order they selected:

Scott Barrett, Fantasy Points
Evan Silva, Establish the Run
Graham Barfield, Fantasy Points
Sigmund Bloom, Footballguys
Mike Clay, ESPN
John Daigle, 4for4
Danny Kelly, The Ringer
Ryan McDowell, Dynasty League Football
Matthew Berry, ESPN
Rich Hribar, Sharp Football
Field Yates, ESPN
JJ Zachariason, Late Round Fantasy Football

Round One

1.01 – Breece Hall, RB (Barrett)

Throughout the pre-draft process, Hall has been a steady riser. He’s now the favorite to be the top pick in both 1QB and superflex rookie drafts and is already being valued as the RB7, per our dynasty startup ADP.

Check out Scott Barrett’s Rookie Model: Running Backs ($)

1.02 – Garrett Wilson, WR (Silva)

There is little clarity in the order after Hall. That means this will be the year of “get your guy.” Silva does that here, making Wilson the first wide receiver drafted. The Ohio State product is also currently the favorite to be the first wideout drafted on Thursday.

Check out Evan Silva’s 2022 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 ($)

1.03 – Kenneth Walker III, RB (Barfield)

This is certainly a rarity in a superflex rookie draft to see no signal callers drafted in the top-three picks, but this is a year like no other. I do expect Walker to continue to move up ranks, due in large part to the limited running back options overall. Scarcity could make him a top-three pick in all league formats.

Check out Graham Barfield’s 2022 Yards Created: Kenneth Walker ($)

1.04 – Malik Willis, QB (Bloom)

The fall ends here as Bloom snags the presumed QB1 of the class, Willis. Even if the Liberty product is not the first quarterback off the board in the NFL Draft, his combination of arm strength and rushing upside essentially locks him in at the top line.

Check out Sigmund Bloom’s Pre-Draft Bloom 100

1.05 – Drake London, WR (Clay)

A case can be made for any of the top-five receivers to be drafted first, or really in any order. London has seemingly been falling lately after opting not to run a 40 at his Pro Day but his final season production alone should earn him a first-round selection. Landing spot will ultimately help us determine consensus order of the receivers.

Check out Mike Clay’s Fantasy Football 2022 Rankings

1.06 – Treylon Burks, WR (Daigle)

Not so long ago, Burks was the trendy pick to be the top selection among all rookies. A disappointing Combine and clarity on Burks’ measurables pushed him back to the pack. He’s now projected to be a late-first round pick, which could result in a plum landing spot in Green Bay, Kansas City or Dallas.

Check out John Daigle’s 2022 NFL Mock Draft (Version 1.0)

1.07 – Jameson Williams, WR (Kelly)

There’s not a hotter name in the NFL Draft landscape right now than Williams. The torn ACL in his final collegiate game is not slowing down the hype one bit and some NFL insiders are calling Williams a potential superstar. If he is the surprise first wide receiver taken, possibly as early as inside the top-ten picks, his rookie ADP will climb.

Check out The Ringer’s 2022 NFL Draft Guide

1.08 – Chris Olave, WR (McDowell)

Eight picks in and still just one quarterback has been selected. Here, I grab the final of the “big five” wide receivers in the top tier. While Olave may not possess the upside of some of his contemporaries, he is likely the safest pick. A quarterback who sees a positive landing spot or draft capital could slide into this range post-Draft as well.

1.09 – Isaiah Spiller, RB (Berry)

After once being considered the potential RB1 in the class, Spiller has been steadily falling down the ranks. That fall has likely gone too far as the Texas A&M product should still earn Day Two draft capital and has every-down potential as both a hard runner and accomplished pass-catcher.

Check out Matthew Berry’s Fantasy Football 2022 Rankings

1.10 – Kenny Pickett, QB (Hribar)

The favorite to be the second quarterback drafted, that’s just where Hribar selects Pickett. After a masterful final college season, Pickett was a Heisman finalist and boosted his NFL stock like few others. Dynasty managers are seemingly concerned about Pickett’s limited upside, not to mention his small hands. In this superflex format, finding a starting quarterback is difficult, so it is worth taking a chance in the back-half of the round.

Check out Rich Hribar’s 2022 Pre-Draft Fantasy Rookie Rankings: Quarterback

1.11 – Jahan Dotson, WR (Yates)

While the other wide receivers previously selected have at least one quality endearing them to the dynasty community, Dotson feels like a solid base hit, not a home run. He still has an excellent chance to be a late first round selection in both the NFL Draft and rookie drafts but lacks the upside of others.

1.12 – George Pickens, WR (Zachariason)

If not for the injury Pickens suffered just over a year ago, we could be talking about him as a potential top-five rookie pick instead of the late first round range where he was selected here. In fact, if he could sneak into the first round and is chosen by the Packers, he could rise back to one of the top picks of this class.

Check out JJ Zachariason’s Late Round Prospect Guide ($)

Round Two

2.01 – Skyy Moore, WR (Barrett)

Moore is another wide receiver who entered the offseason as an unknown to many but has been quickly moving up the ranks. It would not be a surprise at all if the slot receiver with the massive hands creeps into the first rounds of rookie drafts.

2.02 – Christian Watson, WR (Silva)

Although he didn’t face much competition at the FBS level, he dominated the FCA playing for one of the top programs in the country. Dynasty managers seem to have concerns about his age (he turns 23 next month) and double-digit drop rate. He’ll need first-round draft capital to move up in rookie drafts.

2.03 – Desmond Ridder, QB (Barfield)

The fastest rising quarterback of the class is certainly Ridder, who has drawn some first-round buzz as of late. If Ridder does come off the board earlier than expected, he’d be a major value here in the second round.

2.04 – Matt Corral, QB (Bloom)

After Willis, it is difficult to differentiate between the next tier of quarterbacks. My personal favorite from this group is Corral, who offers upside with his rushing ability. Again, draft capital and landing spot will tell the story here.

2.05 – Sam Howell, QB (Clay)

The quarterback run ends with Howell, the North Carolina product who had to rely on his legs in 2021 after losing four offensive skill position teammates to the NFL a year ago. Howell showed his versatility and rushed for over 1,100 yards, when removing sack yardage.

2.06 – Rachaad White, RB (Daigle)

White is certainly a tricky one. He’s been a second-round pick all off-season, sometimes even sneaking into round one – that level of value all comes down to White’s landing spot, because he’s routinely being projected to be a late Day Three pick. If that happens, White will fall into the third round of rookie drafts.

2.07 – Trey McBride, TE (Kelly)

The obvious TE1 in this class is McBride, who led all FBS tight ends in receptions and receiving yardage. McBride doesn’t have elite speed and was not a weapon in the red zone, which is concerning for a big tight end.

2.08 – Jalen Tolbert, WR (McDowell)

One of my favorite receivers in this class is Tolbert, who seems certain to earn Day Two draft capital. If and when that happens, he’ll move up dynasty rankings and rookie drafts. Tolbert is an older prospect, already turning 23, and has a slight frame, which could be keeping him out of the top-20 rookie picks.

2.09 – John Metchie, WR (Berry)

Before Williams arrived at Alabama, it was Metchie who was the presumed WR1 for the Crimson Tide in 2021. That didn’t happen and Metchie, like his teammate Williams, saw his season end with a torn ACL. The injury (and the fact he was outplayed by Williams) has Metchie falling too far down the boards.

2.10 – Dameon Pierce, RB (Hribar)

One facet of the NFL Draft I am most looking forward to this weekend is to learn how the second or third tiers of running backs play out. Pierce is one of the backs in that tier and could be a player we are valuing as highly as a top-12 pick in the right landing spot.

2.11 – Alec Pierce, WR (Yates)

Most mock drafts you read will include Cincinnati’s Pierce as a second-round pick in the NFL Draft. He’s just one receiver expected to earn that Day Two draft capital that is largely being ignored by most dynasty managers. Others include Khalil Shakir and Calvin Austin.

2.12 – Zamir White, RB (Zachariason)

A former RB1 in his recruiting class and top-ten overall player, White is another undervalued back. He’s not likely to ever be a three-down workhorse back due to his limited role in the passing game, but can still be an excellent fantasy option in the right offense.

Round Three

3.01 Brian Robinson, RB (Barrett)
3.02 James Cook, RB (Silva)
3.03 Wan’Dale Robinson, WR (Barfield)
3.04 Justyn Ross, WR (Bloom)
3.05 David Bell, WR (Clay)
3.06 Khalil Shakir, WR (Daigle)
3.07 Tyler Allgeier, RB (Kelly)
3.08 Pierre Strong, RB (McDowell)
3.09 Calvin Austin, WR (Berry)
3.10 Greg Dulcich, TE (Hribar)
3.11 Velus Jones, WR (Yates)
3.12 Jerome Ford, RB (Zachariason)

Round Four

4.01 Tyquan Thornton, WR (Barrett)
4.02 Kyren Williams, RB (Silva)
4.03 Danny Gray, WR (Barfield)
4.04 Carson Strong, QB (Bloom)
4.05 Romeo Doubs, WR (Clay)
4.06 Kyle Phillips, WR (Daigle)
4.07 Kevin Harris, RB (Kelly)
4.08 Jelani Woods, TE (McDowell)
4.09 Isaiah Likely, TE (Berry)
4.10 Keaontay Ingram, RB (Hribar)
4.11 Charlie Kolar, TE (Yates)
4.12 Tyler Badie, RB (Zachariason)

We’re almost to Draft Day! Keep it here all week.

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Ryan McDowell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

In addition to his senior leadership role here at DLF, Ryan is also a husband, father of three and PE teacher. Ryan is the commissioner of multiple dynasty leagues, most notably the Kitchen Sink Dynasty Leagues. Here at DLF, Ryan’s focus is on identifying, monitoring and analyzing player value.