Editor’s Note: These 2023 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings are a starting point for your dynasty rookie draft. Make sure you’re ready for your draft by checking out our 2023 Rookie Draft Guide, which is now fully updated with post-draft profiles for all your favorite prospects, our current Dynasty Rookie Rankings and our convenient Rookie Draft Cheat Sheets. Looking to move or acquire some of those picks? Make sure you take a look at our Dynasty Trade Analyzer and import your leagues to get maximum value. There are simply no better resources out there for dynasty fantasy football draft preparation.
Every draft has its own uniqueness. This year’s version promised one generational running back, some wide receivers with really big upside, a deeper-than-normal tight end class and some very unique quarterback talent. As always, there are going to be some tough choices in dynasty drafts and we’ll be here all off-season to help you make the best moves possible. We brought you our consensus first round yesterday, so let’s get to round two, remembering the following players are all off the board:
Tier One: Bijan Robinson
Tier Two: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jordan Addison, Quentin Johnston, Zay Flowers
Tier Three: Devon Achane, Zach Charbonnet, Dalton Kincaid, Josh Downs, Anthony Richardson
Tier Four: Kendre Miller…
TIER FOUR (CONT.)
The tiers and commentary I’ll make on this post are my own, comprised of my own opinions. The rankings are based on our consensus rookie rankings. Tier four started with the last pick of round one, Kendre Miller. This tier is big as the 2023 Rookie Draft is going to be pretty unique. There are a lot of players with similar values and none of them have really established themselves as worthy of being elevated a tier as of yet.
2.01 = Marvin Mims, WR DEN
Mims is the latest in a long line of explosive wide receivers from Oklahoma. Last year, he posted 1,083 receiving yards and six touchdowns on just 54 catches, good for a ridiculous 20.1 yards per catch. So, what’s the problem? There are two concerns about Mims. First, Oklahoma tends to feast on some lower-level defenses and two of his biggest games were against Texas Tech and Kent State. Second, his size and strength are considered average, at best.
Mims was taken with the final pick of the second round as the Denver Broncos traded up to get him. He projects as a slot receiver for them at the next level and should slot in nicely in between Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy. Russell Wilson has had success with players like Mims and while he has a lot to prove at the next level, this looks like a decent landing spot. Mims is going to have to prove he can expand his route tree to make his mark in the NFL, but he has the look of a late first or early second round pick in upcoming rookie drafts.
2.02 = Michael Mayer, TE LV
A former star High School basketball player, Mayer has been labeled as the next big thing at the position for the better part of the past two years, but was surprisingly passed up by Dalton Kincaid and Sam LaPorta when all was said and done. While his numbers at Notre Dame may not be dominant (he posted around 70 catches, 800 yards and eight scores the past two seasons), he blocks well, catches most everything and has the ability to get open in space. There are legitimate questions as to his chance to truly enter the elite tier with players like Travis Kelce or Kyle Pitts, but the chance is there. This is a great spot as the Raiders have a gaping hole at tight end after trading Darren Waller to the Giants. While his draft day slide was tough to watch, the landing spot is ideal. He likely won’t be a top ten dynasty rookie pick but he’ll have great value in round two.
2.03 = Rashee Rice, WR KC
Those who think of SMU historically likely recall them getting the so-called “death penalty” from the NCAA and nearly being wiped away from existence. Well, players like Rice are bringing them back to prominence and a 96/1,355/10 season had him squarely on the NFL map. Rice is a bit of a mystery as he goes through wild bouts of both dominance and inconsistency. He isn’t a true burner and needs to stop turning every catch into a contested one, but he does have undeniable talent. Simply put, Rice needs some good coaching to develop at the next level and he landed in one of the absolute best to get just that.
The Kansas City Chiefs took Rice in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, ahead of players like Josh Downs and Jalin Hyatt. The draft capital and landing spot are destined to move Rice up on draft boards but the question is really how high? Again, Rice landed in a great spot for coaching and is very much a project but the talent is very, very real. Rice is going to be a lightning rod in dynasty leagues as a second round rookie pick after being paired with Patrick Mahomes.
2.04 = Bryce Young, QB CAR
As expected, Young was taken by the Carolina Panthers with the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The former Alabama quarterback will take over a team in transition and instantly becomes the face of the franchise in Charlotte. With over 8,000 passing yards, 79 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions the past two seasons at Alabama, Young simply proved as much as he could in college. Calm, cool, and collected, he slices and dices his opponents with accurate throws all over the field. While he isn’t the runner Anthony Richardson is, Young is the most gifted passer in the class. The knock on him is simple – no quarterback under 207 pounds has ever been taken in round one of the NFL Draft and Young comes in at 5’10” and 204 pounds, likely soaking wet.
The comparisons to Drew Brees and Russell Wilson hold water and can’t be ignored. Young has a bright future and should be taken in the top five of superflex formats and with a second rounder in traditional rookie drafts this Spring. He will undoubtedly be the opening day starter, despite the Panthers starting camp with him as the QB2. With DJ Moore in Chicago, Carolina has a long way to go to surround him with talent. However, Young has the goods to be a solid NFL and dynasty quarterback.
2.05 = Jonathan Mingo, WR CAR
Mingo has never been the most productive receiver in this class, but his combine performance made NFL scouts likely spend some more time on his tape. At 6’2″ and 225 pounds, his 4.46 40 was impressive and he actually scored in the top ten in total athleticism according to NFL’s Next Gen stats. While not in the same class as former Ole Miss receivers like Elijah Moore, DK Metcalf or AJ Brown, Mingo can play. The challenge with him is the counting stats just don’t seem to match his athleticism, which is just off the charts. The Panthers clearly believed in his talent and he lands in a spot where receivers are needed. Mingo is going to get an early chance to succeed in Carolina as he’ll battle the likes of DJ Chark and Adam Thielen early in his career and should put some heat on Terrace Marshall.
2.06 = Jalin Hyatt, WR NYG
Built in the mode of Mike Wallace, Will Fuller, DeSean Jackson and other “one-trick ponies” we’ve seen in the NFL, Hyatt has wicked top-end speed and big play potential. The challenge with him is a limited route tree and slender frame. If he can develop into a player who can make some intermediate and short catches, his value will increase quickly. If he can’t, he’s going to be a player who likely has a ton of boom or bust potential both in his career and a game-to-game basis.
Hyatt experienced a serious draft slide, falling all the way down to the third round before the New York Giants traded up to secure his services and that takes him out of first round rookie pick consideration. He’s clearly a massive big-play threat and possibly a boom-or-bust option on a weekly basis but he has legit Olympic speed and remember, this is a player who once put on a 6/207/5 game on Alabama. There is serious risk with Hyatt as he there’s little between the boom and the bust with him but he’s going to be a pretty intriguing player to look at in round two of rookie drafts.
TIER FIVE
Tier five starts with another solid quarterback and features some intriguing players who dropped because of their draft capital. A few of these players are bound to be stars in dynasty leagues but it’s going to be tough to decipher just which ones at this point in the process. Stay tuned.
2.07 = CJ Stroud, QB HOU
CJ is another quarterback with ridiculous numbers posted for a blueblood program. After all, he torched the competition for over 8,000 passing yards, 85 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions the past two years at Ohio State. With solid arm talent and the ability to get through his progressions quickly, Stroud looks like a player ready to start from the jump and he’ll need to do so for a Houston team that’s already traded their #1 pick next season. Stroud looks like a franchise quarterback they can build around and gives them the permanent replacement for Deshaun Watson. Accuracy is far from a problem for him and that should make his transition relatively easy and solidify him as a top five pick in superflex drafts and a high second rounder in traditional rookie drafts this Spring.
2.08 = Tyjae Spears, RB TEN
If you want running back production, this is your guy. Spears had a monster season at Tulane in 2022 that featured 1,581 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns on 6.9 yards per carry. Even better, some questions about his level of competition were answered when he torched USC for 205 yards and four touchdowns in the Cotton Bowl. While there are real questions about his size and ability to hold up at the next level, there’s a lot to like here as well. Tennessee was convinced his knees aren’t shot (he’s dealt with some issues there). Spears has long been one of our favorite sleepers and it looks as if he’ll spend at least year one learning behind Derrick Henry. This is a highly productive player who has some legitimate size concerns but it’s hard to argue his production. He needs to prove he’s healthy but there’s some real intrigue here around pick #20 as Henry is about to move on in some fashion.
2.09 = Roschon Johnson, RB CHI
When you play behind Bijan Robinson, there just aren’t many carries to share each week. As such, Johnson was only able to muster 93 attempts last season. On the plus side, he averaged right around six yards per carry with those and recorded 554 rushing yards on the season. He also has a lot of tread left on his tires, which is a plus for the Bears. Johnson is a true bruiser at 6’1″and 220 pounds and tends to just steamroll opponents. It’s odd with him as his tape makes it look like he’s a lot slower than his combine metrics would indicate. Regardless, Johnson looks like a two-down back who could eventually make an impact. The Bears already have Khalil Herbert, D’Onta Foreman and Travis Homer on the roster, so it’s a bit of an odd fit. However, Johnson has real talent and should fit the system nicely. His presence likely hurts Foreman more than Herbert, but this is going to be a situation to watch during training camp and the preseason. Johnson looks like a second or third round rookie pick at the moment.
2.10 = Sam LaPorta, TE DET
LaPorta is an interesting prospect because of his background. While many tight ends are former basketball players who know how to use their body to get position on other players, LaPorta is actually a former High School wide receiver and defensive back. At 6’3″ and 245 pounds, he doesn’t exactly fit the tight end size mold, either. However, he’s coming from “TE-U” as the latest Iowa Hawkeye tight end to join the ranks of the NFL. If he can add some bulk and prove he can block at the next level, there’s a lot to like. The Lions drafted him with the 34th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft which was a significant surprise. Iowa tight ends have a very solid track record of success but it was still shocking to see LaPorta go ahead of players like Michael Mayer and Luke Musgrave. The Lions had a massive hole at tight end after the trade of TJ Hockenson last season and LaPorta couldn’t have landed in a better situation, though. He could move all the way up into the second round of many rookie drafts as a result of his draft slot and new team.
2.11 = Cedric Tillman, WR CLE
Tillman saw his college teammate Jalin Hyatt drafted with the 73rd overall selection but didn’t have to wait long to join him as he was drafted one pick later by the Cleveland Browns. Much like Jaxon Smith-Ngiba, Tillman’s season was simply ruined by injuries. For dynasty managers with short memories, that could bode well as many have forgotten about his 64/1,081/12 season for the Vols back in 2021. The questions with Tillman are in regards to his speed (4.54 40) and if he can truly make it back from previous injuries. If he can, he looks like a real diamond in the rough. If he can’t, it seems like he may just be an average prospect. His ball skills should translate, though, and he looks like a “roll the dice” type of prospect. He should fit in nicely for Deshaun Watson and the Browns and compete with Donovan Peoples-Jones to be the third receiver in Cleveland behind Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore. As such, Tillman is likely a late second or third round pick in rookie drafts.
2.12 = Tank Bigsby, RB JAX
Another talented running back from the SEC equals another solid rookie to consider. The 6’0″, 213-pound Bigsby rumbled for 970 yards and ten scores last year for the Auburn Tigers. Known as an upright runner who could have issues providing third down value or protecting the football, Bigsby is still well worth considering in round two as he does have a nice blend of size and quickness. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Bigsby and dynasty enthusiasts were clearly hoping for a better landing spot as Travis Etienne is the undisputed RB1 for the Jags. Without a clear path to a starting job, Bigsby’s stock is likely to drop into the late second or third round since he also provides very little in the passing game. Still, there’s a lot to like with him as a prospect.
2023 Rookie Rankings
2023 Rookie Draft Guide
2023 Rookie Draft Cheat Sheets
Dynasty Trade Analyzer
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
I’m not buying Tank in the 2nd…
