Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Drafts: A View from the 1.06

Aaron St Denis Posted On April 20, 2023

For many dynasty players, the highlight of the off-season is the annual rookie draft, and we are now mere days away from many of those drafts kicking off. Once our respective dynasty teams are eliminated from contention (and sometimes even before), we tend to turn our attention to the incoming rookie class, and delusions of grandeur take over. In fact, dynasty players spend nearly the entire off-season preparing for how they will use their draft picks or if they will use them at all.

In this twelve-part series, we will use the latest data available here at Dynasty League Football, namely our April Rookie ADP and the Dynasty Trade Finder, to ensure you are as prepared as possible when your draft begins. Based on our most recent Superflex ADP data, we will suggest the player you could be soon adding to your team, and if you don’t like that, we will also include a potential pivot option. In addition, we will include options based on the updated 1QB ADP for those who play in that format. Finally, using the Dynasty Trade Finder, we will examine some recent trades that have taken place with each specific draft pick.

We all know the first round of rookie drafts includes the players we’ve been hearing about for months if not years, but difference-makers can be found in the second round and beyond, as well. Because of that, we will also address the other picks that accompany each respective first-round draft slot.

Rookie Selection 1.06

The Pick: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR Ohio State Buckeyes

Smith-Njigba was a highly rated 4-star recruit coming out of high school before joining Ohio State. As a freshman, he played in only seven games, totaling ten receptions for 49 yards on a loaded Buckeye receiving corps.

As a sophomore, he played in 13 games and had a truly elite breakout season. He put together the best receiving season in Big Ten history, racking up 1,606 yards receiving and nine touchdowns, including a monster game in the Rose Bowl where he caught a whopping 15 passes for 347 yards.

He disappointed as a junior as he battled a lingering hamstring issue for much of the season before declaring for the NFL Draft. Despite this junior struggle, he is still the WR1 of the 2023 rookie class on most experts’ boards. He may lack elite size or speed, but in a stacked receiver room with the likes of Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Marvin Harrison Jr., Smith-Njigba could be the best of them all.

Trade Value

Pick 1.06 for Javonte Williams, RB Denver Broncos
Pick 1.06 for Amari Cooper, WR Cleveland Browns
Pick 1.06 for Picks 1.11 & 2.11

Possible Pivots

Will Levis, QB Kentucky Wildcats

If you are a team in desperate need of a young quarterback, the 1.06 may put you in a tough predicament. The top three of Stroud, Young, and Richardson are unlikely to fall to you, which will put you in the position of either drafting one of the two position players above or reaching slightly on Levis. He has plenty of upside, but 1.06 may be too early for a player with his level of rawness.

1QB League Options

Jahmyr Gibbs, RB Alabama Crimson Tide

The 1.06 in Superflex rookie drafts is typically less of a decision and more about who falls to you. If Gibbs is there, he is your pick. If Njigba is there, he is your pick. You may also have the option to pivot to Anthony Richardson should he fall and you need an upside quarterback.

Rookie Pick 2.06

The Pick: Tyjae Spears, RB Tulane Green Wave

Spears did not enter college as a highly recruited prospect and chose to go to a smaller school at Tulane. He played in only four games as a freshman when he ran for 182 yards with an impressive 6.2 yards per carry.

As a sophomore, he again saw limited action, this time playing in only three games where he rushed for 274 yards on an even better 7.3 yards per carry.

In 2021 Spears finally saw his playing time increase as a junior, and he had a breakout season as a result. He rushed for 863 yards and nine touchdowns on a once again solid 6.7 yards per carry. He also chipped in 19 catches for 145 yards as a receiver.

As a senior in 2022, he rushed for a monstrous 1,381 yards and a whopping 15 touchdowns on yet again a solid 6.6 yards per carry, contributing 21 receptions and 237 yards receiving.

Spears was the belle of the ball at the Senior Bowl and began to shoot up draft boards. He may not have the size and speed to be a workhorse running back, but he has all the tools to be a valuable contributor in the NFL.

Trade Value

Pick 2.06 for Trey McBride, TE Arizona Cardinals
Pick 2.06 for JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR New England Patriots
Pick 2.06 for Picks 2.11 & 3.06

Possible Pivots

Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee Volunteers

For teams that missed on a quarterback in the first round, Hooker is your last chance to find a potential long-term starter. Hooker would be going off the board as QB3 in this class if it weren’t for a late-season ACL tear in his senior year at Tennessee. If you need a quarterback, take the injury discount and draft a prospect with a bright future.

1QB Options

Roschon Johnson, RB Texas Longhorns

Johnson qualifies as “my guy.” If a tight end isn’t what you are looking for in this range, you will likely be faced with the choice of a handful of similarly valued running backs and wide receivers. He was an immensely talented back for Texas, and had it not been for Bijan Robinson in front of him, he likely would be going far earlier in drafts. The talent level is there, and he will go earlier in the NFL Draft than most people will think.

Rookie Pick 3.06

The Pick: Rashee Rice, WR SMU Mustangs

Rice was only a 3-star recruit coming out of high school when he joined SMU, but that talent has been easy to see ever since.

As a freshman, he saw modest production, catching 25 passes for 403 receiving yards on 16.2 yards per reception. He bettered his freshman year as a sophomore, where he caught an impressive 47 receptions for 681 yards on a solid 14.5 yards per reception.

His numbers improved once again as a junior when he caught 64 receptions for 682 receiving yards before ultimately setting his college career high as a senior, catching an insane 96 receptions for 1,344 receiving yards.

Many experts are scared off by the fact that Rice was a four-year player at SMU and was not an early declare. Still, his production increased significantly in each of his four seasons, and his unique blend of size and speed makes him one of the few potential Alpha receivers in this draft class.

Trade Value

Pick 3.06 for Mike Gesicki, TE New England Patriots
Pick 3.06 for Hunter Renfrow, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Pick 3.06 for Damien Harris, RB Buffalo Bills

Possible Pivots

Jayden Reed, WR Michigan State Spartans

Jayden Reed has flown largely under the radar until recently. His size and speed give him a ceiling that few other receivers in this class possess. He is far from the perfect prospect, but decent draft capital and landing spot could make him a third-round steal.

1QB Options

Luke Musgrave, TE Oregon State Beavers

Musgrave has been falling outside the top tier of tight ends even though, on paper, he is nearly identical to them across the board. If you need a tight end but don’t want to use an early draft pick on one, he is a solid upside pivot in the middle of the third round.