Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Drafts: A View from the 1.03

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, I’ll use the latest data available here at Dynasty League Football, namely our April superflex Rookie ADP and the Dynasty Trade Finder, to ensure you are as prepared as possible when your draft begins. Based on our most recent ADP data, I’ll suggest the player you could be soon adding to your team, and if you don’t like that, I’ll also include a potential pivot option. In addition, I’ll include options based on the updated 1QB rookie ADP for those who play in that format. Finally, using the Dynasty Trade Finder, I 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, I’ll also address the other picks that accompany each respective first-round draft slot.

ROOKIE SELECTION 1.03

THE PICK: Bryce Young, Alabama QB

With the NFL Draft on the precipice, the smoke is beginning to clear on the top of the draft board, and it appears the Carolina Panthers will be selecting Bryce Young as the number one overall pick. It is easy to pick out the red flags with Young, his size is a major concern, and he comes from Alabama, where he played with high-end teammates at every position. He may struggle to transition to the NFL, and he may not be handed the opportunity to run the ball much because of his size. But he has outstanding football IQ and won the Heisman Trophy as just a Sophomore in 2021. He is the right pick here at third overall in superflex drafts.

Young’s film is where you start to overlook the red flags and realize that he is a high-end talent who can overcome his shortcomings at the NFL level. He can make any throw on the field and controls the ball with pinpoint accuracy. He reads pressure very well and controls the pocket with the best of them. If he’s given the chance to run as a professional, he’ll handle himself just fine. Quarterbacks under six feet tall used to be blackballed by the NFL, but we’ve seen players like Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, and Kyler Murray have had success recently. Expect Bryce Young to continue that trend on your dynasty teams.