2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Draft: Veteran Trade Edition, Round One

Ken Kelly Posted On April 28, 2024

With rookie drafts now underway, I came up with an idea I wanted to explore. Over the years, we’ve had tons of questions (literally tons if I was to print them all and weigh them) in regards to draft pick trade value. In fact, we got so many we decided to create the Dynasty Trade Analyzer to help you out. However, this still remains a relevant topic and I was curious about one thing myself this year – what would a rookie draft look like if every pick was traded for a veteran player. In other words, no rookies could actually be taken and every pick would have to be traded for an established player based on its perceived value.

With that in mind, I used our Dynasty Trade Analyzer to determine just what these draft picks may be worth and to give you an idea of what kind of veteran player you could expect to get with each pick. If you have one of these rookie picks, this is extremely valuable information to know as you can evaluate your risk tolerance and prepare accurately for your draft. With that in mind, here’s round one of our “Veteran Trade Edition Rookie Draft” designed to give you a clearer look at just what you may be able to get with each of the rookie picks you may have.

1.01 = Breece Hall, RB NYJ
Rookie options: Marvin Harrison Jr, Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze
Other options: Drake London, Chris Olave, Christian McCaffrey

The top pick in most conventional rookie drafts is going to be Marvin Harrison, Jr. His value is obviously already baked in as the players you could get would be serious difference makers. McCaffrey is the best player in fantasy football but is aging at this point. London and Olave are two receivers who have already shown some flashes of brilliance as well. Hall would likely be the best player you could get with the 1.01 and that would be a haul in of itself as he’s poised to become one of the best weapons in dynasty leagues as soon as this season. This would be a tough trade to make but that’s the point of this exercise – finding the right kind of value to know what you could possibly get if you chose to move the pick.

1.02 = Jonathan Taylor, RB IND
Rookie options: Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, Brian Thomas
Other options: Michael Pittman, Brandon Aiyuk, Tyreek Hill

I can’t imagine many drafts where Nabers doesn’t go directly after Harrison (or vice versa). The 1.02 has some real value this year and could likely get you into a serious conversation for players like Pittman, Aiyuk, Hill or the player I chose in Jonathan Taylor. While Taylor has battled some injuries and had a weird contract situation last season, he’s dominant when healthy and is as close to a sure thing at the running back position as you can get at this point.

1.03 = DJ Moore, WR CHI
Rookie options: Rome Odunze, Brian Thomas, Brock Bowers
Other options: Travis Etienne, De’Von Achane, DeVonta Smith

Ironic that you can either get the future for the Bears (Odunze) or the present (Moore) with this kind of draft capital. This is going to be a tricky pick to have, honestly. Moore, Etienne, Achane and Smith are all really good players who have established themselves as solid players in dynasty leagues. While they may not be stars, they’ll be in a lot of lineups every week as players you can typically count on. If you believe in Odunze long-term, he’s the pick. If not, you can cash out and get a pretty sure thing with 1.03 this year.

1.04 = Tank Dell, WR HOU
Rookie options: Brian Thomas, Brock Bowers, Xavier Worthy
Other options: Josh Allen, DK Metcalf, Kyren Williams

Now it gets really fun. Thomas and Bowers are likely going to battle it out for the fourth spot in a lot of drafts. Bowers looks like a sure thing at tight end but how high do you really want to go for that? Thomas looks the part but is he really better than an established veteran like Metcalf or a player who looks like they have a ton of upside in Dell? Kyren Williams could be in this range and if people overreact to Blake Corum being drafted in Los Angeles, he could be a solid get. These are the questions someone with the 1.04 needs to answer this year before just making their selection.

1.05 = Tee Higgins, WR CIN
Rookie options: Brock Bowers, Xavier Worthy, Jonathon Brooks
Other options: Patrick Mahomes, Rashee Rice, Jordan Addison

With 1.05, you’re likely not going to have a shot at the “Big 3” at receiver and will likely have your choice of whomever the proud owner of the 1.04 didn’t take between Bowers and Brian Thomas, or rookies like Xavier Worthy and Jonathon Brooks (the likely RB1 in this year’s draft class). If you don’t like your options, had your eye on Bowers or Thomas only to see them go one pick before yours or just want to maximize your value here, you’re looking at players in the range of Mahomes, Rice or Addison. You could even likely be in the mix to get Higgins, who could very well be a WR1 on a different team here soon. Much like 1.04, this pick is going to be tough to make or trade and will require some real thought.

1.06 = Kenneth Walker, RB SEA
Rookie options: Xavier Worthy, Jonathon Brooks, Ladd McConkey
Other options: Mark Andrews, Trey McBride, Jalen Hurts

The drop-off in veteran talent you can get for draft picks starts right around here. If you wanted Bowers and missed out, you could look at getting a nice consolation prize with Mark Andrews or Trey McBride. If you’re looking for a solid QB in a 1QB league, this is right around the range for Jalen Hurts as well. The player you could see as the most desirable could also be Walker, who looks like the RB1 now permanently in Seattle. If you don’t like the second tier of receivers in this draft, this is where you cash out this season.

1.07 = Deebo Samuel, WR SF
Rookie options: Jonathon Brooks, Ladd McConkey, Keon Coleman
Other options: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Lamar Jackson

I personally like Brooks here at 1.07 as it’s rare to get the RB1 in a draft class this late. However, if your team is flush at the position, you could take a shot on trading for someone like Samuel, Smith-Njigba or Lamar Jackson here. I like Samuel the most out of this group and while his future in San Francisco is a little cloudy, he’s an established talent. If you need a receiver instead of a running back and don’t want to trade out, you’re likely going to need to take a hard look at McConkey, Coleman or even Ricky Pearsall here, though that seems to be a little bit of a reach.

1.08 = Stefon Diggs, WR HOU
Rookie options: Ladd McConkey, Keon Coleman, Caleb Williams
Other options: Davante Adams, Rachaad White, CJ Stroud

When you get to the 1.08, a lot of the “sure things” in the rookie class are going to be gone. Is McConkey talented enough to be a WR1 in the NFL? Can Coleman develop fast enough to help Josh Allen? Is Caleb Williams really worth a top-8 selection in a non-superflex draft? All of these questions are relevant. If you don’t like the rookies here, some solid veterans like Diggs, Adams or White could be on the table for you. Personally, I’d trade this pick in a heartbeat for Stroud and pass on Williams if I was looking for a quarterback here.

1.09 = Josh Jacobs, RB GB
Rookie options: Keon Coleman, Caleb Williams, Trey Benson
Other options: Joe Burrow, Dalton Kincaid, Jayden Reed

This is the range where personal preference and team needs are going to really start coming into play. Coleman is an easy receiver target at 1.09. If you need a quarterback, Williams should be there. If you want to take a shot at a running back, you’re likely looking at Benson. The veterans available in this range aren’t as inspiring but Jacobs, Burrow, Kincaid or Reed all have established themselves as solid options even if they aren’t in the spectacular range every week.

1.10 = James Cook, RB BUF
Rookie options: Caleb Williams, Trey Benson, Ricky Pearsall
Other options: TJ Hockenson, Justin Herbert, George Pickens

I really love this exercise because there’s so much strategy involved. If you’re sitting at 1.10, you have a team that’s likely competing for a dynasty championship. If you’re one piece away, players like Hockenson, Herbert or Pickens could conceivably get you over the top, depending on what holes you have on your roster and what position you need. You can also be really patient with the rookie you take here and simply sit Williams, Benson or Pearsall on your bench until you need them in a year or two – that’s a luxury you’d love to have.

1.11 = Cooper Kupp, WR LAR
Rookie options: Trey Benson, Ricky Pearsall, Jayden Daniels
Other options: Isiah Pacheco, Anthony Richardson, Kyle Pitts

Again, someone with the 1.11 is in all likelihood the runner-up from last year in your dynasty league. This is a great spot to be in if you’re patient because you could likely take your pick from some solid rookies or spin the pick for someone like Richardson, who has a high ceiling and a low floor. If you have the depth to take a chance here, it’s certainly worth thinking about. I’d personally go for Daniels and keep the pick but you can make a case for going a lot of different ways at this point in the draft this year.

1.12 = Chris Godwin, WR TB
Rookie options: Ricky Pearsall, Jayden Daniels, Adonai Mitchell
Other options: Calvin Ridley, Javonte Williams, Mike Evans

If you have the 1.12, you likely won your dynasty league last year. If you want to add a developmental wide receiver, you should be able to take a chance on Pearsall or Adonai Mitchell. If you want to stay on top and grab a veteran for the pick, it’s hard to argue adding Ridley, Williams or Evans wouldn’t help any team, even one that may have won the title last season.

I’ll be back with round two!

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Ken Kelly

Co-Founder at DynastyLeagueFootball

Ken is a corporate trainer by day an a tireless editor of dynasty content by night. His passion for the World Champion Seattle Seahawks is second only to his love of fantasy football and the dynasty format.

Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK