Dynasty GAAP Memo: 2025 Rookie Mock Draft Based on EA Sports College Football 25
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If you have read my work before, you know I write in the form of “accounting memos” and apply accounting and finance themes to dynasty fantasy football. For anyone who has not been exposed, the format is very standard. Each memo will start with the “purpose.” Next, it will supply background and then outline the applicable “guidance,” or accounting literature utilized. Last will be the analysis and conclusion. The goal is to state the issue and quickly address it. My write-ups will follow this same logic. To summarize, welcome to “Good at Analyzing Players” or “GAAP”, a play on “Generally Accepted Accounting Principles” (and yes, my wife did come up with it).
Purpose
The purpose of this memo is to utilize ‘EA Sports College Football 25’ player ratings for dynasty and perform a rookie mock draft.
Background
We used to get a NCAA football video game on an annual basis up until 2014 (or NCAA Football 14). I fondly remember the days of firing these games up in Mizzou’s dorms and the awesome cover athletes that were featured on them; specifically, Michigan legend Denard “Shoelace” Robinson and USC’s Reggie Bush. On July 18th, ‘EA Sports College Football 25’ returned and set college football fans into a frenzy. Many took sick time or PTO to log hours and hours and relive those childhood memories. After fulfilling my nostalgia, I realized there is likely something to glean from this game as a dynasty manager.
This led me to think about key performance indicators (KPIs) in business. KPIs are quantifiable measurements used to gauge a company’s overall long-term performance. KPIs specifically help determine a company’s strategic, financial, and operational achievements. Unknowingly, EA Sports created a dynasty KPI during the creation of College Football 25. They went through and rated each (participating) player in the NCAA. This includes overall rating as well as rating the following: speed, acceleration, strength, awareness, jumping, and countless others. For us dynasty managers, this adds another KPI that we have at our disposal along with the classic production profile, athletic testing at the combine, and other deep analytics (breakout age, dominator, etc.).
This memo will leverage the newly available player rating KPIs in College Football 25 to do a “too early” 2025 rookie super flex mock draft. Admittedly, I have not started my rookie reviews for the 2025. So, if I’m way off 12 months from now, just remember that Joe Burrow was not an early-round NFL draft prospect before his historic 2019 breakout that led to his first overall selection in the NFL draft.
Resources:
- Sleeper: Great interface for looking up historical statistics
- DLF Dynasty Rankings: Best dynasty rankings in the industry
- DLF Average Draft Position (“ADP”) Data: Best resource to gauge current player value. Based on real dynasty startups.
- Investopedia: World’s leading source of financial content on the web.
Analysis
As mentioned above, the mock below will be a too-early mock draft for 2025 rookies in a 12-team superflex league (i.e., start two QBs). The intent is to leverage the College Football 25 ratings as a key performance indicator (KPI) during this process. I will also disclose that I am not a huge college football fan. With writing dynasty content, being an NFL and Chiefs fan, full-time dynasty manager, as well as my career, family and other hobbies, I do not have the capacity to sit and watch football every Saturday and Sunday (sadly). For the exercise below, I relied heavily on the College Football 25 ratings and some quick Googles.
Please see the mock draft results below:
1.01 – Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
If you’re surprised by this pick (especially in superflex), you obviously skipped the intro where I noted that I am a Mizzou alumnus. However, Burden’s 94 overall rating is tied for the highest amongst the WR position (and higher than any of the QBs). Based on that and my desire to often build my teams through WR, Burden was my first pick. His elite athleticism and playmaking ability were a bonus. Additionally, I am skeptical of the QBs in this class at this point and don’t want to miss at the first rookie pick.
1.02 – Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Similar to Burden above, McMillan is a 94 overall, which is higher than any of the QB prospects in the game. While he lacks the elite speed and acceleration that Burden presents, his metrics across the board are higher with the lowest being 83 (strength). This indicates that McMillan might have the higher floor, while Burden has the higher ceiling, but overall similar prospects so I paired them together in my mock.
1.03 – Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
If you haven’t heard of Sanders, then you’ve been living under a rock due to his dad being Deion Sanders (who is the coach at Colorado). Sanders had an up-and-down 2023, but based on his ratings, he is the best QB in the country with a 93 overall rating (and 17th rank overall). Based on this and his rushing ability leading to a higher fantasy floor, he went above the other QB options available. At 1.03, I would be thrilled to get the class’s QB1 in a superflex rookie draft.
1.04 – Carson Beck, QB, Georgia
Beck is the only other QB with a 93 overall rating. This made this pick easy due to the value of a QB in a superflex league. Beck is a more prototypical pocket passer with athletic ability and arm talent. Again, this pick could be way off base if he doesn’t go in the first round of the actual NFL draft. However, most big boards today have him as the top QB prospect in the class.
1.05 – Ollie Gordon, RB, Oklahoma State
I usually have an “only cheap RB” rule. However, this class is very deep at the position. Based on their ratings in College Football 25, Gordon is the cream of the crop. He boasts a 96 overall, which is the highest of the fantasy-eligible players in the game (and third overall). He has prototypical size at 225 lbs and 6-2 and has the makings of a bell-cow on Sundays.
1.06 – Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
In this mock and based upon the College Football ratings, Egbuka falls to the sixth overall player with a 93 overall rating. This surprised me as I don’t religiously watch college football and have not started my rookie review yet, but this is a name that I’ve been hearing for years as an elite prospect in devy circles. It doesn’t hurt that he is coming out of WR-University at Ohio State either.
Come actual rookie drafts (and the NFL draft), he likely will go much higher.
1.07 – Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
Hunter falls to 1.07 with the highest WR overall rating in the game. His fall is in no part due to the player and rating but because we do not know what his position is quite yet. At Colorado, Hunter is a two-way player at WR (offense) and CB (defense). Unless Hunter is the next Chuck Bednarik, who is considered to be the last two-way player in the NFL in the 1960s, there is risk involved here. It really comes down to what he declares his position, but at 1.07, I went with the upside.
1.08 – Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
I actually know who Ewers is. Not because of his on-the-field performances and elite arm talent, but because he is the person who starts for the Longhorns over Arch Manning. Based on that accomplishment and his 92 rating, I slid him towards the backend of the first round in this mock.
1.09 – Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
Hampton is one of a handful of RBs with a 93 overall rating. The tiebreaker was his elite acceleration and awareness (both 95 ratings). His contact balance in tandem with his downhill running style should translate to the NFL and position him well for goal-line opportunities.
1.10 – TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
Henderson is another prospect that I know. Mainly because he was supposed to be in the 2024 rookie class prior to surprisingly returning to Ohio State. This was shocking to most as he was seen as one of the top draft-eligible RBs in the country last year. He has a three-down skillset and will likely be a three-down back on Sundays. However, he has the same overall rating as Hampton, but is the older of the two prospects after returning to Ohio State.
1.11 – Jaydn Ott, RB, California
Ott was the last RB and skill position player with a 93 overall rating. That in tandem with his elite 97 acceleration and 25th overall rank made him the 11th pick in this mock. His combination of vision, burst, and receiving ability make him a great prospect for today’s NFL.
1.12 – Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
Loveland is the TE1 in College Football 25 with a 92 overall rating. Comparing this rating to other early draft big boards, Loveland is the projected first tight end drafted in this class. With projected NFL draft capital to go with his blend of size, athleticism, and football intelligence, he projects as a difference maker in the NFL.
Conclusion
Overall, the mock above was more fun than anything. I actually spent some time trying to find the method behind these ratings and could not find concrete first-party documentation on the player rating process by EA Sports in College Football 25. However, the anticipation and reception that the game has gotten makes me think they got more than a few things right. If anything, the exercise above can make you aware of some of the anticipated top prospects for the 2025 rookie drafts. A gentle reminder that the cheapest time to get these picks is right now, before pretenders in your leagues start 0-4 and injuries start to pile up.
This is also a great reminder to be creative in dynasty and do not be afraid to zag when others zig. There is no straight line on the way to a dynasty football championship and be sure to use all KPIs available to you.
“It’s in the game”
- Dynasty GAAP Memo: Post-Mortem Rookie Re-Draft - December 12, 2024
- Dynasty GAAP Memo: Buying The WR Dip Or Falling Knife? - November 14, 2024
- Dynasty GAAP Memo: Sam Darnold’s Recession and Recovery - October 3, 2024
