Navigating Your Dynasty Rookie Draft: Early 2nd

Editor’s note: Dynasty fantasy football leagues are now year-round leagues. Some leagues start the rookie draft immediately after the NFL Draft in late April. Others occur throughout the summer, with a majority happening in the last few weeks before the season kicks off. If you are in a dynasty league getting ready to have its rookie draft soon, you should find our Navigating Your Dynasty Rookie Draft series helpful. We reversed the order of articles this year, counting down from the late fourth round to the early first round.

Dynasty rookie draft season is the time of year when those teams who missed the playoffs turn their attention to the incoming rookie class, and delusions of grandeur take over until the games kick off. Rebuilders are full of glee as they hoard their picks, while contenders are scheming how they can pry some of those picks away, and dynasty players everywhere are champing at the bit to draft their favorite prospect.

This 12-part series will use the latest Superflex Rookie ADP data available at Dynasty League Football. We will focus on the player or players likely to be available in that specific range we’re covering and will also include options based on the 1QB rookie ADP, whenever actionable, for those who play in that format.

The first round of rookie drafts includes the players we’ve been hearing about for months, if not years, but difference-makers can also be found in the second round and beyond. Each section will encompass four picks, and we will go four rounds deep to help you be as prepared as possible.

Superflex 2.01 – Trey Benson, RB ARI

There aren’t many better picks at 2.01 than Benson. He is arguably the best running back in this year’s class. He scored highly in the Next Gen Stats Draft Score model with a score of 80 which is tied for first in the class with Jonathon Brooks.

Trey Benson – NFL Combine Profile.

Benson was selected by the Arizona Cardinals early in the third round as the second back off the board. The Cardinals are a sneaky good landing spot – at the end of last season they seemed to really unlock their run game. Per rbsdm.com, they went from being tenth in rush EPA/Play in the first half of the season, to the third best in rushing EPA/Play in the second half. I think that success should carry over to 2024 and Benson will stand to benefit. He may struggle to get reps early on in the season with the veteran presence of James Conner but he could have his workload increased towards the end of the season. His best trait is his explosive ability, and this is something that tends to translate from college to the NFL. This chart posted by Sumer Sports shows how some of the top RBs in the class fared in college illustrating his explosiveness.

Options/Strategy

Like I said before, there aren’t many better picks than Benson at 2.01. I have him and Brooks in a tier of their own, so if you are looking for a rookie RB to invest in he is a good option.

Pivots

There aren’t many pivots I would make here. I would consider going with Michael Penix if you have a shaky quarterback situation. Otherwise, I like taking stabs at MarShawn Lloyd or Jaylen Wright later in drafts as upside bets who could find themselves with a starting role by next year or the end of the season.

1QB

Jayden Daniels is the pick here in 1QB leagues. He provides excellent upside as a rushing QB and projects for a ton of volume in year one with Kliff Kingsbury.

Superflex 2.02 – Ladd McConkey, WR LAC

McConkey seemingly came out of nowhere as an intriguing wide receiver prospect in this class. From an overall production standpoint, he wasn’t all that impressive, he scored a little below average in the NGS Production Score. However, his early second round draft capital and 80 overall draft score reduce any of my worries about his lack of production.

Ladd McConkey – NFL Combine Profile.

McConkey walks into a wide-open receiving room where he projects to be the WR1 right away. Many film analysts have been enthusiastic about his route-running abilities including WR guru Matt Harmon.

Harmon charted him as a receiver who gets open at all levels of the field. His projectable early career volume and route-running acumen make for an intriguing selection at the 2.02 pick.

Options/Strategy

McConkey is an intriguing prospect worth considering. While his lack of size makes him a bit polarizing, his talent could compensate for it. Though I’m not fully confident in him becoming an elite WR1, I can envision him delivering low-end WR1 or high-end WR2 performances for fantasy purposes. He might not be the flashiest choice for managers looking to take big swings with their rookie picks, but he seems to be a reliable option.

Pivots

I haven’t drafted much of him in rookie drafts, as I think his ADP accurately reflects his value. More often than not, I find myself shifting to other players a bit later, like Ricky Pearsall and Michael Penix, who I believe are undervalued.

1QB

In 1QB leagues, Pearsall typically goes around this spot according to DLF ADP. He’s a well-rounded receiver who excels in all phases of WR play and is connected to one of the NFL’s top offensive coordinators. Pearsall has quickly become one of my favorite targets in rookie drafts this year.

Superflex 2.03 – Keon Coleman, WR BUF

Coleman had somewhat of a lackluster college career, with many questioning his ability to create separation. His Next Gen Stats overall draft score of 74 is just fine, but nothing to write home about. Sam Sherman of Establish the Run highlighted here that a young Coleman outproduced Jayden Reed early in their college careers at Michigan State. While this should be taken with a grain of salt, it’s worth noting, especially considering Reed’s early success in the NFL as a rookie last year. For context, Reed scored a 73 in the NGS Draft Score Model.

Coleman doesn’t have the analytical profile of a top-tier WR prospect, but throughout most of the pre-draft process, he was considered a fringe first-round pick. He ultimately went slightly lower than expected, possibly due to his disappointing 4.61-second 40-time at the Combine. However, Next Gen Stats shared some intriguing visuals post-combine, showing that while his 40 was slow, his tracked speed during routes and the gauntlet drill was among the best at the event. This suggests he is likely a fast player despite the poor performance in traditional testing.

Keon Coleman – NFL Combine Profile.

One run-through of his highlight reel paints a clearer picture as to why he has been highly coveted by NFL teams. He has flashes of brilliance in contested situations and when running after the catch. More in-depth film analysis creates a complicated picture of Coleman as a player. My go-to film-based analysts are Matt Waldman and Matt Harmon and they seemed to disagree on his route-running ability. They teamed up on the Yahoo Fantasy Football Show to briefly discuss their thoughts on him based on their film analysis, specifically focusing on his route running. Waldman believes he has the tools to become a successful route runner, while Harmon sees him as more of a limited player who didn’t show enough ability to separate against man coverage. However, Harmon does acknowledge some intriguing strengths in Coleman’s game. He delves even deeper in this video, examining how players with similar Reception Perception profiles have fared in the past, revealing what his path to success in the NFL might be.

Options/Strategy

Due to varying opinions on Coleman’s route running ability circulating in the fantasy community, his profile is truly boom or bust. In the Bills’ offense, where there’s little to no target competition, dynasty managers might be less forgiving of a poor rookie season, which could cause his trade value to plummet. Investing in him carries significant risk, but the payoff could be huge if he clicks right away with Josh Allen. Personally, I’ve been aggressively targeting him in rookie drafts, largely because of the upside he offers at the relatively cheap cost of an early second-round pick. I’m not expecting second-round rookie selections to hit at a super high rate anyway, so I think this is the perfect opportunity to swing for the fences.

Pivots

If Coleman is not available, Xavier Legette has a similar profile and is a viable pivot. He has more immediate target competition, but similar upside cases could be made.

1QB

In 1QB leagues, whoever your favorite RB is, out of MarShawn Lloyd, Blake Corum, and Jaylen Wright is who I would be targeting. I have preferred Lloyd over the past few months but have warmed up to Corum as the clear high-value handcuff to Kyren Williams.

Superflex 2.04 – Michael Penix, QB ATL

Penix was easily the most surprising draft selection. No one expected them to take a QB with their first-round pick, especially after signing Kirk Cousins to a big contract in free agency. However, Penix had one of the stronger analytics profiles in this loaded QB class, and his 85 NGS Draft Score suggests the high draft capital was somewhat justified.

Michael Penix – NFL Combine Profile.

The plan for Penix mirrors that of Jordan Love. He’s expected to sit and develop for two or more years, then step in with a solid grasp of the offense to make an immediate impact. He has undeniable arm talent, and I’m very confident in his ability to perform when he gets his chance in two to three years.

Options/Strategy

Penix looks like an incredible value in the early second round of rookie drafts. Getting a profile like his at this discount is almost unheard of. While it may seem reasonable given the uncertainty around when he’ll play, he will get his shot eventually. Acquiring long-term QB starters in superflex dynasty leagues is incredibly difficult, and opportunities to invest in them at such a low price are rare. One of my favorite strategies this year is to draft him and pair him with a high-scoring veteran QB. The ideal pairing is with Kirk Cousins, but any affordable older QB works. This approach gives you Penix’s upside while reducing the concern about losing immediate production.

Pivots

Bo Nix is a solid alternative if you’re looking for more immediate production. While Nix is more of a game manager in comparison, he can offer value right away. The QBs in this draft range are quite intriguing, and I’d lean toward drafting them because their potential upside might offer more trade value than players at other positions. If making trades is challenging in your league, drafting for need becomes more practical. In that case, any position in this draft range would be a reasonable pivot.

1QB

In 1QB leagues, Ja’Lynn Polk stands out as an intriguing option here. He appears to be the leading candidate to become the top WR in the Patriots’ offense and has earned a talent endorsement from Matt Harmon.