My Dynasty Off-Season: 2025 Rookie Rankings Preview
Well, that was fun. Another year in the books, and hopefully you were able to grab that dynasty league championship. While the games are thrilling and the results matter, this is the time of year I really look forward to. Yes, the off-season is my favorite part of fantasy football. I love diving into the NFL Draft, analyzing rookies, re-assessing the veteran dynasty landscape, and giving you all the info I can to help you get ready for the upcoming season.
This year, I’m continuing my series – My Dynasty Off-Season. This series is where I pull back the curtain a little to share what I’m doing in terms of team building, roster evaluation, player assessments, trade possibilities, value changes, and anything else that’s on my mind. I hope this series helps guide you through the off-season and positions you for success next year. Over the coming weeks, I’m going to share my positional rankings for the rookies in detail, with many of them inevitably changing after the NFL Draft Combine. However, let’s just take a quick look at my top players at each position as a teaser today.
Quarterbacks
1.) Cam Ward, Miami
There is clearly going to be a great debate as to who should go first in the NFL Draft between Ward and Shedeur Sanders. However, I have Ward as the top quarterback from a dynasty standpoint. It’s hard to argue with his numbers. After all, he posted over 11,000 passing yards with 87 touchdowns over just the past three seasons. While not a true dual-threat dynamo like others we’ve seen (Jayden Daniels), he seems to be mobile enough to make things happen. He’s also very experienced, having spent five years as a collegiate starter. While some may see that as a bad thing, I clearly don’t as we’ve seen inexperienced players with elite talent (Anthony Richardson) really struggle to make the transition to the next level. With this much experience, Ward should be NFL ready and with the patience level at an all-time low in the NFL, that should bode well for his chances.
2.) Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
I just can’t help but think his ultimate destiny is going to lie in the hands of his Father. Still, he’s going to be a top ten pick in the NFL Draft and should have a chance to be an instant contributor to both and NFL franchise and a dynasty fantasy football team. With 64 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions the past two seasons, Sanders has proven he can throw the ball. However, the big question is just how much he can contribute on the ground. He simply hasn’t been very dynamic as a rusher and that means he’s going to need to be an elite passer (maybe with an elite receiver) to be a true QB1 in dynasty leagues (the Giants, perhaps). This is what I think puts Ward ahead of him at the moment. More on that later.
Running Backs
1.) Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
The likes of Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry have made the running back relevant again and that should benefit Jeanty. In fact, it seems he is now a near-lock for a top-20 pick in the NFL Draft. It shouldn’t be a huge surprise as he posted a whopping 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns this season. While there are some questions about just how much the level of competition he faced really inflated his numbers, he’s clearly a RB1 in the making and will likely be the top running back off the board in both the NFL Draft and dynasty leagues alike. Rumored heavily to the Broncos and Cowboys, Jeanty’s landing spot is going to be the key to his value as a spot making him a bona fide bell cow could make him a weapon very early in his career.
2.) Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
Jeanty has been a near sure-fire lock for the first running back taken in this year’s draft, but Hampton seems to be gaining some ground. His performance this off-season is going to be huge as it seems some teams may actually prefer him to Jeanty at the moment. With over 3,100 rushing yards over the past two seasons, Hampton clearly has the production to match the hype. In addition, his consistency (he had just two games under 100 rushing yards this season) has to be considered. Many also believe his pass-catching prowess has yet to really be unlocked, so that’s going to be something to watch as well. In the end, Jeanty is still the top dog, but Hampton is no slouch, either.
Wide Receivers
1.)Â Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
After posting a stellar 90/1,402/10 line at Arizona two years ago, we were hoping for even more this season. While his 84/1,319/8 line this year didn’t quite do it, you have to wonder just how much a new offense and coaching staff had to do with it. In short, McMillan just passes the eye test. He may not be considered “elite” in any one area, but it’s hard to pick apart his game and say he’s not great in virtually any other category. While he’s not necessarily in the same class as Marvin Harrison Jr or Malik Nabers from last season, it’s going to be very hard for dynasty managers to pass on him in the coming months.
2.) Luther Burden, Missouri
It’s not very often where a receiver could post 61 catches for 676 yards and six touchdowns and be considered to be an elite level prospect. However, that’s exactly the case with Burden, who was the clear victim of a terrible offense in Missouri. Burden can succeed at all three levels and should be a future WR1 in the league. His landing spot is going to be critical to his early career value because a landing spot with an elite-level quarterback and Coach could be a huge indicator for early success. Simply put, Burden’s numbers just don’t tell the whole story and he really does look like a near can’t-miss prospect.
Tight Ends
1.) Tyler Warren, Penn State
We saw what Brock Bowers can do for a dynasty team and while Warren isn’t quite the prospect he is, he’s still a really impressive looking tight end. After all, he posted a whopping 104 catches for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns last year. Penn State has a tendency to produce quality tight ends and Warren has a chance to be the best. While not a truly elite lock as a future upper-tier TE1, it’s hard to see Warren failing next season, regardless of where he’s drafted.
I’ll be going into more detail on each position in the weeks to come. It’s an exciting time for dynasty leagues, so let’s do it!
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
- My Dynasty Off-Season: 2025 Rookie Rankings Preview - February 28, 2025
- The Dynasty Aftermath: Season Recap - January 7, 2025
- The Dynasty Aftermath: New Year’s Dynasty Resolutions - January 1, 2025
