“Forgotten Dynasty Youth” may sound like something of an oxymoron. This is dynasty football, after all, where lack of experience is viewed more as a tick mark in the “pros” column, as it should theoretically allow for additional longevity in the league. And yet the fantasy stock market is occasionally slow to correct itself, potentially yielding values on former blue chip youngsters. In this space I’ll be seeking to identify such assets.
So how am I defining youth? It’s a bit of a gray area. You can use years in the league, age, or amounts of total repetitions, with the latter particularly important at the running back position. But because youthful assets, particularly those selected early in the NFL Draft, tend to maintain dynasty staying power, a higher ADP doesn’t mean they’re not “forgotten.” As such any single metric may not be appropriate here. But one way or another these will be guys who were once highly esteemed, and who I think may have since fallen a bit off the radar.
Where there will be structure is in the tiers, which will be threefold and as follows:
- Top Tier: ADP < 84.0 (first seven rounds of a 12-team startup draft)
- Middle Tier: ADP > 84.1 and < 168.0 (rounds eight through 14 in a startup draft)
- Bottom Tier: ADP > 168.1 (the rest)
I’ll be looking at four players per tier. Let’s get started with the Top Tier!
ADP: 18.0
Age: 22 years
Nope, no practice swings before we step up to the plate here! Instead, I’ll lead with the 2024 rookie 1.01 pick, who was viewed as a first-round dynasty startup pick before he ever played a snap in the league. And while his rookie season was passable, we know that dynasty owners have short memories. As such he’s already “only” the WR4 of his own freshman class.
