Dynasty Rookie Drafts: What To Do At 1.02?

Omarion Hampton | Credit: Bob Donnan

Ryan McDowell Posted On May 6, 2025

With the NFL Draft in the books, dynasty managers have fully turned their attention to their own rookie drafts. Here at DLF, we provide 1QB and superflex rookie rankings, along with our community-curated rookie ADP. And if you’re looking for the reasoning behind some of these rankings or values, check out the endless supply of written content produced over the past few months, or the DLF Dynasty Podcast, where Dan Meylor, Matt Price and I went deep on over 60 prospects in the weeks leading up to the NFL Draft.

The crazy thing is, even with all of this data, information, and trusted opinions, sometimes when you’re on the clock, it’s hard to decide just which rookie is the right player for your team. This year, I think that conundrum begins at the 1.02 pick. We already know that new Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty will be the top overall pick in most leagues, but what should you do with the 1.02? I recently asked my Twitter followers who was drafted second overall in their early rookie drafts, and the responses were all over the board, with more than half a dozen players mentioned.

Let’s delve into the options, because this choice is not a one-size-fits-all situation.

If your team is a 2025 playoff contender…

Then draft Chargers RB Omarion Hampton

The Chargers used their first-round pick on Hampton, the North Carolina product, even after signing veteran Najee Harris earlier this off-season. Harris carries some name value to the West Coast, but not much more. While he’s lauded for his four consecutive 1,000 rushing yard campaigns to begin his career, Harris has not come close to reaching his rookie season peak RB3 performance in the years since. His contract with the Chargers is further evidence that Harris is not viewed as a long-term asset by NFL teams, signing a one-year pact for $5.25 million.

All of this suggests the rookie Hampton will not have to wait to see a significant role for the Chargers, who clearly want to build their offense around the running game. Last season, under first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh, the team focused on rebuilding the offensive line and then averaged more than 26 rushing attempts per game, their highest since 2020. Now, the running game has been revamped with the addition of Hampton and Harris. Harris was in contention for the 1.02 rookie pick prior to the NFL Draft based on our April Rookie ADP, and now he’s become the favorite. Hampton is already being valued as the RB6 (tied with Breece Hall) in our soon-to-be-released May ADP data and could be a league-winner down the stretch in dynasty leagues.