NEWSLETTER
The NFL has become a year-round sport. Since the final second ticked off of another Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory on February 11th, the league has dominated sports highlights and headlines with the likes of the NFL Combine, a busy free agency period, the NFL Draft and, most recently, the 2024 schedule release.
If there is a slower period on the annual league calendar, we have just entered it, with training camps now weeks from beginning. This is the prime time for dynasty leagues to hold their rookie drafts. In most established dynasty leagues, the rookie draft is the highlight of the offseason, perhaps even the most-anticipated activity of the year altogether.
If you’ve missed any of those NFL events from the past few months, you have some catching up to do to ensure you’re ready for your rookie draft. That why we’re here. Let’s look at dynasty fantasy football rankings for the top 12 rookies for 1QB dynasty leagues.
12. Jayden Daniels, QB WAS
It is somewhat rare to see quarterbacks in the first round of 1QB dynasty rookie drafts, but this is not the typical year. With a relatively flat tier of receivers and limited high-end options at running back and tight end, we get the Commanders new quarterback Jayden Daniels as a top 12 rookie. None of that should be viewed as a slight on Daniels, who has as much fantasy upside as any player in the draft. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Daniels posted video game numbers in his final college season, passing for over 3,800 yards, rushing for another 1,100 and totaling 50 touchdowns. With little competition, Daniels should walk right into the starting gig for Washington and will be an immediate fantasy starter as well.
11. Caleb Williams, QB CHI
After all that quarterback talk, we have another one among the top 12. The Bears surprised no one in selecting another former Heisman Trophy winner, USC’s Caleb Williams, with the top overall pick. With Justin Fields out of the way, Williams should be the day one starter in Chicago and the Bears’ brass has made moves to ensure Williams will be successful. Along with DJ Moore, who enjoyed a career-year last season, the Bears added veteran Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze to Williams’ pass-catching corps, not to mention running back D’Andre Swift. The Bears offense is suddenly stacked and Williams elite talent makes him a low-end dynasty QB1 already.
10. Keon Coleman, WR BUF
After a shaky NFL Combine performance, the jury was out on former Florida State receiver Keon Coleman. While he was coming off the best season of his college career, some of the other metrics came into question. He went from routinely being projected in the first-round of NFL mock drafts to tumbling down the ranks. Ironically, Coleman ended his Combine press conference by acknowledging that Bills quarterback Josh Allen had the strong arm in the league, but suggesting the team needed an upgrade at receiver. That need became even greater when the Bills shipped Stefon Diggs to Houston. Buffalo selected Coleman with the first pick in Round Two. He’ll be in contention to now serve as Allen’s top wideout after the team brought in Curtis Samuel, Chase Claypool and Mack Hollins, along with holdover Khalil Shakir. The landing spot and draft capital were both in Coleman’s favor, which boosted his fantasy football value and locked him in as a first-rounder in rookie drafts.
9. Trey Benson, RB ARI
With what most agreed was a weak running back class at the top, the dynasty community was left hoping for ideal landing spots to maximize fantasy value. That’s just what happened when the Cardinals grabbed former Seminole back Trey Benson early in the third round. Benson is an all-around back who was once viewed as the likely RB1 in the class. While 29-year-old James Conner will likely begin the season as the starter, this Cardinals team has been desperate for another backfield option for years. The Cardinals have an easy out on Conner’s deal before the season begins but even if they keep him, this will be the final year on Conner’s Cardinals’ contract. If Benson is the 2025 starter in Arizona, which he’s likely to be, he will be a massive value in this range of rookie drafts.
8. Ladd McConkey, WR LAC
One of the biggest post-NFL Draft risers is former Georgia receiver Ladd McConkey, who was the Chargers second overall pick in the second round. After the Chargers moved on from veterans Keenan Allen and Mike Williams earlier this offseason, it became clear that receiver would be a priority. Any receiver the team added would likely see a value gain in dynasty leagues. McConkey has been praised for his route running ability, which allows him to find opening all over the field. Considering that is something that plagued Chargers 2023 rookie Quentin Johnston, it’s clear the team was looking to fill some holes on the depth chart. McConkey will compete with Johnston and veteran Josh Palmer for those Justin Herbert targets.
7. Brian Thomas, WR JAX
Caught in between the elite top tier of 2024 rookie receivers (more on them later) and McConkey and the rest of the group is Brian Thomas. The former LSU wideout enjoyed a breakout year alongside his quarterback Daniels, leading the nation in receiving scores. Thomas’ speed and big-play ability made him one of the top stories of the Combine and that buzz carried throughout the NFL Draft process. The Jaguars used the 23rd overall selection to acquire Thomas. Receiver was a need after the team lost veteran Calvin Ridley to division foe Tennessee via free agency. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence will now have Thomas, Christian Kirk and former Bill Gabe Davis as his primary wide receiver targets. With the success of Kirk and tight end Evan Engram over the past two seasons, along with questions about Thomas’ one-year wonder college status, he is a risky pick in the middle of the first round. Thomas is a player with a very wide range of outcomes and will force the hands of dynasty managers. His former LSU teammate Malik Nabers called Thomas a “freak of nature” and that’s ultimately what makes him the target in this range of rookie drafts.
6. Jonathon Brooks, RB CAR
As the NFL Draft drew closer, it became apparent that former Texas running back Jonathon Brooks had become the RB1 in this class. While Brooks’ talent was never in question, his mid-season ACL tear left doubts as to whether he would even be part of this draft class. With his rehab going well, Brooks began to climb draft boards. Ultimately selected by the Panthers in the middle of Round Two, Brooks’ dynasty value quickly increased. He’s expected to compete with average talents Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders for playing time, which means he could be the starter very early in his career. Brooks, who has drawn comparisons to another former Longhorn, Jamaal Charles, is already being valued as a top 15 back in dynasty rankings, making him a very nice value in the middle of the first round of rookie drafts.
5. Brock Bowers, TE LV
Often referred to as one of the elite talents in the entire draft, former Georgia tight end fell to the middle of the first round in the NFL Draft, surprisingly being selected by the Las Vegas Raiders. That landing spot has some dynasty managers confused after the team used a Day Two pick on tight end Michael Mayer last year. Bowers and Mayer are very different players, so there’s no real threat there. Bowers has a very good chance to be the second target in the Raiders’ offense behind veteran receiver Davante Adams, which would put him in position to finish his rookie season as a TE1 scorer and top five dynasty asset at the position.
4. Xavier Worthy, WR KC
The biggest dynasty riser among the first-rounders had to be speedy receiver Xavier Worthy. After breaking the NFL Combine record with a 4.21 40-yard run, Worthy’s draft stock shot up. He began showing up in the first round of mock drafts and the Chiefs made that prediction as reality when they traded up with the rival Bills to ensure they locked up Worthy. After getting limited production from their receiver corps a year ago, the Chiefs have added a pair of the fastest players in the league in Worthy and veteran Marquise Brown, who was signed to a one-year deal. Worthy’s upside playing alongside Patrick Mahomes is unreal and he’s well worth an early dynasty pick.
3. Rome Odunze, WR CHI
Rome Odunze had enjoyed a solid career for the University of Washington, but his final college season was his true breakout year. The Huskies advanced to the title game and Odunze vaulted himself into the top ten of the NFL Draft. There’s a lot to like about Odunze, including his charismatic personality he showed off in Combine interviews. The one thing dynasty managers might be concerned with, and what could push him off of this third overall spot in dynasty rookie rankings, is his competition for playing time and targets. It is easy to think back to last season when the Seahawks added Jaxon Smith-Njigba to their veteran duo of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. That made for a quiet rookie season for Smith-Njigba and now his dynasty value is falling as a result. The same situation could play out in Chicago with Allen and Moore playing ahead of Odunze. If you draft the Washington product in your dynasty league, you’ll have to be patient for the first season, or maybe even two.
2. Malik Nabers, WR NYG
The Giants team is in a difficult period, especially when it comes to their offense. There is uncertainty with their quarterback due to injuries and disappointing play. Superstar running back Saquon Barkley left town for the rival Eagles and for the past two seasons, they’ve loaded up on undersized, slot-type receivers. While players like Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt are talented and could play key roles for the G-Men’s offense, this team needed a true WR1. They got that in former LSU star Malik Nabers. The Giants must have sprinted their pick to the table when Nabers remained on the board for their sixth overall selection in April’s Draft. Nabers was a true stud in college, before Daniels’ monster season and certainly during it, leaving little doubt he could be a special player in the NFL. Nabers is already being valued as a dynasty WR1 and could even slip into the first round of new dynasty startup drafts.
1. Marvin Harrison, Jr, WR ARI
While Marvin Harrison, Jr. might have a name you recognize, the son of the Colts Hall of Fame receiver of the same name, he is blazing his own trail to the league. Harrison has done things his way in the earliest stages of his NFL career, refusing to work out or even be interviewed by media at the NFL Combine and not participating in other typical rookie activities, including being part of jersey sales and autograph signings. None of this noise impacts what Harrison can do on the field and that’s why he’s not only the top overall rookie for dynasty leagues, he’s already a top five overall player in dynasty startup drafts. Harrison is set to be the Cardinals’ WR1 by a wide margin. A year ago, we saw the surprising Puka Nacua rewrite the rookie receiving record books on a weekly basis. That was a shocker, but Harrison, paired with a fully healthy Kyler Murray, shouldn’t be. Get Harrison on your roster and you’ll have your dynasty WR1 for the next decade.
Want more opinions on dynasty rookies? Check out our consensus dynasty rookie rankings at dynastyleaguefootball.com.
