Dynasty Rookie Draft Strategy

by Aditya Fuldeore · Draft Strategy
Dynasty Rookie draft strategy

PlayerProfiler is home to award-winning dynasty rankings and tools. Our Dynasty Deluxe package includes complete Dynasty Rankings, Rookie Rankings, Trade Analyzer, Draft Planner, Mock Drafts, and more. Check it out! Next, Aditya Fuldeore is back with his 2025 Dynasty Rookie Draft Strategy.

Drafting your rookie squad is a quick but important task. A four-round rookie draft can go by quickly and strategizing selections can be the key to contending or rebuilding a Dynasty roster. The nuances of drafting change based on the position your team is in. Rebuilding and contending teams will each attack a draft differently, but there are neutral strategies to keep in mind. If you are ever in doubt, consider one guiding principle: best player available (BPA).

Rebuilding Teams

A rebuilding Dynasty team will have high picks and want to acquire more. Targeting franchise cornerstones will be key. This is where quarterbacks come into play. Drafting one of the highly selected rookie quarterbacks tends to lead to a long-term fantasy asset, especially in Superflex leagues.

For example, last season saw rookies Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix have flourishing top-12 quarterback finishes. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are the starters for their teams while Michael Penix Jr. got the Falcons’ starting job at the end of the season and J.J. McCarthy is next for the Vikings. Investing in these quarterbacks through rookie drafts is the cheapest investment you will make in them should they live up to expectations. For 2025, Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and Jaxson Dart are the top three likely to have starting jobs when your rebuilding team enters contention.

Dynasty managers should also aim for players at positions more projected for long-term success. Of course, BPA applies, but this leans further to the wide receiver position, where success is more stable a couple of years down the road when you are contending.

Wide receivers make smart rebuild targets because their production arc usually rises over time. They typically break out in Year 2 or 3, right around when your team may be ready to compete. Running backs are at risk of downward trends sooner than receivers. For example, Rachaad White and Travis Etienne are both coming off 2024 seasons that were worse than 2023 and are reaching the end of their rookie deals. They hit a downward trend and may not be as relevant as they once were.

Meanwhile, Nico Collins finished outside the top-48 wide receivers each of his first two seasons. He entered the NFL with a 90th-percentile Speed Score and a 95th-percentile Catch Radius, traits to build on. Collins now has back-to-back top-10 fantasy seasons, and managers who took him in a rebuilding phase dealt with two developmental seasons before he boomed. Dynasty Age Apexes describe this phenomenon for RBs and WRs describes this phenomenon best.

Contending Teams

When contending in Dynasty, managers will want to acquire players that can help them win immediately. This mostly means trading picks for older players in their prime but identifying areas of a rookie draft where ready-to-produce players lie is also important.

Contending teams are more likely to have later picks, a range where guys like Xavier Worthy and Brian Thomas Jr. were selected in the back of the first round of 2024 rookie drafts. Developed players who immediately have roles are important to target. Worthy, Thomas, and Brock Bowers are such targets from last season.

Managers won’t be able to draft running backs that are first-round picks in the NFL draft. For example, Ashton Jeanty will be a first-rounder and have immediate use for fantasy, but contending teams are unlikely to have a top pick to select Jeanty. That leaves guys who will take longer to have a role or will be handcuffs, something better fit for third or fourth round rookie draft picks rather than top picks.

In those later rounds, contenders should target backs who are one injury away from relevance or who are entering committees where they could carve out a role. These will be more useful than developing receivers, as opportunities can hit big more often with running backs over receivers. Last season, Bucky Irving was the biggest example of a handcuff hitting. Taking him over a developing receiver, like Xavier Legette or Ja’Lynn Polk, likely helped contending managers last season. Irving was a top-10 RB the second half of the season, while neither Legette nor Polk were top-50 WRs.

Neutral Ideas

Every manager can default to neutral ideas when unsure of picking a direction. It bears repeating: default to the best player available. Dynasty is a long game, and talent wins out over time. Don’t draft for immediate need unless you’re truly torn between two similarly graded players; then let the tiebreaker be situation or team fit.

Draft capital tells you how much investment a real NFL team has in a player. It’s a proven predictor of opportunity, especially early in a career. That said, don’t let landing spot cloud your judgment too much. Things change fast in the NFL. Coaches are fired, depth charts flip, and schemes evolve. Always consider talent first. Use landing spot as a tiebreaker, not a primary driver.

Whether you’re rebuilding from the ground up or chasing a championship, the rookie draft is one of the most impactful moments in your Dynasty calendar. It can set your team up for long-term success or provide the missing piece to push you over the top.

A strong rookie draft doesn’t guarantee a title, but it sets the stage for sustained success. Make every pick count.

Follow @adi_ful