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Not all rookie drafts are created equally. Strategies shift depending on format (single QB, Superflex, tight end premium) and due to league size. Exploring how rookie drafts may play out for your league’s specific settings is highly recommended.
There is no better resource to do just that than our Draft Simulator tool. You can customize the settings in terms of league size, roster positions, and the number of rounds in your rookie draft. You will also be able to test out different draft slots. You can complete an entire mock draft in mere minutes, and you can be sure that you’re drafting in a knowledgeable draft room, as you will be going head to head with FantasyPros’ ECR (expert consensus rankings). With that in mind, I spun up a 16-team Superflex dynasty rookie mock draft in the Draft Simulator. Let’s take a look at the results.
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1.13: Ke’Shawn Vaughn (RB – TB)
Ke’Shawn Vaughn is a talented running back who found himself the perfect depth chart. He joins an explosive offense primed to do big things, and he looks to be the clear top talent in the backfield. His only competition for lead back duties are general bust Ronald Jones, third-down back Dare Ogunbowale, and 2020 seventh-round pick Raymond Calais. Jones is his only real competition, but his success rate issues and poor pass protection should keep him stuck in the backup role he was in when playing with the below replacement level talent Peyton Barber. In fact, if Jones cannot clean up his woes in pass pro, he may end up third on the team in snaps, as the Buccaneers will make protecting 43-year-old franchise quarterback Tom Brady a priority.
Vaughn rarely came off the field at Vanderbilt, something that was of importance to head coach Bruce Arians. Vaughn could sneak his way into the RB1 borderline, something that seems to be flying under the radar for many dynasty league owners. Adding him at 1.13 is a major boost to any fantasy squad, especially in a 16-team league.
Here's a look at some of the explosiveness that Ke'Shawn Vaughn brings to the table. I remember watching this game vs. Baylor and being convinced he was going to declare. 18.7 yds/carry. 243 yds on the day. pic.twitter.com/f0Qiw1j64B
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) March 18, 2020
2.13: Jordan Love (QB – GB)
Jordan Love this late in the second round of a 16-team Superflex is quite surprising, and it’s not something that I expect to see when my 16-team rookie draft takes place later this month. Love dropped here primarily due to mixed sentiment over how he projects as an NFL quarterback. I have been on the Love bandwagon since reviewing his 2018 tape. Despite a rough 2019, he showed enough flashes in 2019 to maintain my projection of his NFL upside.
The Green Bay Packers seem to agree with my analysis, as they traded up to select Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Love will have to wait two or more seasons before he becomes Green Bay’s starting quarterback, but he is a tremendous value at this point in the draft. Quarterbacks already have a premium placed on them in Superflex leagues, but when the team count is 16, they become all the more valuable. Love has the perfect (if unwilling) mentor to learn from in Aaron Rodgers, a quarterback he can study up close to increase the probability that he can one day unlock his immense untapped potential.
Jordan Love intro: Part Two
How's everyone feeling about the #Packers pick after having some time to think about it? 🤔#GoPackGo #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/WPV9pjgEZF
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) April 24, 2020
3.13: DeeJay Dallas (RB – SEA)
DeeJay Dallas should be a significant contributor as a rookie. Rashaad Penny appears all but certain to open the season on the physically unable to perform list (PUP), giving Dallas and Travis Homer a chance to seize the number two role from the disappointing third-year running back. Dallas appears to have a leg up on second back duties, as he is a former receiver with soft hands, and he arguably already has the best pass protection skills in the Seahawks running back room.
Detractors will point to the fact that he was unable to beat out Travis Homer when the two backs were teammates at Miami, but a closer look reveals that the gap in carries was relatively insignificant with junior Homer getting 12.62 carries and sophomore Dallas 8.38. According to PlayerProfiler, Dallas enters the league with a higher college dominator rating than Homer, and he generally looked better on tape. Dallas is an explosive big-play threat who appears to have landed in a perfect storm situation that could lead to him becoming a fantasy mainstay in the open competition regime of Pete Carroll.
2020 Class Threads
Deejay Dallas @DallasDeejay
Junior 5’10 217lbsI have been banging this drum for a while but Dallas is one of the most underrated backs in this class. Kid has a really unique skill set that could absolutely make him a legit 3 down back in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/LDIyGEA1az
— Garret Price (@DynastyPrice) March 9, 2020
4.13: Jeff Thomas (WR – NE)
4.13 in a 16 team equates to 61st overall. In other words, a 12-team, five-round rookie draft would already be over. As such, it’s no surprise that the player I ended up with is someone who lasts until waivers in many draft rooms. Jeff Thomas has a depth chart mountain to climb in terms of the wide receivers ahead of him, but as an undrafted free agent with early day three talent, Thomas should be able to make the team. The depth chart is crowded with N’Keal Harry, Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, Marqise Lee, and Jakobi Meyers all ahead of him.
Fortunately, due to the expansion of rosters and his ability to play on special teams, Thomas should be able to crack the 55-man roster. Off-field character concerns caused him to slip out of the draft, but Thomas is a talented vertical threat who fits a major need for a Patriots team who let speed receiver Phillip Dorsett walk in free agency. Dorsett is just over a tenth of a second faster in terms of 40-time, but Thomas is still quick as a hiccup, has a better burst score, and has better ball skills. He could prove to be quite the coup at this point of 16-team rookie drafts.
There’s several good speedsters in this class, but for the draft capital that I’ll have to use to get them, Jeff Thomas will likely be the one I have on the most teams. Top 50 player coming out of HS. Would have loved to see better college production, but the raw talent is there pic.twitter.com/r26W0K1iKf
— Garret Price (@DynastyPrice) March 16, 2020
Check out our expert consensus rookie rankings before your dynasty rookie draft
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyContext.
