DBro’s Must-Have Dynasty Rookies (2023 Fantasy Football)

Check out a few of my must-have dynasty rookies that I’m targeting in rookie drafts and beyond. And you can find all of my must-have dynasty rookies in this article.

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Must-Have Dynasty Rookies

Here are the players I’m targeting at the end of the first round of rookie drafts and beyond:

Puka Nacua (WR – BYU)

BIG Robert Woods Role VIBES

For Puka Nacua in LAR.

A target in every Dynasty Rookie Draft pic.twitter.com/I047lhyez8

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) April 30, 2023

Puka Nacua might not get the hype of some of his prospect brethren because he attended BYU, but he deserves all the praise. Nacua ranked second and sixth in yards per route run over his final two collegiate seasons (minimum 50 targets, per PFF). He flashes good footwork and a varied release package at the line of scrimmage. Nucua also adds subtle nuances to his routes with pacing in his routes and head fakes. He’s strong after the catch. While he’s not a jitterbug, he’s tough to bring down with the ball in his hands because of his physicality and vision in traffic. He is a magician near the boundary as his film is littered with tough grabs near the sideline with impressive footwork. Those strong hands have also served him well in contested situations. He ranked 17th in contested catch rate in 2021 (minimum ten contested targets per PFF). BYU tried to get the ball in Nucua’s hands in any way possible. He was utilized on jet sweets and the ground in 2022 as the fifth-leading rusher on the team, with 8.4 yards per carry and five rushing scores. Nucaua has that dog in him.

My man crush on Puka Nacua remains strong. Yes, I know he fell to the fifth round before the Rams selected him, but the wide receiver depth chart after Cooper Kupp is putrid. Los Angeles only has Ben Skowronek, Van Jefferson, Lance McCutcheon, Tutu Atwell, and Austin Trammell to compete with Nacua for starting reps in Week 1. Sean McVay stated that when he called Nacua to tell him they were selecting him in the draft, he loved his versatility. Do I smell a possible Bob Woods role for Nacua with the Rams? You bet I do. Nacua’s 9.2 yards per carry and 357 rushing yards at BYU scream that the jet sweeps that the former Ram received could become a part of this offense again with Nacua. Nacua won’t cost much in rookie drafts as he consistently falls to the fourth round or later. It wouldn’t shock me to learn that he will go undrafted in smaller dynasty leagues. Nacua could be the diamond in the rough of this class. I’m trading into every rookie draft late to select him that I can.

Tucker Kraft (TE – GB)

GB drafting Luke Musgrave & Tucker Kraft feels…

Exactly like when BAL drafted Hayden Hurts & Mark Andrews.

Tucker Kraft will be the better pro. Take the discount.

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) May 1, 2023

Kraft is built like a Marvel superhero. With a strong set of tree trunk legs married to a powerful upper body, Kraft imposes his will in multiple phases of the game. In the run game, he’s been a solid to above-average blocker during his entire collegiate career. Kraft has the anchor and leg drive to set the edge, wall off runs, or clear a path for his back. In 2022, Kraft was 28th in gap run-blocking grade among 504 FBS and FCS tight ends with at least 100 run-blocking snaps. Kraft is a bulldozer in the open field. He has the raw speed to threaten down the seam with the ability to house a deep pass due to his tackle-breaking. Kraft, with momentum built up, is a scary situation. He blows through arm tackles and pushes around corners attempting to wrap him up. Kraft also has a little shimmy to his game, as he can juke linebackers after the catch and leave them in the dust. Kraft has the quick hips and explosion off the line to get both early and late separation on routes. He also has exceptional body control in the air adding to his 73rd-percentile catch radius. His arrogant hands on film are reflected in his 58.8% contested target catch rate in college. Kraft flashes impressive back-shoulder catches regularly on film.

The Packers doubled up on tight ends in the NFL Draft by selecting Luke Musgrave in the second round before sending in the card for Kraft in the third round. Kraft might hail from a small school, but he has big-time talent. Outside of him and Musgrave, the Packers only have Josiah Deguara, Tyler Davis, Nick Guggemos, Austin Allen, and Cameron McDonald in the tight end room. Kraft arguably has this bunch’s most complete skill set with scintillating receiving ability. It wouldn’t shock me to see Kraft dominating snaps from the outset. He’s a top 24 player in this class in my rankings. I’ll draft him near the end of the second round, even in non-tight-end premium formats.