You smell that? You know what that is? No, it’s not fish, Marv. That’s the scent of football and opportunities on the horizon. With the 2023 NFL Draft wrapped up and summer approaching, we are just a few short months away from the 2023-2024 NFL season.
And with that new football season comes new excitement and the continuation of dynasty leagues that have been building for years. For many, rookie drafts are the pinnacle of the offseason in dynasty fantasy football. Outside of trades and waiver pick-ups, it’s the one time of the year that you’re able to add legitimate talent and depth to your squad.
Rookie drafts are an unavoidable minefield, though. Once you get outside of the first round, it becomes more of a crapshoot. You’re more likely to find a dud than a game-changing talent, but the fun is in the unknown! The minefield carries an even higher bust rate in a top-heavy, depth-lacking draft class like this one.
If you’re having difficulties filtering through the duds and the potential stars, have no fear. We’re here to help.
- Dynasty Trade Value Chart
- Dynasty Rookie Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
- Dynasty Rookie Draft Sleepers: QB | RB | WR | TE
- Latest Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft
- Dynasty Rookie Draft Simulator
Dynasty Rookie Draft Value Picks: Sam LaPorta
Here are three rookie draft value picks to help you win your dynasty leagues.
Sam LaPorta (TE – DET)
Despite slightly higher draft capital, more athleticism, and a much-better offensive system around him, Lions tight end Sam LaPorta remains significantly behind Michael Mayer in the majority of dynasty rookie rankings.
For example, the FantasyPros Consensus Rankings have Mayer at No. 14 overall in 1QB dynasty rankings. LaPorta is all the way down at No. 22 overall. It’s similar at Dynasty League Football, where they also have Mayer (No. 13 overall) ranked eight spots ahead of LaPorta (No. 21 overall).
LaPorta was drafted only one spot higher than Mayer, so draft capital is a wash. However, the athleticism can’t be overlooked here.
LaPorta’s Relative Athletic Score of 9.01 is one of the higher tight end marks in the class, while Mayer finished with a pedestrian RAS score of 7.66. That’s far from a death blow to Mayer, but it shouldn’t be ignored either.
While I appreciate Mayer’s film and completely understand if you like him more as a prospect, I can’t fathom the perceived gap between the two prospects. They’re in the same tier as far as I’m concerned and I think they should be drafted accordingly. If you like Mayer, why not take LaPorta eight spots lower?
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