We have our rookie landing spots — for better or worse.

Before the NFL Draft, we have high hopes that our favorite prospects will end up in ideal ecosystems that will give them the best possible chance for immediate success. All too often those hopes are dashed, and the player-team fits aren’t as tidy as we’d hoped.

And so it was with the rookie running backs this year. It wasn’t viewed as a great RB class to begin with, and some of the top running backs in the class went to teams that might not have a lot of available RB snaps in 2024.

We got suboptimal landing spots for a few of the top pass catchers, too. Sigh.

Let’s sift through the aftermath of the draft with a three-round superflex dynasty rookie mock draft. And get ready for your dynasty rookie draft with our FREE mock draft simulator.

• Dynasty Rookie Draft Primers
• Thor’s Draft Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE
• Dynasty Draft Kit
• Thor’s Top 500 Rookie Rankings & Comps

Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft

ROUND 1

1.01 — QB Caleb Williams, Bears

This one is easy. Williams is the best quarterback in the class, and Chicago is providing him with an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver: D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and fellow rookie Rome Odunze. It’s a good year to be picking 1.01 in dynasty rookie mock drafts.

1.02 — WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Cardinals

The prodigy from Ohio State instantly becomes the lead receiver for Cardinals QB Kyler Murray. Not everyone had Harrison as their WR1 in this class, but he wound up with the best landing spot of the top three receivers.

1.03 — WR Malik Nabers, Giants

Some dynasty managers will prefer Jayden Daniels over Nabers at 1.03 — a perfectly defensible choice. It’s not ideal that Nabers will be paired with QB Daniel Jones, but Nabers’ talent may be QB-proof.

1.04 — QB Jayden Daniels, Commanders

Washington’s offense should be fun to watch in 2024. Daniels’ rushing numbers should make him startable right away even in 1QB leagues. Here’s hoping he doesn’t subject himself to a plethora of big hits.

1.05 — QB J.J. McCarthy, Vikings

What a great landing spot for a rookie quarterback, with a pass-catching trio of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and (eventually) T.J. Hockenson. An ecosystem this good makes it easier to buy into McCarthy’s meteoric rise into the top 10 of the NFL Draft.

1.06 — WR Rome Odunze, Bears

Odunze probably isn’t going to put up big numbers as a rookie, since the Bears already had a terrific pair of veteran receivers in D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. The good news for Odunze enthusiasts is that Allen only has one year left on his contract. Rome wasn’t built in a day (ahem), but Odunze seems destined for stardom — eventually.

1.07 — QB Drake Maye, Patriots

Maye drew the second-shortest straw among the first-round quarterbacks as far as landing spots, with New England’s offensive cupboards more bare than Old Mother Hubbard’s. But consider yourself lucky if you can get this talented dual-threat quarterback in the back half of Round 1.

1.08 — TE Brock Bowers, Raiders

I’m less distraught by this landing spot than others seem to be. Bowers is so talented that he’s probably QB-proof, and he’s such a versatile chess piece that he should have no problem drawing ample targets even with WR Davante Adams around. Bowers is a special player.

1.09 — WR Xavier Worthy, Chiefs

Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes get a wide receiver with 4.21 speed? Yes, please. Worthy’s fantasy stock soared when the Chiefs traded up to get him with the 28th pick of the draft.

1.10 — WR Keon Coleman, Bills

Buffalo had a screaming need for a wide receiver after trading away Stefon Diggs and letting Gabe Davis walk in free agency. Coleman is a king-sized receiver who thrives in contested-catch situations. He’s a polarizing prospect, but this landing spot is undeniably excellent.

1.11 — WR Ladd McConkey, Chargers

Yes, the Chargers are going to run the ball frequently with Jim Harbaugh in control and Greg Roman calling the plays. But the Chargers badly needed help at wide receiver and got themselves a route-running savant who should earn plenty of targets right away.

1.12 — QB Bo Nix, Broncos

There’s a healthy dose of skepticism about Nix within the fantasy community. Not everyone thought he deserved to be a first-round pick. But could Nix be a poor man’s Drew Brees for Broncos head coach Sean Payton? That possibility makes Nix worth a late-first-round pick in superflex dynasty rookie mock draft.

ROUND 2

2.01 — RB Jonathon Brooks, Panthers

Brooks was the first running back selected in the draft, going to the Panthers in the second round. He’s still recovering after tearing his ACL in November, but Brooks seems destined to be Carolina’s lead back.

2.02 — QB Michael Penix, Falcons

It’s not easy to spend a top-15 pick in a rookie draft on someone who probably isn’t going to play in 2024 and isn’t even a lock to play in 2025. I have my doubts that Kirk Cousins is going to be around for the entirety of his four-year contract with the Falcons, and I’m a Penix fan. I’m comfortable taking him early in Round 2 of a superflex dynasty rookie mock draft.

2.03 — WR Brian Thomas, Jaguars

Is Jacksonville a good landing spot for Thomas? Opinions are mixed. I’m not sure Thomas is immediately going to be better than either free-agent addition Gabe Davis or the underrated Zay Jones, and the Jags also have Christian Kirk at wide receiver and Evan Engram at tight end. But the size-speed combo that Thomas offers is certainly enticing.

2.04 — WR Ricky Pearsall, 49ers

There weren’t a lot of mock drafts that had Pearsall going in the first round, but the 49ers validated the enthusiasm for Pearsall within the dynasty community by nabbing him with the 31st pick. Pearsall faces a target logjam in Year 1, but his future is bright.

2.05 — RB Trey Benson, Cardinals

Benson will either back up or share work with James Conner, who’s entering his age-29 season. Not an ideal landing spot, but not awful either.

2.06 — WR Roman Wilson, Steelers

A steady riser during the predraft process, Wilson has a chance to earn a substantial target share for the Steelers right away.

2.07 — WR Xavier Legette, Panthers

The Panthers were so eager to draft Legette that they traded up from pick No. 33 to get him with pick No. 32. Legette is an imposing physical specimen, but he didn’t pop until his fifth college season. He’s the quintessential boom-or-bust fantasy prospect.

2.08 — WR Malachi Corley, Jets

A divisive WR prospect with a one-dimensional catch-and-run profile, Corley gained steam in dynasty rookie drafts when the Jets traded up to get him at the top of the third round.

2.09 — WR Adonai Mitchell, Colts

A lot of people thought Mitchell was going to be a first-round pick, so it’s somewhat ominous that he fell to pick No. 52. Mitchell’s size-speed combination gives him a lot of potential, but it’s clear that NFL teams weren’t in love with him. He goes to a team that will probably be run-heavy and has a high-volume receiver in place with Michael Pittman Jr.

2.10 — RB Blake Corum, Rams

The glass-half-empty take is that Corum isn’t going to play much behind Kyren Williams. The glass-half-full take is that running backs who play for Sean McVay can be immensely valuable fantasy assets, and Corum will be backing up an undersized starter who missed games due to injury last season.

2.11 — RB MarShawn Lloyd, Packers

Lloyd appears to be logjammed behind Josh Jacobs and A.J. Dillon, but the Packers could walk away from their deal with Jacobs after only one year if they’re convinced Lloyd is good enough to be their lead back.

2.12 — Ja’Lynn Polk, Patriots

The Pats liked Polk enough to take him early in the second round, and he should be able to earn a healthy target share in New England right away.

ROUND 3

3.01 — WR Luke McCaffrey, Commanders

The final pick of the third round, McCaffrey is a converted college quarterback with exciting athleticism and great bloodlines. I wouldn’t argue with anyone who wanted to take him late in Round 2 of a superflex dynasty rookie mock draft.

3.02 — WR Troy Franklin, Broncos

Franklin’s fantasy stock tumbled when he fell into Day 3 of the draft, but he’ll have an immediate opportunity to contribute in Denver. It doesn’t hurt that he’s being reunited with his college quarterback, Bo Nix.

3.03 — RB Kimani Vidal, Chargers

The hit rate on sixth-round running backs isn’t great, but this was arguably THE best landing spot for any running back. There’s also a case to be made that Vidal has been an underrated RB prospect all along.

3.04 — RB Ray Davis, Bills

James Cook is entrenched as Buffalo’s lead back, but Cook is a smallish RB who could use a tag-team partner who’s younger than Latavius Murray. Davis is versatile enough to play on any down.

3.05 – QB Spencer Rattler, Saints

A quarterback selected in the fifth round of the draft has to be considered a long shot for success, but Rattler has an intriguing toolkit and could get a chance to play soon if the Saints become disenchanted with Derek Carr.

3.06 — Jaylen Wright, Dolphins

Ugh. A popular RB prospect lands in a seemingly bad spot. It’s hard to see Wright earning much playing time as a rookie behind De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert.

3.07 — TE Ben Sinnott, Commanders

Second-round draft capital validates enthusiasm for the Kansas State tight end.

3.08 — WR Jalen McMillan, Buccaneers

The University of Washington had three wide receivers selected in the first two days of the draft. McMillan has been the most overlooked of the Huskies’ WR trio, but the Bucs didn’t overlook him in the third round.

3.09 — RB Tyrone Tracy, Giants

A converted wide receiver, Tracy could immediately become the Giants’ passing-down back. FantasyPros NFL Draft and college football analyst Thor Nystrom loves Tracy and ranked him No. 5 in this RB class.

3.10 — WR Javon Baker, Patriots

An intriguing prospect whom the Pats selected early in the fourth round, Baker could immediately earn targets from fellow rookie Drake Maye.

3.11 — TE Erick All, Bengals

All won the landing-spot lottery for tight ends. He’ll have Joe Burrow throwing to him, and Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins clearing out room for him to work underneath.

3.12 — RB Will Shipley, Eagles

On one hand, Shipley will have trouble earning playing time as a rookie behind Saquon Barkley and Kenneth Gainwell. On the other hand, Philadelphia is a healthy offensive ecosystem, and Barkley has a history of injuries.

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