We’ll have you covered as you prepare for your 2025 dynasty rookie drafts. In order to dominate your dynasty rookie draft, check out our expert consensus dynasty rookie draft rankings. And sync your dynasty league to practice with fast and free dynasty rookie mock drafts. Below, we dive into dynasty rookie draft picks our analysts are lower on compared to our expert consensus rankings.
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Dynasty Rookie Draft Advice: Picks to Avoid
The Packers made a forward-thinking move by drafting Matthew Golden in Round 1, adding speed (4.29 40-yard dash) and depth to a wide receiver room full of question marks. With Christian Watson‘s injury history and Romeo Doubs in a contract year following multiple concussions, Golden brings much-needed insurance, but he may not be fantasy-relevant right away. Despite a productive final season at Texas, Golden never topped 1,000 yards or posted a high dominator rating in college, and he enters a crowded WR committee in a scheme that avoids funneling targets to one player. Golden’s likely to have splash plays and spike weeks, but consistent volume may be elusive unless injuries strike.
– Andrew Erickson
Williams gained a lot of traction in the fantasy community in the predraft process, with plenty of people hyping up the former Washington State late breakout. I remain a tad below consensus on Williams, but I agree that he is a viable third-round dart throw in dynasty rookie drafts. Williams didn’t surpass 900 receiving yards or 2.25 yards per route run in any collegiate season until 2024 (per PFF). The hope for the Patriots’ third-round draft pick is that he can avoid faceplanting like Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker did last year. He’ll need to hop Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, and Kendrick Bourne to see the field in 2025 as a full-time starter. We’ll see if he can accomplish that task. If not, he could disappear into the ether in 2026 like New England’s receiver draft picks from the last process are seemingly doing this year. With Williams concerning analytical profile, I don’t think the ceiling is extremely high in fantasy.
– Derek Brown
Pat Bryant‘s rookie ADP has surged since being selected in the third round by the Denver Broncos, but fantasy managers should approach with caution. The Illinois product was ranked well outside the top tiers of the class pre-draft, and the history of “mid-round reaches” at wide receiver offers more misses than hits. Bryant profiles as a size/speed possession receiver at 6-foot-3, 204 pounds, but he lacks standout athleticism – he ran a 4.61 40-yard dash and didn’t break out until age 20. He recorded just one career game with double-digit targets and was actually out-targeted this past season by teammate Zakhari Franklin – who went undrafted. While some may latch onto the idea that Sean Payton sees a “Michael Thomas” archetype in Bryant, the underlying data suggests this is a bet on projection, not production.
– Andrew Erickson
The depth of this running back struck another of my predraft love list players as Devin Neal fell to the sixth round of the NFL Draft. The New Orleans Saints stopped his tumble. Neal will compete with the oft-injured Kendre Miller and Clyde Edwards-Helaire for the RB2 job behind Alvin Kamara. Kamara’s contract will keep him in the starter’s chair in the Big Easy for at least the next two seasons. Miller also isn’t an unrestricted free agent until 2027. We’ll see if New Orleans moves back to more of a committee approach with the backfield in 2025, but that hasn’t been the case in recent seasons, with Kamara soaking up nearly all of the work. This also might not have been the case had Miller stayed healthy for any period, but that’s just guessing. I loved Neal predraft as a running back who has displayed the ability to soak up volume, flash a three-down skillset, and rank in the top 20 in breakaway percentage in two of his final three collegiate seasons (per PFF). With the disappointing draft capital and muddied landing spot, Neal is only a fourth-round rookie pick and taxi squad stash.
– Derek Brown
The 49ers selected James in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. He’ll likely begin the year as the team’s RB3 with the opportunity to push Isaac Guerendo for the backup job behind Christian McCaffrey. Jordan Mason and Guerendo proved last year that being a solid backup for the 49ers can be fruitful if injuries strike, so for this reason, he’s worth a stash on taxi squads. I’m not exceptionally high on him as a prospect, though. Last year, James ranked outside the top 65 FBS running backs in yards after contact per attempt (107th), breakaway percentage (151st), and elusive rating (68th, per PFF).
– Derek Brown
The 6-2, 225-pound Ollie Gordon was a wildly productive workhorse for Oklahoma State in 2023, with 285-1,732-21 rushing and 39-330-1 receiving. He’s a big, physical runner who’s a real problem for defenders when he gets to the second level. But Gordon’s production nosedived in 2024 (190-880-13 rushing, 29-179-1 receiving). He was arrested on suspicion of DUI last July. Gordon’s long speed is lacking, his lateral agility is mediocre, and he has to gear way down to change direction. Because of his size and his 2023 numbers, Gordon is going to be attractive to dynasty managers, but he could be a Venus flytrap. As a sixth-round pick of the Dolphins, Gordon is likely to be a bit player as a rookie, with De’Von Achane, Jaylen Wright and Alexander Mattison ahead of him on the depth chart.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
With Derek Carr retiring, the pick of Tyler Shough inside the top 50 in the NFL Draft makes more sense. He will compete in camp to be the Saints’ Week 1 starter, and I’d even call him the favorite to land the job, considering what we have seen (or have not seen) from the other players in that room. If we assume that he’s the Saints’ starter for 2025, he has immediate QB2 appeal for Superflex squads. If Shough can play well enough this upcoming season, it’s not insane to think that he could be the team’s long-term starter, although I’m highly skeptical, and I think it’s best to view his starting window as maybe only one year. Last year, he was sixth in passing grade, but he ranked outside the top 20 quarterbacks in adjusted completion rate (30th), yards per attempt (24th), big-time throw rate (35th), and deep ball adjusted completion rate (72nd, per PFF).
– Derek Brown
Here are our latest Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings from our consensus of fantasy football experts. You can find the latest Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings and sync your fantasy football league for specific advice.
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