The 2026 NFL Draft is a few months away. Dynasty rookie drafts will happen right after the NFL Draft concludes. While dynasty leagues are fun all year, the best part is the rookie draft. However, trading rookie draft picks can be stressful, as one bad deal could alter the long-term outlook of your dynasty team.
Thankfully, I have three tips to help fantasy players make the best rookie draft pick trades possible.
- 2026 NFL Draft Guide
- 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
- Best Fantasy Football Tools
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Drafts
Dynasty Rookie Draft Pick Trade Strategy & Advice
Don’t Force a Trade
Never make a deal just to make a trade or because you’re determined to acquire a player. Overreacting or overpaying for a player or draft pick is never a good idea. Make sure whatever trade you complete is for the good of your team. If you are a contending team, the deal must improve your odds of winning the title next year. Similarly, the trade needs to improve your chances of building a superstar-loaded squad in the future if you have a rebuilding team.
There will be plenty of time before your rookie drafts in May. You don’t have to make a trade happen over the next couple of months. Things will change as time goes on, including NFL team trades, landing spots and supporting cast. The last thing you want to do is sell the farm for Jeremiyah Love only to find out he’s landing in a similar situation to Ashton Jeanty last year. There is nothing wrong with putting trade talks on hold or circling back to them in a few weeks.
Please Say Hello
Everyone loves a friendly conversation. Therefore, say hello to your league mates when making trades. When fantasy players blindly send trade offers, it’s the equivalent of walking around in a landmine field blindfolded — it won’t end well. You have no idea what the other team wants in a trade or if they are willing to make a deal at all. The best-case scenario is that your league mate declines the trade and makes a decent counteroffer.
However, the worst-case scenario is that they accept the trade immediately, realizing you severely overpaid. Saying hello and starting a conversation allows fantasy players to create the ability to find a happy middle ground for both teams. Your league mate might refuse to trade the 1.01 selection for a bounty of rookie picks, but might be willing to part with it for a young superstar like James Cook. You will never know if you don’t have a conversation.
Add Future Rookie Picks
Smart dynasty fantasy players think about more than one draft class at a time. While some draft classes are better than others, having a surplus of rookie picks is always good. They come in handy during future trade deals. Furthermore, more rookie draft picks equal more opportunities to improve the future of your dynasty team. For example, if you are sending the 1.07 to a league mate for the 1.09 and a third-round pick, ask for that selection to be in 2028 rather than this year.
Some fantasy players don’t think too far into the future, while others believe a draft pick loses value if it’s in a future draft. Therefore, you might get future draft picks at a discount in trade talks. More importantly, don’t discount later-round draft picks. While everyone focuses on first- and second-round picks, you find the league-winning additions in the later rounds. Remember, Brock Purdy, Kyren Williams, Chase Brown, Puka Nacua, Rashee Rice and Tucker Kraft were all third-round or later picks in Superflex rookie drafts.
2026 Specific Advice
The previous three points are excellent advice fantasy players should use every year, leading up to their dynasty rookie drafts. However, the 2026 dynasty rookie class requires some specific advice. Unfortunately, this year’s rookie class could be one of the worst in fantasy football history. Ideally, fantasy players want a pick in the top five of Superflex rookie drafts to select Jeremiyah Love, Jordyn Tyson, Fernando Mendoza, Carnell Tate or Makai Lemon. Fantasy players will see a significant decline in value following the first five picks.
Therefore, fantasy players should be aggressive in trying to acquire one of those top selections. I would happily part with two first-round picks in the 1.06 through 1.12 range to acquire a top-five pick, even if it means parting with 1.06 and 1.10 to secure 1.05. Furthermore, fantasy players want to avoid making multiple mid- or late-round draft picks. You never know who could become a star out of the third round, just ask those who drafted Harold Fannin Jr. last year.
Ideally, fantasy players want to have a top-five pick, one or two mid-round selections and trade the rest of their 2026 picks. Furthermore, fantasy players should stock up on future rookie selections. Contending teams with a late pick should explore trading it for future capital, even at a discount. I would rather have a 2027 second-round pick instead of the last selection in the first round this year. The 2027 draft class should be on par with the 2024 group, while 2028 has the chance to be nearly as impressive.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
