Every year, a few rookie prospects climb their way up dynasty boards for all the wrong reasons. It might be draft capital, an overzealous echo chamber or people convincing themselves that one or two green flags outweigh a wave of red flags. Identifying these landmines before your fantasy football dynasty rookie draft is what separates a productive offseason from an expensive mistake.
The whole point of a rookie draft is to actually improve your roster, not fall into the same traps the rest of your league does. Today, I’m breaking down three prospects you should be avoiding at cost this season, because the hype simply doesn’t match the reality.
- 2026 NFL Draft Guide
- 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
- Best Fantasy Football Tools
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Drafts
Dynasty Rookie Busts (Fantasy Football)
Mike Washington Jr. (RB – Arkansas)
Mike Washington Jr. truthers are coming out of the woodwork following his 9.87 official relative athletic score (RAS score) and 4.33 40-yard time. The speed scores Washington hit at 223 pounds were truly incredible, but as we know, you need more than just elite athleticism to hit from a fantasy perspective.
Washington was a five-year player in college, failing to hit 1,000 rush yards in any year until his final season at Arkansas, just surpassing that mark with 1,066 yards. While his 6.4 yards per attempt (YPA) on the ground in 2025 ranked near the top of the FBS, his underlying rushing metrics were less impressive.
Washington’s 3.86 yards after contact per attempt (YCO/A) ranked outside of the top 30 backs in the country (minimum 100 rush attempts), and his 20.4% juke rate suggests he’s not very elusive between the tackles.
Washington’s career efficiency numbers were much worse, and he’s never been an effective receiving back, either. While he saw some volume in the pass game this past season, Washington failed to hit 1.0 yards per route run (YPRR) in any of his five seasons.
Assuming Washington gets Day 2 draft capital, as NFL Mock Draft Database predicts, I expect he’ll be pushed up to the early-second round of Superflex rookie drafts. I’ll be firmly out at this price; Washington simply hasn’t shown us anything enticing outside of his athleticism.
Chris Brazzell II (WR – Tennessee)
Generally, I would advise against helmet scouting, but I permit you to do so with Tennessee wide receivers. Chris Brazzell II is well on his way to becoming another Volunteer alum who is overdrafted in dynasty rookie drafts and fails to translate from a fantasy perspective.
Brazzell is a thin, lanky X receiver and a field-stretcher who projects much better in real life than fantasy. I’m not saying his round two projection on NFL Mock Draft Database is off base; I’m saying NFL teams value the “sacrificial X” role as a way to open up targets underneath. That is why we can’t rely solely on draft capital to determine dynasty value.
Brazzell had a nice final season with Tennessee, finishing with 1,006 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on the year. I’m just cautious when investing in any prospects coming out of this offensive system.
Josh Heupel runs a high-tempo spread offense that’s all about space creation, allowing their fastest, most athletic players to thrive. Their receivers run simple routes, and as a result, these wide receiver prospects often come out very raw and lack the skill set or route tree to beat NFL defensive backs.
Brazzell has a large wingspan and catch radius, making him a legitimate red-zone threat. However, he lacks the physicality to consistently win against press man and in contested-catch situations. He’ll likely go in the middle of the second round in dynasty rookie drafts. His game is not polished enough to warrant that price tag.
Adam Randall (RB – Clemson)
Adam Randall is the ultimate fantasy trap that much of our community will inevitably fall for, given our obsession with prospects who switch positions and find modest success, as Randall did at Clemson.
When I say modest success, I’m being generous. After three seasons as a wide receiver for the Tigers, Randall switched to running back in 2025 and was thrust into a starting role. He was not necessarily a workhorse (168 rush attempts), and his per-rush numbers were pretty horrendous. Randall ranked near the bottom of this class in juke rate, yards after contact per attempt and breakaway rate.
Randall’s lack of experience at the position is apparent when watching his college tape. He showed very little hip flexibility and lateral agility between the tackles, making it tough to shake any defenders and break into the second level. He displayed poor vision and footwork behind the line, consistently failing to find the open lane.
The one upside here is Randall’s receiving skills, being a former wide receiver. However, he’s not an effective pass blocker, which could prevent him from seeing the field on third downs. I fear he’s not quite talented enough at any position to find a true role at the NFL level.
Given his size and athleticism, I imagine Randall will be a popular dart throw in the mid-to-late third round of rookie drafts. I’d much rather take a chance on a Day 3 wide receiver in this range than roll the dice on Randall. Unless he falls well into the fourth round, I would avoid him altogether in rookie drafts.
Thanks for taking the time to check out today’s article. If you have any dynasty, devy or C2C questions, I can be reached on X @jim_DFF.
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