Let’s dive into a few dynasty rookies to avoid from Derek Brown. DBro shares his outlook for five dynasty rookies he’s avoiding in 2026 fantasy football. And you can check out DBro’s full Dynasty Rookie Draft Primer for Quarterbacks for his analysis of the entire 2026 NFL Draft class at QB.
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Dynasty Rookies to Avoid (Fantasy Football)
Ty Simpson (QB – Alabama)
Simpson has the arm strength to make every throw required of an NFL quarterback. His ball placement and accuracy are erratic. Simpson will be locked in for a few throws and then sail or dirt an easy checkdown or toss a pass behind a receiver on a crossing route. His accuracy also suffers when he’s on the move. With his accuracy issues on the move and his statue-esque mobility, Simpson isn’t an off-script artist. He’s at his best when he can hit his three or five-step drop and fire the ball to a receiver when the back foot hits the ground. Many of Simpson’s second-level throws are on a line. He’ll need to improve with layering his passes to the second level. There are some examples of this on film, but it’s not done with nearly enough regularity. Simpson will get stuck in his progressions. He’ll hang on his first read too long, way too often. He’ll miss wide receivers running wide open that are later in the progression. Simpson feels a tick behind on many plays because of his propensity to linger on his first read, but also because he operates as an extreme “see it, throw it” quarterback. Receivers will snap off the top of their stem and flash open, and Simpson will then fire the ball in their direction. This won’t do on any level in the NFL with both of these tendencies holding him back. This will become even more pronounced with the speed and spacing of the NFL game. Simpson’s play against pressure is variable. He’ll step up in the pocket with composure at times or hang in the pocket and deliver an accurate ball when absorbing a big hit, but he also has concerning plays. Simpson will get happy feet versus pressure and bail workable pockets or rush his mechanics. He’ll need to become more of a steadying presence versus pressure to make it in the NFL with his lack of off-script artistry. Butter fingers impacted Simpson’s counting stats from his receiver depth chart last season. He dealt with the third-most drops among FBS signal callers (8.9 percent drop rate, 35th per PFF).
Nicholas Singleton (RB – Penn State)
Singleton can be tentative at the line at times. He’ll operate in a gap scheme more efficiently with clear running lanes with the play design (53 percent gap runs over his final two collegiate seasons). His vision isn’t horrible down to down, but it’s an area that could use some cleaning up. Singleton is a linear player who isn’t a violent or explosive mover when changing directions. His steps can get choppy at times as he loses speed in the process. Singleton isn’t a player who will juke you out of your socks. He’s a runner that isn’t going to create a ton of yards on his own. Singleton is a high-cut runner with the necessary upper-body strength to break loose wraps and tacklers that attack him high. The other side of the coin is also true, though. Singleton can be chopped down by tacklers aiming at his waist and below. Singleton has solid pass-pro skills. He works with a strong base. Singleton has plenty of reps where he stands up incoming rushers or redirects them out of the quarterback’s wheelhouse. With 173 collegiate pass blocking snaps, he allowed only three sacks and 10 hurries. Singleton is an adequate check-down option in the passing game. He finished top 24 in yards per route run among backs in two of his final three collegiate seasons. He lacks the change of direction ability and explosive short area agility to become a true pass game weapon with a varied route tree, but he should easily be a trusted option with swings and flat routes. Singleton cleaned up drops in his final season with only one after posting a 7.1 percent or higher drop rate in each of the previous three seasons.
Kaytron Allen (RB – Penn State)
Allen is built like a bowling ball. He has a low center of gravity, which helps him make a difficult wrap for defenders at times. He’s able to keep his legs churning and run through half-hearted tackling attempts. Allen is a patient back that allows his blockers to clear the road before he charges down it. Allen’s burst and raw speed are below-average. He’s at his best when getting downhill immediately and getting a head of steam built up. His lateral agility is lacking at times, so asking him to operate in a stretch zone-based scheme wouldn’t be ideal. With his limited athletic profile, Allen is a capped passing game option, but he can still operate as a valuable checkdown option. His route deployment will be limited, but he has soft hands with only one drop in his final season. His stature helps him in pass protection with a solid anchor. He can hold his own with incoming rushers bearing down, but speed rushers can give him issues. With his limited lateral agility, speed options can easily bypass him as they barrel toward the quarterback. Allen isn’t a make-you-miss type of back, but he can deploy a well-timed jump cut at times to get the job done. He’ll be heavily dependent upon his offensive line at the next level because he won’t be creating a ton of yards on his own (especially near the line of scrimmage).
Germie Bernard (WR – Alabama)
Bernard has played on the perimeter and in the slot during his collegiate career. In his final collegiate season, he ran 62.2 percent of his routes from the perimeter. Bernard will likely see a move back to the slot in the NFL. He has a strong understanding of attacking zone coverage and route pacing, with the knack of finding the holes in zone. Bernard’s raw speed is lacking. He doesn’t have the raw juice to threaten NFL corners as a downfield receiver. He lacks explosive movements off the line at the top of his route stem. He gains late separation in his routes and can fight through physical corners with his solid upper body strength. Bernard also displays a decent understanding of leverage and setting up corners. Unfortunately, it won’t get him far in the NFL with his athletic limitations. He’s able to make some things happen with the ball in his hands thanks to his upper body strength and his tackle-breaking ability. Bernard ranked 21st among wide receivers in 2025 in missed tackles forced. Bernard has a dependable set of hands with only a 2.5 percent drop rate in college and just one drop in his final season.
Michael Trigg (TE – Baylor)
Trigg is a dump-and-run receiving first developmental tight end prospect. With his size (6’4”, 240 lbs), he moves like a big wide receiver, but he has a TON of development that is still needed to be a starting tight end in the NFL. Trigg lined up in the slot with 66.9% of his collegiate snaps. He’s a project as a blocker, and I have questions about his play strength. I wonder if he’ll ever reach a place in his career where he can be counted on as a league-average blocking option on run and passing downs. Any team drafting him will have to do so with a receiving-first focus and be willing to live with what he does and doesn’t offer as a blocker. Trigg is a fluid mover with good twitch and smooth hips, but he has a slender build despite his 240lb weight listing. Trigg can be pushed around by physical defenders in his routes and at the catch point. He leaves college with a 45.2% contested catch rate while also flashing spotty hands with a 10.7% drop rate. Trigg will need to improve his play strength and technique at the catch point to become a red zone threat, as his attempts to box out defenders in the paint fall flat on many plays. Trigg has high-end moments with some highlight reel spots, but he lacks consistency in his play. He lacks route nuance and salesmanship while sporting inefficient TikTok footwork on many routes. He’s just a manufactured touch, dump and run, and option against zone.
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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.