It’s research season for dynasty managers. While savvy managers are eating up all the prospect evaluations, it’s time to start projecting your league’s rookie drafts. Since this dynasty rookie mock draft is well before the actual NFL Draft, it will lean heavily on my rookie fantasy football rankings for half-PPR Superflex leagues. However, I will make a note of players whose draft capital/landing spot could move them.
Getting down and dirty for draft season is what the best managers do. You can dive into all the data you can find, but when rubber meets the road, you can’t be caught spinning your tires. With that, let’s get down to business and start planning out your rookie drafts.
- 2026 NFL Draft Guide
- 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
- Best Fantasy Football Tools
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Drafts
Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft
Round 1
1.01: Jeremiyah Love (RB – Notre Dame)
Yes, Jeremiyah Love is that good. We need to forget any narrative that suggests he is getting hyped because of a weak class. Love as a prospect deserves to be right with Ashton Jeanty last year, and some analysts would argue he is even better. Personally, I think he is very similar to Jeanty but just a different flavour. Jeanty is your Nick Chubb, Jonathan Tyler bruising back. Meanwhile, Love is your elusive playmaker like Alvin Kamara or Jahmyr Gibbs.
Everything is pointing to Love going to the Titans or Giants at pick four or five. If he manages to get past those two, the Commanders at seven would be ideal. However, with this level of player, he could go anywhere, and he will still be locked in 1.01 in all drafts.
1.02: Carnell Tate (WR – Ohio State)
I have not forgotten that this is a Superflex League. Here’s a bit of insight into how I approach rookie drafts and roster construction (see my How to Build a Dynasty Roster article). If you want to take Fernando Mendoza here, I wouldn’t fault you, and in most leagues, he will be selected with the second pick. However, let’s make the case for Carnell Tate.
Sometimes the best beat to march to is the steady one. All offseason, Tate has received consistent praise from fantasy analysts and NFL General Managers. Some will state his 40-time of 4.53 seconds is a negative to his profile. That may be the only potential knock against him. Even though we wanted to see a faster time, 4.53 is not a death sentence. There have been plenty of successful outside receivers who have run similar times. Also, if you are focusing on his speed, you are focused on a singular tree rather than the forest.
Tate has everything you want for a WR1 in the NFL. His size, agility, and body control at the catch point are second to none. A great comparison is Teteroa McMillan from last year, who some believe was a step down from Tate as a prospect. There have been rumblings of the Browns taking Tate, which would not be ideal. However, if he falls, he could end up in Kansas City. End of the day, I think he is worthy of the 1.02 regardless of landing spot. We know a loaded QB class is coming in 2027, and even his worst landing spots could find a franchise-altering QB as early as next season.
1.03: Jordyn Tyson (WR – Arizona State)
If injuries didn’t exist, Jordyn Tyson would be right next to Love and Tate at the top of rookie drafts. As great as Carnell Tate is, he’s the Ashton Jeanty to Tyson’s Jerimiyah Love. Tyson has all the electric play-making ability to be a star in this league. Although he is not at the Ja’Marr Chase or Malik Nabers level of prospect, he could be in the second tier with CeeDee Lamb. That’s the kind of player that will be more valuable than a middling QB2.
Unfortunately, we can’t forget injuries don’t exist. Missing the NFL combine with a hamstring injury is not how you want to start your NFL career. Many analysts will lead you to believe he has dealt with a laundry list of injuries. Really, there are only two, but they are big. In 2022, he tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL. Thankfully, he has fully recovered and seems to be past it. The other is his aforementioned hamstring injury, which has a history of popping up. This one is scarier in my opinion, but NFL teams will know that when they draft him. His other injury was a broken collarbone in 2024, but that is more bad luck than anything else.
He is the first player in this mock draft for whom landing spot plays a significant role. Rather than team fit, it’s more about what kind of draft capital he gets. If he is selected in the first half of the first round, he’s my third rookie off the board in dynasty drafts. Without that vote of confidence from NFL managers, I would put him behind Makai Lemon.
1.04: Fernando Mendoza (QB – Indiana)
The first overall pick in the NFL draft fell to the 1.04 in this draft. This may be the only time we can see this happen. Don’t get me wrong, I like Fernando Mendoza. However, my perspective on roster construction is trying to find difference makers at the position. Even though Mendoza is worthy of the first pick in NFL drafts, he is poised for a Jared Goff, Kirk Cousins career arc. This can be very valuable, but if any of the three players selected before him in this draft reach their full potential, they will all be more valuable.
As a result, I would rather swing for the upside with the first two to three picks and try to trade for a Goff or Baker Mayfield. That said, if you desperately need a QB, Mendonza is not a bad pick as early as the 1.02.
1.05: KC Concepcion (WR – Texas A&M)
KC Concepcion’s rise up draft boards is a concept I can get behind. Much like Jordan Tyson (albeit a lesser prospect), there is really only one knock to KC. That issue is drops. When you are paid to catch the football, this is a little bit of an issue.
Thankfully, drops can be fixed. With his projected draft capital being in the top 20 picks, I believe that NFL teams will be able to resolve these issues. As a result, Concepcion offers elite separation skills and athletic ability to be a surprising WR1 for an NFL team. Many will have the next player above Concepcion, and I have no issue with that. Concepcion is a more volatile prospect, but if he is selected in the first 20 picks by a team with a proven QB and no elite WR1, he could surprise fantasy managers.
Even though he is a separation savant, there is no reason to have Concepcion separate from the top WRs in this class.
1.06: Makai Lemon (WR – USC)
I’ll be honest, I have been having a tough time finding where I stand with Makai Lemon. He is a phenomenal player and incredibly impressive for his size. At the end of the day, I have landed on Lemon being “safe”. You could take him as the second receiver of the board, and I would have no issues. However, he projects to be more of a volume-based WR. As a result, there are only a handful of landing spots with enough vacated targets with a quality QB that could help him reach his full potential. Ofcourse, he can develop and depth charts change, but he reminds me a lot of Emeka Egbuka.
I’m not talking early or late last season, Egbuka. I’m talking about the Egbuka that is somewhere in the middle and works best as an overqualified WR2 on their team. Ideally, he finds himself in a situation like DeVonte Smith. A situation where you can argue he is actually the WR1 on the team, but has a big-bodied, physical counterpart to share the field with.
As I mentioned with Carnell Tate, even the “gross” landing spots could be a good fit with the incoming QB class. For example, if he goes to New Orleans alongside Chris Olave or the Jets alongside Garrett Wilson, they are likely better spots than you think.
1.07: Omar Cooper Jr. (WR – Indiana)
The winner of the trendy prospect award would be Omar Cooper Jr., shooting up NFL draft boards. Based on all reports, NFL teams love what Cooper brings as both a player and a locker room presence.
Cooper is a quality receiver with no glaring issues. As a result, if he gets taken in the first round (which seems likely), he is a solid fantasy bet for any team. With 20 touchdowns over his last two seasons and a strong ability to haul in physical catches, there is red-zone appeal to his overall skill set.
Since he is projected to go as the fifth receiver off the board, he will likely land on a quality team picking in the 20’s. If that’s the case, it would be easy to get excited for him. You could argue where the tiers are in this draft, but after Cooper, I believe there is a significant drop to the next tier.
1.08: Jadarian Price (RB – Notre Dame)
I am not sure which multiverse we’re in, but much like Dr. Strange finding the possibilities to beat Thanos, there is one spot that could shoot Jadarian Price up, boards. There seems to be some real smoke to the fire that the reigning Super Bowl Champions could select Price at the end of the first round. With Zach Charbonnet still recovering from his late ACL tear, this opens the door to instant fantasy value. At this point in fantasy drafts, he could be very helpful for any fringe contender.
What if he goes in the second round? This is the most likely situation and is not terrible. However, his two-down skillset limits his fantasy potential on any team. That said, some spots could use a downhill runner that gets up to top speed quickly. For example, if the Bengals decide they need a more physical complement to Chase Brown, we could see a big touchdown season for the rookie bruiser.
Unfortunately, it’s more likely he goes to a mediocre offense in the second round. If that’s the case, it’s hard to get excited for fantasy. You may be asking why I am so confident that he lacks third-down potential. Well, over three seasons, he has 15 career receptions. Although I view him as a step down from David Montgomery, an ideal fantasy career arc would be as a complement to a player like Jahmyr Gibbs on a strong NFL offense.
1.09: Denzel Boston (WR – Washington)
If you like big physical receivers, buckle up your seatbelt. Denzel Boston is electric to watch. At 6’4″, 212 lbs, Boston is a classic physically dominant receiver that can overpower corners. The downside is that his production has a clear decline against top-end competition. As a result, he is a raw prospect that possesses the physicality and acceleration to wreak havoc on secondaries across the league.
I believe the most important factor for success is something Boston has no control over. To reach his potential, Boston needs a QB that is not afraid to force the ball into tight windows and trust the receiver to make a play. This severely limits potential fits; however, he is projected to be picked in the 20’s somewhere. As a result, two great fits would be the Bills and the 49ers, and potentially the Eagles if Hurts improves as a passer. Outside of those teams, it would be hard to get excited if he lands on a team like the Vikings or Dolphins. If that’s the case, I would likely have him as a fringe 1st round rookie pick.
1.10: Kenyon Sadiq (TE – Oregon)
After lighting up the NFL Combine, there is a good chance someone in your league will bite on the hype and take him above this. A true elite athlete, Kenyon Sadiq is easy to get excited for. Unfortunately, TE is one of those positions where you need to be more than athletic to see valuable playing time.
The easiest comparison for Sadiq, is Dalton Kincaid. Both are receiving TEs first and lack the blocking ability to be an every-down TE. The trade-off is that Kincaid is a better receiver, and Sadiq is more athletic. Likely going in the mid-first round of the NFL draft, it will be easy to forget that rookie TEs rarely make a fantasy impact in their first year.
That said, if you are selecting at this point in your rookie drafts, you likely don’t need an immediate impact player. If you have been riding an aging TE like George Kittle or Travis Kelce, Sadiq is a good value here to select your potential replacement. If he ends up going earlier, don’t kick yourself, as a better player and prospect will be falling to you.
1.11: Chris Bell (WR – Louisville)
Since I have been preaching upside potential all draft, it wouldn’t be right not to have Chris Bell higher than most. Let’s start with the positives. Bell might have the highest upside of any receiver outside of the top tier in this draft. He is 6’2″, 222 lbs and has the athletic ability to bring in tough catches. He also has a top speed that can create big plays if given a runway.
The bad news is that his route running could be cleaned up, and that he tore his ACL late last season. His injury will likely push him into the third round and hopefully no further. Because he is unlikely to make a big impact this season, he could get drafted to a team as a replacement plan for an aging receiver. This could include the Rams, 49ers, or Eagles, which would make him very intriguing in 2027.
Much like those aforementioned NFL teams, fantasy teams with this pick likely don’t need a player immediately. This makes him a great contingency plan for any aging roster.
1.12: Mike Washington Jr. (RB – Arkansas)
If you like athletic backs, you’ll love Mike Washington Jr. Weighing in at 223 lbs, his 4.33 seconds for is 40-yard-dash is jaw-dropping. He has fluid movements and can break big plays. Averaging 6.4 yards per carry last season on 167 carries is an impressive feat.
What makes him a less exciting prospect is his lack of aggression between the tackles and fumbling issues. With the right coaching and landing spot, he has the athleticism to be a steady fantasy player.
If he and Jadarian Price are both drafted in the second round, I may prefer Washington Jr. due to his pass-catching ability and athletic prowess.
Round 2
- 2.01: Ty Simpson (QB – Alabama)
- 2.02: Elijah Sarratt (WR – Indiana)
- 2.03: Emmett Johnson (RB – Nebraska)
- 2.04: Zachariah Branch (WR – Georgia)
- 2.05: Chris Brazzell II (WR – Tennessee)
- 2.06: Jonah Coleman (RB – Washington)
- 2.07: Eli Stowers (TE – Vanderbilt)
- 2.08: Ja’Kobi Lane (WR – USC)
- 2.09: Kaytron Allen (RB – Penn State)
- 2.10: Nicholas Singleton (RB – Penn State)
- 2.11: Germie Bernard (WR – Alabama)
- 2.12: Antonio Williams (WR – Clemson)
Round 2 Notes
- If Ty Simpson squeezes into the first round, it will be tough for him to fall this far. Even if he does, I still don’t buy it. Just because it’s a weak QB class doesn’t mean there has to be value. Simpson screams Kenny Pickett or Will Levis to me.
- Emmett Johnson is one of the only players who participated in every drill at the combine. In an era where the top prospects aren’t willing to risk not being great in certain drills, it’s impressive to see Johnson do it all. Johnson is a courageous runner who is not afraid of contact despite being fairly average in size and top-end speed. He can struggle to move laterally and rarely breaks through contact without an angle advantage. That said, he has solid acceleration and hits his gaps with violent intentions. Overall, Johnson is a well-rounded back who can carry a large workload. If given the opportunity and volume, Johnson could be a weekly fantasy starter.
- Germie Bernard is a well-rounded receiver but thrives in the slot. If given the opportunity, he may tally decent rookie numbers; however, it’s difficult to see him being an every-week fantasy starter.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSS | YouTube
