NFL Draft logo.svg

Click HERE to access our 2025 NFL Rookie Rankings!

Rookie Analysis

2021 NFL Draft Preview: Team Needs Picks 16 – 20

By Sam Terry | February 5, 2021 | Comments Off on 2021 NFL Draft Preview: Team Needs Picks 16 – 20

This is the fourth article of the team needs series covering teams picking 16 through 20. Obviously, free-agency acquisitions will make a major difference as to who teams will draft. These predictions and needs will therefore change as we acquire more information. However, many are of the thinking that it’s better to supplement with free-agency and build through the draft. Teams want to get young assets and have them develop cohesion with the team. Therefore, the draft is often more predictive of a team’s long-term confidence in a player.  

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

DFF Senior Bowl Part 1: Big Game Performers

By Brad Hartnett | February 4, 2021 | Comments Off on DFF Senior Bowl Part 1: Big Game Performers

The Draft starts in Mobile, Alabama. Over the past two seasons, the player who has won Senior Bowl MVP honors was selected early in the first round of the NFL Draft. In 2019, that was Daniel Jones going sixth overall to become the New York Giants franchise quarterback. In 2020, Justin Herbert scorched the Senior Bowl, earning MVP honors and being selected sixth overall to the Los Angeles Chargers. Herbert went on to set rookie quarterback records and is one of the most valuable Superflex dynasty quarterbacks and players overall. Since 2014, there have been a number of players to play in the senior bowl and go on to become very good NFL players and correspondingly very valuable fantasy assets.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

pitts te vs wr

2021 NFL Draft Preview: Team Needs Picks 11 – 15

By Sam Terry | February 4, 2021 | Comments Off on 2021 NFL Draft Preview: Team Needs Picks 11 – 15

This is the third article of the team needs series covering teams picking 11 through 15. Obviously, free-agency acquisitions will make a major difference as to who teams will draft. These predictions and needs will therefore change as we acquire more information. However, many are of the thinking that it’s better to supplement with free-agency and build through the draft. Teams want to get young assets and have them develop cohesion with the team. Therefore, the draft is often more predictive of a team’s long-term confidence in a player.  

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

2021 NFL Draft Preview: Team Needs Picks 6 – 10

By Sam Terry | February 3, 2021 | Comments Off on 2021 NFL Draft Preview: Team Needs Picks 6 – 10

This is the second article of the team needs series covering teams picking six through 10. Obviously, free-agency acquisitions will make a major difference as to who teams will draft. These predictions and needs will therefore change as we acquire more information. However, many are of the thinking that it’s better to supplement with free-agency and build through the draft. Teams want to get young assets and have them develop cohesion with the team. Therefore, the draft is often more predictive of a team’s long-term confidence in a player.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

2021 NFL Draft Preview: Team Needs Picks 1 – 5

By Sam Terry | February 2, 2021 | Comments Off on 2021 NFL Draft Preview: Team Needs Picks 1 – 5

As I look at mock drafts, my eyes naturally gravitate towards fantasy-relevant players which led to the idea for this series. I decided to attack the needs of each team from top to bottom. This is the first article and covers the teams picking in the top five of the NFL Draft. Obviously, free-agency acquisitions will make a major difference as to who teams will draft. These predictions and needs will therefore change as we acquire more information. However, many are of the thinking that it’s better to supplement with free-agency and build through the draft. Teams want to get young assets and have them develop cohesion with the team. Therefore, the draft is often more predictive of a team’s long-term confidence in a player.  

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Navigating Your Rookie Draft- 2021 Running Backs

Navigating Your Rookie Draft: 2021 Running Backs

By Brad Hartnett | January 26, 2021 | Comments Off on Navigating Your Rookie Draft: 2021 Running Backs

Whether the running back position “matters” in football can be debated, and likely will continue to be debated as analytics become more commonplace, however, it cannot be argued that running backs are ultimately the lifeblood of a fantasy football roster. In this segment, we will be looking at the hit rate of rookie running backs based on the inputs of draft capital, and age. Using DLF’s trade finder tool we will look at the market value of some of the top running backs in the league. For this exercise, to stay uniform with the quarterback segment, we are using values based on superflex leagues.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Navigating Your Rookie Draft: 2021 Wide Receivers

By Brad Hartnett | January 25, 2021 | Comments Off on Navigating Your Rookie Draft: 2021 Wide Receivers

Wide receiver is the position in which analysts have the most different inputs for analyzing prospects. This is because it is by far the hardest position to analyze, whether that be grinding film or navigating through advanced metrics. This is because the college game for wide receivers is so drastically different than how the position is played in the NFL. Wide receivers have less room to operate, they are hit at the line of scrimmage, and they are playing against more skilled and more athletic defenders than they ever have. In this segment, we will be exploring historical hit rates with draft capital and age as the only two components.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Navigating your Rookie Draft: 2021 Quarterbacks

By Brad Hartnett | January 22, 2021 | Comments Off on Navigating your Rookie Draft: 2021 Quarterbacks

There has been a meteoric rise in the number of dynasty leagues that are either starting up as Superflex leagues or transitioning to Superflex leagues, it is the way to go. Now there will always be a nostalgic place for one quarterback leagues for fantasy football players, but devaluing the most important position in football, arguably in all of sports does not hold much value anymore.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Rookie Stock Market: Week 10

By Carl Churchill | November 20, 2020 | Comments Off on Rookie Stock Market: Week 10

Shooters shoot and I’ve taken my fair share, and today I will admit to an airball I took. Giving dynasty advice is essentially just making an educated guess, but we still need to admit when we’re wrong. I still like my process and trust my rookie evaluation process, but I’m ready to admit I have swung and missed. I’ll dive right into my miss and touch on some other rookies below.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Rookie Stock Market: Week 9

By Carl Churchill | November 13, 2020 | Comments Off on Rookie Stock Market: Week 9

The push for the playoffs is upon us. In just a few weeks some of us will be sweating all Monday night to see if we snuck into the playoffs. We may end up counting on a rookie like Brandon Aiyuk or Zack Moss to carry us to victory that Monday night as the 49ers host the Bills to close out what will be the final regular-season game for many fantasy leagues. Let’s take a look at some rookie performances from Week 9 and how it affects their value moving forward.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Rookie Stock Market: Week 8

By Carl Churchill | November 6, 2020 | Comments Off on Rookie Stock Market: Week 8

We did it, fam! We’re officially halfway through the ridiculous 2020 fantasy football season. It has been a crazy one, with plenty of drama and anxiety over rescheduled games and all the other headaches that have come with this football season’s tussle with COVID-19. We have had players from the 2020 rookie class we have been able to count on, and some that have fallen on their faces and cost our teams precious points. Let’s take a look at what happened in Week 8 and how we can use that information to help teams down the stretch of this unique season.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Rookie Stock Market: Week 7

By Carl Churchill | October 30, 2020 | Comments Off on Rookie Stock Market: Week 7

Mr. Bryant, my pre-draft TE1, has found himself in a pretty good situation, at least for the next couple of weeks. Before Week 7, Bryant was operating as the Browns’ TE2. Although not a flashy title, it still allowed Bryant to see around 50% of the offensive snaps. However, last Friday, October 23 it was announced that the Browns starting TE Austin Hooper would miss Sunday’s game after having his appendix surgically removed that Friday. The Browns later named Harrison Bryant the starting TE and he did not let them down. In Bryant’s first NFL start he eclipsed Hooper’s single-game high for touchdowns with two and nearly passed his single-game yardage high of 57 with 56 of his own.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Rookie Stock Market: Week 6

By Carl Churchill | October 23, 2020 | Comments Off on Rookie Stock Market: Week 6

What is up, party people, and welcome back for the sixth edition of the “Rookie Stock Market”. It has been a crazy season thus far. The season has had its ups and downs, and so has this rookie class. Eb and flow are to be expected for rookies, but it has not stopped a few from being within the top 12 of their positional scoring. James Robinson (RB7), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB11), Justin Jefferson (WR7), and CeeDee Lamb (WR10) have all been great and contributors in your lineups as their dynasty values rise. Not all the rookies can be studs and some rookies appear to be studs when they really aren’t. Let’s dive in once again.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Rookie Stock Market: Week 5

By Carl Churchill | October 17, 2020 | Comments Off on Rookie Stock Market: Week 5

Week 5 of the NFL season has come and gone and we are now almost one-third of the way through the NFL regular season “shocked face”. As we approach this milestone in the season we are still learning a lot about the rookies each and every week. Some flash, some stumble, but what I aim to do here is help you make informed decisions based on their performances. Let’s begin, shall we?

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Rookie Stock Market: Week 4

By Carl Churchill | October 9, 2020 | Comments Off on Rookie Stock Market: Week 4

With four weeks of NFL action behind us, we are now really starting to get a good idea about who’s the real deal. Joe Burrow looks like the QB we hoped he would be, and Justin Jefferson is looking like a great asset. However, there are still plenty of rookies not on the top of their games, for several different reasons, that will surely be assets later this season or next. Per usual, I will dive into some “Risers”, “Fallers”, “Buys” and “Sells” while assessing their Week 4 performance and long term outlook.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Rookie Stock Market: Week 3

By Carl Churchill | October 2, 2020 | Comments Off on Rookie Stock Market: Week 3

We’re three games into the season and we are starting to see what a lot of these rookies are made of. This past weekend the WRs were in the spotlight with several having very impactful games. However, there is a rookie WR who I am beginning sour on. Week 3 of the “Rookie Stock Market” begins below!

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Rookie Stock Market: Week 2

By Carl Churchill | September 25, 2020 | Comments Off on Rookie Stock Market: Week 2

Thanks for tuning in to the second edition of the Rookie Stock Market. With two weeks of the NFL season in the books, trends are beginning to form. Let’s take a closer look, as we identify early season “Risers”, “Fallers”, “Buys”, and “Sells”.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

Rookie Stock Market: Week 1

By Carl Churchill | September 18, 2020 | Comments Off on Rookie Stock Market: Week 1

What really sets apart dynasty fantasy football from redraft football is the constant and never-ending ebb and flow of player values, specifically young players and rookies. Increasing the overall value of your team happens when you sell high and buy low, living by the classic stock market analogy. One way to having a truly stacked roster is getting out in front of young players and rookies before they blow up and become a real force in the league and an asset to your dynasty team. The point of this weekly article is to monitor the values of rookies each week identifying risers, fallers, buys, and sells, helping you come out ahead in the “Rookie Stock Market”, setting your team up for long term success.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

2020 rookie busts part two

2020 Rookie Busts Part Two

By Tyler Justin Karp | August 1, 2020 | Comments Off on 2020 Rookie Busts Part Two

The 2020 rookie class was a loaded group that had dynasty owners’ attention for years. I’ve written about the class three separate times: before the NFL Draft, live during the NFL Draft, and about a month ago. I’ve included all the links to those previous series at the bottom of the page. However, in those articles, I focused on the rookies from a redraft perspective and how they will impact redraft rosters in 2020.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

rookie

DFF Rookie Round Table, Part 8: Zack Moss

By Brad Hartnett | July 11, 2020 | Comments Off on DFF Rookie Round Table, Part 8: Zack Moss

After recently releasing my rookie rankings, I wanted to open up the floor to constructive criticism.  I also wanted to see where I was not aligned with other DFF analysts. So, we conducted a round table discussion. This discussion is now a 10-part series of informal articles. In these articles, analysts debate why some of their favorite rookie(s) should be moved up. And in one case, moved down!  

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

AGG

DFF Rookie Round Table, Part 7: Antonio Gandy-Golden

By Brad Hartnett | July 9, 2020 | Comments Off on DFF Rookie Round Table, Part 7: Antonio Gandy-Golden

After recently releasing my rookie rankings, I wanted to open up the floor to constructive criticism.  I also wanted to see where I was not aligned with other DFF analysts. So, we conducted a round table discussion. This discussion is now a 10-part series of informal articles. In these articles, analysts debate why some of their favorite rookie(s) should be moved up. And in one case, moved down!  

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

rookie

DFF Rookie Round Table, Part 6: Bryan Edwards

By Brad Hartnett | July 8, 2020 | Comments Off on DFF Rookie Round Table, Part 6: Bryan Edwards

We debated the rankings on Jalen Reagor, Henry Ruggs, Tee Higgins, Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, AJ Dillon, Bryan Edwards, Antonio Gandy-Golden, Zack Moss, and Joshua Kelley. We also touched upon players in their range, and who should be ascending or descending. I want to give a big thanks to everyone who contributed to this series of articles. I urge you to go follow them on twitter.  Read the whole series for a number of opinions on players who could win you fantasy championships for years to come. This is Part 6 of the series, where @ff_spaceman and I discuss rookie Bryan Edwards.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

rookie

DFF Rookie Round Table, Part 5: AJ Dillon

By Brad Hartnett | July 5, 2020 | Comments Off on DFF Rookie Round Table, Part 5: AJ Dillon

Given AJ Dillon’s massive frame, penchant for stiff arms, and his ability to break tackles and find space against stacked boxes, he seems like the ideal candidate for a massive workload in the coming seasons. He is the exact running back type that the Packers want to pound the rock during the winter months at the Frozen Tundra.

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

rookie

DFF Rookie Round Table, Part 4: Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa

By Brad Hartnett | July 5, 2020 | Comments Off on DFF Rookie Round Table, Part 4: Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa

After recently releasing my rookie rankings, I wanted to open up the floor to constructive criticism.  I also wanted to see where I was not aligned with other DFF analysts. So, we conducted a round table discussion. This discussion is now a 10-part series of informal articles. In these articles, analysts debate why some of their favorite rookie(s) should be moved up. And in one case, moved down!  

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.

DFF Rookie Round Table, Part 3: Tee Higgins

By Brad Hartnett | July 3, 2020 | Comments Off on DFF Rookie Round Table, Part 3: Tee Higgins

After recently releasing my rookie rankings, I wanted to open up the floor to constructive criticism.  I also wanted to see where I was not aligned with other DFF analysts. So, we conducted a round table discussion. This discussion is now a 10-part series of informal articles. In these articles, analysts debate why some of their favorite rookie(s) should be moved up. And in one case, moved down!

To access this post, you must purchase a DFF Membership.