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Let’s talk rookies now that we know where each will play! I’ll go through some fantasy values and we get some pertinent dynasty info from Ryan McDowell of Dynasty League Football.
Whoo hooo, we finally know where the rookies will call home after months of speculation. Here’s a look at the most fantasy-relevant guys and my thoughts on their value heading into the 2025 season.
Rounds 1-3 Rookies
🛡️ Cam Ward QB (TEN) - Ward was the first overall pick in the 2025 draft and landed in a meh situation in Tennessee. He’ll likely start right away, but his WR corps leaves plenty to be desired. Draft Value: Low-end QB1/2
🏴☠️ Ashton Jeanty RB (LV) - He’s a dual-threat RB who should see a decent workload from the start. Draft Value: RB1
🎖️ TreVeyon Henderson (NE) - Rhamondre Stevenson is coming off a down year, and Henderson brings explosiveness and versatility. Draft Value: RB2 with RB1 upside
🐶 Quinshon Judkins RB (CLE) - With Nick Chubb no longer in town, Judkins will compete with Jerome Ford for the starting gig. Draft Value: RB22 with RB1 upside
🐆 Travis Hunter WR/CB (JAX) - Since he’ll be playing both sides of the ball, we can’t expect more than WR3 volume for Hunter, but he’s talented enough to make the best of it for our purposes. Draft Value: WR3 wth upside
🏴☠️ Jack Bech WR(LV) - He has a path to third in targets for Vegas after Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers. Draft Value: WR4/5 with upside
🐴 RJ Harvey RB (DEN) - He’s a dual-threat RB who should be the starter in Denver from Day 1. Draft Value: RB2
🐈⬛ Tetairoa McMillan WR (CAR) - If Bryce Young keeps improving, this rookie has plenty of optimism and volume. Draft Value: WR2/3
Honorable Mentions: Omarion Hampton RB (LAC) Draft Value RB2: Kyle Williams WR (NEP) - Draft Value: WR4/5, Mason Taylor TE (NYJ) Draft Value: TE2
Rounds 4-7 Rookies
These guys are less likely to hit for fantasy in Year 1, but stranger things have certainly happened.
🌊 Tory Horton WR (SEA) - It’s a new era in Seattle, and he should see WR3 volume right away. Draft Value: WR4/5
🤠 Jayden Blue RB (DAL) There’s a chance he can emerge in the Dallas backfield to relevance in 2025. Draft Value: RB4/5
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Some rookies have already started to claim their jersey numbers as they begin their NFL journey. Here’s a look at the first-rounders who’ve already announced official numbers for the 2025 season.
Pick No. 1: QB Cam Ward (🛡️) - Jersey #1
Pick No. 2: WR/CB Travis Hunter (🐆) - Jersey #11
Pick No. 8: WR Tetairoa McMillan (🐈⬛) - Jersey #4
Pick No. 22: RB Omarion Hampton (⚡️) - Jersey #8
Sent from Ryan McDowell: After what felt like a never-ending wait, the 2025 NFL Draft is now in the books. DLF has had you covered when it comes to draft content all off-season, but we really kicked it up over the past few days. It’s nearly impossible to choose one piece of content to focus on, so let’s just look at one of the most recent.
There were many ideal player/situation landing spots throughout the three day NFL Draft and our Tim Riordan focused on some of those in Rookies Who Landed in the Best Situations for Dynasty Leagues.
Here’s what he had to say about a player that possibly gained the most dynasty value as a result of the NFL Draft, RJ Harvey…
Running Back – RJ Harvey, DEN; Round Two, Pick 28
Harvey’s college football stats, courtesy of Sports Reference.
In this deep and talented running back class, there was always a jumbled tier of players involving Harvey, Kaleb Johnson, Dylan Sampson and Cam Skattebo. The RB5 spot in this class was wide open for the taking, and Harvey’s second-round draft capital and landing spot in Denver mean the spot is his. You could even argue he’s moved up ahead of TreVeyon Henderson and/or Quinshon Judkins.
The Broncos were a favorite landing spot for a first-round running back in mock drafts. With Omarion Hampton on the board, Sean Payton decided to beef up the defense, taking CB Jahdae Barron out of Texas with the 20th pick. They decided to address the position on day two instead, taking Harvey as the fifth running back off the board.
When I wrote the pre-draft profile on Harvey, he was being mocked consistently in the fourth round, so this jump in draft capital is extremely impactful. As a second-round pick, Payton has invested a significant pick in the backfield. He also joins a team with an underwhelming running back room led by Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime. There are plenty of carries for the taking in a Sean Payton backfield, and now Harvey is the favorite to lead the way as early as his rookie season. It was a great draft for running back landing spots, but Harvey has the best. He is the RB6 in DLF’s Expert Rookie Rankings, one spot behind Kaleb Johnson. He’s 12th overall in one quarterback and 14th overall in superflex.
RB Honorable Mentions – Ashton Jeanty, LV; Quinshon Judkins, CLE; Cam Skattebo, NYG; Omarion Hampton, LAC; Kaleb Johnson, PIT
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