The anticipation for the NFL Draft is at a fever pitch, and with it, we are officially in peak dynasty season. What better time for a three-round rookie draft? And not just any rookie draft — a Fantasy Points rookie draft!
Derek Brown of FantasyPros joined Brett Whitefield and me for a three-round Superflex PPR draft. To make it even more interesting — and challenging — we added a TE Premium scoring twist (1.5 points per TE reception), like with the FFPC and their many dynasty leagues.
We also covered this draft in a podcast, on the Fantasy Football Daily feed. Fantasy Football Daily will cover the NFL Draft, dynasty rookie draft strategy, and everything else you need to know for fantasy this offseason.
Here’s how the draft played out, pick by pick. I also shared my thought process and reasoning behind all of my selections. If you want to hear Brett and Derek’s takes on their picks, give the pod a listen.
First Round
1. Brett Whitefield - Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
2. Derek Brown - Tet McMillan, WR, Arizona
3. Theo Gremminger - Omarion Hampton, RB, UNC
Despite the Superflex format, our draft started with three straight skill position players. With Jeanty and McMillan off the board, I went with Hampton — my RB2 in this class. After his NFL combine performance, and projected round one NFL Draft capital, Hampton is neck and neck for me with McMillan for the 1.02. He has the skillset and profile to be a top five RB in fantasy early on in his career.
4. Brett Whitefield - Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
5. Derek Brown - Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss
6. Theo Gremminger - Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Ward was an easy selection for me at the 1.06 and a value for a quarterback favored to be the first overall pick this year. I am officially butting heads with Brett (Jaxson Dart) on this one for our pick of the top QB in the class. Ward has a cannon of an arm and a gunslinger mentality — two traits conducive to fantasy scoring. The latest rumor is that the New York Giants are trading up to #1 and pairing Ward with Malik Nabers, one of the best young receivers in football.
7. Brett Whitefield - Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
8. Derek Brown - Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
9. Theo Gremminger - TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
Sanders (my QB2) and Warren (my TE1) were both off the board. It came down to two Ohio State teammates — Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. I ultimately went with Henderson. He has a chance to be selected earlier — as high as the end of the first round — and should thrive on high value touches and plenty of targets out of the backfield. Henderson is one of the most explosive running backs in the draft.
10. Brett Whitefield - Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
11. Derek Brown - Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
12. Theo Gremminger - Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
Judkins was thisclose to being my pick at the 1.09, and I gladly selected him here. He is an arbitrage play to Hampton — a back with great size, a large sample size of high-end college production, and outstanding measurables at the NFL Combine. He has a bellcow profile and should be selected in the early portion of the second round.
Second Round
13. Brett Whitefield - RJ Harvey, RB, UCF
14. Derek Brown - Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State
15. Theo Gremminger - Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
Johnson’s 4.57 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine is not a cause for concern given his style of play, but it was a slight disappointment, especially compared to Hampton and Judkins' lightning-fast times. Still, Johnson is a mega productive 224-pound back who can quickly take over an NFL backfield and handle significant volume early on as a rookie.
16. Brett Whitefield - Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
17. Derek Brown - Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
18. Theo Gremminger - Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
Two appealing wide receivers went off the board, and I went with Arroyo. My TE3 in this class, Arroyo, was a dominant force at the Senior Bowl and possesses high-level athleticism. He is a terrific value in rookie drafts due to his enthusiasm and ADP steam with Warren/Loveland. There is a nonzero chance that Arroyo ends up being the best pro at the position out of this draft class.
19. Brett Whitefield - Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
20. Derek Brown - DJ Giddens, RB, Kansas State
21. Theo Gremminger - Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
Luther Burden is a top-five WR for me in this class, but he is clearly low in Derek and Brett’s rankings. We are bumping heads on this one, and so are many in the fantasy community. Burden is polarizing and has a wide range of opinions. Some have him as high as the WR1 in the class, while others have apprehension about his role and project him as a manufactured-touch guy at the next level. The combine was a positive, with Burden measuring in at 6 feet tall, weighing 205 pounds, and running a 4.41 40-yard dash. I will gladly take him here in the back half of the second round.
22. Brett Whitefield - Damien Martinez, RB, Miami
23. Derek Brown - Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech
24. Theo Gremminger - Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee
A running back cleanup to end Round Two! This reflects rookie drafts right now, with drafters taking shots at a deep and talented pool of backs with potential day two draft capital. Sampson weighed in at only 200 pounds at the NFL combine, but was a mega producer last season at Tennessee rushing for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns. He should be drafted higher than his former teammate Jaylen Wright, a 2023 fourth round selection of the Miami Dolphins.
Third Round
25. Brett Whitefield - Jack Bech, WR, TCU
26. Derek Brown - Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State
27. Theo Gremminger - Travis Hunter, WR…CB?, Colorado
Could he be a full-time cornerback who plays sporadically at wide receiver? Sure. But there are also scenarios where Hunter takes on a larger-than-expected role on offense and becomes an every-week starter for our fantasy teams as a rookie. Hunter is electric, drawing favorable comparisons to players like Garrett Wilson. The challenge is that he also profiles similarly to Jaire Alexander as a cornerback. He will likely settle in as a second-round pick in most rookie drafts unless we receive positive news about his role as a wide receiver. For now? I viewed this as a potential steal.
28. Brett Whitefield - Ollie Gordon, RB, Oklahoma State
29. Derek Brown - Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
30. Theo Gremminger - Brashard Smith, RB, SMU
Smith has been on an upward trajectory ever since the Senior Bowl. A wide receiver during his time at Miami, Smith has only one year under his belt as a full-time running back, but he made the most of it — rushing for 1,332 yards and 14 touchdowns while leading SMU to the College Football Playoff. He was one of the best players at the Senior Bowl and continued to turn heads with a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. I will have a lot of Smith on my dynasty rosters if he remains a third-round pick in rookie drafts.
31. Brett Whitefield - Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas
32. Derek Brown - Marcus Yarns, RB, Delaware
33. Theo Gremminger - Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green
Fannin Jr.'s NFL Combine performance was disappointing, and his 4.71-second 40-yard dash at 241 pounds certainly isn’t going to get the fantasy community buzzing. Speed score aside, Fannin Jr. was highly productive at Bowling Green, and if he lands in a favorable spot in the NFL Draft, selecting him in this range could be a steal.
34. Brett Whitefield - Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
35. Derek Brown - Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State
36. Theo Gremminger - Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
Taylor lacks the college production of a Warren or Fannin Jr., but he has all the traits — and probably draft capital — to be a long-term starting Tight End in the NFL. Taylor had a strong Senior Bowl and, despite not running the 40, was impressive at the Combine.
