Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft

By John Laub
John Laub

 

 

     Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft

             

                  March 2018

 

 

 

While the majority of the country is obsessed with March Madness and Opening Day of the MLB season, fantasy football diehards are ecstatic about the upcoming NFL Draft in April. And Dynasty zealots are gearing up for their drafts by studying and assessing the incoming college prospects.

Having scouted numerous rookies in detail over the last four months, I am ready to kick off the Dynasty campaign. In order to acquire insight into the value of prospects this season, I asked eleven other Dynasty mavericks to join me in a mock draft. The results are provided below along with analysis and acumen provided by many of the participants.

   The Dynasty Team

     1. Michael Kimble, @MDKimble17
     2. Aaron Schillinger, @FFD260, ffdynasty260.com
     3. Mitch Zimmer, @mitchzimmer2018
     4. Rich Maletto, @BodaciousBeer
     5. Willie Lovato, @WillieFF247, 247fantasyfootball.com
     6. The Fantasy Typhoon, @jesusprotectme, fantasyfootball1on1.com
     7. Howie Lanier, @thehojo
     8. John Laub, @GridironSchol91
     9. Mark Leipold,‏ @LeipoldNFL, 247fantasyfootball.com
    10. Paul Becerra, @Paul_Ryan15
    11. Ryan Cearfoss, @fntsyfbconnect, dominatefantasy.com
    12. Chris Cheung, @FFDynasty101, FakePigSkin.com
 

 

    Draft Results

  Owner Round 1 Round 2 Round 3
1 Michael Kimble RB Saquon Barkley WR James Washington TE Mark Andrews
2 Aaron Schillinger RB Derrius Guice WR Michael Gallup RB Bo Scarbrough
3 Mitch Zimmer RB Sony Michel WR D.J. Chark WR Marcell Ateman
4 Rich Maletto RB Rashaad Penny WR Tre'Quan Smith QB Lamar Jackson
5 Willie Lovato WR Calvin Ridley RB John Kelly TE Dallas Goedert
6 Fantasy Typhoon RB Nick Chubb RB Kerryon Johnson WR Dyllan Cantrell
7 Howie Lanier WR D.J. Moore TE Mike Gesicki WR Dante Pettis
8 John Laub RB Royce Freeman RB Kalen Ballage WR Keke Coutee
9 Mark Leipold WR Courtland Sutton QB Baker Mayfield RB Justin Jackson
10 Paul Becerra WR Christian Kirk RB Mark Walton RB Josh Adams
11 Ryan Cearfoss RB Ronald Jones II WR Anthony Miller WR Auden Tate
12 Chris Cheung WR E. St. Brown QB Josh Rosen WR Antonio Callaway

 

Draft Analysis
 

First-Round Recap

“I understand that I may have been early on taking Rashaad Penny with the 4th pick, but I think he’s the third best ball carrier in this year’s Draft. At 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds, he has the size to be an every down back; he catches fairly well. The knock I kept seeing is he lacks the home run or breakaway speed, but he did return seven punts/KOs for touchdowns and ran a 4.46 40. I am concerned about him in pass pro; as one interviewer stated he would need multiple reps, so don’t count on him early in the season. That said, I believe he could be one of those guys getting 20-25 touches weekly by the mid-point of the season.” 
Rich Maletto

“Give me Calvin Ridley here all day. His age and athletic testing do not outweigh his film. He is more NFL ready than any other receiver in this class. His route running will translate at the next level right away making the age argument irrelevant in my opinion.”
Willie Lovato

 


“The not returning to form after his injury rumors are looking to be overrated at the moment. Nick Chubb's Combine results hopefully put those to bed. I was glad to see Chubb here at the sixth pick, which I think is outstanding. While former Georgia star may not be utilized as a three-down back in some offenses, I think his pass catching skills are underrated. He can run between the A and B gaps so he should find plenty of work at the next level especially if he is implemented in a traditional Pro Set offense. Line up and go downhill the whole game like Fournette does. Just think, Chubb was fighting for the top spot (1.01) in 2017 now I acquired him at six in 2018.”
The Fantasy Typhoon

“Maryland WR DJ Moore (6-foot-0 and 210 lbs) is a thickly built WR in the mold of a running back with 4.43 speed and 39.5 inch vertical. Moore has plus hands and great run after the catch ability. He can work in the slot or outside. Known at Maryland for his contagious positive attitude and work ethic per strength coach, Rick Court.”
Howie Lanier

“With the eighth pick in the Draft, I targeted three players who I hoped would be available: Rashaad Penny, Royce Freeman and Courtland Sutton. Penny went off the board early, and I had a tough decision between Freeman and Sutton. I decided to grab the former Oregon star because there are plenty of receivers who I like in the later rounds of Dynasty Drafts this year.”
John Laub

 


“Not a fan of this receiver class in general, but I had to take Courtland Sutton at this point. To perform as well as he did at the Combine in the agility drills is impressive at his size, and opens up new options for his route tree in the NFL. With his size and athleticism, he profiles as a team's #1 wide out and will likely be taken by a team in need of such a receiver. He'll likely compete for snaps immediately. The amount of double teams he saw in college speaks volumes about how much opposing defenses feared him.”
Mark Leipold

“I was absolutely ecstatic that Ronald Jones fell to me here at pick 11. The USC runner took a bit of a hit at the Combine pulling up with a hamstring injury during his 40. This should have no impact on what he shows on tape. Jones consistently showed his burst, speed and vision breaking off long play after long play for USC: He is truly a threat to score every time he touches the ball. To go with that this season he also packed on ten pounds which he used to his advantage breaking tackles that would have brought him down the season before. He also proved he wasn't afraid to fight for extra yardage and run between the tackles. With the kind of improvement and focus he showed at age 20, he proved the sky is the limit. He sits soundly in my top five overall for dynasty rookies.” 
Ryan Cearfoss

“My favorite picks in this round were Nick Chubb at 1.06 and Ronald Jones at 1.11. The surprise player that fell out of the first round is James Washington, who, in my opinion, is worth a mid-first consideration. So why did I take Equanimeous St. Brown ahead of Washington? I went with my textbook process of looking for a guy who could project to be a WR #1 because of size and speed. ESB doesn’t run many routes, but the ones he does run, he does very well. If teams keep him in that role to start his career, I have high hopes he can eventually become very productive.”
Chris Cheung

 

Second-Round Recap

 

“My rationale for my wide receiver picks in the second and third rounds were to go for two guys—D.J. Chark and Marcell Ateman—who have size and speed. Both are a bit long and wiry, and should grow into their bodies. I recall that Draft analysts said similar statements about Alshon Jeffery coming out of college, and if either Chark or Ateman approach Alshon’s production, whomever drafts either, will be extremely happy.” 
Mitch Zimmer

“A running theme with me, another guy (Tre’Quan Smith) who many thought was too early. I want guys that can be a red zone target and also be the guy that can just take it to the house. 78% of his catches went for first downs in 2017. He’s not overly tall at 6-foot-1 but has a huge reach when he uses it. A smooth runner, I was honestly surprised that his forty time wasn’t faster. He’s young, and is a bit raw, but is willing to block (helps get you on the field more) and can play bigger than he is. This is more one of a gut thing from when I watched him play.”
Rich Maletto

“Tennessee ball carrier John Kelly truly has all the traits to be a stud on the next level. Violent runner with exceptional balance. Kelly has also flashed his ability to contribute as a receiver out of the backfield. One of the most intriguing players in this draft class. 
Willie Lovato

 


“Grabbing the first tight end off the board at #19 made sense as Penn State's Mike Gesicki (6-foot-5 and 247 pounds) proved at the Combine that he's an athletic mismatch, which plays so well in today's NFL. He'll line up everywhere as a super-sized receiver and in the right offense will wreak havoc.”
Howie Lanier

“So surprised to see Kerryon Johnson still sitting here. The SEC Offensive Player of the Year is a three-down player, who is ready for the next level. He can pass protect, catch, and run in between and outside the tackles. He gets the hidden yardage and always falls forward. He's coming from a predominately shot-gun driven offense so I hope he can make the transition. What I really love is that KJ plays at three speeds. He stutters behind the line of scrimmage and sets up the linebacker to hit the open holes. His vision is outstanding.” 
The Fantasy Typhoon

“Astute Dynasty owners remain open minded to any player who flashes value during their drafts. When a top ten running back remains on the board, it is time to jump on the price tag with the twentieth selection and Kalan Ballage fits the bill. The former Arizona State ball carrier rarely “pops” on film and under achieved on campus. However, his atypical size and athletic ability warrant interest among Dynasty owners. The accumulation of a deep and talented backfield provides fantasy Diehards capital for future trades, and I will always select two high-end, upside runners if possible.”
John Laub

 


“One of the most productive and efficient college QBs we've ever seen, and one of the best QB prospects to enter the NFL Draft of all time. The only knock on Baker Mayfield is his height, which isn't an issue per a study I did. If Mayfield was 6-foot-2 or 6-foot-3, he'd be the consensus #1 overall pick, and he didn't even struggle with batted passes in college. He crested 11.0 Y/A in two straight seasons, 12.0 AY/A, over 70% completion, and an 83:14 TD to INT ratio. There is really nothing he can't do, and he put to rest any concerns about arm strength at the NFL Combine. Baker Mayfield is as close to a sure thing as we have seen at the QB position in years.”
Mark Leipold

Anthony Miller is one of the most electric game breakers with the ball in his hands. His play making ability allowed him to succeed lined up in multiple receiver spots. Where he truly shined and will flourish in the NFL is in the slot. Miller has all of the makings of becoming a ppr. monster in fantasy leagues.” 
Ryan Cearfoss

“Typically, the second round is a balance between team needs and upside players. Through my years of dynasty football, round two also has an incredibly high bust rate relative to expectation. Round two is where QBs and TEs typically come off the board. This played out exactly that way as Gisecki, Mayfield, and Rosen were selected near the end of the round. The remaining talents were still good, which speaks well to the talent of this draft class. My favorite picks in this round were Gallup, Kelly, Anthony Miller, and Mark Walton. The surprise pick is Tre’Quan Smith. While I like him (he was on my CFB team last year), I am not sure what sets him apart from the third round rookie WRs. I also think D.J. Chark’s excitement is driven up by his Combine performance. I rather not gamble on a player because of surprisingly good athletic numbers.” 
Chris Cheung

 

Third-Round Recap

 

Dallas Goedert is my top tight end prospect, so getting him here was great value. He is a true weapon as a pass-catcher with the ability to block as well. Goedert is Zach Ertz 2.0.”
Willie Lovato

“At this point, I could have done a number of things, why I went with Lamar Jackson was simple. I have no idea what’s going to happen with him, and frankly he’s been kind of dogged on. With all the hype of the top three and Josh Allen, and the comments that Lamar should switch positions I think he comes in with a real chip on his shoulder. And frankly for two years, he carried Louisville. His accuracy isn’t awesome, but frankly I think it’s better than Cam Newton at the same point. I wouldn’t count him out as a real playmaker and fantasy stash.”
— Rich Maletto

“Before the Combine, Auden Tate had scouts salivating despite limited production (only 65 career receptions) and was getting top five receiver talk. Then the Combine occurred. Tate performed terribly and his stock plummeted. The intrigue is his 6-foot-5 frame and ability to beat defenders with his savvy and height. Despite minimum receptions, he still managed double-digit touchdowns his junior season. Tate has the skill set to have a Funchess like impact and be a steal this late in the draft.”
Ryan Cearfoss

 

 

“If you want to take a chance on certain rookies, this is the round to do it. The floor guys are generally QBs, they’re the best remaining talent at a devalued position. This is about the time I expect 2-3 more QBs to come off, and then take a chance for a stash TE. I also expect the slot receivers to come off the board. This mock played out these expectations beautifully. The picks I really liked in this round are Mark Andrews, Lamar Jackson, and Keke Coutee. It really is hard to argue any bad picks here." — Chris