The 2022 NFL Draft has come and gone, and that means it’s time for dynasty rookie and startup drafts to really take off. We’ll have you covered throughout the draft season. You can find our full dynasty startup, dynasty rookie, and dynasty superflex rookie rankings that will be updated through draft season.
You can also practice and prepare for your dynasty rookie and startup drafts using our FREE dynasty mock draft simulator. Let’s take a look at a dynasty startup mock draft.
1.05 Jameson Williams (WR – DET)
Jameson Williams‘ early-season status is still up in the air, but one thing that’s for certain is that once he hits the NFL field, he’s a big play waiting to happen. Williams’ electrifying speed helped him finish 13th in yards per route run (minimum 50 targets, per PFF) with the fifth-most deep receiving yards in the nation last year. Outside of his health, Williams’ biggest obstacle to a monster rookie season is Jared Goff, who was ninth in catchable pass rate but sadly 24th in deep accuracy.
2.05 Rachaad White (RB – TB)
Despite inking Leonard Fournette to a new three-year deal, resigning Giovani Bernard, and still having incumbent Ke’Shawn Vaughn on the roster, the team spent a third-round draft pick on Rachaad White. White followed up his final season at Arizona State, where he racked up 3.38 yards after contact per attempt and 2.25 yards per route run (ninth, minimum 20 targets per PFF) by blowing up the combine. White finished with an 84th percentile speed score and 87th percentile burst score. This looks like a crowded backfield on paper, but the team has shown the willingness to utilize one back as a do-it-all rusher and receiver. This would leave White as the Uncle Len backup plan with workhorse upside if the injury bug bit Fournette.
3.05 Tyquan Thornton (WR – NE)
Say hello to the fastest man on Earth. Well at least by the NFL Combine standards for a short period of time. Baylor’s Tyquan Thorton broke John Ross‘ 4.22 record with an unofficial 4.21 40-yard dash – the fastest mark ever recorded. Although, he did not hold the record for long as his official time came in just short of the record at 4.28 seconds. The Baylor wideout was barely on my radar for fantasy football purposes before the NFL Combine, which was clearly an oversight on my part. Thornton’s speed translated well into on-field production as he graded out as a top-10 wideout in PFF receiving grade from the intermediate level of the field (10-19 yards) last season.
4.05 Calvin Austin (WR – PIT)
A 4.32 40-yard dash (96th percentile) combined with a 135? broad jump is quite the showing. That’s what Calvin Austin put on display at the NFL scouting combine. The mark is the best broad jump ever at the Combine by someone 5’8? or smaller, per NFL Network research ace @FrontOfficeNFL. Considering he was already a draft riser after a strong performance at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, the Memphis product earned his way onto the Steelers. Just be wary that his size at 5-foot-8 (1st percentile) and 170 pounds (2nd percentile) will limit his fantasy ceiling, despite the elite athleticism.
5.05 Isaiah Likely (TE – BAL)
Turn on any Coastal Carolina game over the last four years and you’re likely to see a tight end haul in a touchdown. Isaiah Likely hauled in 27 receiving touchdowns since 2018 – more than any other tight end in college football. Likely’s nose for the end zone fueled his 24% career dominator rating – the highest in the class and a mark matched only by Pat Freiermuth from 2021’s tight end class. Touchdown equity is not the only part of his profile that is alluring. He’s not just falling in the end zone. He’s a terrific wide receiver playing tight end, as evidenced by his 95.2 PFF receiving grade (third), 1,513 receiving yards (first), and 2.87 yards per route run (sixth) since 2020. Only Trey McBride and Kyle Pitts have a higher PFF receiving grade over that span. At 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, Likely fits the archetype as a pass-catching tight end at the next level – which is exactly what fantasy footballers should gravitate toward. It’s rare to find tight ends who come into the league with this kind of receiving profile and mismatch potential against slower linebackers/safeties. He is too small to be a legitimate in-line tight end but too big to be a traditional wideout. The essence of Julius Thomas and Ricky Seals-Jones. Likely also won’t be much of a factor in the blocking game unless he puts on substantial weight. If that does happen, be confident that Likely can eventually fill an every-down tight end role after finishing in the 91st percentile in positively graded run-blocking rate in 2021.
Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft Results
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Five-Round, 12-Team, No. 4 Pick
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Five-Round, 12-Team, No. 3 Pick
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Five-Round, 12-Team, No. 2 Pick
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Five-Round, 12-Team, No. 1 Pick
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Five-Round, Superflex, Late Pick
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Five-Round, 12-Team, Early Pick
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Five-Round, Superflex, Middle Pick
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Four-Round, 12-Team, Middle Pick
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Four-Round, Superflex, Middle Pick
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Four-Round, Superflex, Early Pick
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2022 Dynasty Rookie Rankings
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