The 2023 NFL Draft is still roughly two months away. However, the NFL Combine is this week, and rookie draft stocks will rise and fall over the next few days. The most exciting part of the offseason is the NFL Draft and dynasty rookie drafts.
However, practice makes perfect. So fantasy players should do multiple mock drafts to prepare for their rookie drafts. The four-round mock draft in this article is based on 12 teams, half-point PPR, with a superflex spot. Let’s look at how the mock turned out.
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Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Half-PPR Superflex
Round 1
- 1.01 – Bijan Robinson (RB – Texas)
- 1.02 – Bryce Young (QB – Alabama)
- 1.03 – C.J. Stroud (QB – Ohio State)
- 1.04 – Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – Alabama)
- 1.05 – Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – Ohio State)
- 1.06 – Will Levis (QB – Kentucky)
- 1.07 – Anthony Richardson (QB – Florida)
- 1.08 – Quentin Johnston (WR – TCU)
- 1.09 – Jordan Addison (WR – USC)
- 1.10 – Zach Charbonnet (RB – UCLA)
- 1.11 – Kayshon Boutte (WR – LSU)
- 1.12 – Josh Downs (WR – North Carolina)
The first two picks of the first round make sense. Bijan Robinson is arguably already the dynasty RB1 without taking an NFL snap. The former Longhorn was unstoppable in 2022, with nearly 1,900 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Bryce Young is the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and the top quarterback this year. Over the past two years at Alabama, the quarterback had 8,200 passing yards and 79 touchdowns. Some have already placed Young in their top-10 dynasty quarterback rankings.
While Robinson and Young are the clear-cut top two picks, things become uncertain starting with pick 1.03. C.J. Stroud is the likely selection, given his success in college. However, Anthony Richardson could supplant him depending on his landing spot. Furthermore, fantasy players who want the most potential upside should draft Richardson at the 1.03 pick. The one thing that surprised me was Kayshon Boutte. His draft stock has slid over the past two months. He was considered a first-round pick a year ago. Now, the former LSU receiver is a likely Day 2 selection. To see him get drafted ahead of the top two wide receivers in the second round is unexpected.
Round 2
- 2.01 – Zay Flowers (WR – Boston College)
- 2.02 – Michael Mayer (TE – Notre Dame)
- 2.03 – Zach Evans (RB – Ole Miss)
- 2.04 – Jalin Hyatt (WR – Tennessee)
- 2.05 – Sean Tucker (RB – Syracuse)
- 2.06 – Devon Achane (RB – Texas A&M)
- 2.07 – Kendre Miller (RB – TCU)
- 2.08 – Tank Bigsby (RB – Auburn)
- 2.09 – Hendon Hooker (QB – Tennessee)
- 2.10 – Cedric Tillman (WR – Tennessee)
- 2.11 – Chase Brown (RB – Illinois)
- 2.12 – Israel Abanikanda (RB – Pittsburgh)
Fantasy players with a top-two draft slot should be extremely happy this year. Not only will you land either Robinson or Young, but the top of the second round is appealing. Zay Flowers has a chance to be the first wide receiver drafted in April. The former Boston College star will be a first-round rookie pick by the time we get to May. Meanwhile, Jalin Hyatt has a chance to also be a first-round NFL Draft pick. His over-the-top speed will make him an appealing prospect to NFL teams and fantasy managers.
Almost every superflex rookie draft will have four first-round quarterbacks. However, Hendon Hooker could be a steal in the second round. The former Volunteer star was a potential first-round NFL Draft pick before tearing his ACL last season. Over the past two years at Tennessee, Hooker had over 6,000 passing yards and 58 touchdowns. He also had 10 rushing touchdowns over the past two years. While the former Volunteer might miss most of his rookie year recovering from the torn ACL, Hooker is an excellent draft-and-stash candidate.
Round 3
- 3.01 – Dalton Kincaid (TE – Utah)
- 3.02 – Rashee Rice (WR – SMU)
- 3.03 – Marvin Mims (WR – Oklahoma)
- 3.04 – Stetson Bennett (QB – Georgia)
- 3.05 – Luke Musgrave (TE – Oregon State)
- 3.06 – Darnell Washington (TE – Georgia)
- 3.07 – Roschon Johnson (RB – Texas)
- 3.08 – Tanner McKee (QB – Stanford)
- 3.09 – Mohamed Ibrahim (RB – Minnesota)
- 3.10 – Max Duggan (QB – TCU)
- 3.11 – Tucker Kraft (TE – South Dakota State)
- 3.12 – Will Mallory (TE – Miami)
The third round is arguably my favorite in rookie drafts. It’s the area where you can find diamonds in the rough. Dalton Kincaid and Darnell Washington are potential first-round NFL Draft picks. Therefore, fantasy managers should expect them to be second-round rookie draft picks come May. However, they become a steal if either slides to the third round. Kincaid is the more fantasy-ready tight end after totaling 1,400 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns at Utah over the past two years. Meanwhile, Washington had a limited receiving role at Georgia but has tremendous athletic upside.
However, Roschon Johnson is my favorite third-round target. While Robinson deserves every ounce of credit he got, Johnson is vastly underrated. The former Longhorn came to Texas as a quarterback before injuries forced him to play running back. Yet, Johnson averaged nearly six yards per rushing attempt in his career. More importantly, he is arguably the top pass-protecting running back in the draft this year. The former Longhorn’s ability to protect the quarterback will earn Johnson a critical role early in his rookie season.
Round 4
- 4.01 – Jaren Hall (QB – BYU)
- 4.02 – Deuce Vaughn (RB – Kansas State)
- 4.03 – Davis Allen (TE – Clemson)
- 4.04 – Brenton Strange (TE – Penn State)
- 4.05 – Dorian Thompson-Robinson (QB – UCLA)
- 4.06 – Rakim Jarrett (WR – Maryland)
- 4.07 – Kenny McIntosh (RB – Georgia)
- 4.08 – Payne Durham (TE – Purdue)
- 4.09 – Josh Whyle (TE – Cincinnati)
- 4.10 – Zack Kuntz (TE – Old Dominion)
- 4.11 – Jake Haener (QB – Fresno State)
- 4.12 – Malik Cunningham (QB – Louisville)
Welcome to the fourth round, where all that matters is the potential upside, hence why there were so many quarterbacks and tight ends. The fourth round is also the spot to draft and stash players on your taxi squad for a year or two. Of the 12 players in this round, my favorite quarterback is Dorian Thompson-Robinson. He will likely never turn into a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL. However, the former UCLA has excellent athletic abilities. He had 28 rushing touchdowns in college, including 21 over the past two years. Thompson-Robinson could turn into a Taysom Hill-like gadget player in the right offense.
Meanwhile, Kenny McIntosh shouldn’t last until the fourth round, as the former Georgia running back is a star in the passing game. Last year the Bulldogs lost James Cook to the NFL. Thankfully, McIntosh was able to step into that role and succeed. He had 43 receptions for 505 receiving yards and two touchdowns last season. Furthermore, the running back finished third on the team in receptions and receiving years. More importantly, McIntosh was also productive in the running game. He averaged 5.6 yards per rushing attempt and had a team-high 10 rushing touchdowns in 2022. Unlike Cook, McIntosh won’t be a second-round pick but will provide similar value to an NFL team.
The Best of the Rest
If you have a fifth round in your rookie draft, it’s all about dart throws and upside. In this mock draft, there wasn’t a fifth round. However, the three players that should have gotten drafted are Evan Hull, Tyjae Spears, and Michael Wilson. All three had an impressive performance during the Senior Bowl week and helped their draft stock.
Hull and Spears continuously made plays during practice. Meanwhile, Wilson had a quiet career at Stanford but shined during the Senior Bowl game, making multiple impressive catches. All three players could sneak their way into the top 100 picks. Even if they are Day 3 selections, fantasy players should spend a late-round rookie pick on them.
More Dynasty Rookie Mock Drafts
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: 10-Team, Superflex
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Superflex
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: 10-Team, Half-Point PPR
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Two Rounds
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: 14-Team, Two Rounds
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
