Check out a few of my must-have dynasty rookies that I’m targeting in rookie drafts and beyond. And you can find all of my must-have dynasty rookies in this article.
Check out a few of my must-have dynasty rookies that I’m targeting in rookie drafts and beyond. And you can find all of my must-have dynasty rookies in this article.
Must-Have Dynasty Rookies
Here are the players I’m targeting at the end of the first round of rookie drafts and beyond:
Size snobs won’t be attracted to the 5-foot-9, 188-pound Achane, but he’ll quicken the pulses of speed enthusiasts. Achane’s 4.32-second 40 time at the combine was the fastest among RBs, and he’s run the 200 meters in 20.2 seconds for the Texas A&M track team.
Speed is Achane’s calling card, but he has surprisingly good contact balance for a smaller back and will power through arm tackles. Texas A&M often ran Achane between the tackles, and he was fearless and effective on inside runs.
FantasyPros’ college football analyst, Thor Nystrom, compares Achane to Jahvid Best, an electrifying college performer at Cal whose NFL career never got off the ground due to repeated concussions. I like that comp, but Achane reminds me of Warrick Dunn, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound warrior who excelled as a pass-catching back but also had eight seasons with more than 200 carries.
The Dolphins had limited draft capital (just four total picks and no first-rounder) but spent a third-round pick on Achane. The fleet-footed Achane should be a hand-in-glove fit for Mike McDaniel’s wide-zone running scheme. Raheem Mostert (another smaller RB with speed) had a mid-career breakout in that scheme when McDaniel was the running-game coordinator in San Francisco and played well in Miami last year, but Mostert is 31 and has an extensive injury history. Achane is a younger, more electric version of Mostert and is a far better pass catcher. It will be fascinating to see how McDaniel deploys the explosive Achane.
LaPorta won’t be the first tight end to come off the board in rookie drafts — Dalton Kincaid will have that honor — but could end up being a highly productive pass catcher in the NFL.
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound LaPorta was a combine standout who ran a 4.59 and also fared well in the jumps and agility drills. The athleticism shows up on the field, where he consistently gets open and then causes headaches for defenders after the catch.
For the last two seasons, LaPorta has been far and away the best weapon in a toothless Iowa offense. Over LaPorta’s last two college seasons, the Hawkeyes averaged 168.8 passing yards per game. LaPorta nevertheless had more than 650 receiving yards in each of those seasons. No other Iowa pass catcher had even 400 receiving yards for Iowa in 2021 or 2022. An early second-round pick, LaPorta is likely to start for the Lions right away and could be fantasy-viable immediately.
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