One way to create an edge over your league mates in dynasty is to dominate your rookie drafts each offseason. Securing a few undervalued fantasy rookies can do wonders for your dynasty team’s championship odds and longevity.

Rather than focusing on specific player takes in this article, I wanted to look at things from a broader lens. Which positional groups should we target and fade in this class? How does the 2025 class stand up to past and future draft classes? Is this a group with top-end talent, depth, or both? Let’s find out. Here’s strategy and advice to help you prepare for your 2025 dynasty rookie draft.

• 2025 NFL Draft Guide
• 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
• 2025 NFL Mock Drafts
• Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft Simulator

How to Prepare for Your Dynasty Rookie Draft

Positions to Target

Two positions in the 2025 NFL Draft class project to be well above average for fantasy purposes: running back and tight end.

I’m currently in several devy leagues, a format where you roster college prospects before they hit the NFL ranks. Playing devy has given me a good feel for the strengths and weaknesses of future draft classes. I can confirm that the 2026 RB class pales in comparison to this year’s class. It should be better than the 2024 RB class, but not by much.

With this in mind, we should prioritize the running back position as much as possible in our rookie drafts this offseason. We don’t want to miss out on these guys early; they have the potential to reshape the NFL running back landscape completely.

While there are no Brock Bowers-level tight end prospects in this class, Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland are expected to go Round 1 in the NFL Draft. We also have a large middle tier of tight end options with Top 12 upside in fantasy. From a devy perspective, there aren’t many remaining college tight ends with a legitimate production profile. We don’t have many exciting veteran options at the NFL level, either.

After Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, and Sam LaPorta, we have a significant tier drop for dynasty. The NFL is thirsty for tight end talent, and the 2025 class should provide just that. This may end up being the last impressive tight end class we have for years, so target them aggressively in your rookie drafts while the price is affordable.

Positions to Fade

The consensus in dynasty circles seems to be that Cam Ward is the rookie QB1 and is in a tier of his own. But even Ward would have been somewhere between the QB4 and QB6 in the 2024 class. The next tier includes Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart, both of whom could be Round 1 selections, but I’m not sure they’re locked into being day one starters like Ward.

None of these three provide an elite rushing upside, meaning their fantasy ceiling is capped. The 2026 quarterback class should be considerably stronger, with names like Arch Manning, LaNorris Sellers, Drew Allar, Garrett Nussmeier, Carson Beck, and Nico Iamaleava all eligible to declare. If you can hold off, I’d wait to invest in a rookie quarterback next offseason and acquire a cheap veteran this year to bridge the gap.

I wouldn’t necessarily look to fade the wide receiver position. However, this is not the same caliber wide receiver class we’ve been spoiled with over the past few years. We’ll have some fantasy producers, but it’s unlikely we’ll see a league winner. The next truly loaded wide receiver class will be in 2027. I’d highly recommend buying those rookie picks now, as they’ll never be cheaper than they are today.

Late-Round Value

What this class lacks in elite talent, it will make up for with depth. We should see a number of running backs available in the late third and fourth rounds of rookie drafts who have a reasonable path to NFL touches. The tight end class is deep as well, and the wide receiver class should have some interesting targets in this range.

In a standard 12-man dynasty league, your rookie draft is probably four rounds. There will be players who aren’t taken in those 48 picks who you should look to add to your rosters post-draft. Make sure you place bids on any rookies who were taken in the NFL Draft but are still on waivers in your dynasty league.

If you don’t have enough taxi spots, see if you have any “roster cloggers” on your bench you can drop for these guys. This is someone you can look at and confidently say will never see your starting lineup, even in the best-case scenario. I prefer taking the dart throw on a prospect who is probably bad than rostering a player we’ve already confirmed as bad.

If you have any specific questions pertaining to your dynasty team or rookie draft, don’t hesitate to reach out to me on X @jim_DFF. I’m always down to talk fantasy football.

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