X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Dynasty Rookie Rankings Update (Post-NFL Draft Edition)

Dynasty league rookie rankings after the 2018 NFL Draft. Matt Wispe re-examines his rookie rankings at QB, RB, WR, and TE for fantasy football dynasty leagues and lists the top risers and fallers.

Boy, the draft can seriously turn things on its head. Pretty much the only thing that stayed steady from the pre-draft process was that Saquon Barkley is the 1.01.

And while there were some near-perfect landing spots, many intriguing rookies landed in non-ideal locations and the late second round has lost some of its shine.

Here are the updated post-draft rookie rankings, now that we know where these prospects will be playing next year. But beyond just ranking them, I'm going to take a look at the biggest rookie risers and fallers.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Post-Draft Rookie Rankings

RANK POSITION NAME TEAM
1 RB Saquon Barkley New York Giants
2 RB Derrius Guice Washington
3 RB Rashaad Penny Seattle
4 WR D.J. Moore Carolina
5 RB Ronald Jones Tampa Bay
6 RB Royce Freeman Denver
7 RB Sony Michel New England
8 RB Nick Chubb Cleveland
9 WR Calvin Ridley Atlanta
10 WR Christian Kirk Arizona
11 RB Kerryon Johnson Detroit
12 WR Courtland Sutton Denver
13 WR Anthony Miller Chicago
14 TE Mike Gesicki Miami
15 QB Baker Mayfield Cleveland
16 WR Tre'Quan Smith New Orleans
17 WR Michael Gallup Dallas
18 WR Dante Pettis San Francisco
19 QB Lamar Jackson Baltimore
20 RB Nyheim Hines Indianapolis
21 WR J'Mon Moore Green Bay
22 WR D.J. Chark Jacksonville
23 WR James Washington Pittsburgh
24 WR Equanimeous St. Brown Green Bay
25 RB Chase Edmonds Arizona
26 RB Kalen Ballage Miami
27 WR DaeSean Hamilton Denver
28 RB John Kelly LA Rams
29 TE Mark Andrews Baltimore
30 TE Dallas Goedert Philadelphia
31 WR Daurice Fountain Indianapolis
32 RB Jaylen Samuels Pittsburgh
33 WR Keke Coutee Houston
34 WR Deon Cain Indianapolis
35 RB Jordan Wilkins Indianapolis
36 QB Sam Darnold New York Jets
37 QB Josh Rosen Arizona
38 WR Cedrick Wilson Dallas
39 RB Mark Walton Cincinnati
40 WR Allen Lazard Jacksonville
41 RB Josh Adams Philadelphia
42 TE Hayden Hurst Baltimore
43 RB Ito Smith Atlanta
44 WR Antonio Callaway Cleveland
45 RB Bo Scarbrough Dallas
46 WR Richie James San Francisco
47 WR Justin Watson Tampa Bay
48 WR Auden Tate Cincinnati

Biggest Risers

Ronald Jones landing in Tampa Bay was about as good of a landing spot as you could hope for. With Doug Martin gone, only Peyton Barber, Jacquizz Rodgers, and Charles Sims stand in the way of consistent carries for Jones. Jones was my RB7 pre-draft and now he ranks as my RB4. Jones scored 20 total TD during his final season and amassed more the 1700 total yards from scrimmage. If Jones becomes the lead RB, his volume immediately makes him valuable as a rookie.

Anthony Miller was a WR that I really liked despite age concerns, but his volatile draft projections made it nearly impossible to rank him as a top-five WR. Then he landed in Chicago with a young QB who showed flashes and an undefined WR corps. The current WR2 is Taylor Gabriel, who failed to take over the same role in Atlanta in 2017. If Miller can carve out a role as the WR2 alongside Allen Robinson, he could be a viable WR as a rookie.

Pre-draft, had you asked me if there was any way I'd rank J'Mon Moore over Equanimeous St. Brown, I'd have called you crazy, but draft stock holds value. Moore was the first of three WRs selected by Green Bay in the draft. While a fourth round selection doesn't usually lead to immediate touches, the potential to be a WR with Aaron Rodgers adds value to a prospect. It's unlikely that any of the WRs selected surpass Randall Cobb on the depth chart (or potentially Ty Montgomery if he returns to WR), but Cobb's contract expires after 2019 and he's a potential cut candidate after 2018. Whoever takes over the WR2 role in that offense has top 24 WR potential.

Raise your hand if you were super familiar with Daurice Fountain before the draft. Now, raise your hand again if you're lying. Fountain wasn't a highly regarded prospect, but landing in Indianapolis in the fifth round boosts his value significantly. Fountain posted a 0.367 dominator in his final season for the Northern Iowa Panthers. While there are legitimate health concerns about Andrew Luck, the potential to be a starting WR for Luck makes Fountain a valuable third round pick.

Biggest Fallers

Why Philly? Why? Why did the Eagles have to take Dallas Goedert to serve as their second TE. Goedert was my top TE in the pre-draft rankings and was a borderline first round pick as my 11th overall player. But then he was selected to serve as a low-volume player. Trey Burton had enough flashes to earn himself a contract in Chicago, but he was only a truly valuable fantasy TE when Zach Ertz missed time. Goedert still appears to be a decent prospect, but if the Eagles don't use him consistently, he'll likely just take up space on your bench.

Akrum Wadley appeared to be a decent RB prospect, but 32 teams passed on him for seven rounds. He was immediately signed as an undrafted free agent with Tennessee, but with Derrick Henry and the addition of Dion Lewis, Wadley will have a tough climb up the depth chart. Wadley has potential long-term value and if your league has taxi squads, he's a valuable stash, but he's likely a wasted roster spot for more than a season.

Auden Tate looked like a great prospect until the combine and then he had a terrible showing which caused his stock to plummet. He did manage to land with a team that appears needy of a WR2, but his selection in the late seventh round fails to provide any optimism that he'll be given much of a chance. He'd likely need an injury to see a substantial amount of snaps.

 

More 2018 Dynasty League Strategy




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Mitchell Marner

Establishes Vegas Record Sunday
Mats Zuccarello

Logs Two Assists in Overtime Victory
Lucas Raymond

Leads Red Wings to Victory at MSG
Quinn Hughes

Delivers Four Assists in Sunday's Win
Conor Garland

Limited to Handful of Minutes Sunday
Ryan Hartman

Suffers Lower-Body Injury
Adrian Kempe

Agrees to $85 Million Extension With Kings
Jack Della Maddalena

Gets Dominated
Islam Makhachev

Claims UFC Welterweight Belt
Zhang Weili

Gets Outclassed
Valentina Shevchenko

Wins Unanimous Decision At UFC 322
Sean Brady

Suffered First-Round TKO Loss
Michael Morales

Remains Unbeaten
Leon Edwards

Suffers Second-Round Knockout Loss
Leon Edwards

Carlos Prates Becomes The First Man To Knock Out Leon Edwards
Beneil Dariush

Suffers Brutal First-Round Knockout Loss
Beneil Dariush

Benoit Saint Denis Knocks Out Beneil Dariush In 16 Seconds
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Clears 100-Yard Mark Again in Loss to Rams
Jahmyr Gibbs

Leads Lions in Receiving in Week 11 Loss
Christian Watson

Breaks Out With First Two Touchdowns of the Year
Josh Naylor

Mariners Finalizing Five-Year Contract
Derrick Henry

Breaks Two-Game Scoreless Streak in Week 11
George Kittle

Hauls in Two Touchdown Grabs in Week 11 Win
Drake London

Knee Injury "Not Thought to be Overly Serious"
Aaron Rodgers

May Have "Slight Break" in Left Wrist, Likely Out for Week 12
Jacoby Brissett

Sets Completion Record in Loss to 49ers
Trey McBride

Extends Touchdown Streak in Busy Outing Against 49ers
Michael Wilson

Peppered With Targets Amid Teammate's Absence
Christian McCaffrey

Scores Three Touchdowns in Divisional Win
Michael Penix Jr.

Aggravates Knee Injury, Could Miss More Time
Dillon Gabriel

to Remain the Starter if Healthy
Travis Etienne Jr.

Scores Two Touchdowns in Run-Heavy Blowout
P.J. Washington

Active Against the Trail Blazers
Anthony Davis

Won't Play on Sunday Night
Kenneth Gainwell

Catches Two Touchdown Passes in Elevated Role
Zion Williamson

Remains Sidelined on Sunday
Bijan Robinson

Scores Twice in Overtime Loss to Panthers
Jrue Holiday

Won't Play Sunday
Dillon Gabriel

Ruled Out With a Concussion Against Ravens
Kristaps Porzingis

to Miss Another Game on Sunday
Bam Adebayo

Not Ready to Return Monday
Josh Jacobs

Not Believed to Have Season-Ending Knee Injury
Jalen Brunson

Unavailable Monday
OG Anunoby

to Sit Out at Least Two Weeks
Bilal Coulibaly

Back in Action Sunday
Tetairoa McMillan

Sets New Career-Highs in Overtime Win
Scott Mayfield

Available Sunday
Stephon Castle

Won't Return on Sunday Night
Sean Tucker

Scores Three Times in Lead-Back Role
Josh Allen

Scores Six Touchdowns in Thrilling Victory
NYI

Max Shabanov Returns From 12-Game Absence Sunday
Derrick Jones Jr.

Won't Return on Sunday
Samuel Honzek

Out Week-to-Week
Kirby Dach

Sidelined for 4-6 Weeks
Kristaps Porzingis

Questionable for Sunday's Meeting with Phoenix
Thatcher Demko

Considered Week-to-Week
Filip Hronek

Good to Go Sunday
Quinn Hughes

Back in Action Sunday
CFB

Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate Not Dealing With Long-Term Injuries
Grayson Allen

Sidelined With Quad Contusion
Viktor Arvidsson

Injured in Saturday's Win
Jonathan Kuminga

Knee Issue Keeps Him Out of Weekend Action
Nick Foligno

Ruled Out for Four Weeks
Bilal Coulibaly

Questionable With Calf Issue Against Nets
Samuel Honzek

Hurt in Collision With Teammate
Precious Achiuwa

Questionable With Illness For Sunday
Drew Doughty

Exits With Lower-Body Injury
P.J. Washington

Expected Back From Shoulder Issue Sunday
Charlie McAvoy

Sustains Upper-Body Injury Against Canadiens
Tre Jones

Uncertain for Sunday With Minutes Set to Tighten
Thomas Harley

Out Week-to-Week
CFB

Virginia Tech Close To Naming James Franklin As Head Coach
Coby White

Could Make Season Debut Sunday
Josh Giddey

Set to Return Sunday
Zion Williamson

Tagged as Questionable for Sunday
Jeff Skinner

Placed on Injured Reserve
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful vs. Arkansas On Saturday
Edwin Díaz

Blue Jays Interested in Signing Edwin Diaz?
Jacob deGrom

Named AL Comeback Player of the Year
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Wins NL Comeback Player of the Year Award
Aroldis Chapman

Named AL Reliever of the Year
Edwin Díaz

Edwin Diaz Named NL Reliever of the Year
Justin Thomas

Will Miss Start Of 2026 After Undergoing Back Surgery
Islam Makhachev

Set For UFC 322 Main Event
Jack Della Maddalena

Set For His First Title Defense
Zhang Weili

Can Become The New Women's Flyweight Champion
Valentina Shevchenko

Set For UFC 322 Co-Main Event
Michael Morales

Looks To Remain Undefeated
CFB

Mario Craver a Game-Time Decision for Week 12
Sean Brady

Set For Title Eliminator Bout
Carlos Prates

A Favorite At UFC 322
Leon Edwards

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set To Open Up UFC 322 Main Card
Beneil Dariush

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
CFB

Virginia's Chandler Morris Trending Toward Facing Duke on Saturday
Edwin Díaz

Edwin Diaz Says There's a "50-50" Chance he Returns to Mets
Shohei Ohtani

Wins his Fourth MVP Award
Aaron Judge

Wins AL MVP Award Again
Raisel Iglesias

Dodgers Interested in Signing Raisel Iglesias
Pete Alonso

Orioles Could be in the Mix to Sign Pete Alonso
Félix Bautista

Felix Bautista Could Return in Second Half in 2026
Kodai Senga

Attracting Trade Interest, Will the Mets Move him?
Yordan Alvarez

Expected to be Ready for Spring Training
Byron Buxton

Could Waive his No-Trade Clause
Paul Skenes

the Unanimous NL Cy Young Winner
Tarik Skubal

Wins AL Cy Young for Second Straight Year
CFB

Still No Update on Jermod McCoy's Return Timeline
Sami Valimaki

Riding Momentum Into Bermuda
Matthieu Pavon

Struggling Through a Rough Season
Taylor Montgomery

Hopes to Get Back on Track at Port Royal
Ben Martin

a Risky Play at Bermuda Championship
Mark Hubbard

Primed for a Bounce-Back Week in Bermuda
Lee Hodges

Searching for a Spark in Bermuda
Stephen Vogt

Wins Back-to-Back AL Manager of the Year Honors
Milwaukee Brewers

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager of the Year Again
Patrick Fishburn

Looking to Bounce Back in Bermuda
Eric Cole

Carrying Momentum into Bermuda
Tommy Edman

to Have Ankle Surgery Next Week
Ketel Marte

Diamondbacks Unlikely to Trade Ketel Marte
Sahith Theegala

Finishes Tied for 27th at Bank of Utah Championship
Sam Stevens

Finishes Tied for 36th at Baycurrent Classic
Patrick Rodgers

Finishes Tied For Sixth at World Wide Technology Championship
Luke List

Finishes 75th at World Wide Technology Championship
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied for 63rd at World Wide Technology Championship
PGA

Nico Echavarria Finishes Tied for 14th at World Wide Technology Championship
Luke Clanton

Finishes Tied for 46th at World Wide Technology Championship
Blades Brown

Finishes Tied for 18th at Korn Ferry Tour Championship

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP