Dynasty Rookie Rankings

How rookie values move

Rookie values usually move the most in the months before a rookie draft and in the weeks after a class is picked. Teams, depth charts and pre-draft evaluations change the market, and the values on this board follow that market.

As a rule of thumb, a rookie who lands in a clear starting role tends to hold or gain value faster than one stuck behind a veteran. Draft capital, meaning the round and pick a rookie was taken, is a rough guide to how much opportunity the team has committed.

Rookie value is a different question from the value of a rookie draft pick. A pick is valued before the class is known. A drafted player is valued on what the market now thinks of his role.

How to use this list

The board has 68 rookies with values from 33 to 5,287. The top of the list is the market's consensus for the best rookie asset right now, not a prediction of who will be best in the NFL.

Compare a rookie with a pick of similar value before you trade. Picks can be easier to move in a rebuild, while a drafted player gives you a known name and a role.

Use the draft pick values page to see where the market places each rookie pick slot.

Rules of thumb

Do not hold a rookie only because he was drafted high. Check his role after camp and the first games.

A rookie whose value is falling is a sell candidate for a holder who needs to rebuild, but only after checking the news. A falling value is never a buy signal on its own.

Age matters in dynasty: a young rookie has more years in the window than a veteran of the same value.

Rookie class at a glance

11 rookies are in the top 100 overall values on this board.

The median age of the 68 rookies on this board is 23.1.

Rookies have no years of experience yet, so their age and window are the first things to check. Rule of thumb: among rookies with similar values, the one with a clearer path to a starting role is the safer hold.

Rebuilding vs contending with rookies

Rookie picks and drafted rookies should be compared on the same scale. A pick is valued before the class is known, while a drafted player is valued on his current role.

By position, the 68 rookies on this board are: 31 WR, 13 RB, 13 TE, 11 QB.

Rebuilders usually benefit from rookies because the value can grow with the window. Contenders often trade rookies for current starters when the market pays for production.

Age and draft capital work together. A rookie taken early in round one usually has more opportunity committed than a later pick, but a late pick with a clear role can still be valued above him.