Dynasty: Rookie Draft Recap

The Rotoworld Dynasty League is comprised of 14 teams. We carry a maximum of 24 players on our rosters during the season and 29 for a bit in the offseason. It is full-PPR format with starting roster requirements of 1 QB, 2-3 RBs, 3-5 WRs, 1-3 TEs, 0 K and 0 D/ST.

Below is a recap of the Rookie Draft that was held last week. Only rookies were available, no veteran free agents. For those of you unfamiliar with Dynasty, it is a vastly different beast than re-draft. 2015 situations mean little compared to a player’s overall talent because we can own these players for an unlimited amount of time. To see the league, click here.

Editor's Note: We’ve had a bunch of content since the real draft ended. Here are Evan Silva’s Dynasty Rankings, AFC Draft Grades, NFC Draft Grades and post-draft 150. Here are Adam Levitan's Veteran Winners and Losers. Here is a guest column from Jeff Miller on Rookie Draft Strategy.


ROUND ONE
1.01: Todd Gurley, RB, Rams – Rumford Johnny
1.02: Amari Cooper, WR, Raiders – Fantasy Douche
1.03: Kevin White, WR, Bears – Mike Clay
1.04: Melvin Gordon, RB, Chargers – Ryan Van Bibber
1.05: Nelson Agholor, WR, Eagles – Rumford Johnny
1.06: DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins – Chet Gresham
1.07: Breshad Perriman, WR, Ravens – Fantasy Douche
1.08: Tevin Coleman, RB, Falcons – Ryan Van Bibber
1.09: T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jaguars – Mike Clay
1.10: Ameer Abdullah, RB, Lions – Pat Daugherty
1.11: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Titans – Rumford Johnny
1.12: Devin Funchess, WR, Panthers – Fantasy Douche
1.13: Duke Johnson, RB, Browns – Chris Burke
1.14: Phillip Dorsett, WR, Colts – Sigmund Bloom

Notes: I would have taken Amari Cooper at 1.01. Not only are the careers of NFL running backs often short (average 2.57 years, least in NFL), but Todd Gurley is coming off an ACL tear and fought injury in 2013 as well. Ideally, I prefer to build Dynasty rosters around the wideout position – especially in a full-PPR league where you can start five of them. … I didn’t have a first-round pick because I traded 1.03 to Clay for 21-year-old Brandin Cooks. … Melvin Gordon is the no-brainer top rookie in re-draft leagues given his Year 1 opportunity. In Dynasty, his lack of pass-game chops and the simple fact he plays RB knocks him down a slight peg. … There’s been a lot of talk that Tevin Coleman isn’t a fit for the Kyle Shanahan’s outside-zone scheme that runs the ball with success annually. I’m not really buying it. If Coleman wasn’t a fit, Shanahan wouldn’t have signed off on the pick. … Ameer Abdullah’s athletic profile, versatility and landing spot are all sweet. … In a long-term vacuum, the Phillip Dorsett pick is strong. Give me playmakers that have Andrew Luck at quarterback and things will sort themselves out. T.Y. Hilton is in a contract year and Andre Johnson turns 34 in July.

ROUND TWO
2.01: David Johnson, RB, Cardinals – Pat Daugherty
2.02: David Cobb, RB, Titans – Chris Burke
2.03: Jaelen Strong, WR, Texans – Adam Levitan
2.04: Maxx Williams, TE, Ravens – Pat Daugherty
2.05: Jameis Winston, QB, Bucs – Rumford Johnny
2.06: Marcus Mariota, QB, Titans – Adam Levitan
2.07: Jay Ajayi, RB, Dolphins – Rumford Johnny
2.08: Sammie Coates, WR, Steelers – Ryan Van Bibber
2.09: Javorius Allen, RB, Ravens – Evan Silva
2.10: Devin Smith, WR, Jets – Pat Daugherty
2.11: Jeremy Langford, RB, Bears – Evan Silva
2.12: Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks – Seth Trachtman
2.13: Chris Conley, WR, Chiefs – Mike Clay
2.14: Tre McBride, WR, Titans – Raymond Summerlin

Notes: David Johnson may not run to his size, but we know Andre Ellington is a poor bet to sustain health. … As noted in the Draft Fallout Losers column, David Cobb has a great chance to wrestle early-down duties away from Bishop Sankey. Cobb’s slide to the fifth round of the real NFL draft should be a distant memory soon. … I was happy to get Jaelen Strong at 2.03 because his ceiling is untapped (as proven at the Combine) and I believe in Bill O’Brien. … Quarterbacks aren’t very valuable in a full-PPR format with such deep starting rosters. This is the absolute earliest I would have taken Marcus Mariota. … If Jay Ajayi’s knee issues were so overblown, why did he last until the fifth round of the real draft? … Chris Conley didn’t land in a good situation as an explosive, deep-ball catcher playing with Alex Smith. But in Dynasty, talent trumps short-term situation.

ROUND THREE
3.01: Zach Zenner, RB, Lions – Nick Mensio
3.02: Matt Jones, RB, Redskins – Fantasy Douche
3.03: DeAndre Smelter, WR, 49ers – Adam Levitan
3.04: Mike Davis, RB, 49ers – Rumford Johnny
3.05: Devante Davis, WR, Eagles – Chris Burke
3.06: Justin Hardy, WR, Falcons – Chet Gresham
3.07: Josh Robinson, RB, Colts – Rumford Johnny
3.08: Stefon Diggs, WR, Vikings – Ryan Van Bibber
3.09: Rashad Greene, WR, Jaguars – Chris Burke
3.10: Kenny Bell, WR, Bucs – Pat Daugherty
3.11: Darren Waller, WR, Ravens – Pat Daugherty
3.12: Bryce Petty, QB, Jets – Seth Trachtman
3.13: Cameron Artis-Payne, RB, Panthers – Evan Silva
3.14: Thomas Rawls, RB, Seahawks – Sigmund Bloom

Notes: Although Zach Zenner went undrafted, he has the athletic makeup to play in the NFL. It’s an upside flier. … Redskins GM Scot McCloughan was in charge of Seattle’s personnel when they traded for Marshawn Lynch. Now he’s comparing third-round rookie Matt Jones to Lynch. Alfred Morris is coming off his worst NFL season and entering a contract year. … I’m rebuilding, so I was OK taking a redshirt year from DeAndre Smelter and hoping he eventually takes Anquan Boldin’s role. Still, I regret taking him over Josh Robinson. … Robinson doesn’t run fast or jump high, but he averaged 6.18 YPC in the SEC and has the bowling ball kind of skill set the Colts seem to like. He’s a great bet to beat out Boom Herron for the primary backup job to 32-year-old Frank Gore. … Darren Waller is 6-foot-6, has 4.46 speed and a 37-inch vertical. He also is playing in a Marc Trestman offense and for a team that’s razor thin at wideout. … I thought hard about Devante Davis ahead of Smelter. Give me height/weight/speed guys in Chip Kelly’s offense, even if they went undrafted.

ROUND FOUR
4.01: Clive Walford, TE, Raiders – Nick Mensio
4.02: Karlos Williams, RB, Bills – Mike Clay
4.03: Malcolm Brown, RB, Rams – Adam Levitan
4.04: Garrett Grayson, QB, Saints – Seth Trachtman
4.05: Tyler Kroft, TE, Bengals – Raymond Summerlin
4.06: Ty Montgomery, WR, Packers – Chet Gresham
4.07: Vince Mayle, WR, Browns – Fantasy Douche
4.08: Brett Hundley, QB, Packers – Ryan Van Bibber
4.09: Adrian Coxson, WR, Packers – Ryan Forbes
4.10: J.J. Nelson, WR, Cardinals – Pat Daugherty
4.11: Terrence Magee, RB, Ravens – Adam Levitan
4.12: Da’Ron Brown, WR, Chiefs – Seth Trachtman
4.13: Deontay Greenberry, WR, Cowboys – Nick Mensio
4.14: Jamison Crowder, WR, Redskins – Fantasy Douche

Notes: The majority of these players will not stick on the 24-man final rosters we use during the season. … Clive Walford has a good shot at early-career playing time as an in-line complement to Mychal Rivera. … I took Malcolm Brown because Josh Norris is really high on him. If Brown turns into nothing, Norris owes me his hair. … Ty Montgomery profiles as a special teamer at first, but he’s a third-round pick selected by WR-savant Ted Thompson and has Aaron Rodgers at QB. He probably should have gone higher. I took Terrence Magee because he excels in the pass game and Ravens OC Marc Trestman loves RBs that do that.

ROUND FIVE
5.01: Jesse James, TE, Steelers – Rumford Johnny
5.02: Jeff Heuerman, TE, Broncos – Chris Burke
5.03: Bud Sasser, WR, Rams – Adam Levitan
5.04: Titus Davis, WR, Chargers – Fantasy Douche
5.05: Damarr Aultman, WR, Dolphins – Nick Mensio
5.06: Antwan Goodley, WR, Cowboys – Chet Gresham
5.07: John Crockett, RB, Packers – Chris Burke
5.08: Nick O’Leary, TE, Bills – Ryan Van Bibber
5.09: AJ Derby, TE, Patriots – Rumford Johnny
5.10: Kenny Hilliard, RB, Texans – Pat Daugherty
5.11: Terrell Watson, RB, Bengals – Mike Clay
5.12: Trey Williams, RB, Redskins – Ryan Forbes
5.13: Blake Bell, TE, 49ers – Nick Mensio
5.14: Gus Johnson, RB, Raiders – Evan Silva

Notes: Here was the 2014 version of the fifth round: TE Troy Niklas, RB Henry Josey, WR Shaq Evans, QB Ricky Stanzi, WR Jalen Saunders, QB Zach Mettenberger, QB Jimmy Garoppolo, WR Ryan Grant, RB James Wilder, WR Bruce Ellington, QB David Fales, TE Crockett Gillmore, QB Aaron Murray, WR Michael Campanaro. Dust. … Perhaps Jesse James can become a thing once Heath Miller (33 in October) is done. … John Crockett is in a nice spot as James Starks is in a contract year and the Packers don’t have much behind Eddie Lacy.