3 must-draft rookies in fantasy football dynasty leagues

Drew Bishop

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3 must-draft rookies in fantasy football dynasty leagues image

There's the NFL Draft and then there's the millions of fantasy football drafts that come after.

And for the most passionate fantasy football players, dynasty drafts are a chance to be even more invested in the game.

Unlike a redraft league, dynasty drafts consist strictly of rookies. Every pick means even more with significantly less quality assets in the pool of players.

So who should you be keeping an eye on as the summer goes on?

*Note: These rankings apply to superflex leagues with one starting quarterback spot.

1. Ashton Jeanty - RB, Las Vegas Raiders

A dynasty draft never plays out like the regular draft. While Travis Hunter is a generational prospect worth a haul to trade up for, he plays the wrong position to be atop this list.

What we're looking for is a bellcow running back who will get the bulk of the carries and be a threat in the passing game. Ashton Jeanty fits the bill.

The Raiders were one of the worst teams in the league rushing the ball last season, but Jeanty aims to change that. 

At Boise State last season, the speedster found success against stacked boxes, which he should see more of with the Raiders.

The Raiders also drafted two offensive linemen to partner with their first-round center from last year's draft, Jackson Powers-Johnson. 

Last season, Jeanty toted the ball 374 times for 2,601 yards and and 29 touchdowns. He'll face stiffer competition from NFL defenses, but should get the bulk of the carries over Raheem Mostert and Sincere McCormick.

2. Omarion Hampton - RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Omarion Hampton is another running back that can be a threat out of the backfield or in the passing game. The 6-foot, 220 pound North Carolina product rushed for 1,660 yards and added another 373 through the air last season.

Hampton's situation is a little more complicated than Jeanty's however.

The Chargers also signed Najee Harris in free agency, which could mean it will be more of a committee approach.

Still, Hampton was a first-round pick for LA and projects to be the lead runner out of the backfield.

Dynasty managers should pencil him in as 1.02 while also monitoring his performance in training camp.

3. Travis Hunter - WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

The second overall pick is the third pick on our board for a couple reasons.

Firstly, nobody knows what Travis Hunter's career will look like. With the threat of playing both sides of the ball, the Colorado product has variability that can be a risk for fantasy football managers. 

Second, Hunter is joining a WR corps with some proven players. Brian Thomas Jr. set the rookie records for a Jags' wide receiver in receptions, yards, and touchdowns last season. And that was with Trevor Lawrence only healthy for part of the season. Jacksonville also signed Dyami Brown from the Washington Commanders.

Still, the generational prospect needs to be taken top three in all superflex dynasty drafts.

His senior year at Colorado, Hunter had 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. That was while playing full snaps at cornerback on the other side of the ball.

New head coach Liam Coen is an offensive mind and he will likely lean Hunter's usage to receiver over cornerback. The 6-foot-1, 185 pound wideout could be a weapon out of the backfield too. 

In fantasy football, wide receivers are generally less valuable than running backs because they can be targeted less. But Hunter should be the first one off the board at his position.

Drew Bishop

Drew Bishop is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. After graduating from the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University, he worked in local media in Sandusky, Ohio at BCSN and the Sandusky Register, freelancing as a reporter, broadcast director and play-by-play commentator for high school sports. He then moved on to KRIS 6 News where he serves as a producer in the news department.