We’re smack dab in the middle of rookie draft season. It’s by far my favorite time of the fantasy football calendar and the thing that truly separates dynasty leagues from redraft leagues. You get to put on the hat of a real NFL GM, wheeling and dealing up and down the board, trying to improve your team. This year, the rookie draft class is certainly underwhelming, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make league-winning moves during the draft. Every pick is a lottery ticket, one that you can cash in on the player you feel best about, or you can give to someone else to take a safer veteran option. Whatever works best for your team, don’t just blindly follow the rankings and pick right when you get on the clock. Make some calls, put out some trade feelers, and try to make your team as good as possible. 

While the rookies are attending minicamps, the NFL has to make decisions about fifth-year player options for the 2023 first-rounders. This is a commitment that the team is making for the 2027 season, as these players are all under contract for the 2026 season. Of the fantasy-relevant players from the draft, only one of them hasn’t already been extended or had their fifth-year option picked up, Anthony Richardson. This was expected, with Daniel Jones signing a two-year deal with Indy this off-season. Richardson will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, and could be an intriguing option on the trade market in the coming months. For the time being, Richardson has reported to Indianapolis’s off-season activities, so he’s unlikely to hold out for a trade. If he does hit the open market next year, he’ll likely need to compete for a starting role, or continue being a high-end backup. 

Quarterback headlines percolated around the league in the past week. We are still waiting to hear a decision from Aaron Rodgers, while they are forced to start off-season activities with Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Drew Allar as their top signal callers. Deshaun Watson appears to be the favorite to start the season as the Browns’ starting quarterback, but Todd Monken said he’s not ready to name a starter yet. The Texans CEO Cal McNair says the team is “fully committed” to CJ Stroud. The Watson news is the most interesting for dynasty fantasy football, especially in superflex leagues. Every starting QB has value in those leagues, and if Watson is the guy in Cleveland, then he needs to be on rosters. Check your waiver wire or see if he’s available to be selected in your rookie/free agent drafts. 

We have more rookie mini-camps on the calendar for this weekend, before Rookie Football Development Programs begin next week. If you’re on the clock in your rookie draft, be sure to check out everything DLF has to offer before hitting that DRAFT button! The DLF Dynasty Draft Guide is live, and it’s the best guide out there that focuses exclusively on dynasty and rookie drafts! Go in there and check out the 2026 rookie draft profiles, print a rookie draft cheat sheet, or see what the value of your rookie draft picks really is. Use the DLF Trade Analyzer and Team Analyzer to create trades to make your team better for 2026 and beyond! Winning your rookie draft is the first step towards a 2027 dynasty championship! Pick the right players and make the right moves with DLF!

The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the biggest fantasy enigmas of the dynasty fantasy football off-season, especially in the passing game. Last season, Trevor Lawrence had the best season of his career, but his high-end fantasy wide receivers weren’t the beneficiaries of it. Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers were the big winners, finishing as WR 27 and 35, respectively. Thomas struggled and finished as the WR43 in half-point PPR leagues, while Travis Hunter suffered injuries, and split time on both sides of the ball. Thomas wasn’t traded this off-season, so the team is desperate to see him return to his rookie-season form in 2027. Let’s dig into his value in dynasty leagues and see if he’s a worthy buy-low option in dynasty leagues. 

After a WR4 finish in his rookie season, Thomas’s ADP topped out as a top 10 pick at 6.83 overall. His ADP suffered severely during his sophomore slump, and he finds himself all the way down at 44.67 in ADP for the month of April. This pre-draft ADP has him as the 45th overall player off the board and the 27th wide receiver. Meanwhile, the DLF Expert Rankings are significantly higher on him. They have him as the 33rd overall player and the 22nd wide receiver. Compared to the big three rookie wide receivers, the rankings have Thomas a few spots lower than Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson, but well ahead of Makai Lemon. 

I’m writing this today because, over the last week, I’ve received more trade offers for Brian Thomas than I have for anyone else. With this underwhelming class of fantasy rookies, managers are looking to scoop up a post-hype sleeper in Thomas, but I’m not moving him! If Hunter truly is going to be playing more defense than offense this year, I’m betting on Thomas being this team’s WR1 this season and beyond. Myers will be valuable in PPR leagues, and Washington could be boom or bust, but Thomas clearly has the best chance to finish as a top 12 wide receiver multiple times in his career. He’s absolutely worth trying to buy low on him, but if he’s on my team, I’m holding onto him this off-season.

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Dynasty Marketplace: 2026 NFL Draft

Welcome to the Dynasty Marketplace – providing reaction, market projection and advice for assets across the dynasty landscape. Every week during the regular season and at key events in the off-season I’ll be highlighting four trending assets to discuss their value projection and the recommended actions at the dynasty marketplace.

Tyler Shough, QB NO

Market Rank: ~QB18

Market Value: ~2026 rookie 1.04-1.05

Value Trend: Positive

Volatility: Medium

One of the biggest winners over the 2026 NFL Draft weekend, Tyler Shough is currently seeing a positive value trend at the dynasty marketplace. The key contributor to this perception is the drafting of exciting wide receiver Jordyn Tyson at pick eight of round one. Shough now has an exciting younger duo to lead his development in Tyson and Chris Olave fresh from his true breakout season, which saw him finish as the WR6. Both can perfectly complement each other and support Shough, as they are interchangeable and adept at playing both outside and in the slot role.

Importantly, the Saints didn’t get involved with any rookie quarterback, showing their faith in Shough, which he has earned after a better-than-expected rookie season. The Saints also added wide receiver depth in the explosive and raw Bryce Lance and the former highly-touted Barion Brown. Lastly, the Saints drafted Oscar Delp in round three – an understudy and succession plan to Juwan Johnson, with Delp also having a strong popularity earlier in his college career. Overall, it was an extremely solid draft weekend for Shough, adding a starting weapon, significant depth and a succession plan at another spot.

Shough is considered medium-risk, given the sketchy college profile and despite looking good in patches, was only the QB27 in fantasy points per game (FPPG) last season. Positively he is tied to offensive guru Kellen Moore and has a number of key weapons at his disposal, including the addition of free agent running back Travis Etienne. With a market value of the 2026 rookie 1.04 to 1.05, I think this is a great bet on an ascending player in a fruitful situation. I see a clearer pathway to short-term success than the likes of Fernando Mendoza or Ty Simpson, making Shough a great option for middling teams looking to move into contender mode or any dynasty manager looking for a value spike opportunity to re-invest further down the line.

RJ Harvey, RB DEN