The 2025 NFL Draft is still a ways away. A lot can and will change between now and then. Nevertheless, the 2024 fantasy football season is almost over. It’s about time to start our preparation for dynasty season, which starts with a first run at 2025 dynasty rookie rankings.
Top Rookies To Draft in 1QB Dynasty Leagues
1) Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Those arguing Ashton Jeanty should have won the Heisman certainly have a strong case to make. What Jeanty did this season was otherworldly.
The Boise State product ran the ball 344 times for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns. He led the nation in attempts and yards for the second consecutive year.
There were no running backs selected in the first round of last year’s NFL Draft, but we could very well see Jeanty get first-round draft capital in 2025. Wherever he lands, it will likely be an RB-needy team ready to install him as their starter.
2) Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
We’ll see what the NFL Combine brings, but Teairoa McMillan sure looks like the best wide receiver prospect of this class. His talent was evident the moment he stepped foot on Arizona’s campus.
As a true freshman, McMillan led the Pac-12 in yards per reception (18.0). Sure enough, he took a huge leap forward as a sophomore, catching 90 balls for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a junior, he led the Big 12 in receiving yards with 1,319, which included five games with 100+ yards receiving.
At 6’5”, McMillan has all the makings of a classic X receiver. But he’s not just a “go up and get it” guy; he’s a polished route runner who should be able to win right away at the NFL level.
It would be a major surprise if McMillan didn’t start in Week 1 as a rookie.
3) Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
There are some who may ding Luther Burden III for the significant drop in production from his sophomore to junior years. In 2023, he had six 100-yard receiving games, yet he had only one this season.
However, it’s not entirely Burden’s fault. In fact, it may not be at all.
Missouri experienced injuries at the quarterback position, which played a huge role in Burden’s lack of gaudy numbers. As a reminder, he caught 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023.
Landing spot will be paramount for Burden. As a primary slot receiver, he’ll need the right offense and the right quarterback to maximize his potential.
4) Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
If you look at Omarion Hampton’s sophomore and junior seasons, you might think you’re seeing double. He averaged exactly 5.9 yards per carry and scored 15 rushing touchdowns in both.
Hampton has led the ACC in rushing yards for two straight seasons with totals of 1,504 and 1,660. He’s also a capable receiver, amassing 595 yards on 67 receptions over his final two years at North Carolina.
With 20+ carries in seven games, Hampton has the durability to handle large workloads. On the right team, he could be a true three-down back.
5) Travis Hunter, WR, Colorado
If you want to argue Travis Hunter is the WR1 of this class, I certainly won’t stop you. Talent-wise, it’s all there.
Hunter caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, leading the Big 12 in receptions and receiving scores. The main concern for his fantasy value is that two-way players simply don’t exist anymore.
There’s a possibility that Hunter will play both cornerback and wide receiver at the NFL level. If he does, the question is, how much time will he spend at each position?
We’ll learn much more about the NFL’s plan for the Heisman Trophy winner during the predraft process. Obviously, for fantasy purposes, we don’t want Hunter playing much cornerback at all. But if NFL teams view him as a better CB than WR, he could end up being a completely wasted pick if he’s only playing part-time on offense.
On the flip side, if Hunter goes all in at receiver, he could quickly emerge as one of the best in the NFL.
6) Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
By the time we get to April, we may very well consider Kaleb Johnson the consensus RB2 in this class. While obviously far less prolific than Jeanty, Johnson was also playing in a much less explosive Iowa offense. Yet, he still managed to run for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns, both tops in the Big Ten.
Mind you, this is a Big Ten conference that also featured two Ohio State running backs that very well may go on Day 2.
Johnson profiles as a classic two-down grinder. However, he did progress considerably as a receiver in his junior year, hauling in 22 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. If he can continue advancing as a receiver, Johnson has a chance to be a real difference-maker for fantasy.
7) Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
At this point last year, Emeka Egbuka was considered a first-round dynasty rookie selection. Then, he decided to return for his senior season.
We know the stigma against four-year players is real, but it can also be taken a bit too far. The reason early declares are viewed more favorably is because it shows an ability to perform at a high level sooner. With Egbuka, he was very much capable of going to the NFL as a junior; he simply chose not to, similar to fellow Ohio State alum Chris Olave.
Egbuka caught 60 passes for 743 yards and nine touchdowns this past season. In his last 35 games, he’s scored 23 times.
Ohio State has a pretty good track record when it comes to producing highly capable NFL-caliber wide receivers. Given that Egbuka was pro-ready a year ago, he should be able to hit the ground running on whatever team drafts him.
8) Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
The trajectory of Quinshon Judkins’ collegiate career hasn’t been ideal. He burst onto the scene as a freshman, leading the SEC in attempts (274), yards (1,567), and touchdowns (16). He saw similar usage as a sophomore, but his yards per carry dipped from 5.7 to 4.3.
As a junior, Judkins transferred to Ohio State, where he had to play alongside fellow NFL prospect TreVeyon Henderson. So while he got back to 5.5 ypc, Judkins only saw 147 carries.
Throughout his time in college, Judkins has proven to be a decent receiver, which will help his pro upside. He has 52 receptions for 390 yards and four touchdowns across 38 college games.
The concern with Judkins is he largely struggled within the conference. His overall stats were bolstered by massive games against the likes of Western Michigan and Marshall. There are no Western Michigans or Marshalls at the NFL level.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Judkins ends up falling a bit as the draft nears.
9) TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
A four-year player, it’s great that Henderson was so productive as a freshman, rushing for 1,248 yards and 15 touchdowns. It’s less than ideal, however, that it was his most productive college season.
With that said, Henderson easily could have joined the NFL last year. Some would argue he probably should have, considering he split the Buckeyes’ backfield with Judkins this season, which limited his production.
Nevertheless, Henderson remained efficient, averaging a Big Ten-best 7.0 ypc and showed proficiency as a receiver, hauling in 19 receptions for 135 yards in a split backfield.
Henderson has the makings of an impactful satellite back in Year 1.
10) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
It wouldn’t surprise me if no quarterback from this class cracked the top 10 in 1QB dynasty rookie drafts. Right now, though, I’m giving Shedeur Sanders the spot.
Sanders led the Big 12 with a 74.2% completion percentage, 3,926 passing yards, and 35 passing touchdowns this past season. He only threw eight interceptions, which gives him just 11 in his two years at Colorado.
Sanders is an impressive athlete who can tactically scramble when needed. He can extend plays within the pocket, which was necessary given Colorado’s suspect offensive line. With the right head coach, Sanders could become a viable fantasy asset as a rookie starter.
11) Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
Once considered a position with too steep of a learning curve to make an immediate impact, the NFL has seen a number of talented rookie tight ends be difference-makers in fantasy right away. The latest could be Colston Loveland.
The Michigan product was part of the 2023 national championship team. He finished his Wolverines career with 117 receptions for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns in 39 games. As a junior, he had an impressive six games with at least six receptions.
Could Loveland be Sam LaPorta as a rookie? Probably not. But his long-term upside is that of a productive fantasy TE.
12) Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas
This is where it gets difficult. We already have five running backs in Round 1 in a deep RB class. Meanwhile, the wide receivers all start to have serious warts on their profiles.
Isaiah Bond is an early declare who transferred out of Alabama to Texas after his sophomore season. As a junior, though, he only totaled 33 receptions for 532 yards and five touchdowns.
Nevertheless, Bond is a potential first-round selection, which sets him up to play a key role right away. With some polish, there is upside here for Bond to potentially emerge as a fantasy WR2 down the line.
13) Cam Ward, QB, Miami
14) Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss
15) Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State
16) Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
17) Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
18) Dylan Samson, RB, Tennessee
19) Evan Stewart, WR, Oregon
20) Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
21) Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State
22) Kyren Lacy, WR, LSU
23) Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon
24) Xavier Restrepo, WR, Miami
