The 2020 NFL Draft came and went without much of a hitch. Now after what seemed like a long offseason, fantasy football managers can begin preparing for their drafts. For those in dynasty leagues, the focus will be on the rookie class.
Though many have already had their rookie drafts, there are still plenty of us who haven’t. This year’s group features a lot of high-upside prospects in a deep class. Some of the landing spots aren’t as strong, but this year’s crop figures to feature some very productive fantasy assets both now and in the future.
Instead of linear rankings, this is tiered-based meaning players in the same tier have very similar value and are all worthy of being selected relative to the players next to them. So it isn’t simply “Player A is absolutely better than Player B.”
Here is a tiered ranking of the top-35 rookies for dynasty:
Tier 1&2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 | Tier 5 | Tier 6 | Tier 7&8
Tier 1
1. Clyde Edwards-Helaire | RB | Kansas City Chiefs | RB1
The new RB1 in almost every ranking, CEH shot up draft boards after he was selected with the No. 32 pick in the draft. The landing spot to the Chiefs is what makes him the top pick. Add in his pass-catching abilities coming from LSU and his production from his senior season to go along with the draft capital, CEH is rightfully the top rookie in the draft.
2. Jonathan Taylor | RB | Indianapolis Colts | RB2
While CEH gets all of the love, I recently wrote why fantasy managers shouldn’t be afraid to use that No. 1 pick on Taylor. The Colts traded up to get him in the second round and while he will be in a timeshare to begin his career, he has both short and long-term value. Taylor is one of the best running back prospects to come out of the draft in recent years. His statistical and athletic profiles make him worthy of the top overall pick in rookie drafts.
Tier 2
3. J.K. Dobbins | RB | Baltimore Ravens | RB3
Though Dobbins won’t be an immediate RB1 in the league, he certainly has that potential. The Ohio State product brought a strong statistical profile from college and now has the opportunity to take the lead role at some point for the league’s best rushing attack. Dobbins should be highly-coveted in rookie drafts and any manager who swipes him should be ecstatic.