The rookie draft is finally here, and I entered it with two clear
goals.
First, I wanted to find a cornerstone player — someone who could
sit in my starting lineup every week for the next five years.
Second, I wanted to accumulate future draft capital.
This rookie class wasn't viewed as particularly strong, while
the 2027 class already looks deeper. Even if that perception changes,
future picks always carry liquidity because they represent hope
and flexibility.
Entering the draft, I held:
1.03
1.10
2.01
4.01
4.02
Along with future picks of:
One 2027 1st
Two 2027 2nds
One 2027 3rd
Two 2027 4ths
Round 1: Staying in the Tier
The draft started exactly as expected, with RB Jeremiyah Love
(ARI) and QB Fernando Mendoza (LV) going with the first two picks.
That left me with my choice of the top tier of wide receivers.
I also knew other managers would have strong opinions about those
receivers, which created an opportunity to trade back without
leaving the tier.
I started discussions with the managers at 1.04 and 1.05. My
goal wasn't to move out of the range entirely — it was to squeeze
additional value out of the pick.
I actually had Makai Lemon (PHI) ranked slightly higher, but
there are ongoing trade discussions involving quarterback Tyler Shough (NO), and the possibility of stacking him with Tyson appealed
to me. Even if that deal never materializes, I love Tyson's talent.
He projects as a cornerstone wide receiver for my roster. The
upside is WR1 territory, but even if he settles in as a high-end
WR2, that's still a major win for this rebuild.
The 1.10 Decision
The rest of the first round played out almost exactly as I outlined
in my draft strategy article.
I worked aggressively to acquire the 1.11 so I could take both
players. I tried packaging the 2.01 with additional assets, but
another manager ultimately outbid me.
So, I had to choose. I went with Stowers and the deciding factor
was immediate impact potential. Stowers also gives me flexibility
later in the season if I decide to move TE Jake Ferguson (DAL)
or TE Brenton Strange (JAX).
This league trades constantly. Honestly, it's the kind of environment
every dynasty manager wishes they had. With an eight-hour draft
clock, I wanted to stay active early and use the sense of urgency
to create movement.
The 2.01 became my leverage point. I started discussions while
I was still on the clock at 1.10, but demand for the 2.01 ended
up being lower than expected. I could have simply made the pick,
but I eventually moved:
Send: 2.01
Receive: 2027 2nd and 3.05
I could have taken the 2.11 instead of the future pick, but I
preferred the upside of what could become an earlier 2027 second-rounder.
The second round unfolded mostly as expected, aside from quarterbacks
continuing to slide. Cade Klubnik (NYJ) was the only quarterback
selected in Round 2.
Then things got interesting in Round 3.
Carson Beck (ARI) and Drew Allar (PIT) went at opposite ends
of the round. Once the 3.03 was on the clock, I reopened discussions
involving my 3.05.
At that point, the draft had flattened out. There were no consensus
targets left, and managers were mostly taking personal favorites
so I ended up making another deal:
Send: 3.05 and a 2027 3rd
Receive: 2027 2nd
I liked some of the players still available — including Allar
and TE Justin Joly (DEN) — but when I compare this draft class
to what next year could become, I'm not convinced those players
would even crack the same range. So I took the value.
That's exactly the type of flexibility I wanted to create.
Maximizing the Taxi Squad
I held the first two picks of the fourth round and received plenty
of trade offers. The problem? Most managers were still trying
to send me players instead of future picks. I already had a full
roster, but I also knew I had two open taxi squad spots available.
This is an important lesson for dynasty managers: Use your
taxi squad correctly.
If your league only allows first-year players on the taxi squad,
make sure you have enough rookie picks to maximize those spots.
One mistake I constantly see is managers making eight rookie
picks with only four taxi spots available. That often forces them
to clog their active roster with fringe rookies they don't really
believe in because they don't want to immediately cut a recent
draft pick.
For me, the final rounds of a rookie draft always come down to
one question:
Do I want this player more than the player I'd eventually have
to cut?
Douglas was buried in Sleeper's rankings, but he has a legitimate
chance to emerge as a major contributor in Miami.
Randall projects as a receiving back in Baltimore and could eventually
inherit a larger role as Derrick Henry ages out.
All four rookies will likely begin on my taxi squad. Tyson probably
deserves an active roster spot immediately, but since I'm not
competing this year, I'd rather preserve roster flexibility for
waiver adds and future trade opportunities.
The Sneaky FAAB Strategy
Throughout the draft, I quietly used a small strategy in nearly
every trade. I added small amounts of FAAB. Usually less than
$10. Our budgets had just reset to $150, so nobody cared much
about tossing in a few dollars here and there. By the end of the
draft, I had accumulated $162 in FAAB.
Why does that matter? Because of QB Brendan Sorsby.
For anyone unfamiliar with the situation, Sorsby is currently
battling the NCAA regarding his 2026 eligibility after entering
treatment for gambling addiction following his transfer to Texas
Tech. He's a significant college football talent with potential
NFL upside:
27 passing touchdowns last season at Cincinnati
9 rushing touchdowns
If the NCAA suspends him for 2026, it would likely end his college
eligibility entirely. That could push him toward the NFL Supplemental
Draft -- a rare and complicated process, but one that could place
him on an NFL roster sooner than expected.
Dynasty leagues handle supplemental players differently, so I
checked with the commissioner.
His response: “Let the highest bidder win.”
That immediately made FAAB valuable. Stockpiling FAAB gives me
a chance to aggressively pursue Sorsby if he becomes available
while still preserving enough budget for the regular season. Even
if I miss out on him, adding extra FAAB in trades costs almost
nothing and only increases flexibility.
The Rest of the Offseason
There's still work to do. Superflex remains the biggest hole
on the roster. Even if I had drafted Ty Simpson, I likely still
would have needed another answer there eventually.
Now comes the quieter portion of the offseason which includes
monitoring roster cuts, watching waiver activity and continuing
conversations with league mates.
Even though teams don't need to finalize cuts until right before
Week 1, managers have already started dropping players. That matters.
I'm constantly evaluating who gets cut, which managers are nervous,
which teams think they're contenders, which teams are already
pivoting toward rebuilds. Those conversations become valuable
later once wins and losses start piling up.
Along with a significantly improved 2027 pick portfolio:
One 1st
Five 2nds
Two 4ths
The next step is leveraging those assets — either packaging picks
to move up into elite tiers or using them to create additional
value before next year's draft.
The rebuild is still in progress. But the foundation is getting
stronger.
