Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand welcome back to the next installment breaking down the Rookie Draft for the Dynasty Nerds App League. For those who missed the announcement, the Nerds App League is an exclusive fantasy football league created by Dynasty Nerds. The league brings together 12 of your favorite Dynasty Nerds podcasters and staffers in a high-stakes, interactive competition. The Nerds App league isn’t just about bragging rights. It’s going to be a dynamic platform where the #NerdHerd community actively shapes the outcome by voting to eliminate two of the underperforming managers each season.
Doc Mitchell covered the first two rounds of the league’s inaugural Nostradamus rookie draft, where we picked two rounds of rookies prior to the NFL Draft. Before diving into the final three rounds, let’s look at some winners and losers from the selections made without known landing spots or draft capital.
Rookie Draft | Final Three Rounds
Losers | Nostradamus Rookie Draft
Luther Burden | WR | Chicago Bears
1.06 in Nerds App Rookie Draft
2.06 in Post-Draft Dynasty Nerds Rank
With players like Tyler Warren and Quinshon Judkins still on the board, Jon Glosser took Luther Burden III at 1.06—highlighting the danger of these drafts. As much as an analyst can like a player’s talent, landing spot still plays a key role in their ultimate value. Many of us weren’t this high on Luther Burden throughout the pre-draft process, but after landing with the Chicago Bears, his post-draft ADP fate was sealed. Burden—and our IDP Director, Jon—may find himself begging for the ball on a depth chart packed with talent and devoid of extra targets to go around.
Shedeur Sanders | QB | Cleveland Browns
1.09 in Nerds App Rookie Draft
3.05 in Post-Draft Dynasty Nerds Rank
The moment the first day of the NFL Draft ended, every early drafter knew they were about to fall on a Shedeur Sanders-sized grenade. Then, as the sun set on Day 2 with Sanders still available, the impact became even greater. Our poor Nerds App Originator, Nick Piovano, was the league’s sacrificial lamb on this one, and there isn’t much more that needs to be said. As with most NFL Draft pundits, this pick could have been made by any of us. Will Nick cut his losses and find a willing trade partner, or will he hold onto Sanders and hope for the best?
Devin Neal | RB | New Orleans Saints
2.08 in Nerds App Rookie Draft
3.08 in Post-Draft Dynasty Nerds Rank
I—and many others—was surprised when Devin Neal fell to the 6th Round of the NFL Draft, so I can’t knock our Rookie Draft Leader, Doc Mitchell, too much for this selection. At the very least, Neal finds himself with an opportunity in New Orleans with the Saints. The worst case? Doc wasted a late-2nd round rookie pick. It happens to the best of us.
Winners | Nostradamus Rookie Draft
Travis Hunter | WR/DB | Jacksonville Jaguars
2.02 in Nerds App Rookie Draft
1.03 in Post-Draft Dynasty Nerds Rank
During the rookie draft, we were all making offers to get into this range of picks, given some of the players who had fallen. The most attractive name available here was Travis Hunter—a steal by Matthew Cooper at pick 2.02. There is no other way to put it. At the time of this draft, we were only starting to get clarity on Hunter’s likely role in the NFL. Kudos to our Film Room Manager, Matt for taking a chance on the talent he saw and hitting on what is sure to be an elite NFL talent.
Jaxson Dart | QB | New York Giants
2.03 in Nerds App Rookie Draft
1.11 in Post-Draft Dynasty Nerds Rank
I’m going to toot my own horn a bit and share what I wrote in our March rookie mock draft article, where I took Jaxson Dart at pick 1.10:
By the time all is said and done… there’s no chance you’ll get Jaxson Dart at the 10th pick in your rookie drafts. He is too good of a quarterback prospect to slide entirely out of the 1st round of the NFL Draft.
Nailed it. Also, please ignore any previous 2025 mock drafts where I drafted Isaiah Bond and Jalen Milroe with early picks.
Editor’s note: Keith mostly nailed it. Dart goes anywhere from the 1.08-2.02 range in current rookie drafts. And he took Milroe in the 1st round several times during the season. Kudos on Dart, Keith.
Jayden Higgins | WR | Houston Texans
2.12 in Nerds App Rookie Draft
2.04 in Post-Draft Dynasty Nerds Rank
With the final pick in our inaugural Nostradamus rookie draft, our College Director, Tristan Cook, took Jayden Higgins. Truth be told, knowing that I was holding the first pick of the 3rd round (more on that in a bit), I was hoping Higgins would go undrafted. Alas, Tristan sniped me before we took our month-long rookie draft break. With early draft capital and a great landing spot in Houston, Jayden Higgins’ value was destined to rise. If anything, our team’s ranking of Higgins at 2.04 may even be a bit conservative. Great pick by one of our league’s sharpest talent evaluators.
Round Three
| PICK | PLAYER | POS | TEAM | MANAGER | NERDS RANK |
| 3.01 | RJ Harvey | RB | Broncos | Keith Ensminger | 1.12 |
| 3.02 | Elijah Arroyo | TE | Seahawks | Matt Cooper | 3.01 |
| 3.03 | Jack Bech | WR | Raiders | Rich Dotson | 2.05 |
| 3.04 | Kyle Williams | WR | Patriots | Taylor Christianson | 3.02 |
| 3.05 | Terrance Ferguson | TE | Rams | Taylor Christianson | 3.04 |
| 3.06 | Jaylin Noel | WR | Texans | Jon Glosser | 2.10 |
| 3.07 | Tyler Shough | QB | Saints | Peter Monahan | 3.03 |
| 3.08 | Harold Fannin | TE | Browns | Matt Cooper | 3.09 |
| 3.09 | Jalen Royals | WR | Chiefs | Nick Piovano | 3.06 |
| 3.10 | Woody Marks | RB | Texans | Taylor Christianson | 3.11 |
| 3.11 | Pat Bryant | WR | Broncos | Tristan Cook | 4.01 |
| 3.12 | Jaydon Blue | RB | Cowboys | Jon Glosser | 3.07 |
Favorite Pick | RJ Harvey
Taking a moment to talk about the “split” rookie draft we use in this league, this selection shows the potential value of getting the first rookie pick in the latter half of that split. If we are looking for perhaps the best value found in this rookie draft, this is arguably more significant value than Travis Hunter. Having the right to draft RJ Harvey down at pick 3.01 immediately improved my team’s stock and chances to perform well in 2025—and avoid elimination.
Least Favorite Pick | Harold Fannin Jr.
First, to be clear, I don’t think Harold Fannin is a bad pick at 3.08, but I would have taken Jalen Royals instead. Royals was a player many of the team liked throughout the pre-draft process. Why are we fading him after landing with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs? The roster may be crowded now, but it should open up for Royals in 2026 when many of their wide receivers (not to mention Travis Kelce) are no longer under contract. Jalen “Kansas City” Royals is a value to target in your dynasty rookie drafts, should he continue dropping this far into the 3rd round.
Round Four
| PICK | PLAYER | POS | TEAM | MANAGER | NERDS RANK |
| 4.01 | Brashard Smith | RB | Chiefs | Garret Price | 4.12 |
| 4.02 | Kyle Monangai | RB | Bears | Jared Wackerly | 4.11 |
| 4.03 | Jordan James | RB | Niners | Nick Piovano | 3.10 |
| 4.04 | Dillon Gabriel | QB | Browns | Matt Cooper | 3.12 |
| 4.05 | Isaac TeSlaa | WR | Lions | Taylor Christianson | 4.05 |
| 4.06 | DJ Giddens | RB | Colts | Mychal Warno | 4.10 |
| 4.07 | Elic Ayomanor | WR | Titans | Matt Cooper | 4.07 |
| 4.08 | Ollie Gordon | RB | Dolphins | Garret Price | 4.02 |
| 4.09 | Will Howard | QB | Steelers | Garret Price | 4.03 |
| 4.10 | Jarquez Hunter | RB | Rams | Jon Glosser | 4.08 |
| 4.11 | Oronde Gadsden II | TE | Chargers | Jon Glosser | 5.10 |
| 4.12 | Gunnar Helm | TE | Titans | Dr. Matthew Mitchell | 5.08 |
Favorite Pick | Will Howard
Oh, how I love quarterbacks in SuperFlex leagues, and while Will Howard may never start for the Steelers, there’s also a strong chance that he does. Let’s look at what has to happen for Will Howard to come into better dynasty value. What if Aaron Rodgers decides to play for New Orleans instead, or doesn’t even play at all? In that not-too-implausible scenario, who does Will Howard have to beat to see the field? Mason Rudolph? Skylar Thompson? Getting a dice roll like that near the end of the 4th round is phenomenal value. Great job to our Head of Content, Garret Price!
Least Favorite Pick | Isaac TeSlaa
It’s the middle of the 4th round, so it’s hard to knock any pick. We’re all just hoping these players amount to anything as professional football players. That said, where does Isaac TeSlaa fit into the plans for the Lions offense? He isn’t going to get more targets than Amon-Ra St. Brown or Sam LaPorta. He isn’t more dynamic than Jameson Williams or Jahmyr Gibbs. Where does that leave TeSlaa in terms of fantasy production? Was anyone starting Tim Patrick in their lineups last season, or Josh Reynolds the year before that? In this part of the draft, I am looking for a ceiling, and I don’t think TeSlaa has much of one in Detroit.
Round Five
| PICK | PLAYER | POS | TEAM | MANAGER | NERDS RANK |
| 5.01 | Xavier Restrepo | WR | Titans | Garret Price | 5.03 |
| 5.02 | Tahj Brooks | RB | Bengals | Dr. Matthew Mitchell | 5.02 |
| 5.03 | Savion Williams | WR | Packers | Tristan Cook | 5.04 |
| 5.04 | Damien Martinez | RB | Seahawks | Matt Cooper | 4.08 |
| 5.05 | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | Commanders | Dr. Matthew Mitchell | Unranked |
| 5.06 | Tai Felton | WR | Vikings | Dr. Matthew Mitchell | 5.07 |
| 5.07 | Arian Smith | WR | Jets | Dr. Matthew Mitchell | 6.06 |
| 5.08 | LeQuint Allen | RB | Jaguars | Mychal Warno | 4.06 |
| 5.09 | Quinn Ewers | QB | Dolphins | Nick Piovano | 4.05 |
| 5.10 | Chimere Dike | WR | Titans | Jared Wackerly | Unranked |
| 5.11 | Dont’e Thornton | WR | Raiders | Tristan Cook | Unranked |
| 5.12 | Jaylin Lane | WR | Commanders | Tristan Cook | 6.02 |
Favorite Pick | Tai Felton
If and when Jordan Addison is suspended for several games this season, the Vikings are short on pass catchers. Enter Tai Felton. Let’s not forget, unlike many players being taken here in the 5th round, Felton was selected in the 3rd Round of the NFL Draft. Regardless of how you feel about Felton or the situation in Minnesota, that’s incredible value at this point in our rookie draft.
Least Favorite Pick | Quinn Ewers
Nick Piovano is a Jets fan, so he should know better than to take a Miami Dolphins player.
What? It’s the 5th round—I’m grasping for straws.
Editor’s Note: The worst selection in the 5th round was Chimere Dike—mostly because it was Jared Wackerly who drafted him.
Post-Draft Update | Dynasty Mode
Matthew Cooper and Rich Dotson continued their hold on the first and second slots, but yours truly (Keith Ensminger) climbed from 7th to 3rd. The biggest stumble was, of course, Nick sliding from 4th to 9th as a result of Shedeur Sanders’ similar stumble.
Post-Draft Update | Contender Mode
What I find interesting about the contender rankings is how they’re mostly unchanged from before the NFL Draft. With the exception of Garret and Taylor flipping places at 3rd and 4th, every team remained in the same order from last month. And this makes sense, doesn’t it? If a dynasty manager is relying solely on rookie production to win, it likely means their team probably isn’t as much of a contender as they hope it to be.
AMA | Rookie Draft Thoughts
The NFL Draft is in the books, landing spots are set, and rookie fever is reaching a boil. With all the hype swirling, we asked our Nerds App League managers a few simple questions.
Since the conclusion of the NFL Draft, who is your no. 1 target in dynasty rookie drafts?
A few of our managers kept it simple. Nick Piovano, Rich Dotson, and Jared Wackerly reached into their pocket and pulled out an “Ashton Jeanty no matter what” sticky note. Most of our team loves Cam Skattebo, so it comes as no surprise that he received votes from Jon Glosser and Jared. Matt Cooper and Tristan Cook went with Jacksonville’s Travis Hunter.
Peter Monahan chose one of his longtime favorite’s Tetairoa McMillan, whom he has been a big fan of for a while now. “If I can get him at 1.05 (after Ward and Hunter), I love that pick and value!” Staying at wide receiver, Taylor Christianson and Mychal Warno both responded with Jack Bech, a popular name at the top of the 2nd round.
Finally, I chose Cam Ward, who I have seen go as late as the 5th and 6th picks of SuperFlex rookie drafts. Check out our recent SuperFlex rookie mock draft for why I think that’s crazy.
At what pick in this draft class would you consider trading away the pick (SF/TEP) for a random 2026 1st?
Peter Monahan had this to say, “This is one of my favorite strategies any time I have a late-1st round pick. I like to reroll it to the next year. For me, I would trade a 2026 1st evenly starting with pick 1.10. Any pick at 1.09 or earlier, and I would need slightly more back.”
Most of the staff had similar but specific thoughts. Nick Piovano and Jared Wackerly said 1.08 while Jon Glosser and Tristan Cook felt like 1.10 was the appropriate position. Rich Dotson and Garret Price believe 2.01 to be a fair value. Other responses ranged from the top to the middle of the 2nd round of your 2025 rookie drafts. Taylor Christianson summarized things in a good way, saying it would depend on whether his team was rebuilding or contending. If rebuilding, he would start at 2.02, but contending? A few picks later at 2.06. It continues to be an interesting topic of discussion that many of us have faced in our time playing dynasty fantasy football.
Who is your favorite late-round sleeper in this class?
Matt Cooper – Elijah Arroyo | TE | Seahawks
Mychal Warno – Woody Marks | RB | Texans
Peter Monahan – Jarquez Hunter | RB | Rams
Taylor Christianson – Trevor Etienne | RB | Panthers
Matthew Mitchell – Tahj Brooks | RB | Bengals
Tristan Cook – Tai Felton | WR | Vikings and Trevor Etienne
Nick Piovano – Woody Marks | RB | Texans
Rich Dotson – Jacory Croskey–Merritt | RB | Commanders
Jared Wackerly – Kyle Williams | WR | Patriots and Terrance Ferguson | TE | Rams
Jon Glosser – Oronde Gadsden II | TE | Chargers
Garret Price – Kyle Monangai | RB | Bears
Keith Ensminger – Tory Horton | WR | Seahawks
Breaking News | A Trade Has Been Made
Remember, we want you, our #NerdHerd, to be part of our league. This trade recently went down between Taylor Christianson and Doc Mitchell:
Taylor receives Joe Burrow and a 2027 2nd
Doc receives George Kittle and Baker Mayfield
What do you think? Which side would you take? Post your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned for more updates throughout the summer on trades, banter, and more ask the managers!
