Dynasty rankings request (1 Viewer)

[Sinn Fein]

I am not sure where this "topic" fits on the board, but one of the things I would love to see in the dynasty rankings discussions is where the top potential rookies would slot in (based strictly on talent).

I understand that this is fraught with danger - given that a player's actual value is very often tied to the situation - will he start? What scheme will he play? etc.

But, as I evaluate my team, I am looking to see where I might be able to replace talent in a draft - i.e. how deep/strong is the position, or if the incoming talent is weak, or limited upside do I need to trade to upgrade.

For example, if I know I can get a top-2 tier DL in the draft, I would manage things one way, than if it looks like I would end up with a tier-4 or 5 DL. This is a combination of strength at the top of the positions, and depth.

It also impacts the general values of the veteran players - if you have a LB who is likely/potential to be a top-10 guy - then it moves the value of everyone else down a bit.

 

[Jene Bramel]

I think the sentiment (planning ahead and plotting a course by position) is smart, but I don't think there's anyway to reliably project specifics until after the draft.

Will a strong prospect with a first round grade land in a favorable scheme and role? Usually, but there are plenty of instances where he won't. That certainly holds true for the upper echelon linebacker talent, too.

I approach dynasty rookie drafts at this time of year very generally. You should (unless it's a very young league) have a general idea of where a LB1 prospect will be drafted (i.e. 1.10, give or take), with reasonable ideas for the other tiers of IDP values as well. It's really dangerous to guess at how deep each tier may be before the draft. You might be able to glean some ideas from some of the draftnik sites, but I routinely see big shifts in expected value between my early April expectations based on scouting reports and limited film study and early May expectations based on draft slot, scheme fit and coaching comments.

Hopefully, others are ready to give specifics (Player X is prospective DL2 tier vs DL5 tier) now, but I won't be prepared to do that until April. Planning on my usual loose ranking and NFL comp discussion then. I might suggest checking out the football's future forums for some strong discussion. It won't be fantasy based, but there's usually lots of good scouting discussion there throughout the winter.