Dynasty Trade Value Chart: May

The NFL Draft is behind us, and that means it's time for rookie drafts to take center stage in dynasty leagues. This month's Dynasty Trade Value Chart is built with those drafts in mind, offering an updated, tier-based look at where rookies slot in among established veterans. Whether you hold a top-three pick or are hunting for value in the second round, the chart is designed to help you make informed decisions and navigate this critical part of the dynasty calendar.

In addition to updated rookie values, this edition also includes a position-by-position breakdown of veteran risers and fallers following the NFL Draft. Team decisions over draft weekend provide valuable clues about how franchises view their current rosters—and in many cases, the biggest winners and losers weren't the rookies, but the veterans whose roles became more (or less) secure. From running backs who dodged competition to wideouts pushed down the depth chart, we'll walk through whose stock is shifting as we enter rookie draft season.

Dynasty Tools

In addition to this month's value updates, I've made a major upgrade to the Dynasty Trade Value Chart tool itself. The tool still features all of my up-to-date dynasty player values, which remain fully customizable based on your league's scoring settings, roster requirements, and league size. It also includes a built-in Dynasty Trade Calculator to help you evaluate trade offers. One of the most common questions I get is how frequently these values are updated. To answer that more transparently, I've added a new "Change Log" tab that tracks every single value adjustment. For each player, you'll now see the date of the change, the old and new values, and a brief explanation for the move. For those keeping score, there were 159 player value updates in the month of April alone—all of which are listed and sortable by date. Here is a screenshot of what that tab looks like in the tool:

Please note that the Dynasty Trade Value Chart Tool may take a few seconds to load and tends to work better on desktop. 

The second big tools update is nearly ready. Last year, I launched a Sleeper League Evaluator that allows users to upload their Sleeper rosters and get personalized league insights. I've been working on a full redesign and functionality overhaul for 2025, and the updated version is close to completion. I expect to have it live within the next week and will update this article with a direct link as soon as it's ready.

Rookie Values and Tiers

In 2025, there's no shortage of rookie rankings available online, and many of them are excellent. As a writer, I sometimes question whether the world needs another opinion in the mix. So, before anything else, I want to thank you for your time and for including my perspective in your rookie draft preparation.

Let's start with a bit of advice: rookie draft season is the most fun part of being a dynasty manager. It's your opportunity to play both scout and general manager. Watch film (even if it's just highlights), read scouting reports, listen to trusted analysts, and most importantly, trust your own judgment. No set of rankings, including mine, should be treated as gospel. The best drafters gather a range of perspectives and make informed decisions based on their roster needs, personal evaluation of talent, and overall team-building philosophy.

That said, I do believe the rankings and values you'll find below can be a helpful part of your process. I've been creating rookie rankings for over a decade, using a data-driven approach rooted in draft capital, prospect archetypes, scheme fits, and career fantasy production modeling. The result isn't just an ordered list—it's a valuation framework that helps make trades during your draft easier to evaluate and execute. Whether you're considering a move up for a specific target or weighing a trade back, the values assigned to each player are designed to make those decisions more straightforward. Viewing rookie rankings through the lens of numeric player values can also help you contextualize whether a player you are considering drafting is a big reach or one of many reasonable options valued similarly.

In the section that follows, I'll walk through my Superflex rookie rankings, organized into tiers. Each tier includes a brief summary and a list of players with their corresponding values. The dynasty trade value of each player (Superflex format) is listed in parentheses.

Tier 1 Rookies

The gap between the 1.01 and 1.02 in rookie drafts this year is massive—roughly equivalent to the value of a future first-round rookie pick. There is no true debate at the top.

1.01 Ashton Jeanty, RB Raiders (38)

Don't overthink it. Jeanty is the top pick in rookie drafts regardless of format. If you're not a fan of his for any reason, the recommendation is to trade down rather than draft someone else. Jeanty is likely to be a consensus mid-first-round pick in 2025 redraft leagues as a 21-year-old rookie. My early prediction is that he ends up being ranked as the 1.06 in redraft formats. He enters the league as a top-three dynasty running back, and if he meets expectations, he could leap ahead of both Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs to become the consensus RB1 in dynasty by this time next year.

Tier 2 Rookies

Very little separates the four prospects who will typically come off the board between 1.02 and 1.05. How you rank the players within this tier should come down to roster needs, positional investment strategy, and your risk tolerance—especially with the most unique prospect we've seen enter the NFL in recent memory. 

1.02 Travis Hunter, WR Jaguars (24)

Whether or not you take Travis Hunter at 1.02 depends entirely on your risk appetite. If we knew he was fully committing to offense and was being evaluated as a wide receiver only, he'd be in Tier 1 just behind Jeanty. That's how talented he is. The challenge for dynasty managers is that Hunter wants to play both ways. It's easy to imagine him splitting time between offense and defense, which could limit his fantasy ceiling at either position. That said, his value has been on the rise lately. Jacksonville made it clear they traded up with the intent of featuring him on offense. I'm optimistic about Liam Coen's play-calling; what Tampa Bay's offense accomplished last year without consistent availability from Mike Evans and Chris Godwin was impressive. I'm buying into Coen's ability to scheme fantasy value for Hunter and Brian Thomas Jr. Tetairoa McMillan is the safer option and is currently being drafted slightly ahead of Hunter in early 2025 best ball leagues, though that may change. I wouldn't try to talk anyone out of taking McMillan or anyone else in this tier over Hunter—but I'm personally willing to take the swing here.

1.03 Omarion Hampton, RB Chargers (24)

There are varying opinions on Omarion Hampton among talent evaluators, but the NFL made it clear it views him as a top-tier back. Jim Harbaugh's post-draft comments were exactly what dynasty managers want to hear. He talked about Hampton as a three-down back, an impact pass catcher, and someone with a nose for the end zone. Harbaugh repeatedly emphasized Hampton's ability to handle a heavy workload. After watching his brother give Derrick Henry 325 carries last season, it's easy to see Harbaugh envisioning Hampton in a similar role—with more receptions. Factoring in scheme and offensive philosophy, this is a near-perfect landing spot.

1.04 Cam Ward, QB Titans (24)

If you need a quarterback, Cam Ward could be your pick at 1.02. But odds are, you don't—and neither do most of your leaguemates. With six rookie quarterbacks from the 2024 class already producing and holding value, the league is unusually deep at the position. In past years, it was easy to trade down or flip an extra quarterback for meaningful help elsewhere. That's no longer the case in most leagues, where managers often already have two strong starters. Ward also isn't likely to add much value as a rusher, which makes it easier to pass on him in favor of other top prospects in this tier.

1.05 Tetairoa McMillan, WR Panthers (21)

The fact that Tetairoa McMillan earned top-10 draft capital despite lacking elite speed is encouraging for his fantasy outlook. He projects as Bryce Young's top target from Day 1. Ultimately, his long-term upside will be tied closely to Young's development. 

Tier 3 Rookies

When using draft capital as a key input in dynasty valuation, it's important to make slight adjustments each year based on the strengths and weaknesses of the specific class. One of the biggest strengths of the 2025 rookie class is its depth at running back. NFL teams knew they didn't need to rush to draft one early, given how many talented runners would still be available on Day 3. In a year like this, it may be wise to treat fourth-round running backs more like late third-rounders in a typical class.

A related takeaway is that if a team was still willing to invest early-round capital in a running back despite the position's depth, it suggests they viewed that player as a clear outlier. In this class, only five running backs were selected before Round 4. We can reasonably infer that the teams who drafted them saw them as special prospects worth prioritizing over others they knew would be available later.

1.06 TreVeyon Henderson, RB Patriots (18)

The Patriots have fielded one of the league's worst offenses in recent years, which makes Henderson's landing spot less than ideal. On the bright side, the team is starting to stack offensive talent, with recent top-five picks used on quarterback Drake Maye and left tackle Will Campbell. Henderson is now the third key building block, and his pass-catching ability and big-play upside make him an exciting long-term fantasy option.

1.07 Quinshon Judkins, RB Browns (16)

I don't love the idea of investing in the 2025 Browns offense, and the fourth-round selection of Dylan Sampson adds some uncertainty. Still, Quinshon Judkins offers plenty of long-term appeal. The Browns are likely to pick early in 2026 and also hold an extra first-rounder, making it easy to envision them landing an elite quarterback and a high-end offensive lineman next year. That would put Judkins in a much stronger position to be a fantasy difference-maker.

1.08 RJ Harvey, RB Broncos (14)

RJ Harvey earns a spot in this tier thanks to his talent, position-adjusted draft capital, and the upside of playing in a Sean Payton offense. Despite that, I've seen him fall as far as 2.03 in early rookie drafts. If he slides in your league, be ready to trade up into the early second round—but don't be afraid to take him right here either.

1.09 Emeka Egbuka, WR Buccaneers (14)

Most dynasty analysis focuses on tape and physical traits, but long-term development is just as dependent on character, work ethic, and intelligence. These are the areas where Emeka Egbuka shines. It's why the NFL valued him as the WR3 in the class and why dynasty managers should consider doing the same. Expect him to quickly become a trusted option for Baker Mayfield and a reliable fantasy contributor for years to come.

Tier 4 Rookies

Keep in mind that not all tight end premium formats are created equally. In leagues where tight ends earn 0.5 more PPR than wide receivers, the positional bump is enough to push the top rookie tight ends into the late first-round conversation and the bottom of Tier 3. In formats where tight ends get 0.75 or 1.0 more PPR, they rise even further—often near the top of Tier 3. Once we reach this part of the draft, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. None of the players in this tier are a reach in the late first round. Don't overanalyze the order—just draft your guy.

1.10 Colston Loveland, TE Bears (12)

Your enthusiasm for Colston Loveland should be closely tied to how confident you are in Caleb Williams living up to his potential. If Williams becomes a superstar, Loveland could be a steal at the end of the first round. If Williams is merely solid, it may be difficult for Loveland to carve out consistent fantasy value early, given the number of mouths to feed in the Bears' offense.

1.11 Matthew Golden, WR Packers (12)

Green Bay historically avoids wide receivers in the first round, which makes their decision to draft Matthew Golden 23rd overall particularly significant. Golden should be viewed as the favorite to quickly emerge as the WR1 in an offense that has lacked a true alpha since the departure of Davante Adams.

1.12 Kaleb Johnson, RB Steelers (11)

If you believe Kaleb Johnson has the tools to become a true lead back, he's an appealing late first-round pick. If you view him as more of a long-term committee back, it's harder to justify his third-round draft capital over several first-round NFL talents still available at other positions.

2.01 Tyler Warren, TE Colts (11)

The landing spot is far from ideal. Anthony Richardson completed just 47.7% of his passes last season, and Daniel Jones hasn't shown much more as a passer. This is unlikely to be a high-volume passing attack in the near term. That said, you're investing in long-term talent, and situations can change quickly in the NFL.

2.02 Luther Burden III, WR Bears (11)

It's easier to get excited about Luther Burden III if you see a path for him to eventually replace D.J. Moore in the Bears' offense, rather than simply joining Moore and Rome Odunze. This pick sends a message that Moore needs to step up, and Burden could be in line for a larger role sooner than expected.

2.03 Jaxson Dart, QB Giants (11)

Do you view Jaxson Dart as a true first-round talent or more of a Day 2 prospect pushed up the board due to the Giants' desperation at quarterback? If it's the former, Dart is a justifiable late-first pick in Superflex formats. If it's the latter, he likely belongs near the bottom of this tier.

2.04 Jayden Higgins, WR Texans (9)

Wide receivers drafted early in the second round carry a wide range of outcomes. Jayden Higgins fits that mold, with a ceiling resembling Tee Higgins and a floor closer to Ja'Lynn Polk.