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Dynasty League First Round Rookie Mock Draft 1.0

By Bruce Matson

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Sep 27, 2014; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley (3) runs the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia defeated Tennessee 35-32. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

With the NFL season officially coming to an end, we will now embark one of the most exciting times of the year: draft season. The season where dynasty owners and draft enthusiasts spend the next four months studying and arguing over their favorite college prospects. I’m going to start off the “draft-season” by doing my first mock rookie draft. I will intend to do multiple mocks during the next few months to help shed some light on the fantasy value of some of these rookies. By doing multiple mocks I will be able to demonstrate for you some of the risers and fallers during the draft process. Let’s take a look at my first mock of the year.

1. Todd Gurley Georgia RB

Gurley is the top player on my board, and I don’t look for that to change from now until the NFL draft. Gurley is the best running back prospect to come out for a long time. He is a 3 down back, and he is very good at catching the ball. The ACL injury doesn’t concern me because players come back from that injury quite regularly. Gurley is a generational talent, and I’m not going to miss out on having him on my dynasty teams.

2. Amari Cooper Alabama WR

Cooper is my favorite receiver in the draft. He runs crisps routes and is very explosive with great short area quickness. Look for Cooper to be the first receiver taken in the draft, and more than likely being a top 10 pick. I wouldn’t be against taking Cooper at #1 overall, because I deem him the safest prospect in this rookie draft.

3. DeVante Parker Louisville WR

He’s a very explosive wide receiver, and he’s very quick at getting off the line of scrimmage. He is going to be a first round pick in the NFL draft. He’s very talented and has a very high ceiling with the potential to be a top 10 wide receiver in the NFL. Parker isn’t a guaranteed homerun pick because there’s a chance that he could be a bust, so he has some risk associated with him.

4. Melvin Gordon Wisconsin RB

I’m not as high on Gordon as a lot of dynasty owners because his skills in the receiving game are suspect. Gordon is a talented runner with great vision and speed; he is one of the best pure runners to come out in the last few years. He will go #1 overall in a lot of leagues. I don’t fault dynasty owners for selecting him there. The reason why I have him selected at 4 is that I don’t want to spend a top 3 pick to find out if he can be factor in the passing game at the NFL level. Gordon’s value is a lot higher in non-ppr leagues.

5. Kevin White West Virginia WR

White will be another wide receiver that should be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft. He has great ball skills and runs great routes, which will translate well to the NFL. In the right situation, White could be very valuable to your dynasty team.

6. Jay Ajayi Boise St. RB

Ajayi is a very hard runner who runs very well between the tackles. He has excellent vision, and he is very physical at the point of attack. The quality I like best about him is that he’s a very good receiver and that will help dynasty owners a lot in PPR leagues.

7. Dorial Green-Beckham Oklahoma WR

Beckham is a very talented wide receiver with a checkered past that my cause him to fall a little bit in the NFL draft. If Beckham would have played this season, he would have more than likely been in the top 3 in this rookie mock draft. Beckham is very talented and he does have top 10 WR upside, but he is a raw talent with a checkered past, so there is some risk associated with Beckham.

8. Devin Funchess Michigan WR

Funchess is a very interesting prospect because he’s an enormous wide receiver at 6-5 230 pounds and he moves very well for his size. He will be a matchup nightmare if he can land in a situation that will utilize him correctly. Funchess is very raw, and he doesn’t run routes very well, which makes a little bit risky.

9. T.J. Yeldon Alabama RB

Yeldon is a 3-down back, who can do it all. He is overshadowed by Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon, but don’t be mistaken. Yeldon is very talented, and if he lands in the right situation, he can be a tremendous asset for your dynasty team.

10. Tevin Coleman Indiana RB

Coleman is a big, physical 1 cut runner who can catch the ball out of the backfield. I can see Coleman rising up the board (as high as top 5) if he gets drafted in the right situation.

11. Jaelen Strong Arizona St. WR

Strong is a big, physical wide receiver who could be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft. If Strong has an impressive combine, I can see him rise up a lot of draft boards, and possibly drafted around 1.8 or higher in rookie drafts.

12. David Cobb Minnesota RB

Cobb is a big thick running back who is very agile and quick for his size. Cobb compares to Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell because he’s a quicker power back that can catch the football out of the backfield. With the lack of relevant fantasy running backs in the NFL, it doesn’t hurt to take a stab at a running back in the back half of the first round. Cobb has the potential to rise up a lot of draft boards if he gets drafted into a juicy situation.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @bmatz08 for trade advice and any help you may need with your dynasty team.

Next: Top Five 2015 NFL Draft Prospects

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