Late-Round Dynasty Rookie Dart Throws

Last week, I broke down how I approach the first two rounds of a dynasty rookie draft. Today, let’s dive into the rest of it. We will discuss some of my favorite players by position who are widely available after the first 24 picks. I will spare you the deep dive into the data and tell you that we call these darts, because after the second round, we are looking at a 10% hit rate at absolute best. If you are interested in talking more about hit rates with rookie picks, feel free to find me in the FTN Discord, and I’ll be happy to chat your ear off.

Like the article before, let’s assume this is a 12-person league. Scoring will assume half-PPR and superflex, no TE premium. In addition to telling you what players I like to throw darts at and why, I will also tell you the ideal spot to grab them in case you want to facilitate some fun trades to spice up the back half of your rookie draft.

Quarterback

Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns

Early third round

Listen, it’s clear the NFL doesn’t like this guy. Apparently, the risk simply wasn’t worth the reward. But I don’t doubt he can still play. Sanders is smart, decisive and accurate in the short to intermediate game. He doesn’t bring rushing upside, but he doesn’t need to. His skill set fits the modern NFL, and he’s stepping into a Browns QB room with no long-term answer. The draft capital isn’t ideal, but I still think he’s got the tools to earn a shot. In the early third in superflex, this is exactly the type of dart I want to throw.

Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns

Late third round

I generally like Dillon Gabriel as a prospect. I wasn’t in on him pre-draft, but I did say it wouldn’t shock me if he figured something out to find the field at some point in his career. He’s a gamer. He’s an experienced starter with a quick release and plenty of reps in high-tempo systems. But what makes him interesting is the Day 2 draft capital and the opportunity in Cleveland. The Browns don’t have a long-term solution at quarterback, and taking two shots on Gabriel and Shedeur tells us they’re open to a real competition. Gabriel’s game isn’t flashy, but he’s accurate, experienced, and can move when he needs to. That’s enough for me to throw a dart in the late third of superflex rookie drafts.