It's time to stop speculating and start getting ready to absorb, react to, and act on everything that happens in Green Bay on April 24-26. For a lot of us, a big part of that is our dynasty rookie drafts. For the 20th time, I'm bringing you my top 100 players for fantasy leagues (including IDPs!). As always, me, Matt Waldman, Bob Harris, and a ton of guests will be broadcasting and reacting live to the first round on our youtube channel. I'll be updating this for draft capital and destination by Tuesday after the draft.

The Bloom 100 is ranked with the following type of dynasty fantasy football league in mind:

• Full IDP lineups including DT and CB
• PPR, start 3 WR
• Deep lineups and rosters

How are the classes for each position?

Quarterback: Okay at the top, but overall below average.

Cam Ward is in the Kyler Murray mold and Jalen Milroe is in the Anthony Richardson mold, so we have two potential QB1s with top 5-6 upside. There are three more (Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, and Tyler Shough) who should get a chance to start, but have modest fantasy upside. For deep superflex leagues, Quinn Ewers and Kyle McCord could at least get a chance to play during their rookie deals if they are on a weak depth chart and Nathan Rourke is a Matt Waldman favorite.

Running Back: A special prospect and a ton of future contributors.

Ashton Jeanty is on the Bijan Robinson/Saquon Barkley level as a talent. There are at least four more backs who should be drafted as, at worst, 1As, but upwards of 15-20 after that who should carve out a role and could exceed expectations. The dropoff in quality of prospects from the second to fourth round is not very steep.

Wide Receiver: A marquee #1 who will also play defense and a ton of future contributors.

Travis Hunter is the best wide receiver prospect in this class. He also happens to be the best cornerback prospect in this class, which seemingly complicates his projection, but don't overthink it. After that, there is a deep and diverse group of talents that fit in as secondary options in passing games, but a lack of star power to match last year's stellar group of rookies.

Tight End: A pair of first round picks and good depth through the third day.

Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren will go in the first round and have top 5, but not elite upside. There is a wide range of profiles in the second day range that are intriguing for fantasy and even a few potential future starters on the third day in a deep group.

Defensive Tackle: There's no top-end fantasy prospect here unless Shemar Stewart is classified as a defensive tackle, but a few that could be starters if your league requires two.

Edge Rusher: Abdul Carter has the potential to be the most valuable edge in IDP leagues in a few years, and there will be six or seven more taken in the top 50 picks or so. Since IDP leagues moved to "true position", there is a much larger pool of edge defenders, so that lowers the value of this group.

Linebacker: Carson Schwesinger is a tackle-heavy league special and Jalon Walker and Jihaad Campbell will go high with enhanced value in sack-heavy scoring systems, given their hybrid off-ball/edge linebacker profiles. The rest of the offball group is made up mostly of players who could shine as either early down or passing down options, but probably not both.

Cornerback: The rookie corner rule starters don't have particularly fantasy friendly outlooks, so you can almost ignore the position, outside of Hunter, who will be the most valuable cornerback in fantasy football history.

Safety: Nick Emmanwori has the size, athletic gifts, blitzing, and ball thief ability to become the most valuable safety in fantasy leagues, but there's little else to be interested in.

Is this is a good rookie class for dynasty leagues?

Eh. Unless you have the 1.1 or catch a falling Travis Hunter in the first round, the opening frame is very overrated, but the quality of the first half of the second half is similar to the quality of the second half of the first, and the quality of the third round is similar to the back half of the second. Trading down is the order of the day, especially if you can get 2026 picks for your trouble. When you add in how some players will disappoint because of draft capital and landing spot, you might want to get out of your first round picks before the NFL draft. The running back and wide receiver groups are overstuffed with future NFL contributors and will reward patient dynasty players in deep leagues with long benches or taxi squads.

Pre-Draft Strategy Cheatsheet

• Try to trade up to 1.01, even if feels like an overpay, especially if your 2025 first is part of what you are sending back
• Try to trade up for Travis Hunter if he's still there around 1.05 or 1.06
• Consider trying to trade out of the second half of the first round into the early second before the NFL draft if you think Hunter will go in the top 5 of your rookie draft
• The quality of the RB/WR in the first and second rounds isn't that different. Quality of landing spot could matter more than draft capital in this class, so you want to be in the second round instead of the back half of the first, unless you are spending your first on Travis Hunter, or Colston Loveland/Tyler Warren in a TE Premium.
• Everyone's boards will be very different at running back, so you can trade down and still get a similar quality back through the second and third rounds.
• Unless you are taking Abdul Carter, Carson Schwesinger, or Nick Emmanwori, you're probably better off passing on IDPs altogether and just tracking potential waiver pickups during the summer.

Underrated Prospects

• Travis Hunter (WR-Colorado) - a value at 1.03 or later in 1QB leagues.
• Jalen Milroe (QB-Alabama) - he'll instantly be one of the most gifted runners in the league and only needs to be serviceable as a passer to become a fantasy QB1.
• Jack Bech (WR-TCU) - Bech is an ideal power slot and should appeal to teams that run a McShanahan system like Jacksonville and Houston. He's not as flashy as Burden and closer to Emeka Egbuka than rookie rankings indicate.
• Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel (WR-Iowa State) - Higgins and Noel's range of outcomes isn't that different from Tetairoa McMillan and Luther Burden, but at a fraction of the cost in the second round.
• Brashard Smith (RB-SMU) - Smith is just scratching the surface of his potential as a running back, but is clearly a downfield threat as a receiver and could grow into an Austin Ekeler type of fantasy talent.
• Montrell Johnson Jr. (RB-Florida) - Johnson is a big strong back with 4.41 speed who was playing hurt in 2024, which might be causing the NFL to sleep on his upside in this deep RB class.
• Bhayshul Tuten (RB-Virginia Tech) - Tuten has the speed to hit home runs and that could make his fumbles tolerable. Think Elijah Mitchell if he could stay healthy.
• Kyle Williams (WR-Washington State) - Williams is a speed merchant who has big play specialist potential as a secondary option.
• Tahj Brooks (RB-Texas Tech) - Brooks is a similar talent to the backs going a round or two ahead of him in rookie drafts.

Overrated Prospects

• Omarion Hampton (RB-North Carolina), TreVeyon Henderson (RB-Ohio State) - Trade down to get Hunter or even further into the first to get a similar talent at running back + a first next year instead of taking them in the top five of your rookie draft.
• Shedeur Sanders (QB-Colorado) - He should have a clear path to a starting spot. However, his fantasy profile is on the Andy Dalton/Geno Smith axis, so he's unlikely to ever be a difference-maker in 1QB leagues.
• Devin Neal (RB-Kansas) - Neal has a loyal following that is making him one of the first second-tier backs off of the board. Take a similar back later.
• RJ Harvey (RB-UCF) - Like Neal, Harvey usually has a big fan or two in every league and will cost a premium over other second-tier backs.
• Elic Ayomanor (WR-Stanford) - Ayomanor has a high floor and low ceiling. A lot of receivers that go after him have a better chance of true fantasy relevance.
• Harold Fannin Jr. (TE-Bowling Green) - Fannin was highly productive, but just doesn't have the movement quality of a primary NFL passing game option.

THE PRE-DRAFT BLOOM 100

1. Ashton Jeanty (RB-Boise State) - Jeanty is in the neighborhood of Bijan Robinson and Saquon Barkley as a prospect. Everyone will have him #1 overall regardless of format. Yet, his value is still underestimated in dynasty circles. He's worth your 2025, 2026, and 2027 first-round picks. He's likely to go off of the board somewhere between #6 (Las Vegas) and #10 (Chicago).

**Tier Break**

2. Travis Hunter (WR/CB-Colorado) - If Hunter goes #2 to Cleveland or #4 to New England, he should be the consensus #2 pick in 1QB leagues because those teams will play him primarily at wide receiver. If the Giants take him at #3, that will complicate things because they already have Malik Nabers. He's still worth targeting at a depressed value if he's a Giant because he's the only truly elite wide receiver talent in this draft, and he may force them to play him more than they envisioned on offense because of his ability to change the game on both sides of the ball. Still, if the Giants take Hunter, everyone holding the #2 pick in 1QB leagues should look to trade out of the pick - and take Hunter or a running back later in the first, if not trade completely out of the first round and get a first next year.

**Tier Break**

3. Tetairoa McMillan (WR-Arizona) - McMillan is not quite on the level of Drake London, but he might go as high as London did (#8 - Carolina this year). He's roughly on the level of Tee Higgins as a talent. He might not have to be a second fiddle to Ja'Marr Chase, but he also might not have as prolific a quarterback as Joe Burrow. McMillan won't be the kind of wide receiver who ends up in the first round of redraft leagues, but he could be close with his combination of size, ball skills, and flexibility/movement. He's more finesse than strength and could have an adjustment period to cornerbacks who aren't afraid of him because of his lack of true deep speed. McMillan isn't a bad return on the #3 pick, but he's not exactly exciting either.

4. Luther Burden III (WR-Missouri) - Burden should get a lot of short range targets to fatten up his PPR value, and there is untapped potential as a downfield receiver. However, if he doesn't develop as a route runner, he could end up being closer to Laviska Shenault Jr than Deebo Samuel Sr. He could fall out of the first round because he's not a fit for every team depending on how much they value blocking and polish from their slot receiver, but the hope is that the team that takes him cares a lot more about playmaking ability from the position. Fun Facts from Dane Brugler: Burden played in high school with Jameson Williams as a freshman, and Williams calls Burden his "little brother". Burden was also an outstanding high school basketball player who led his team to the state championship as a sophomore.

5. Emeka Egbuka (WR-Ohio State) - Egbuka, like Burden is more of a slot, but he's a willing and able blocker. He's also more skilled as a route runner, but much less dangerous with the ball in his hands than Burden. His draft value might not translate to production as much as Burden's, but he has a lower bust risk. Landing spot will be important, as he could end up being a primary target like Kupp, Smith-Njigba, or St. Brown, but giving us more inconsistent week-to-week numbers like Jordan Addison or Jayden Reed's could also be his fate. Fun Fact from Dane Brugler: Egbuka spent his summers in Germany and was good enough at soccer to be invited to try out for the Nigerian Junior National Team.

6. TreVeyon Henderson (RB-Ohio State) - Henderson is not Jahmyr Gibbs. He's tough for a lighter back, but he just doesn't have the physical edge that Gibbs has a runner and isn't as creative. Matt Waldman invoked Jerick McKinnon when breaking down Henderson's game, and I think that is a good median case scenario. If Henderson ends up in a top offense, he'll move up, but he seems a bit overrated because of Gibbs' smashing success.

7. Omarion Hampton (RB-North Carolina) - Hampton doesn't stand out in the second tier of backs in my eyes, but he's projected to go as the #2 back off the board and is probably the favorite to be the 1.02 in 1QB leagues. Like Judkins, he could be a three-down back. Both backs could also end up with a David Montgomery role, which isn't a recipe for RB1 production. Hampton is one of the more overrated players in rookie drafts right now, but an ideal landing spot like Dallas or Denver will change that.

8. Kaleb Johnson (RB-Iowa) - Johnson is roughly in the same galaxy of talent as Judkins and Hampton, but he'll last until the second round. He's a perfect fit in a zone running back and is almost sure to be drafted into one. It won't be surprising at all if he's the second most valuable fantasy back in this class in two or three years.

9. Quinshon Judkins (RB-Ohio State) - The second tier of running backs is tightly packed and should sort itself out based on draft capital and landing spot. Judkins wasn't as efficient as Treyveon Henderson, but his physical running style will translate and he has good enough passing down chops to be a possible three-down back. 

10. Cam Ward (QB-Miami) - Ward should go #2 in superflex drafts even though he might not have been in the top three quarterbacks last year. That should tell you how much the value of first round picks in superflex leagues is down this year. The fantasy potential is there - something like a better passing Kyler Murray - so don't overlook his value in the back half of the first in 1QB leagues.

11. Abdul Carter (EDGE-Penn State) - Carter has a chance to be as valuable as any edge defender in IDP leagues. He has a background as an off-ball linebacker and can play in space. He's a bendy, twitchy, speedy edge rusher with a deep bag of tricks despite being new to the position. He's active against the run and generally plays with his hair on fire. In sack-heavy scoring systems, he should be a very early consideration.

12. Jalen Milroe (QB-Alabama) - Milroe has Jalen Hurts upside and his floor is closer to Justin Fields than it is to Malik Willis. He has a wide range of outcomes in the draft, but the NFL invited him to Green Bay, so don't be surprised if he goes in the first round. Milroe is a very talented and fast runner, and he's also a good deep passer. With more consistency in the short and intermediate passing game, he'll be one of the biggest hits in 2025 rookie drafts.

13. Tyler Warren (TE-Penn State) - Warren isn't an overwhelming prospect as a receiver on the level of Brock Bowers, and he won't draw Trey McBride kind of volume, but he should be one of the primary targets in his pass offense, and he could get short yardage runs a la Taysom Hill. Listen closely for what his team says about his use in that area after the draft.

14. Colston Loveland (TE-Michigan) - Loveland was the rare tight end that was the clear #1 target in his college pass offense, similar to Sam LaPorta. Like Warren, he doesn't have elite fantasy upside. Todd Heap is a common comparison to Loveland's game. He could have a nice stretch of years in the TE3-5 range. 

15. Jack Bech (WR-TCU) - Bech could be a very productive big slot with his strength, footwork, hands, and toughness.  He could quickly become a favorite target with his reliability at the catch point and consistent execution. He's not a burner, but is still dangerous after the catch. He's a great fit in a McShanahan offense and should get the most out of what he has to offer in the pros. Bech's story is compelling - his little brother died when a man decided to plow down pedestrians on Bourbon Street on January 1. Bech caught the game-winning last-second score in the Senior Bowl later that month.

16. Cam Skattebo (RB-Arizona State) - Skattebo is a great example of "what can you do" being great than "what can't you do". He's not going to out-quick anyone in a phone booth, which would seem to make him a clunky pro back when combined with his fire hydrant build. His ability to gain yards after contact and his short-area acceleration compensate for his limitations, and he's also a valuable player in the passing game. He could easily be one of the 2-3 most productive backs in this class.

17. Matthew Golden (WR-Texas) - Golden has the kind of skillset that the NFL loves to draft early, but as Scott Barrett shows us, the fastest wide receiver in the draft is rarely a hit for fantasy. Golden might not even be that much better than his college teammate in this draft, Isaiah Bond. Golden is tough and skilled and could be a hit in a good pass offense, but the track record of his archetype is a yellow flag for taking him too early

18. Jayden Higgins (WR-Iowa State) - Higgins is in the same archetype as Tet McMillan and could end up being as or more productive if he's in a better environment. He has the size, speed, and ball skills to hang with NFL outside corners, and he could become a preferred red zone target. Dane Brugler Fun Fact: Higgins didn't concentrate on football until later in his high school years and was unheralded as a college recruit. He had to claw his way up the ladder to get this far.

19. Jaylin Noel (WR-Iowa State) - Noel is a very reliable target who should be a trusted secondary option for a quarterback, consistently creating separation with enough speed and quickness to add some value after the catch. He's unlikely to be a first-round pick, but if he lands in a better offense than the first-round wideouts, he has the goods to outproduce them.

20. Carson Schwesinger (LB-UCLA) - Schwesinger is the best linebacker pick in a somewhat lackluster class for fantasy. The game speaks to him, and he's usually in the right place at the right time. He's a sure tackler and should fill up the stat sheet, while possessing the chops in coverage to never leave the field. He'll be a green dot leader of his defense with the hunger of a one-time walk-on who wasn't highly regarded coming out of high school.

**Tier Break**

21. Bhayshul Tuten (RB-Virginia Tech) - Tuten is a big play waiting to happen with the contact balance, acceleration, and fifth gear to take it to the house. He isn't an efficient runner who faithfully stays north-south, but he is still physical and tough. His run-after-catch ability will be valued, and he's good enough as a pass protector to be considered a potential three-down back. The biggest issue here is fumbles, with nine in the last two years, but coaches will tolerate that from home run hitters.