Dynasty Single-QB Rookie Mock Draft: When To Take Fernando Mendoza?

Dynasty fantasy football managers love the NFL Draft because come on, they finally get to know where all these great college prospects are going to land. But even better, they get to start up rookie drafts. That's why we're doing this mock draft, to give you a taste of where these players line up in a single-QB rookie draft. And if you missed our superflex mock draft, find it here. We're pretty sure you know where the draft is going to start, but after that, there are some surprises.

Dynasty Single-QB Rookie Mock Draft, First Round

1.01 - Jeremiyah Love | RB | Cardinals

Jake: There wasn’t a realistic landing spot for Love that would’ve moved him off the 1.01 spot in 1-QB leagues. The Cardinals will offer a similar backfield to that of the Falcons last year. Love will essentially be the Bijan Robinson to Tyler Allgeier’s…Tyler Allgeier. (Poor guy can’t catch a break.)

I have no concerns about James Conner or Trey Benson siphoning off valuable touches from the 3rd overall pick. In fact, I doubt both of them are on the team come August. Arizona’s offensive line is the bigger concern in the short term, though at least they added some beef to it later in the draft.

1.02 - Carnell Tate | WR | Titans

Sam: I hadn't pegged the Titans to be a landing spot for one of these top wideouts, but I certainly don't mind it. Tennessee is doing a nice job of surrounding Cam Ward with weapons, as they signed Wan'Dale Robinson and drafted Carnell Tate to play alongside Calvin Ridley. There are certainly worse receiver rooms out there (looking at you, Miami).

Tate was already my No. 1 wideout in this class, and with his draft capital accounted for he's now tied for No. 3 overall in our Rookie WR Super Model dating back to 2017. On paper, it's hard to get much better than that and I have no issue keeping Tate as the first wideout in rookie drafts. He should start Week 1 and eventually become the go-to option in this offense.

1.03 - Makai Lemon | WR | Eagles

Jake: As a general rule, I don’t count bad landing spots against talented receivers, because I believe talent eventually wins out. That said, Makai Lemon isn’t the type of receiver I expected Philadelphia to pair with DeVonta Smith after A.J. Brown’s presumed departure in June. Size-wise, we’ll be looking at a bit of a Bert and Ernie situation: one tall and lanky, the other short and a little mischievous.

Still, the Eagles traded up (with their nemesis, even) to make sure they landed Lemon. That signals he will have a significant role in the offense from the jump.

1.04 - Jordyn Tyson | WR | Saints

Sam: I gotta say, of the consensus top-3 wideouts entering this draft, I'm fairly pleased with all three landing spots. I've been touting Tyler Shough and his potential for the last few weeks (months, honesty) and adding Jordyn Tyson only amplifies my Shough aspirations. He slots in well next to Chris Olave and should have no issue garnering a significant workload from Day 1.

1.05 - KC Concepcion | WR | Browns

Jake: I get that Cleveland doesn’t feel like a sexy destination for a receiver, but it offers one of the clearest paths for a rookie to climb to the top of the depth chart. Pre-draft, KC Concepcion had been peering at the Tier 1 of receivers through a thin pane of glass. Now? I think he at least deserves to stand awkwardly in the corner of that room.

We don’t know how the QB cards will fall, but at least we know Shedeur Sanders was capable of feeding multiple receivers in college. Regardless, Concepcion’s talent and versatility is enough to overcome a mediocre situation.

1.06 - Jadarian Price | RB | Seahawks

Sam: The Seahawks ended Day 1 by making a splash pick at the RB position. Jadarian Price was the consensus RB2 heading into draft weekend and his Round 1 draft capital only solidified that spot.

The departure of Kenneth Walker and subsequent injury to Zach Charbonnet opens up this backfield in a big way. Price isn't much of a pass catcher, but he'll have every opportunity to earn lead-back duties this summer and once the season gets going.

However, if you want something relatively insightful, here's a great tweet that highlights just how random those end-of-Round 1 RB picks have been in recent years. Should we be worried about Price?

1.07 - Omar Cooper | WR | Jets

Jake: Look, someone had to go to the Jets. It was inescapable. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Cooper’s YAC abilities are exactly what this offense has been missing. His high-end comp of Deebo Samuel also suggests he won’t need to step on Garrett Wilson’s target share to succeed in your fantasy lineup.

But don’t be surprised if this is the point in your draft where managers start throwing their picks on the trade block.

1.08 - Kenyon Sadiq | TE | Jets

Sam: I'm gonna be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about the Jets as a landing spot for the TE1 of this draft class. However, the Jets do seem relatively flush with talent at all three offensive skill positions, but there remains a glaring, New York-sized hole, on their roster … QB.

This is nothing against Geno Smith, who remains a quality option for any franchise, but he's certainly not the long-term option. Kenyon Sadiq should carve out a role relatively soon, but he'll have to compete with 2025 second-round pick Mason Taylor, who was solid in his own right as a rookie.

Our projections do have Sadiq easily outpacing Taylor this season and that trend should only continue in dynasty formats. Let's hope the Jets land their QB of the future soon. Either way, Sadiq is a fine pick in this range.

1.09 - Eli Stowers | TE | Eagles

Jake: Prior to the NFL Draft, I was all-in on Sadiq. Now I’m cautiously optimistic. I’m also much higher on Eli Stowers, given the impending departures of A.J. Brown in June and likely Dallas Goedert next year.

Stowers had a productive college career at Vanderbilt, probably because he played more like a receiver than a traditional tight end. The Eagles clearly have a plan for their new offensive scheme, and I could see Stowers playing a significant and fantasy-relevant role.

1.10 - Fernando Mendoza | QB | Raiders

Sam: Even in a 1-QB league, I have no problem spending a late first-round pick on No. 1 overall selection Fernando Mendoza. He'll be given every opportunity to be successful in the NFL, and there's nothing we've seen throughout his career that indicates he'll have any more challenges than any other rookie QB.

In a 1-QB format, you likely don't have an immediate need at QB (at least I hope not), but it's still a good idea to take some solid swings at guys like Mendoza whenever you have the opportunity to do so. There aren't a ton of guys I like past Round 1 anyway, so I'll probably have a few different shares of Mendoza on taxi squads this season.

1.11 - Denzel Boston | WR | Browns

Jake: Sam took Denzel Boston at this very spot in our superflex mock draft, and I really wanted to be different. To stand out from the crowd. To show off my big and boundless brain. But frankly, it was the smart choice by him, as usual.

The same argument for Concepcion applies to Boston, though I admittedly think the former offers much more fantasy upside. The Browns are overhauling their offense and Boston offers the prototypical boundary prowess they’ve been lacking. Hopefully he can deliver some consistency.

1.12 - De'Zhaun Stribling | WR | 49ers

Sam: While Price was the somewhat surprising pick to end Day 1, the 49ers got Day 2 started with a bang when they selected De'Zhaun Stribling.

Heading into the draft, there was nothing inherently exciting about Stribling from a scouting perspective. However, draft capital carries a ton of weight and there's always the chance the 49ers know something we don't. That's why I'm fine sneaking him into the back-end of Round 1.

Stribling will compete with Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk, Christian McCaffrey and eventually George Kittle for targets. He's a low-priority pick so if you needed more immediate production from your 1.12 selection, I have no problem looking elsewhere.