Don't Let These Rookies Fall with Derek Brown
Derek Brown, senior analyst at FantasyPros, joins Jeff Blaylock to dive deep into the 2026 rookie class. They cover what separates the longshots worth rostering from the ones to leave on the board and DBro names his favorite rookie sleepers.
“Why in the ever-loving hell are you letting Oscar Delp and Eli Raridon fall to the third and fourth rounds of drafts?”
It's hard to believe drafters are sleeping on these guys!
In Episode 39 of Dynasty Compass, Jeff Blaylock sits down with Derek Brown — DBro, senior analyst at FantasyPros — to go deep into the 2026 rookie class, well past the names that dominate first-round discussions. The episode is designed for managers in four-, five-, and six-round rookie drafts, as well as for anyone looking for waiver-wire names to monitor before the rest of the league catches on.
DBro opens by explaining why he writes up 100 skill players every year — the third year he's done it — and what motivates him to dig this far down the board. The answer is equity. The Jalen Cokers and Puka Nacuas of the world were available for nothing, and if you find even one of those every couple of years, it pays dividends in trades, pickups, and depth that your leaguemates don't have. He and Jeff walk through his process for evaluating players at this tier: the blend of film and analytics, the importance of high-end athleticism at tight end specifically, and how the path to playing time becomes the tiebreaker when multiple players look similar on paper.
The player-by-player conversation begins with wide receivers. DBro is highest on Bryce Lance and Kevin Coleman Jr. in the later rounds, and makes a detailed case for Chase Roberts as a potential starter-level contributor in Las Vegas if Jack Bech continues to underperform. He also highlights CJ Daniels' elite catch-point body control and his fit in LA's scheme, and names Eric Rivers — who fell out of the draft entirely — as his pre-draft darling and a legitimate taxi squad stash. The wide receiver segment includes a longer digression on what DBro calls "TikTok footwork" — inefficient, wasted motion at the top of route stems that college coverage schemes can hide but NFL corners will not — and on why contested catch rate is one of the most useful metrics for evaluating players at this tier.
The tight end conversation is where DBro is most emphatic. He won't draft a tight end who runs a 4.8 40 or slower and can name on one hand the players who have beaten that rule in the last decade. Within that filter, he's highest on Oscar Delp, Eli Raridon, Matthew Hibner, and Jaren Kanak — four players he believes are falling to rounds three and four of rookie drafts when their athleticism, analytics, and landing spots all argue for significantly earlier selection. On running backs, he names Kaytron Allen, Seth McGowan, and Eli Heidenreich as the names worth a look, while actively fading Demond Claiborne and Adam Randall with specific statistical backing. In Superflex, Cole Payton and Haynes King close out the episode as his two most interesting deep quarterback stashes.
Key Takeaways
Path to playing time is the deciding factor when late-round prospects look similar — reading the depth chart above a player matters as much as evaluating the player himself.
High-end athleticism at tight end is a hard prerequisite for dynasty value; DBro will not draft any tight end with a 40 time of 4.8 or slower.
Oscar Delp and Eli Raridon are DBro's two most undervalued players in the class — both project as long-term starting tight ends and both are falling to the third and fourth round of rookie drafts.
Matthew Hibner is DBro's deepest sleeper with a 9.2 RAS, 56.2% contested catch rate, and a wide-open depth chart behind an aging Mark Andrews.
Bryce Lance is available in the third and fourth round of rookie drafts despite ranking sixth in yards per route run among all FBS and FCS receivers last year — DBro sees a Christian Watson 2.0 with a clear path to starting in New Orleans.
Kevin Coleman Jr. is DBro's highest-conviction late-round wide receiver — he profiles as South Beach Jayden Reed in Bobby Slowik's scheme and is available in the fourth round of most rookie drafts.
TikTok footwork — DBro's term for inefficient, wasted motion at the top of route stems — is one of the key red flags he looks for when evaluating receivers at this tier, and why college scheme context matters so much in evaluation.
Demond Claiborne and Adam Randall are active fades; both ranked below 100th in the key contact metrics that predict NFL running back success regardless of what they showed in college speed testing.
Cole Payton and Haynes King are the Superflex names to target deep or claim off waivers, with Payton projected as Philadelphia's QB2 as soon as 2027.
Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction
08:12 – Finding first-round talent with late-round picks
14:31 – WRs: Chase Roberts & Bryce Lance
23:17 – Kevin Coleman Jr. and the Miami Dolphins' WR mess
28:04 – "TikTok footwork," contested catch rate, and what actually translates
36:04 – CJ Daniels & Eric Rivers
42:34 – TEs: Athleticism as a filter
48:17 – Oscar Delp & Eli Raridon
55:13 – Matt Hibner & Jaren Kanak
01:02:54 – RBs: Seth McGowan & Eli Heidenreich
01:10:44 – QBs: Cole Payton & Haynes King in Superflex
01:15:57 – DBro's round-by-round final picks
Related Links & Tools
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
Follow Derek Brown on Twitter/X
Follow Jeff on Twitter/X
Related Episodes
Ep. 31 – Finding Rookie Sleepers Before the NFL Draft with Alfredo Brown
Ep. 34 – What the Metrics Say About the 2026 Rookie Class with Ryan Heath
Ep. 36 – Best, Worst & 'Huh?' Rookie Landing Spots with Andrew Cooper
Ep. 21 – Scouting Rookie RBs with Dave Kluge
Ep. 23 – Scouting Rookie WRs with Jeff Bell
