With all due respect to "Franchise Mode" in the Madden video game, a dynasty fantasy football league is just about the closest thing a football fan can get to really being an NFL general manager.

Just like for a real football team, success in a dynasty rookie draft can set up a fantasy manager for years. On the other hand, missing on a first-rounder or turning in a weak draft class can do the opposite.

Waive wire additions are always important, but the best way to sustain success in dynasty formats is through the rookie draft.

We're here to help. With this new mock draft series, I'm going to go through the top 12 picks for a 2025 PPR dynasty rookie league. Let's get started.

Managers fortunate enough to have the No. 1 pick in dynasty rookie drafts this year don't have to do too much thinking. With the No. 1 pick in a PPR rookie dynasty draft, I recommend targeting Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty.

So does everybody else.

Fantasy managers can learn a lot from the offseason rankings from Fantasy Pros. According to the fantasy website, Jeanty is, by far, the consensus No. 1 rookie for fantasy football this fall.

How can one tell? Well, his highest ranking from any anaylst and lowest ranking from any analyst are the same -- No. 1.

Put another way, not a single fantasy expert would rather have any other rookie than Jeanty this year. It's not hard to see why.

Jeanty led the country with 2,601 rushing yards and scored 30 total touchdowns at Boise State last season. That was a year after he ran for 1,347 rushing yards to lead the Mountain West in 2023.

Jeanty averaged 6.6 yards per carry in his final two college seasons.

"This top-flight running back is capable of becoming the face of an offense in a league where the pendulum might be swinging back to the running game," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote prior to the draft. "Jeanty has future All-Pro talent."

But not only was Jeanty the top running back prospect in the 2025 class, he landed in an ideal situation to make an immediate fantasy impact.

The Raiders also added veteran Raheem Mostert this offseason. But fantasy managers hardly need to worry about that. The 33-year-old took a significant step back with his touches and production in Miami after a 2023 Pro Bowl campaign.

Mostert is firmly entrenched as the RB2, with Jeanty at the top of the depth chart.

The Raiders don't have a lot else to offer offensively. Signal-caller Geno Smith became a solid surprising starter for the Seattle Seahawks beginning in 2022, but he's a bridge quarterback at this point in his career. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers posted 1,000 receiving yards last season, but on a strong offense, he's probably more suited for a WR2 role.

The lack of talent on Las Vegas' offense could hurt Jeanty's value initially, but what it means is it's his show. He's the guy the offense is going to run through every week. That will definitely be true this season and will likely remain the case for quite some time.

That makes Jeanty a safe fantasy draft choice, yet his talent gives him tremendous upside. He's a no-brainer at No. 1 in any rookie dynasty league.