One of the most fun and exciting things about dynasty football is joining a new startup draft. Whether you’re a casual fantasy football fan or a hardcore dynasty junky, chances are you’ve at least heard of dynasty football or have partaken in some lower-end keeper leagues. Dynasty leagues can be extremely addictive and turn into a year-round hobby. It’s easy to find yourself in several new leagues just for the excitement of a new startup draft. I’ll be talking about some basic strategies and tips for dynasty startup drafts for this off-season as we look ahead at the 2020 NFL season.
Draft Position
This year, it can be very beneficial to land a top draft pick. If you’re in a traditional, 1QB league, Christian McCaffrey is almost guaranteed to go off the board. Even in your Superflex or 2QB leagues, you’ll often see him as the first player off the board, with Patrick Mahomes as a close second. Whether your draft order is randomized or your league has a fun way of determining the order, a top pick that guarantees you McCaffrey or Saquon Barkley is really tough to pass on. If you have the choice or are a savvy enough owner to trade up, a top-two pick has the clearcut most value, unlike other years where there might be five or six players with such a high price tag that it might be worth taking a slightly later pick if possible, to maximize the value you get out of your second-round pick.
This year, if you can choose your draft position I’d try as much as you can to solidify a first or second pick. The value of McCaffrey and Barkley is just far and away higher than any other players right now. Whether you want to build around one of them or try and sell one-off for a king’s ransom, the top two picks this year have immense value.
Trading Back
One strategy that is always viable in a startup, is moving back. It never fails that in every league you join, there will always be some owners that have “their guys” who they will pay up for to draft. Take your time when it’s your turn to pick. Most startup drafts are slow and give everyone a few hours to pick. Use this to your advantage and don’t be afraid to be the owner that takes a while on his picks. If you know your league-mates, you probably have an idea of what players they really like or dislike, or they might be one of those owners that tends to chase youth or veterans. Getting a feel for your league can be very beneficial, and will really help you if you try and trade back.
Don’t be too crazy about it and constantly try to trade back, as that can get you in trouble at times and make you miss out on some value. It’s good to find a nice medium with trading back and be open to it, but also don’t be afraid to trade up if there’s one particular player that has fallen a bit and you can capitalize on the value if possible. Ultimately, you can trade back and acquire more picks or future picks, while being mindful of the value that is sitting there staring you in the face when you’re on the clock.
Superflex and Tight End Premium Leagues
If you’re an avid dynasty player, there’s a good chance you’ve joined a league that is Superflex, 2QB, or even a tight end premium league or perhaps a combination of Superflex and tight end premium. These leagues are gaining more popularity as dynasty fans are typically looking for more ways to make their leagues competitive or more in-depth. Quarterbacks have immense value in Superflex and 2QB leagues, and the tight end premium leagues obviously bring much more value to the tight end position. These different formats make leagues very interesting as you can take different draft approaches and trading gets much more interesting.
If you’re partaking in a Superflex league, I tend to go fairly heavy on quarterbacks early. If you’re in 2QB leagues, it’s almost impossible not to grab a quarterback or two with your first three or four picks. If you try to wait on quarterbacks in these leagues you can very quickly find yourself staring at Jared Goff or Aaron Rodgers as your number one quarterback, and with guys like that on the board, it’s hard to pass up on the value you’ll be seeing at the running back and wide receiver positions. In 2QB leagues, you’ll want to come away with at least five quarterbacks if possible. Gambling on late-round guys and rookies like Jacob Eason or Taysom Hill can be some potentially valuable picks in the future. Superflex leagues you obviously have more flexibility as you’re only required to start one, but being able to start two solid quarterbacks week in and week out can put your team at a major advantage. Personally, I had an owner last year who ended up with Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. Obviously, that’s a dream scenario, but he dominated week in and week out and won our league with ease after taking me out in the championship. In Superflex leagues, I like to come away from a draft owning four or five quarterbacks, even more if it’s a deeper league. This is especially true in leagues where quarterbacks get six points per passing touchdowns, which is fairly normal.
In tight end premium leagues, I like to grab a top tight end if possible, even if it means reaching a bit. Typically, tight ends receive two points per reception while other players gain just one. In that case, I like to grab a tight end in the first three or four rounds, and George Kittle is a low-end first-round pick. With late-round picks, I love to grab a few veterans with immediate upside like Jack Doyle or Kyle Rudolph who have essentially been considered left for dead. In leagues where tight ends only get an additional 0.5 points per reception, I back off tight ends a bit, but with most leagues I’ve participated in being an extra full point, don’t be afraid to load up on four or five tight ends. It’s also easier to take some late-round flyers on rookies or young tight ends such as Devin Asiasi or Jace Sternberger.
Wide Receivers vs. Running Backs
Typically in a dynasty startup, I like to target wide receivers as they tend to have a longer shelflife in the NFL than running backs do. This year, as stated previously, don’t be afraid to jump all over the value of McCaffrey or Barkley if you have a top pick, but if you’re sitting in the middle of the pack or towards the end, there’s a good chance you’re going to be looking at some very valuable and talented wide receivers. Michael Thomas, DeAndre Hopkins, and Davante Adams are currently my top three wide receivers for dynasty and based on drafts I’ve participated in or seen, you can easily land one of these guys towards the end of the first round. Probably not Thomas, but it always depends on how your league drafts, or if you’re in Superflex or 2QB leagues he’ll likely be a mid-late first-round pick.
In the second round, there’s a good chance you’ll be staring at a tough decision between a top running back like Joe Mixon or Nick Chubb and a top wide receiver like Odell Beckham Jr. or Amari Cooper. Honestly, even if I took a stud like Hopkins in round one, I’d be ecstatic to pair them with another wide receiver like Cooper, Mike Evans, or Chris Godwin. Regardless of how you feel about these particular players, there is young talent at the wide receiver position that can really benefit your dynasty team for the long haul. Running backs come and go, but we see top wide receivers like Hopkins, Julio Jones, or Evans continue to produce year in and year out. Running backs can win you a league, as we saw that in McCaffrey this year, but I tend to like to build my startup roster around stud receivers, and draft rookie running backs in the following dynasty rookie drafts in later years. For example, this year you could be sitting with a solid group of wide receivers and throw in a young running back like Jonathan Taylor or Clyde Edwards-Helaire and get a potential RB1 season out of them in year one.
All that being said, it still is very important not to ignore the value. If you are a fan of taking stud running backs early, be sure to grab a few young wide receivers to go with them to secure some long-term value. Don’t be afraid to go wide receiver heavy and plug in some veteran running backs like Melvin Gordon or Todd Gurley who fall considerably in dynasty startup drafts as of late. If you can get a year or two out of a veteran running back, while loading up on stud wide receivers, your team will be set up to win now, while also keeping your team competitive for years to come. Every draft is different and at the end of the day there’s simply no perfect strategy, but from my experience, loading up on wide receivers can be very beneficial for your dynasty teams. Below I’ve listed some late-round favorites of mine that will give you a good balance of veterans and young players with immediate value or long-term upside.
- Late-Round RB Targets: Jordan Howard, Eno Benjamin, Alexander Mattison, and Tony Pollard
- Late-Round WR Targets: Marvin Jones, Van Jefferson, Anthony Miller, and James Washington
- Late-Round TE Targets: Jack Doyle, Will Dissly, Blake Jarwin, and Tyler Higbee
