There are many different approaches to a startup draft based on process and strategy. We recently dove into a dynasty startup.
League Settings
- The Boredroom 🪅
- 12 team, Superflex, PPR, 0.5 TE Premium
- Start 11 – QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 3 FLX, 1 SF
- 26 Bench, 5 taxi
Startup Draft Settings
- 34 rounds
- Third Round Reversal
- 2024 rookie picks included as kickers in startup
- Link to Startup Draft
Chalk
Process: Drafting from the 1.01 position in a dynasty startup can be both an enviable and challenging situation. Holding the first overall pick gives you access to the cream of the crop. However, it can also put you in a tricky spot, especially if you’re looking to move back and accumulate additional assets to kick-start your team’s build.
When I signaled that the 1.01 was on the trading block, I was met with little interest, forcing me to make a few selections before closing some deals. Once you are able to move back, you can snowball that move in multiple picks. In a Superflex league, where QBs hold increased value, establishing a solid QB foundation becomes crucial. Recognizing this, my strategy pivoted towards securing reliable quarterbacks to anchor my team. Beyond quarterbacks, I aimed to acquire an elite, young WR1. Wide receivers are invaluable assets in dynasty leagues as cornerstone pieces for fantasy teams for many years. Securing such a player would provide a consistent scoring threat and a key building block for my team’s future.
This approach reflects a broader strategy in dynasty formats: the balance between winning now and planning for the future. By being aggressive and trading back and focusing on key positions and player archetypes, I aimed to position my team for both immediate competitiveness and sustained success. Read more about my dynasty fantasy football strategy in The Art of Dynasty.
1.01 – Josh Allen
It was impossible to trade back from the 1.01 so I took the best QB in fantasy football. There were concerns that Allen would run less, lowering his elite ceiling, but he proved once again why he should be at the top of all dynasty rankings. Even with questions at WR heading into the offseason (Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis), Allen has Dalton Kincaid as a go-to weapon and we know Buffalo will ensure Allen has options at receiver.
2.12 – Tua Tagovailoa
Wiz sniped Dak a mere 2 spots ahead of me (which was painful) and with the third-round reversal I wanted to lock in a QB with strong upside. Tua has been up and down over the past 2 seasons but at least we avoided any head injuries in 2023. Assuming he signs an extension (and all signs indicate that he will), Tua is tied to Tyreek and Wadde in an explosive Mike McDaniel offense for the foreseeable future. In hindsight, I may have been better off waiting on the 2nd QB and taking one in round 5 or 6.
3.12 – Jaylen Waddle
I wanted an elite young WR as a cornerstone and with Tua already in tow, Waddle falling to me was a gift. The pick immediately before was Tyreek (and tried to trade him to me), which made me feel much better about taking the 2nd Dolphins receiver.
4.01 – Trade
With WRs like Aiyuk, Moore, Pittman, on the board, it was tempting to take a second WR but I needed to find a trade to start accumulating value in the draft. I aggressively shopped the pick as I really did not want to take back-to-back picks if possible. I was able to move back to 5.05 and added 7.05.
5.05 – DeVon Achane
Even with a Dolphins stack already in tow, I was excited to start my RB room with a solid option like Achane who has elite upside as part of a trade back from 4.01. I think Achane has the ability to find himself in the top 5 of dynasty RBs.
5.12 – 2024 1.07
In the landscape of Superflex dynasty rookie drafts, the concept of tier-based valuation plays a pivotal role in strategic decision-making. The ability to secure players like Odunze or Bowers towards the latter part of the 5th round (with the rookie 1.07) is a strategic coup.
6.01 – TJ Hockenson
Hockenson, despite his recovery from an ACL injury, retains his status as an elite tight end in fantasy football. His performance is anticipated to sustain his significant impact in TE premium leagues, where his skills as a reliable pass-catcher and red-zone threat are highly valued.
7.05 – 2024 1.11
This was the byproduct of a trade back which resulted in a late 1st to move back a round from 4 to 5. The final math comes out to trading DJ Moore for Achane + 2024 1.11.
7.12 – Trade
I traded this pick and moved back 6 spots to 8.06, gaining a move up to 9.07 from 9.12 and an additional startup pick (12.06).
8.01 – Javonte Williams
I aimed to secure my second running back before reaching the ninth round, and my confidence in Javonte remains strong. Despite 2023 being a challenging year for him, primarily due to his comeback from a significant knee injury, he exhibited promising glimpses of his ability. Moving forward, he appears to be well-positioned for a successful season.
8.06 – Trade
This series of trades began with my decision to move down from the 7.12 slot. I initially exchanged that pick for the 9.06 and then traded again to acquire the 11.06. The cumulative outcome of these transactions was a strategic shift back from the 7.12 to the 9.06 position, in exchange for both the 11.06 and 12.06 picks, coupled with a move up from the 9.12 to the 9.07 slot.
8.12 – De’Andre Swift
As the pool of running backs was rapidly drying up, I made a move up from the 9.07 position through a trade that involved swapping my 10.01 for a 10.12 pick, allowing me to secure a young running back who, despite a history of injuries, holds considerable potential.
9.06 – Diontae Johnson
I considered selecting the 2024 2.02 pick here, but ultimately, I felt that Diontae offered compelling value, particularly given his track record as a consistent contributor on a team in need of wide receiver production.
11.09 – Trade
I was keen on avoiding drafting Tony Pollard or selecting a second-round rookie, so the chance to trade down three spots was an ideal solution.
11.12 – Zach Charbonnet
I was torn between Pollard and Charb after Jakobi Meyers and Jaylen Warren were sniped. Charbonnet, being younger than Pollard by three and a half years, may not have as high a ceiling but appears to be a more secure option for dynasty formats looking ahead. Nonetheless, for those inclined to gamble, Pollard represents an outstanding opportunity at his current valuation.
12.06 – Trade
I executed another trade, moving back eight positions to 13.02, in exchange for advancements in two rounds – improving from 15.12 to 15.02 and from 18.01 to 14.11. Whenever there’s a chance to trade back within the same tier of players, I’m quick to hit the accept button, seizing opportunities to enhance value wherever possible.
Wiz
Process: My initial thoughts coming into this startup were to grab one high-end QB and start moving out of my subsequent picks in rounds 2, 3, and even 4. I really wanted to try to stack as many picks as I could in rounds 5-9 to build out a roster that was deeper vs high-end for a few reasons.
The first reason is, I am a trader at heart. I am constantly looking for ways to take advantage of market inefficiencies and having more liquid assets in that 5-9 round range allows for more future flexibility when it comes to negotiating trades. The second reason is that I value depth. I have been burned in the past in deeper leagues by constructing a roster of too many high-end players at the expense of depth. Thirdly, I knew the board had what I considered to be multiple “sharp” players and given that I also just like a lot of players in that range; I wanted to give myself more chances at those guys vs my league mates.
Unfortunately, I found it more difficult to move around the board than I initially thought it would be, so I largely went with a combination of BPA/what best fits my roster given the remaining players on the board.
1.03 – CJ Stroud
So the plan here was to try and trade down to about the 1.08 – 1.10 range and acquire more draft capital and go after a guy like Anthony Richardson. Unfortunately, no one was looking to pay that premium to move up so being that it’s a 6PT passing TD league, Stroud was the pivot for me here. Honestly, once I realized moving out of the pick wasn’t happening, it wasn’t even much of a decision here.
2.10 – Dak Prescott
The original line of thinking here was to go young stud WR. The board falling the way it did though presented another opportunity. Not going WR with either of my first 2 picks is entirely new territory for me from a start-up strategy perspective and even though I came away set at QB after the first 2 rounds; I’m still not totally sure how to feel about not coming away with a WR here.
3.10 – Trey McBride
After seeing LaPorta, Breece, Gibbs, Olave and multiple high-end rookie picks go earlier in round 3, the McBride decision was honestly easy for me here. Given that we’re in a TEP league, I almost view McBride and LaPorta as 1A & 1B from a dynasty TE standpoint.
4.03 – Jonathan Taylor
Aiyuk going the pick before me here really kinda threw my roster construction plan out the window here. I felt like it was too early for somebody like Drake London & Nico Collins (yes I could’ve stacked but had other ideas there) but in hindsight with ATL bringing in somebody like Zac Robinson, I probably would’ve been fine taking London here. Outside of Breece and Bijan, I feel like JT is one of the few true 3 down RBs out there which was the main justification for this pick.
5.10 – Tank Dell
H-Town aka Stack City. Was THRILLED to get Tank Dell here. Ironically starting with 5.07 we had 4 rookie WRs in a row go off the board in Rashee, Addison, Zay and then Tank. If you asked me to rank those 4 for dynasty purposes, Tank is at the top of the list every time for me so to get him + have the added benefit of the stack? Honestly, this was probably one of my favorite picks of the entire draft.
6.03 – Jayden Reed
After only going WR once out of my first 5 picks, going WR again here was really a no-brainer for me. While I do have concerns about the amount of mouths to feed in GB with the plethora of pass-catching talent they have, getting Reed here as another young WR with upside to pair with Dell felt like the right move. Outside of JT, I am feeling really good about the blend of youth and talent here 6 rounds into this startup.
7.10 – Deebo Samuel
Probably the first pick in the draft so far where I came away not at least somewhat loving it. Aging WRs (who have had injury problems) are not typically my thing here but I didn’t want that to deter me from what I did think was decent value here. Kupp and Davante were still on the board but I’ll buy myself a couple more years with Deebo’s age. Other line of thinking here was flipping Deebo to a contender next year felt like it would be easier to do vs trying to flip DA or Kupp.
8.03 – Michael Mayer
Really thought about diving into the rookie pick pool here (would’ve been the 1.12) but I liked what I saw from Mayer in the 2nd half of the year. Trying to remember that TEs take time (outside of LaPorta haha) but Mayer was an elite prospect and the play here is he takes the McBride career path and I’ve got another nice asset to flip into another skill guy or even use as a flex starter. Chalk also taking Javonte (smh) made the Mayer pick much easier here. (This felt like the start of player queues being attacked btw)
9.10 – 2024 2.02
Finally took the plunge on the rookie pick here in the 9th round. Really didn’t love the board so went into the draft thinking whenever I was feeling that type of way, go visit the rookie draft pick well. Rhamondre going the pick before me made this decision pretty easy actually.
10.03 – Josh Downs
Being a WR guy, really wanted to go WR here and didn’t feel like I was forcing it with a guy like Downs. Love the fact that youth was a + here but also liked what I saw with him and AR in their short time together. I also couldn’t be more of a believer in Shane Steichen so taking players attached to his offense is usually a very easy decision for me.
11.10 – Jaylen Warren
Feeling better about my WR room at this point, I decided to pivot to building out my RBs. I’ve always been a Warren guy (my analytics based approach loves his potential outlook if Najee would just get out of the way) and at this point in the draft I really like taking the shot on an upside RB play here. Also, having Chalk text me seconds after the pic saying “wtf” made me feel better about it as well.
12.03 – Chase Brown
Another upside RB play here. Chase Brown definitely has juice and seeing him contribute in the passing game late in the season last year was extremely encouraging for his future potential outlook. Mixon isn’t getting any younger and with Brian Callahan now in TEN, I wonder if the Bengals begin to pivot to a guy like Brown sooner rather than later given his big play potential. Again, if I’m taking RBs, I’m taking them based on two sets of criteria really. Youth and an upside case and for me Brown checks both of those boxes.
Marcus
Process: Coming into this draft, my main goal was to acquire a top 5 (subjective) dynasty player at each of the 4 main position groups (QB, RB, WR, TE). I knew I could wait on rookie picks, as the depth of this draft class gave me assurance that I did not have to reach for a first-round pick if I did not feel the value was greater than the players on the board. After choosing my top positional players, my mission was to fill in rest of roster with a combination of youth and veterans with the highest ceilings for the next 2-3 seasons.
1.04 – Justin Herbert
2 years younger than both Lamar and Herbert, I selected Justin Herbert in anticipation of Jim Harbaugh coming to town (I was right). While Harbaugh favors a run heavy scheme, there is no doubt in my mind that he will turn the LA chargers into a winner, so I gladly jumped all over their franchise QB.
2.09 – AJ Brown
I believe AJ brown is one of the top 5 dynasty WR, so I could not pass up the opportunity to add him to my squad. Only 26 years old, Brown is still in his prime, and will be a solid contributor to my squad for years to come.
3.09 – Christian McCaffery
Yes, he is on the older side for a RB, but no, I do not care, as he has shown no signs of slowing down. He’s CMC…need I say anymore?
4.04 – Mark Andrews
Being a TE premium league, I knew I needed to make TE a top priority. Mark Andrews is “Ole reliable” when it comes to fantasy football TE production. He has found a solid connection with franchise QB Lamar Jackson, and I expect that to continue for future years to come.
5.09 – Zay Flowers
Sticking with the Baltimore Ravens trend, Zay Flowers had a tremendous rookie season. He showed the ability to create effortless separation, and really emerged as the WR1 for the Baltimore Ravens. I expect him to build on his rookie year success and continue to improve.
6.04 – Rachaad White
Coming off a top 5 PPR finish in 2023, White enters his 3rd season as the lead back for the TB buccaneers. I have always believed that for the RB position, volume is king. If White continues to see upwards of 15-20 touches a game, I expect him to continue to churn out top 10 PPR finishes for the next few seasons.
7.09 – Kirk Cousins
Needing to solidify my second QB in a superflex, I opted to go with none other than Kirky Chains. Though he is coming off an Achilles tear, I do not expect this to impact his 2024 performance, especially if he returns to the Vikings. With top 10 finishes in 5/8 games played in 2023, he provides a solid ceiling for a 2nd QB option.
8.04 – 2024 2.01
Needing to select my first rookie pick in our draft, the top of the 2nd round should offer a decent selection of both WR and RB. I should be able to land a nice contributing piece with this pick for the 2024 season and beyond.
9.09 – Rhamondre Stevenson
Wanting to secure a 3rd legit option at RB, I opted to go with NE patriots 4th year player Rhamondre Stevenson. While 2023 was a bit hampered by injury, I expect his PPR value to show up in 2024 with a new offensive scheme and presumably a new QB.
10.04 – 2024 2.05
Again, looking to make my hay in the top half of the second round in this years rookie draft, I think I can add another contributing piece with this pick for the 2024 season and beyond.
10.12 – Amari Cooper
While 29 years old, Cooper still showed the ability to dominate games in the 2023 season. I believe this is good value for a very productive player and still the #1 receiving option in his respective offense.
11.06 – Hollywood Brown
Still just 26 years old, Hollywood enters FA for the 2024 season. I truly believe he is going to resign with the Cardinals and they will draft either Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers. I think this addition along with the emergence of Trey McBride will help the speedster maximize his opportunity against single coverage. I like this value in the 11th round for a promising young WR still looking for more to prove.
12.04 – Isaiah Likely
See above for pick 4.04, this pick was the old “Cover Your Ass” policy. I was not confident Likely would make it back to me in the 13th round, so I needed my TE premium security blanket. Not to mention he is an absolute stud of a player.
