Now that rookie drafts have wrapped up, the fantasy football world will turn its attention to new dynasty startup leagues. While you can use several strategies during startup drafts, finding the best value in every round is critical regardless of which you deploy. So let’s look at the best value in each of the top 20 rounds in a 12-team, 1QB, PPR startup dynasty draft.

Round 1 – Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR) 

Kupp was the top-scoring player in PPR scoring formats last year with 439.5 fantasy points. With the upgrade to Matthew Stafford from Jared Goff, Kupp could break out in 2021. While he likely won’t repeat his 25.9 fantasy points per game average from last year, Kupp is still a top-three dynasty wide receiver. After signing an extension recently, Kupp is under contract with the Rams through the 2026 season, which is the same year Stafford’s contract expires. Despite turning 29 this month, Kupp has plenty of elite years left in his career.

Round 2 – Mark Andrews (TE – BAL) 

For the first time in forever, Travis Kelce didn’t finish the year as the TE1 in 2021. That honor went to Andrews after he had a career-high 107 receptions on 154 targets for 1,361 receiving yards and averaged 17.7 fantasy points per game. All four destroyed his previous career highs. While Kyle Pitts is a popular choice for TE1 in dynasty, Andrews has a strong argument. He is only 26 years old and has an elite quarterback throwing him the ball. After the Ravens traded away Marquise Brown this offseason, Andrews has as much upside as any tight end moving forward.

Round 3 – Michael Pittman (WR – IND) 

After a quiet rookie season, Pittman took a massive step forward in 2021. He more than doubled his targets, receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns from his rookie season. More importantly, Pittman stepped up as the No. 1 wide receiver for the Colts. Furthermore, he was the only player on the team with over 40 receptions last year. While the Colts added Alec Pierce in the 2022 NFL Draft, Pittman remains Indianapolis’s unquestioned No. 1 wide receiver. With Matt Ryan now under center, Pittman is in a great position to have a third-year breakout and become a top-12 dynasty wide receiver.

Round 4 – David Montgomery (RB – CHI)  

Despite the Chicago offense lacking firepower, Montgomery has plenty of fantasy value. He has finished as a top-24 running back every year of his three-year career, including a top-five finish in 2020. Montgomery has been a consistent RB2 for fantasy teams despite only one season with over seven touchdowns. Furthermore, he has only one season with over 900 rushing yards. While that sounds disappointing, it is positive for his fantasy value. Montgomery has provided consistent RB2 or better value despite the average production. As he enters a contract year with limited weapons around him, expect Montgomery to have a massive 2022 season.

Round 5 – Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL) 

Quarterbacks like Jackson won’t be available in this round in superflex leagues. Even in single quarterback leagues, he is a steal at this point. Jackson has finished as a top-10 quarterback in his two healthy years as the starter, including the overall QB1 in 2019. While he was the QB15 last season, Jackson missed five games dealing with injuries. However, Jackson finished as the QB8 on a fantasy points per game basis last season. While he doesn’t have the best weapons, his rushing ability gives him as much fantasy upside as any quarterback.

Round 6 – Mike Williams (WR – LAC) 

Williams broke out last season with a career year in most statistical categories. He ended the year as the WR12 and had the second 1,000-yard season of his career. While many thought Williams would leave the Chargers this offseason, the veteran signed a long-term contract. He will now catch passes from Justin Herbert for the next three years. The Chargers haven’t been shy this offseason, making every move possible to improve their Super Bowl odds. More importantly, Williams has a chance to take over as the No. 1 receiver in Los Angeles as Keenan Allen recently turned 30 years old. Williams is a steal this late in drafts as long as Herbert is healthy.

Round 7 – Trey Lance (QB – SF) 

Whether or not Jimmy Garoppolo gets traded this offseason, Lance should be the starter for the 49ers this year. Lance sparingly played when Garoppolo was healthy last year. However, Lance started two games last season for an injured Garoppolo. He also played the entire second half of the Week 4 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks after Garoppolo suffered an injury right before halftime. In those 2.5 games, Lance averaged 18 fantasy points per game. Lance’s fantasy production on the ground is the most important number to take away from those 2.5 games. He averaged 10.3 rushing attempts for 53.7 rushing yards per game. Lance will become a fantasy superstar once he takes over as the starter.

Round 8 – Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE) 

Stevenson was the RB41 last season, averaging nine fantasy points per game. Despite playing only 24.7% of the snaps, he scored 11.5 or more fantasy points in a third of his games. Stevenson averaged 4.6 yards per rushing attempt and had a 3.4% touchdown rate on only 147 touches. More importantly, he was very productive when Damien Harris was out of the lineup. In the two games Harris missed, Stevenson averaged 15 rushing attempts for 68 yards and 16.2 fantasy points per contest. Furthermore, Harris is a free agent after this season, opening the door for Stevenson to have a lead role in 2023.

Round 9 – Christian Kirk (WR – JAC) 

Kirk set the entire NFL offseason world on fire when he signed with the Jaguars. Now he has to prove he’s worth the money. Last year, Kirk had the best year of his career, finishing at the WR26. However, he averaged 12.9 fantasy points per game in the seven contests without DeAndre Hopkins. Furthermore, he scored 11.8 or more fantasy points in five of those seven contests. Kirk will see plenty of targets as the No. 1 receiver in Jacksonville. Kirk could become the third-most valuable dynasty asset behind Travis Etienne and Trevor Lawrence for the Jaguars.

Round 10 – Zach Ertz (TE – ARI) 

After ending the 2020 season as the TE31, many thought Ertz’s days as a top fantasy tight end were over. However, he bounced back last year, ending the season as the TE5. Furthermore, it was his fifth top-six finish in the past six years. While Ertz averaged 10.6 fantasy points per game last season, his production improved once he got traded to Arizona. Ertz averaged 8.2 fantasy points per game in six contests with the Eagles. He then averaged 12 fantasy points per contest in 11 games with the Cardinals. While some believe Ertz will bust this year given his age, he is a year young than Kelce. The veteran tight end has plenty left in the tank for your fantasy team.

Round 11 – Christian Watson (WR – GB) 

When the Packers traded away Davante Adams, every mock draft had the Packers taking a wide receiver in the first round. Instead, the Packers waited until Day 2 to grab a wide receiver and traded up for Watson. While Green Bay rookie wide receivers historically struggle in their rookie season, Watson has plenty of upside for the future. He ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at 6’4″ and 208 pounds. Furthermore, Watson had a 44% college dominator (90th percentile) and a breakout age of 20.3 (53rd percentile). He might have an awful rookie season, but Watson has superstar potential starting in 2023.

Round 12 – Kirk Cousins (QB – MIN) 

Cousins is one of those players you are never excited to draft but realize he’s productive. He has put together back-to-back top 12 fantasy seasons. Furthermore, Cousins has ended the year as a QB1 in five of his seven years as a starter. He has an excellent wide receiver duo with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. Cousins also has a couple of younger playmakers with Irv Smith and K.J. Osborn, who could take a massive step forward this year. While he isn’t an elite quarterback, fantasy players know they can count on Cousins for low-end QB1 production.

Round 13 – Dameon Pierce (RB – HOU) 

The fourth-round rookie was a popular pick in rookie drafts after being selected by the Texans. Many believe Pierce will beat Marlon Mack and Rex Burkhead for the starting role and provide low-end RB2 value this season. Mack has 37 touches over the past two years, while Burkhead had one game with over 47 rushing yards last season. More importantly, Pierce has plenty of tread left on his tires. He had only 374 touches in his career at Florida. His ADP will rise at least a round or two after he shines during training camp. Be sure to draft him now, as Pierce’s value can only go up from here.

Round 14 – Tyler Allgeier (RB – ATL) 

While Cordarrelle Patterson was a fantasy surprise last season, the Falcons needed to address the running back position during the NFL Draft. However, they waited till the fifth round to select a running back, grabbing Allgeier. More importantly, the Falcons released Mike Davis shortly after the draft, making Allgeier second on the depth chart behind Patterson. The fifth-round pick from BYU had the fourth-most rushing yards in college football last year with 1,601. Patterson wore down towards the end of the 2021 season. If that happens again this year, Allgeier will become a fantasy contributor as a rookie.

Round 15 – Jalen Tolbert (WR – DAL) 

Tolbert is a popular late-round target in redraft leagues as Michael Gallup’s Week 1 status is up in the air. The Cowboys traded away Amari Cooper this offseason in a salary cap-saving move. While CeeDee Lamb and Gallup are the clear-cut top two wide receivers in Dallas, Tolbert can still have fantasy value. Last year, Lamb, Cooper, and Gallup ended the year as top-45 wide receivers on a per-game basis, averaging at least 10.2 fantasy points per game apiece. Furthermore, Cedrick Wilson left in free agency after having 61 targets last year and averaging 9.2 fantasy points per game last season. Tolbert walks into a situation with the ability to make an impact right away and down the road.

Round 16 – Van Jefferson (WR – LAR) 

After a quiet rookie season with only 19 receptions, Jefferson had a breakout 2022 season. Jefferson had 50 receptions on 89 targets for 802 receiving yards and six touchdowns last year despite a talented wide receiver unit. More importantly, he finished second on the team in all those categories. While his potential upside took a hit when the Rams signed Allen Robinson this offseason to replace Robert Woods, Jefferson can still provide low-end WR3 value. He had at least six targets in over half the games last season, even with Woods and Odell Beckham Jr. on the team. Furthermore, Jefferson becomes a low-end WR2 if Kupp or Robinson misses significant time with an injury.

Round 17 – Tyrion Davis-Price (RB – SF) 

Every year the 49ers have a new leading running back. The last time San Francisco had the same leading rushing in back-to-back seasons was Carlos Hyde in 2016 and 2017. Could Davis-Price become the 49ers’ leading rushing in 2022? Absolutely. Elijah Mitchell struggled with injuries last year, while Trey Sermon had a disappointing rookie season. Davis-Price is a dart throw but could turn into the next late-round steal in the San Francisco backfield, especially if Mitchell struggles with injuries again this season.

Round 18 – Malik Willis (QB – TEN) 

Early in the pre-draft process, Willis was a first-round draft pick by everyone in the media. However, the NFL felt otherwise as Willis slid to the third round. While the fantasy football world wishes the Titans used a first-round pick on the quarterback, Willis landed in an extraordinary situation. Ryan Tannehill is likely heading into his final year with the Titans, as releasing him next offseason saves the team $17.8 million in cap space. Furthermore, Tannehill’s contract expires after the 2023 season. With Treylon Burks and Derrick Henry at his disposal, Willis could become a steal this late in the draft.

Round 19 – Kyren Williams (RB – LAR) 

While Williams was only a fifth-round pick, the rookie running back has some fantasy appeal. Cam Akers is the starter in Los Angeles, while Darrell Henderson is the top backup. Williams will earn some snaps as a rookie on third down in the passing game. More importantly, Henderson is a free agent after the 2022 season, and likely won’t get re-signed. Thus, Williams will take over as the backup to Akers. Given Akers’ injury history, Williams could become a top handcuff with some stand-alone flex appeal starting in 2023.

Round 20 – Sterling Shepard (WR – NYG) 

Injuries have significantly impacted Shepard’s career. He has played all 16 games only twice in his six-year career. Furthermore, Shepard has missed 40.8% of the games over the past three years. However, he has been productive when on the field. Shepard has averaged at least 11.1 fantasy points per game every year of his career. He has averaged 7.3 targets per game and 7.8 per contest since Daniel Jones got drafted in 2019. While it is a really big if, Shepard is a solid flex option if he can stay healthy.

Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.