Dynasty Startup Draft Strategies to Avoid (2023 Fantasy Football)

Creating a successful team in a dynasty league requires a unique approach compared to standard or keeper leagues. Dynasty leagues, where you keep all or most of your players year-to-year, are a challenging but rewarding venture that test your skills not just as a manager for one season but as a franchise builder for many seasons. We reached out to our featured dynasty experts and asked them to provide one thing fantasy managers should always try to avoid doing during dynasty startup drafts.

Here are the strategies our featured analysts employ during their dynasty startup drafts.

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For more dynasty startup draft advice, see our complete Dynasty Startup Draft Strategies article

Dynasty Startup Draft Strategies

What is one thing fantasy managers should avoid doing in a Dynasty Startup Draft?

“Avoid starting out into a rebuild. If you draft with the mindset that you’ll be losing year 1, you’re putting yourself behind the 8-ball. It’s much easier to draft to win now, and if things fall apart, pivot later. If you go in with the goal of losing in year 1, you’ve basically donated your entry fee that year. There’s no guarantee that this league will last that long. Win while you can.”
– Andrew Hall (FantasyPros)

“I avoid punting my first season in a dynasty league. I’ve found that going full-on youth movement and tanking for draft picks doesn’t work out as often as you’d think. The 2023 draft is a perfect example of how putting your eggs in the draft basket can backfire. The 2023 class was heralded at this time a year ago. Now it looks like it might not yield many difference-makers. There’s nothing wrong with keeping an eye toward the future, but winning in Year 1 counts just as much as winning in Year 4.”
– Matt Barbato (BettingPros)

“Fantasy players also don’t want to find themselves stuck in the middle. Either draft a team that can win this year or build for the future. Too often, fantasy players will try to have a roster mixed with both kinds of players. However, that kind of roster is the perfect way to be good enough to make the playoffs every year but not good enough to win the championship. Draft for this year or build for the future, but don’t get caught in the middle.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)

“Aggressively Trading Up Too Often. On paper, it could look awesome to have Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson as your two quarterbacks in a Superflex league, but the cost of continuously moving up the draft board can be very detrimental to your roster’s overall depth. When you’re giving up draft capital to move up try to consider the repercussions and what players it might mean will suddenly be in your starting lineup. It’s all good having two stud quarterbacks, but if it means you’re starting Zack Moss in the flex, your team won’t be as imposing as you’d hope.”
– Tom Strachan (NFL Best Ball)

“Don’t worry about your starting lineup in a startup draft. You should be drafting the best player available when on the clock. Don’t fret that you are wide receiver heavy and have only 1-2 running backs through the first 7-8 rounds. You are not filling your starting lineup out immediately after the startup draft concludes. Building up areas of strength or depth allows you to trade for any needs later. If you’re reaching on certain players of lesser talent because you “need an RB2,” you’ll often be left with lesser talent on your roster. The evolution of your roster never ends. It doesn’t have to reach its final form in a startup draft.”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)

For more dynasty startup draft advice, see our complete Dynasty Startup Draft Strategies article