Congratulations to my fellow football enthusiasts. We have officially made it through the slowest month of the NFL offseason. With the NFL Combine in the rearview and the draft right around the corner, it’s time to start talking dynasty.
For many new dynasty leagues, startup drafts typically ramp up immediately after the NFL Draft. Although that gives us over a month to prepare, it’s never too early to begin strategizing for your most important draft for the next five-plus years.
- 2025 NFL Draft Guide
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- 2025 NFL Mock Drafts
- Dynasty Mock Draft Simulator
Must-Have Dynasty Startup Draft Targets (2025 Fantasy Football)
The Art of Dynasty
One of the best components of dynasty is the various perspectives and strategies used to reach the same outcome: winning a championship. Looking around, it is easy to find strategies focusing on youth or stating the classic “winning now is just as good as winning later.” Although neither is wrong, I like to take a different approach.
My favorite part of dynasty is trading. Because each manager handles their team differently, trades are always available. Whether this means selling high on a promising young player or buying low on aging players, there are ways to find value. As a result, when drafting in a dynasty startup, it’s important to project which players can have a large value spike or are underrated due to name fatigue or team situation.
Since dynasty startups require a lot of strategy and continuity between picks, I will set the table for how I like to begin my drafts. After the first few rounds, I’ll then call out specific players in the mid-late rounds. I have determined these values based on the FantasyPros ECR Dynasty Rankings for a 12-team half-PPR Superflex league.
So, without further ado, here are my must-have dynasty startup targets.
Round One
What happens if you don’t take a QB?
In a Superflex, the emphasis will be strongly on the quarterback position. Especially in the first two rounds, everyone will be looking to find that core quarterback to build their roster around. In my opinion, five quarterbacks currently sit in the “roster-anchoring” tier. Those names, in order, are Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow.
After those five players are selected, I believe a few blue-chip players give you an equivalent positional advantage to the top quarterbacks. That is Ja’Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson, Justin Jefferson, Jahmyr Gibbs and Puka Nacua. These pieces will provide a cornerstone for years to come and should consistently outperform their counterparts, much like the top-tier quarterbacks.
Round Two
Where is the upside?
If we are under the assumption that we did not select a quarterback in the first round, it’s hard to look elsewhere in the second round. Thankfully, this is where the quarterbacks with “unknown” potential are ranked. Rather than taking a shot on a known fantasy quarterback like Kyler Murray or Patrick Mahomes, this is where I like to look at undervalued young quarterbacks who have the talent and potential to jump into a roster staple.
Spoiler alert: With this approach, I would like to add a less attractive quarterback (such as Matthew Stafford or Geno Smith) later to help secure the position.
Most notably, in 2025, this could be a player like Caleb Williams, but it could also include Michael Penix Jr., Drake Maye or Bo Nix. All four of these players have shown the ability to perform at the NFL level and have the traits and youth to do so for a long time. Of course, Nix has displayed most of an entire productive season, but Penix Jr., Williams and Maye could all take a huge step forward in 2025. If any of them produce at a high level this season, you could see a value jump that could potentially get you a less flashy aging quarterback (for example, Justin Herbert) in a trade next offseason.
Rounds Three, Four & Five
Best Player Available
Building on a quarterback and star wide receiver/running back is where the draft becomes fun and is arguably the most important. It is during these rounds that people begin to show their hands on how they value youth and veterans. For example, the youth appeal of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. may push known stars like CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown down people’s boards. Presuming you have two young players at the top of your draft, a middle-aged fantasy star is a fantastic pick in the third round.
Managers will also begin to turn away from quarterbacks and try to fill out their roster in rounds three and four. This often leaves bland names like Jared Goff and Brock Purdy sliding down the board. Those are two perfect quarterbacks to pair with an upside swing taken in the second round.
This is not dissimilar to running backs, as one of the most undervalued dynasty positions is running backs that are 26 years old or older. These backs hit a value cliff despite their continued fantasy production. For example, Josh Jacobs is coming off a massive year and will likely slide down draft boards due to being 27 years old. Grabbing one of these backs to lock down the position is an excellent way to assemble an impactful first-year roster while not overcommitting to competing or rebuilding.
Round Six & Beyond…
Now that the fundamentals of your team have taken shape, I will list a few players that I believe are undervalued in our dynasty rankings.
These players often fall into one of two boxes: unproven talent with huge upside or undervalued middle-aged fantasy producers. These are players outside of the Fantasy Pros dynasty ECR’s top-72 players.
Josh Downs (WR – IND) | 77 ADP
Here is the perfect example of an undervalued young player with a huge upside. Many managers see Josh Downs as a smaller wide receiver linked to an untrustworthy passing offense. However, his production has been anything but inconsistent. Last season, Downs played nine of 13 games as a top-36 receiver. He demonstrated a top-end ability to win on the outside and make explosive plays out of nothing.
This year’s production will heavily depend on Anthony Richardson, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. If Richardson does well, Downs should have a very productive season. If Richardson continues to struggle, the team will likely go in a different direction at quarterback.
Based on Downs’ versatile play style, he should be a favorite target of any quarterback who steps in. I’d love Downs as my WR3 and even WR2 if you have already selected a tight end or multiple backs.
Bryce Young (QB – CAR) | 87 ADP
I feel Bryce Young may go earlier than this. Still, Young is the perfect QB3 for a dynasty roster. Selecting a young quarterback (pun intended) with untapped potential and high draft capital is an ideal recipe for a consistent QB3 for years to come.
After a nightmare rookie season and beginning of his second year, we finally began to see what made Young the 2023 first-overall pick. From Week 8 on, Young passed for at least one touchdown in each game and only had four interceptions. He also managed to have over 200 passing yards in 60% of those games, with two or more rushing attempts in each. Long story short, that’s a very sufficient fantasy floor for a player you can get in the seventh round.
Chris Godwin (WR – TB) | 97 ADP
I’m honestly shocked Chris Godwin is this low. With players like DeVonte Smith (No. 42 overall) and D.K. Metcalf (No. 44 overall) ranked over 50 spots ahead, it seems like larceny.
Before dislocating his ankle, Godwin was the WR2 overall over the first seven weeks. He was averaging nine targets, 82 yards and 0.7 touchdowns per game during that span. Unfortunately, his future as a free agent is uncertain. Most of the cards indicate that a return to the Buccaneers is highly likely. If that is the case, there is no reason Godwin won’t return to his heater in 2025. With the ageless wonder Mike Evans being another year older and Baker Mayfield finding his form as a top-passing volume quarterback, there is a huge role available for the former Penn State Nittany Lion.
Even at 29 years old, I think Godwin is an excellent draft pick to fill out your flex plays with potential WR1 production in 2025.
Darnell Mooney (WR – ATL) | 107 ADP
I’ll be honest: Darnell Mooney is looking like a way-too-early “My Guy” for this 2025 season. After his fifth-round selection in 2020, Mooney instantly made an impact on the Bears. The following three seasons were a bit of a rollercoaster when attached to an unstable Bears team and multiple offensive coordinators. Still, Mooney continued to be a productive contributor. In fact, through Mooney’s five seasons, he has had five or more targets in 75% of his total games. That’s some impressive utilization over an 82-game sample size.
Last year on the Falcons, Mooney continued his streak of having five or more targets in all but three of his games. Despite being behind Drake London and sharing short work with Robinson, Mooney was utilized heavily with both Kirk Cousins and Penix Jr. I believe Penix Jr. fits Mooney’s versatile outside abilities perfectly, making him a surprisingly efficient fantasy performer opposite of London in 2025 and beyond.
Adonai Mitchell (WR – IND) | 125 ADP
Having two Colts wide receivers on this list is a bit terrifying. However, I believe the Colts’ situation overshadows Downs’ and Adonai Mitchell’s talent. As noted with Downs, I think Richardson either steps up this year, or we have a new quarterback coming in 2026. Either way, you’ll have to plug your nose while watching Mitchell’s rookie season.
If you recall Mitchell’s prospect profile, he was always going to be a project. Often knocked for his “lack of effort” at Texas, the NFL Combine showcased his special abilities. After running a 4.34-second 40-yard dash and coming in at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he was selected with the 20th pick of the second round. These positives were washed away if you watched him drop multiple big plays throughout last season.
Thankfully, it’s hard to forget a talent like his. Even though he was dropping balls, he was finding ways to get separation and be open down the field. I believe Mitchell is a truly polarizing player with the traits to have huge upside. I think he is one of the few players who possess the athleticism and rawness to become the next Nico Collins. Although that is the best-case scenario outcome, I heavily value upside at this point of dynasty startup drafts.
Jordan Mason (RB – SF) | 173 ADP
For my final selection, I’ll dig a little deeper. Running backs are always the position where fantasy-relevant players seem to come out of nowhere. Last season was a great example, as Chuba Hubbard, Chase Brown and Rico Dowdle all provided very productive fantasy seasons.
Unfortunately, these seasons are hard to predict. However, I think Mason checks many boxes to become fantasy-relevant in the future. Mason had an incredible stretch to open the 2024 season, while Christian McCaffrey was injured. Before getting banged up himself, Mason had three top-eight fantasy finishes, 70-plus rushing yards in six games and an average of 18 rushing attempts per game. Although this was only over a seven-game span, Mason clearly showed he could be productive as a lead back.
With McCaffrey’s future being very uncertain and Kyle Shannahan’s complex playbook, I think Mason may be the next in line to become their starter. Between him and the big-play hunter in Isaac Guerendo, you may walk into the starting 49ers running back sooner rather than later.
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