Kicking off your fantasy football dynasty league with a strong startup draft is the foundation for long-term success. Whether you’re building around youth, chasing win-now value, or looking to strike the perfect balance, having a sound strategy is essential. In this article, our collection of Featured Pros experts breaks down the most effective dynasty startup draft strategies to help you dominate from Day 1. From roster construction tips to positional priorities, we’ve got the expert insights you need to build a championship-caliber dynasty team.
Dynasty Startup Draft Strategies
What is one thing fantasy managers should do (or try to do) in a Dynasty Startup Draft?
“In a Dynasty Startup Draft, one critical thing fantasy football managers should do is target players with secure, long-term roles on their NFL teams. Focus on high upside talents such as young running backs or wide receivers with high draft capital who are locked into significant snap shares or starting positions, ensuring consistent production for years. This approach minimizes the risk of busts and builds a foundation of reliable contributors who retain value in a dynasty format. Avoid overreaching for aging veterans unless they complement a win-now strategy, as their value depreciates quickly. By prioritizing role security, you create a roster with both immediate impact and future trade flexibility.”
– Aaron St Denis (Fantasy Sports Advice Network)
“Maybe this is personal preference more than anything else, but I embrace the challenge of tearing it down quick, fast, and in a hurry. To go about this, I try to target as many name players in their prime or just about to enter their prime years as much as I possibly can. Ideally, this then allows for my team to be somewhat competitive for the time being until it is time to tear it all down. Being able to sell later on off of name value or on performance at a high to acquire younger players (23-24 and below), plus additional draft picks, never, ever, hurts a Dynasty manager.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
“Be aggressive in moving up and down the draft board. Trading during your dynasty startup draft is critical to building a winning team. Don’t be afraid to move up for a certain player you want or move back (even at a discount) when you don’t like your current options. Whether you add more picks during the startup draft or future rookie picks, moving back should always be an option when you’re on the clock. The best thing fantasy players can do is to navigate the draft board and make the most of every pick.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
“Managers should pay attention to the people drafting ahead of them. It’s best to pay attention to the entire draft, but I recommend focusing extra attention on the three picks ahead of mine, in case I want to try to trade up. I almost always have a target player in mind when I get to specific rounds in a startup. If I think that player will go a little early, I want to be “Johnny on the spot” with a trade offer to make sure I can still get my guy. Paying attention is the best way to do that.”
– Andrew Hall (FantasyPros)
“Prioritize drafting young, high-performing wide receivers like CeeDee Lamb and Amon-Ra St. Brown; each has finished as a top-12 WR in PPR scoring multiple times over the last three seasons and fits the ideal WR age apex (24-28). These players offer long-term roster stability and elite production, with metrics like Lamb’s 30% target share and 2.70 YPRR in 2024 supporting his dynasty value. In Superflex formats, QBs like Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson (who’ve each averaged over 24 fantasy PPG since 2022) should be prioritized early due to their dual-threat ceilings and longevity. At RB, target players like Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson, who have posted elite fantasy finishes and demonstrate high-value receiving usage. Avoid overvaluing aging veterans or one-year wonders; instead, stockpile future rookie picks to sustain long-term success and trade flexibility.”
– Avery Thrasher (The Branded Sports)
“I like to build my team with young WRs, QBs, and TEs first. RBs take more punishment than other positions, imo. The injury risk is too high for me to invest in them, at least in the early rounds of startup drafts. After you’ve done that, take a shot with some RBs in the middle/later rounds of a startup and in the future rookie drafts when you’re close to competing. RBs are football’s version of getting starting pitching at the trade deadline, imo. Once you’re close, then go get a few stars to put your team over the top.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
“Build around wide receivers, cutting corners at running back if necessary. Receivers are more predictable than running backs and generally hold their value for longer. The RB position is more volatile. Obviously, you’ll need good running backs to win, but value at the RB position is often more about opportunity than talent. That’s not the case at wide receiver, where talent and draft pedigree tend to matter more. Rarely do we see a wide receiver come out of the fog to become an impactful fantasy asset. Draft wide receivers aggressively. Draft running backs opportunistically.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
What is one thing fantasy managers should avoid doing in a Dynasty Startup Draft?
“One thing fantasy football managers should avoid in a Dynasty Startup Draft is overvaluing aging veterans at the expense of younger, high-upside players. While veterans like a 30-year-old running back or aging quarterback may offer short-term production, their declining value and limited career longevity can hamstring your roster in a dynasty format. This mistake often leads to a team that peaks early but struggles to sustain success as those players retire or lose relevance. Instead, prioritize players under 25 with long-term potential to build a roster that grows in value over time. Focusing too heavily on veterans can also limit your trade flexibility, as their market value diminishes rapidly in dynasty leagues.”
– Aaron St Denis (Fantasy Sports Advice Network)
“We live in a world that is FULL of instant gratification. Many go in and ask, “How can I maximize the results I am after as quickly as possible?” and their answer is to go big on veteran teams to try and win early on. However, that is a recipe for disaster. Dynasty teams, especially early on in the league’s history, that are loaded up on aging talent simply will fall behind in the long run because of the desire for instant gratification, winning the league as quickly as possible. If you are a manager, however, who does not know when to abandon ship, keeping hold of these players longer than you should could make the inevitable tear down significantly harder and take significantly longer to get your squad back to contention.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
“Don’t get caught up in the moment. Everyone wants to live in the here and now, but that doesn’t mean you should forget about the future. The best time to acquire rookie picks is during the dynasty startup draft. Most fantasy players will focus on the startup draft and figure they can recoup their dynasty rookie picks later. Therefore, smart fantasy players will take advantage of that thinking. Even if you acquire a future third to move back a half dozen spots in the middle of the startup draft, adding future capital will make your team better in the long haul.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
“Don’t take the entire clock to make your pick unless you need to. There’s nothing more annoying than someone posting the group chat “This pick is available for trade,” and the manager waiting 7 hours of an 8-hour clock to see if a trade offer comes in. If someone wants it, they’ll let you know within an hour, max. Waiting the entire clock on the outside chance of someone sending you a God offer just feels lazy and a little rude. In the end, it seldom happens.”
– Andrew Hall (FantasyPros)
“In a startup dynasty fantasy football league, one of the biggest mistakes is overvaluing aging veterans, particularly at running back. Players like Derrick Henry may still provide value in the short term but lack long-term upside, making them risky investments in the early rounds. Avoid chasing one-year wonders or players with significant injury histories, as they often fail to provide consistent, multi-year value. Additionally, while quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen are crucial in Superflex formats, don’t reach too early for QBs. Elite wide receivers like Ja’Marr Chase and CeeDee Lamb, who posted 16+ PPR points per game in 2024, offer more long-term stability and have higher career longevity. Lastly, don’t neglect the value of accumulating future rookie picks, as they provide trade leverage and a pathway to acquiring high-upside young talent.”
– Avery Thrasher (The Branded Sports)
“You should avoid not having a plan. Before you start, you need to decide if you want to win now or build for the future. I like to sacrifice the first year or two in order to build a juggernaut for the future. (For ex., the only reason I’d consider drafting a veteran player was if I was sure I could trade him for draft picks or a young player I covet; otherwise, he’s off my draft board because he doesn’t fit my plan.) Develop a general dynasty timeline strategy and then stick with it. You want to have your players firing on all cylinders at the same time.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
“Don’t wing it. Decide on a path and stick to it. The three options in a startup are basically: try to win right away, try to win in Year 2, or try to win in Year 3. Your predetermined path should govern your willingness to draft older players. If you’re trying to win right away, load up on the productive older players who tend to slide in dynasty startups because of their age. If you’re on a “win in Year 3” track (aka “a productive struggle”), eschew the older vets and focus heavily on younger players. If you’re trying to win in Year 2, you should be mostly youth-focused but could add a dash of veteran productivity. If you don’t stick to a startup draft plan, you risk ending up in purgatory with a team that isn’t good enough to win now and needs a multi-year rebuild to become a contender.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | Player FM | Podbay | Podbean | Podchaser | TuneIn
