What’s better than having all the right answers? Having absolutely none of them. Welcome to dynasty fantasy football, where there is no one way to do things right, but multiple ways to do things wrong. The ambiguous and personal strategic plans are part of what makes dynasty (in my opinion) the best way to play fantasy football. Let’s look at how to build a dynasty roster in fantasy football.
My name is Ellis Johnson, and in this article, I will break down the intricacies of building a dynasty roster. After all, the goal is in the name, dynasty. We are here to build long-lasting success for years to come. I am writing this article to highlight lessons and trends I have learned over the years. At the end of the day, whether you agree or disagree with this approach, the goal is to provide potential insight into various ways to build a successful dynasty team. Without further ado, welcome to my roster construction dynasty guide.
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How to Build a Dynasty Roster (2026 Fantasy Football)
The Hard Truth
Before you start building your roster, one question must be answered: Is your team ready to contend? If you’re not sure, you aren’t ready to compete for a title. There are many aspects to this question; it’s not only about what your roster currently looks like, but also what resources you have to make moves. The goal is to create long-term success, but in reality, you can only really build your team for three-year segments. Projecting farther than three years ahead is a fool’s errand with how unpredictable the NFL can be.
As I alluded to in the title, there are many ways to construct a successful dynasty roster. Personally, I play fantasy football to win championships; as a result, my roster construction is typically more radical than some. Others may measure their dynasty’s success by playoff appearances rather than by ships. If that’s the case, this article can be beneficial to build your roster, but you decide how conservative you want to be.
Blue Chip Players
Especially in dynasty, there is a select group of players who are worth their weight in gold. These are players you likely had to draft as a rookie, and will always net huge returns if ever available on the market. In my opinion, here are the current blue-chip players by position:
- Quarterback: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson
- Wide Receiver: Ja’Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Malik Nabers, Justin Jefferson
- Running Back: Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Ashton Jeanty, De’Von Achane, Jeremiyah Love
- Tight End: Brock Bowers, Trey McBride.
If you have one or multiple of the above names, you’re in a good spot. These are the players who can single-handedly support your team’s starters at their position for years to come. Having said that, these players vary in age and fit. For example, if you decide you are not contending in the next two to three years, selling an older blue-chip player like CeeDee Lamb should be considered. By moving this type of player, you can fast-track your rebuild by instantly getting multiple first-round picks or the equivalent.
That said, if you view your team to be relatively stable for the next few years and these players are on the market, get them. The price tag is going to be steep, but these are the true X-factor players season in and out. In my experience, people are scared to pay up for these players. I get it, moving multiple first-round picks and prospects is scary. However, what is often lost is the potential for these players to be an investment.
A great example of this in my home league is Derrick Henry. He was definitely one of these blue-chip players a few years ago. Since our league started in 2018, Henry has been traded for a first-round pick twice. The catch? These trades were years apart. In 2023, he was traded for a 2025 first. In 2025, he was then moved for a 2026 first-round pick. In the end, the manager who traded for him in 2023 received two years of RB1 production for free. I know player values vary based on leagues, but here is a player who maintained his value across multiple years.
As a result, paying up for a big-name player may seem like a lot. However, if they are truly elite and are part of a relatively stable situation, you can use their elite fantasy production and later sell for little to no decline in price. Whatever the price for Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Ja’Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Ashton Jeanty is right now is likely the same price you can sell them for in two years.
Intentional Depth
It’s dangerously easy to fall in love with prospects on your bench. Trust me, I held onto Hakeem Butler and Trey Lance way longer than I should have. However, sometimes we have to look in the mirror and play the probability game. Pro Football Focus (PFF) analyzed the snap counts of rookies from all positions based on their draft capital from 2006 to 2021.
The goal was to determine the percentage of players at each pick that were hits or misses. What they found is that the first 100 players selected had a hit rate that started at 75%, and fell in a near-exponential decay to 20%. However, players selected after pick 100 all have roughly the same probability of hitting. From pick 100 to 256 (the last pick in the draft), the percentage difference in hit rate is only 15%.
What does this tell us? Players selected outside of the top 100 have a low probability of hitting with a maximum 15% hit rate. However, the difference between being selected at 100 or 200 is a fairly marginal increase in the probability of a hit. How does this help us with fantasy? If you can load up on these late-round players that have a path to fantasy relevance, there is a clear path to profit. At the same time, do not fall in love with these players; you will be stuck with a bench full of potential.
A great example of this last year is Kyle Monangai. After the NFL Draft, Monangai was going undrafted in most rookie drafts. Even though he had seventh-round draft capital, there was a clear path to touches, only competing with Roschon Johnson to be the primary backup to D’Andre Swift. Turns out, he beat out Johnson and flashed last season for the Bears.
As a result, you can likely trade Monangai this offseason for an early-third/late-second-round pick. Considering players selected that late in drafts have a near 5% chance of hitting, that is a great profit to cash out. Best-case scenario, Monangai becomes James Robinson, Rico Dowdle or Isiah Pacheco, and provides a couple of seasons of solid production. However, fantasy production rarely lasts multiple years.
That said, draft capital isn’t everything. Although draft capital is a quantitative way to determine hit rates, it overlooks positional value and traits. For example, with receivers, two archetypes rarely work for fantasy.
The first are prospects who are viewed as slot receivers. These players are great to stash at the end of your bench with the intention of flipping for a profit. Thankfully, the small, speedy receivers can flash electric plays, catching the attention of fantasy managers. Last year, two examples of this were Chimere Dike and Tez Johnson. Both players likely went undrafted in rookie drafts, but flashed last year and could likely net you a third-round draft pick this year.
The second are hyper-athletic, raw players who spike in value during training camp. If timed right, these players can net a profit before the season starts. Typically, these are the athletic receivers such as Dont’e Thornton. After receiving hype in camp, he went from a fantasy undrafted rookie to a promising player (despite plenty of red flags in his profile). If you realized it was unlikely for him to find fantasy success and sold him at the peak of his hype, you are a genius.
As a general statement, these hyper-athletic, role-specific receivers rarely become consistent fantasy producers. Other names include Troy Franklin, Jaylin Noel, Elic Ayomanor, Parker Washington, Jalen Coker and Isaac TeSlaa. As a result, grabbing them with the intention of flipping to another manager for a profit is a smart move.
If you decide to hold onto such a player, make sure they have shown some level of consistency, like Washington and Coker. If you don’t believe in a player, and you flip them, their new manager will likely hold onto them for longer than they should because they gave up assets to acquire them. As these players clog your competition’s rosters, this gives you a further advantage over your league.
Of course, there are always exceptions to these trends. The most glaring examples are Puka Nacua and Amon-Ra St. Brown. However, for every success story, there are nearly hundreds of busts that are forgotten about.
The Cheat Code to Fantasy Starters
It took me too long to realize that depth at running back is a cheat code to fantasy production. What I mean is that it’s the one position where opportunity truly means everything. As a result, hoarding backs on your bench is never a bad idea. Whether these are aging backs or young backups, these players could all find a way to RB1 numbers if given the right opportunity and schedule.
Unlike receivers, where a player missing time doesn’t necessarily mean a clear boost to their surroundings, backs are the opposite. If the starter misses time, the backup can usually find their way to 70-80% of the starter’s production. Since injuries are notoriously unpredictable, the more chances you have, the better.
Examples from last season include Kenneth Gainwell, David Montgomery, Zach Charbonnet and Tyler Allgeier. They had standalone value and would have instantly become No. 1 RBs if their respective starters went down. Other backs, such as Blake Corum, Sean Tucker and Emanuel Wilson, lacked weekly production but were the clear next man up behind the starter.
Once you have sufficient depth at other positions, loading up on running backs is a great use of roster space. Sufficient depth will vary from league to league. Generally, I would view this as enough functional receivers to double the number of starting slots, along with a starter, one solid backup and a dart thrower at quarterback and tight end.
The rest could be made up of backs that have a clear path to production, either through injury or lack of a talented starter. Along with the names above, other examples include (in no particular order) Brian Robinson Jr., DJ Giddens, Jordan Mason, Jaylen Warren, Dylan Sampson, Chris Rodriguez, Tank Bigsby, Isaiah Davis, Kimani Vidal, Ray Davis, Tyjae Spears, Jonathon Brooks and Ollie Gordon.
In Summary
At the end of the day, you get to decide how you build your dynasty roster. Whether you load up on running backs or take multiple shots at late-round athletic receivers, do what you have the most fun with. As much as we want to win, we also want to enjoy the challenge of roster construction.
Dynasty rosters will be a mix of instant producers and young hopeful players. Typically, veterans are undervalued and youth is overvalued. It’s never a bad call to acquire blue-chip talent, even if it costs an arm and a leg. Regardless of your strategy, ask yourself whether you are truly a contender (and be honest with yourself).
From there, use a two to three-year projection and make moves accordingly. The last thing you want to do is fence sit and be stuck in the middle of your league table. Unless you count playoff appearances as wins, you can play conservatively and watch your risk-taking league mates battle for the championship each year.
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