It’s startup draft season for dynasty managers! Before you jump into the draft room, it’s best to plan out some of the players you want on your team. Whether it’s price, value or sheer fandom, whatever players you select will be on your team until you trade them, so make the right choices whenever possible.
Here are some players I’m targeting and the logic behind them.
- 2024 NFL Mock Drafts
- Expert Consensus 2024 NFL Mock Draft
- 2024 NFL Draft Guide
- 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Profiles
Must-Have Dynasty Startup Draft Targets
Bryce Young (QB – CAR)
Whether you play in 1QB or SuperFlex, finding a cheap quarterback option can help your team dominate at the other positions. That’s where a player like Bryce Young comes in. According to FantasyPros’ Dynasty Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR), he’s currently the QB19. Yet, I think he still has QB1 upside.
He’s ranked right around other QBs like Jared Goff and Deshaun Watson. Give me the younger option all day. He had a rough rookie year, but with the way that team was built, I wasn’t too shocked. Now that they’ve turned over the coaching staff, I expect them to lean on Young to see what they have, which should also turn into fantasy points.
Isiah Pacheco (RB – KC)
Isiah Pacheco is ranked as RB13 in dynasty ECR, but he could be a top-five running back in the next year or two. He plays on a very talented offense, and with all of the holes the Chiefs have, I don’t expect them to bring in any real competition, either through free agency or the draft. The job is Pacheco’s alone, which makes his upside even higher.
Pacheco finished 2023 as RB15 overall in PPR scoring and RB14 in points per game, missing three contests. Assuming he stays healthy, I see both of those finishes going up. If I can draft him as my RB in a startup, I’m very happy with that.
Tyjae Spears (RB – TEN)
For a cheaper RB2 option, I like the value of Tyjae Spears in Tennessee. Derrick Henry is gone, leaving Spears the throne all for himself. In a limited role in 2023, Spears averaged 4.5 yards per carry on 100 carries and 5.5 yards per target on 70 targets. If they increase this workload, he should have no problem breaking into the top 15 RBs.
Henry ran for 1,167 yards himself. If you give Spears half of those yards and none of Henry’s passing stats, Spears would have finished with the seventh-most yards among the position. Add in his passing numbers, and he breaks the top 10 at the position. This is what I expect this year and the next, which is why I want Spears in every draft I can get him in.
Chris Olave (WR – NO)
Chris Olave was one of the better receivers in terms of talent that flew under the radar last season. With Derek Carr under center, Olave finished as WR16 overall in PPR scoring. He was 12th in terms of targets with 138 and only missed a single game. If the Saints can upgrade their QB position, just imagine what Olave could do.
I think many Olave managers were pretty frustrated with him last year and are now willing to pass on him in startups. There are plenty of shinier objects for people to focus on. Instead, give me the hungry and talented Olave, who should see a significant bump, both in quantity and quality, with a new offense this year. He’s also only 23, so he’s got plenty of value for dynasty managers.
Jaylen Waddle (WR – MIA)
Ranked just behind Olave at WR10 in dynasty ECR is Waddle at WR12. Unlike Olave, Jaylen Waddle isn’t going through any sort of transition on the offense and should come into 2024 hungry for totally different reasons. The Dolphins were close to advancing in the playoffs. I think they missed out because they went away from what worked, which included Waddle.
With stud WR Tyreek Hill across the field from him, Waddle isn’t going to get WR1 looks. That’s just not in the cards. Still, WR2 looks on an offense like Miami’s is plenty. Waddle earned 104 targets in 14 games and unimpressively finished as the WR34 on the season. I expect the Dolphins to retool things this offseason and feature Waddle much more in their offense. This makes me want him on my dynasty team, as well.
Dalton Schultz (TE – HOU)
When it comes to tight ends, I’m almost always willing to wait it out in startup drafts. I’d rather fill up my starting lineup with depth at RB and WR, largely because of how few and far between good tight ends are. That said, someone I love getting in startups this year is Dalton Schultz, the new long-term solution for the Texans’ offense.
Schultz is ranked as TE17 in dynasty ECR, but he finished as TE10 in 2023 in PPR scoring. He missed two games, but the new contract he received from the team before he hit free agency tells me that they want him around for the long haul. With a stud like C.J. Stroud throwing him the ball, I fully expect Schultz to be a solid TE1 option for the next couple of years, and that’s all I can ask for when drafting the position.
Dynasty Rookie Mock Drafts
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Two Rounds (10-Team, 1QB)
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Two Rounds (12-Team, 1QB)
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Superflex, 5-Round
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: 10-Team, Superflex
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Superflex
Dynasty Rookie Draft Advice
- 2024 Dynasty Superflex Rookie Draft Rankings: Fitz’s Top 40 Pick
- Erickson’s Top Dynasty Rookie Wide Receivers
- Erickson’s Top Dynasty Rookie Running Backs
- Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings & Tiers: Wide Receivers
- How to Prepare for Your Dynasty Rookie Draft: Feb |
- 3 Overvalued Dynasty Rookie Draft Picks to Avoid
- 3 Undervalued Dynasty Rookie Draft Picks to Target
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Andrew Hall is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his profile and follow him @AndrewHallFF.
