As the popularity and participation in fantasy football grows, so too do all of the niche games that help make up the huge fantasy community. Among these are daily fantasy (DFS), individual defensive players (IDP) and my personal favorite, dynasty leagues, where players keep their entire team from year to year, managing it much like a real NFL general manager.
As dynasty leagues continue to grow, more and more strategies are becoming popular as they are proven to be effective, thanks to dynasty championships. If you are a newcomer to dynasty, or even an experienced player looking to change things up, it’s crucial that you enter your new league with a strategic plan. As I create my dynasty blueprint, I like to consider what I want my team to look like when the draft is complete, breaking it down position by position, and that’s just what I’ll do here.
Note: Any dynasty average draft position (ADP) data references come from DynastyLeagueFootball.com, where dynasty ADP is updated monthly.
Quarterback
The trend in recent years is to wait on the quarterback position. This idea of “late-round QB” works perfectly, especially since so many dynasty players are buying in to this theory. Since the majority of owners in your draft want to wait on any quarterback not named Andrew Luck or Aaron Rodgers, waiting until the 10th round to grab your first quarterback is a smart move.
Some quarterbacks typically available after the 10th round include Tom Brady with an ADP of 131, Colin Kaepernick (144), Eli Manning (151), Tony Romo (152) and Philip Rivers (154). Each of those would make solid fantasy starters at a very reasonable price. Considering they are so cheap, it could make sense to even grab a pair of these and not have to worry about the position for three to four years.
With so many solid, reliable quarterbacks available in the later rounds, it’s difficult to reason spending a top-100 pick on a young, relatively unproven player like Teddy Bridgewater or Jameis Winston.
Running Back
Running back is another position where I always plan to wait until the middle or later rounds before I begin to fully stock my dynasty depth chart, though the reasoning is a bit different. While late round running backs are not nearly as predictable or reliable as the quarterbacks, it’s the running back position as a whole that has me worried. This is a huge change from redraft leagues where running backs still rule and grabbing a stud or two early is imperative.
The suddenly short shelf life of a running back, combined with the growing popularity of a committee attack are just two of the factors that have stunted the value of running backs in dynasty leagues, often making them an afterthought. It’s not that you don’t need running backs to win dynasty titles, it’s just that you shouldn’t be willing to pay a premium price on a player from a position that carries so much risk. After all, just two years ago, Trent Richardson and Doug Martin were consensus first round picks in dynasty startup drafts. Now, they are not even top 100 players in dynasty leagues. Pitfalls like this can hit any player from any position, but I’ve seen it happen often enough with running backs that I am glad to wait on them, focusing on stockpiling talent from other positions.
Of course, you do have starting requirements to fill and most leagues require at least two starting backs. My personal preference is to load up on mid- and late-round running backs, knowing I only need to find two weekly starters, and my general strategy will likely allow me to gain advantages at other positions. There are many backs each year that offer value and possess fantasy starter upside at a fraction of the cost of players like Le’Veon Bell, whose ADP is five overall.
I typically start my search for running backs around the seventh round. At this point, the elite talent from all positions has been picked over and the danger of missing on a risky running back is lessened. There are two types of running backs I look for in this range, and they couldn’t be more different.
First, I’m in search of proven veteran starters. These are backs that other dynasty players might be avoiding due to age or a fear that the player may only have a year or two left. Again, the later you get into your draft, the riskier picks you can make. Some veteran options in the seventh round and later this year include: Joique Bell (100), Frank Gore (106), Darren McFadden (124) and LeGarrette Blount (157). These players have risk beyond just their age, including potential threats from other backs on the roster or general injury concerns, but those are factors that make them such a value.
The next type of running back I’m looking for is the young, unproven back with upside. Players like this that receive a lot of hype and attention can often climb way up into the second or third round of drafts, but there are plenty of options later as well. These players have even more risk since they’ve proven very little on the NFL stage, but if they “hit,” their value could explode. Some examples of players I recommend targeting this year include Jay Ajayi (84), Jerick McKinnon (85), http://www.nbcsports.com/edge/player/NFL/5449/David-JohnsonDavid Johnson (107), Javorius Allen (154), Denard Robinson (171) and http://www.nbcsports.com/edge/player/NFL/3128/Matt-JonesMatt Jones (186). You’ll notice many of those names are rookies. With some exceptions, I’m willing to draft any rookie running back outside of the top 100 based on the potential for early career carries and a large value increase.
Wide Receiver
You’re probably wondering how I recommend using all early round draft picks since I’m content to wait until the middle and later rounds for both quarterback and running back. Well, here it is. I always build my team around wide receivers, thanks in part to their extended career length and their ability to pile up points in a hurry, especially in PPR leagues. I would not hesitate to make my first four or five picks all wide receivers in the majority of league formats and have successfully done so many times in recent years.
With that in mind, that target list of players I would suggest is a who’s who of the best wideouts in the game. In the first round, I am looking for a young receiver who I can comfortably insert into my lineup for the next several years without a second thought. The amazing rookie class of 2014 has boosted the wide receiver position even more, thanks to breakout seasons from Odell Beckham (3), Mike Evans (6) and many others. In the second round, I’m almost certainly coming back for another receiver and depending on your general dynasty strategy, that could be a veteran like Calvin Johnson (14) or Jordy Nelson (18), or a youngster with major upside like Amari Cooper (22) or Brandin Cooks (24). Personally, I’d meet in the middle with a young, but somewhat proven player like Randall Cobb (15) or DeAndre Hopkins (15).
Throughout the next several rounds, I continue to stockpile wideouts, preferably younger players as those are the ones who are most desirable should I ever consider trading one to my competitors. Among the players I’d be targeting this year are Allen Robinson (37), Golden Tate (50), Breshad Perriman (66) and Mike Wallace (77).
Like the other positions, there are some very good veterans that can be had very late in drafts that could serve as fantasy starters for the next year or two. These include Roddy White (118), Vincent Jackson (118), Larry Fitzgerald (122), Anquan Boldin (167) and Steve Smith (194), all of whom are available in the tenth round or later.
Tight End
Many dynasty players like to build their team around stud running backs, while others want to ensure they lock down their starting quarterbacks for the next 10 years. Finally, others, like me, build around the wide receiver position. Rarely will you find someone focusing heavily on the tight end position, meaning many players offer great value in startup dynasty drafts. In general, tight ends lack the consistency of other positions.
Some veterans who offer that desired consistency are Greg Olsen (70) and Martellus Bennett (80). Even later in the draft, a vet like Antonio Gates (175) could be a short term difference maker. I like to pair older players like this with a youngster who could break out and there are many tight ends that fit into this category. My current favorites are Austin Seferian-Jenkins (89) and Ladarius Green (139), but you could opt for others, namely Eric Ebron (89), Tyler Eifert (107), Maxx Williams (113) or Jace Amaro (149), among others.
Following this blueprint, you should end your startup draft with a good balance of youth and veterans and a full cupboard of wide receivers, making your dynasty team competitive for the next several years.
