The Rotoworld team, along with a few friends of the site, recently completed a dynasty startup mock draft. Dynasty team building strategies can vary greatly and there are many lessons to learn from studying dynasty startup drafts. With a strong group of participants, including our own Evan Silva, along with Matt Harmon, Mike Clay and many others, I’ve recently completed a round-by-round review. Next, it’s time to look at how each team came together, along with the short and long-term outlook.
This mock draft was based on a typical PPR dynasty league with starting lineups including one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE and a FLEX spot with a total roster of 20 players.
Our participants included:
Sigmund Bloom (FootballGuys)
Mike Clay (ESPN)
Pat Thorman (Pro Football Focus)
Raymond Summerlin (Rotoworld)
Ryan McDowell (Rotoworld)
Evan Silva (Rotoworld)
Matt Harmon (NFL Fantasy)
JJ Zachariason (numberFire)
Rich Hribar (Rotoworld)
Scott Fish (Fanball)
Curtis Patrick (Dynasty League Football)
Mike Wright (The Fantasy Footballers)
Sigmund Bloom
1.01 Odell Beckham, WR NYG
2.12 Travis Kelce, TE KCC
3.01 Corey Davis, WR TEN
4.12 Derrick Henry, RB TEN
5.01 Aaron Rodgers, QB GBP
6.12 John Brown, WR ARZ
7.01 Tyler Lockett, WR SEA
8.12 Marvin Jones, WR DET
9.01 Laquon Treadwell, WR MIN
10.12 Carlos Henderson, WR DEN
11.01 Chris Godwin, WR TBB
12.12 Giovani Bernard, RB CIN
13.01 Quincy Enunwa, WR NYJ
14.12 Dion Lewis, RB NEP
15.01 Rex Burkhead, RB NEP
16.12 Josh Gordon, WR CLE
17.01 T.J. Yeldon, RB JAX
18.12 Rico Gathers, TE DAL
19.01 Tyler Higbee, TE LAR
20.12 Cordarrelle Patterson, WR OAK
Starting Lineup:
QB- Rodgers
RB- Henry
RB- Bernard
WR- Beckham
WR- Davis
WR- Brown
TE- Kelce
FLEX- Jones
Notes: Bloom made the right call with Beckham at the top of the draft…Focused on youth early in the draft with Davis and Henry, while valuable assets, both could be depth only in 2017…I love having top tier assets at the “onesies” positions of QB and TE…I love the pairing of Lewis and Burkhead late in the draft, given how unpredictable the Patriots can be in RB usage…Unless Bernard, Treadwell or Gordon hit in 2017, this team is more of a future contender rather than in 2017…
Mike Clay
1.02 Mike Evans, WR TBB
2.11 Leonard Fournette, RB JAX
3.02 Andrew Luck, QB IND
4.11 Jordan Reed, TE WAS
5.02 DeVante Parker, WR MIA
6.11 Josh Doctson, WR WAS
7.02 Kareem Hunt, RB KCC
8.11 Paul Perkins, RB NYG
9.02 Sterling Shepard, WR NYG
10.11 Marshawn Lynch, RB OAK
11.02 Will Fuller, WR HOU
12.11 D’Onta Foreman, RB HOU
13.02 Rishard Matthews, WR TEN
14.11 Cooper Kupp, WR LAR
15.02 Carson Wentz, QB PHI
16.11 Adam Shaheen, TE CHI
17.02 Tyler Boyd, WR CIN
18.11 Kenyan Drake, RB MIA
19.02 Braxton Miller, WR HOU
20.11 Ricardo Louis, WR CLE
Starting Lineup:
QB- Luck
RB- Fournette
RB- Lynch
WR- Evans
WR- Parker
WR- Matthews
TE- Reed
FLEX- Doctson
Notes: Starting with Evans/Fournette was very strong, but the Luck pick felt like a bit of a reach and affected Clay’s next few picks…I love the chances Clay took in the middle rounds with high-upside talent like Parker, Doctson and Hunt. It makes for a questionable lineup in July, but could be very strong by mid-season…Lynch was a nice value pick, but doesn’t fit the makeup of this team…More upside and potential breakout candidates later in the draft. Fuller, Foreman, Kupp, Wentz, Shaheen and Drake could all easily gain value in the coming months…If Clay gets some consistent production at WR, he could be a playoff contender with this squad…
Pat Thorman
1.03 Ezekiel Elliott, RB DAL
2.10 Todd Gurley, RB LAR
3.03 Stefon Diggs, WR MIN
4.10 Isaiah Crowell, RB CLE
5.03 Corey Coleman, WR CLE
6.10 Eric Ebron, TE DET
7.03 Mike Gillislee, RB NEP
8.10 Breshad Perriman, WR BAL
9.03 Eric Decker, WR TEN
10.10 Dak Prescott, QB DAL
11.03 Malcolm Mitchell, WR NEP
12.10 Taywan Taylor, WR TEN
13.03 Jonathan Williams, RB BUF
14.10 Gerald Everett, TE LAR
15.03 Aaron Jones, RB GBP
16.10 Jimmy Garoppolo, QB NEP
17.03 Erik Swoope, TE IND
18.10 Jerick McKinnon, RB MIN
19.03 Phillip Dorsett, WR IND
20.10 Maxx Williams, TE BAL
Starting Lineup:
QB- Prescott
RB- Elliott
RB- Gurley
WR- Diggs
WR- Decker
WR- Coleman
TE- Ebron
FLEX- Crowell
Notes: Thorman was not afraid to focus on RB early, and that could be smart given the minimum requirement of two backs in each lineup…It’s tough to always find value in this format with no trades, but Ebron felt a little early as the TE6…I loved the pairing of the veteran Decker and rookie Taylor from the Titans suddenly strong offense…Thorman is in a scary place as he is relying on a pair of Browns, Coleman and Crowell, to perform at a high level. If that happens, he’s a playoff contender…
Raymond Summerlin
1.04 Antonio Brown, WR PIT
2.09 Jay Ajayi, RB MIA
3.04 Doug Baldwin, WR SEA
4.09 Donte Moncrief, WR IND
5.04 Russell Wilson, QB SEA
6.09 C.J. Anderson, RB DEN
7.04 Cameron Meredith, WR CHI
8.09 John Ross, WR CIN
9.04 O.J. Howard, TE TBB
10.09 Kevin White, WR CHI
11.04 Curtis Samuel, WR CAR
12.09 Thomas Rawls, RB SEA
13.04 Rob Kelley, RB WAS
14.09 LeGarrette Blount, RB PHI
15.04 Jalen Richard, RB OAK
16.09 Cameron Brate, TE TBB
17.04 Blake Bortles, QB JAX
18.09 Paxton Lynch, QB DEN
19.04 Taylor Gabriel, WR ATL
20.09 Gary Barnidge, TE FA
Starting Lineup:
QB- Wilson
RB- Ajayi
RB- Anderson
WR- Brown
WR- Baldwin
WR- Moncrief
TE- Brate
FLEX- Meredith
Notes: Summerlin has a clear hole at TE, but was wise to pair both Bucs, Brate and the rookie Howard…Another strong duo of QB Wilson and WR Baldwin from Seattle is also imposing…Using mid-round picks on White and Samuel could pay off in a big way…I’m concerned with the starting WRs on this team as Moncrief and Meredith have not shown they can be reliable weekly assets…I think this is another team that might have too many holes to fill to compete in the early going of the league…
Ryan McDowell
1.05 Julio Jones, WR ATL
2.08 Jordan Howard, RB ATL
3.05 Joe Mixon, RB CIN
4.08 Martavis Bryant, WR PIT
5.05 Willie Snead, WR NOS
6.08 Alvin Kamara, RB NOS
7.05 Jameis Winston, QB TBB
8.08 Greg Olsen, TE CAR
9.05 Theo Riddick, RB DET
10.08 Evan Engram, TE NYG
11.05 Zay Jones, WR BUF
12.08 James Conner, RB PIT
13.05 Matthew Stafford, QB DET
14.08 Marlon Mack, RB IND
15.05 ArDarius Stewart, WR NYJ
16.08 Josh Reynolds, WR LAR
17.05 Tavon Austin, WR LAR
18.08 C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE HOU
19.05 Darren McFadden, RB DAL
20.08 Mitchell Trubisky, QB CHI
Starting Lineup:
QB- Winston
RB- Howard
RB- Mixon
WR- Jones
WR- Bryant
WR- Snead
TE- Olsen
FLEX-Riddick
Notes: As I was looking at my own potential lineup, I realized how crucial it is to consider your likely lineup at all points of a draft, not just at the end…I realized the balance of my team was way off, with many players that have been hyped up this offseason and very few who offer weekly reliability…Olsen was a nice value in the eighth round…In the mid-rounds, I turned my attention to the rookie class, grabbing a whopping six rookies from rounds ten through sixteen…With so much youth and the upside of Mixon and Bryant, I like my team for the long-term, but might be on the fringe of playoff contention in year one…
Evan Silva
1.06 David Johnson, RB ARZ
2.07 Melvin Gordon, RB LAC
3.06 LeSean McCoy, RB BUF
4.07 Golden Tate, WR DET
5.06 Ty Montgomery, RB GBP
6.07 Julian Edelman, WR NEP
7.06 Jeremy Maclin, WR BAL
8.07 DeSean Jackson, WR TBB
9.06 Jimmy Graham, TE SEA
10.07 Cam Newton, QB CAR
11.06 Danny Woodhead, RB BAL
12.07 Martellus Bennett, TE GBP
13.06 J.J. Nelson, WR ARZ
14.07 Ted Ginn, WR NOS
15.06 Patrick Mahomes, QB KCC
16.07 Philip Rivers, QB LAC
17.06 Leonte Carroo, WR MIA
18.07 Jacquizz Rodgers, RB TBB
19.06 De’Angelo Henderson, RB DEN
20.07 Dede Westbrook, WR JAX
Starting Lineup:
QB- Newton
RB- Johnson
RB- Gordon
WR- Tate
WR- Edelman
WR- Maclin
TE- Graham
FLEX- McCoy
Notes: Silva clearly focused heavily on the RB position, selecting four backs with his first five picks, including his first three…This left WR as a weakness, but Silva grabbed veteran value in the mid-rounds which help his causes for this season…Silva built this team with a redraft mentality and that would pay off in 2017…Newton and Graham were huge values and could finish among the top five at their respective positions…Silva might be the favorite to win this league in 2017, but he’ll be forced to retool quickly with many players closing in on age 30…
Matt Harmon
1.07 Michael Thomas, WR NOS
2.06 Rob Gronkowski, TE NEP
3.07 Christian McCaffrey, RB CAR
4.06 Tyreek Hill, WR KCC
5.07 Michael Crabtree, WR OAK
6.06 Mike Williams, WR LAC
7.07 Pierre Garcon, WR SFO
8.06 Spencer Ware, RB KCC
9.07 James White, RB NEP
10.06 Bilal Powell, RB NYJ
11.07 Brandon Marshall, WR NYG
12.06 Austin Hooper, WR ATL
13.07 Andy Dalton, QB CIN
14.06 Jeremy McNichols, RB TBB
15.07 Robert Woods, WR LAR
16.06 Eli Manning, QB NYG
17.07 Travis Benjamin, WR LAC
18.06 Jake Butt, TE DEN
19.07 Chris Thompson, RB WAS
20.06 Ryan Switzer, WR DAL
Starting Lineup:
QB- Dalton
RB- McCaffrey
RB- Ware
WR- Thomas
WR- Hill
WR- Crabtree
TE- Gronkowski
FLEX- Garcon
Notes: Harmon took a shot on upside early with McCaffrey and Hill and I love both picks…Crabtree has been the Raiders top WR in the past two seasons and continues to offer excellent value in dynasty leagues…The rookie WR Williams has been bleeding value with concerns he could miss extensive time due to a back injury…Dalton is perpetually underrated, but I still don’t feel confident with him as the starter entering the season…This could quickly be the top TE group in the league after grabbing Gronkowski early, Harmon added a pair of young TEs late in Hooper and Butt…I love the pass-catchers on this team, but there are some questions about his RB corps, led by McCaffrey and Ware and that could be his downfall in the short-term…
JJ Zachariason
1.08 Le’Veon Bell, RB PIT
2.05 Dez Bryant, WR DAL
3.08 Keenan Allen, WR LAC
4.05 Jamison Crowder, WR WAS
5.08 DeMarco Murray, RB TEN
6.05 Randall Cobb, WR GBP
7.08 Kenny Britt, WR CLE
8.05 Samaje Perine, RB WAS
9.08 Mike Wallace, WR BAL
10.05 David Njoku, TE CLE
11.08 Delanie Walker, TE TEN
12.05 Matt Ryan, QQB ATL
13.08 Frank Gore, RB IND
14.05 Chris Conley, WR KCC
15.08 Devin Funchess, WR CAR
16.05 Wayne Gallman, RB NYG
17.08 Donnel Pumphrey, RB PHI
18.05 Jehu Chesson, WR KCC
19.08 Joe Flacco, QB BAL
20.05 Albert Wilson, WR KCC
Starting Lineup:
QB- Ryan
RB- Bell
RB- Murray
WR- Bryant
WR- Allen
WR- Crowder
TE- Walker
FLEX- Cobb
Notes: I have some doubts about the Crowder pick, but love almost everything else Zachariason did in the first half of the draft…He lived up to his Late Round QB moniker, waiting until the twelfth round to select Ryan, presenting surprising value…Perine could earn the starting gig in Washington and that would boost his dynasty stock very quickly…Although Njoku was his first TE taken, Zachariason followed that up in the next round with the veteran Walker, who can hold down the job until Njoku matures in the league…This team is well-balanced at positions and when considering player age, which should make Zachariason a contender for years to come…
Rich Hribar
1.09 Amari Cooper, WR OKA
2.04 Sammy Watkins, WR BUF
3.09 Jarvis Landry, WR MIA
4.04 Jordy Nelson, WR GBP
5.09 Tyler Eifert, TE CIN
6.04 Emmanuel Sanders, WR DEN
7.09 Tyrell Williams, WR LAC
8.04 Kenneth Dixon, RB BAL
9.09 Doug Martin, RB TBB
10.04 Duke Johnson, RB CLE
11.09 Jack Doyle, TE IND
12.04 Kirk Cousins, QB WAS
13.09 Jamaal Charles, RB DEN
14.04 Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE NYJ
15.09 Tyrod Taylor, QB BUF
16.04 Jonnu Smith, TE TEN
17.09 Latavius Murray, RB MIN
18.04 Devontae Booker, RB DEN
19.09 Marquise Goodwin, WR SFP
20.04 Malachi Dupre, WR GBP
Starting Lineup:
QB- Cousins
RB- Martin
RB- Johnson
WR- Cooper
WR- Watkins
WR- Landry
TE- Eifert
FLEX- Nelson
Notes: Hribar hammered WRs early with four consecutive to begin the draft and six of his first seven picks…Unfortunately, since the draft, we’ve learned Dixon will miss the 2017 season. This can show how difficult it can be to wait on any position because the margin of error become so thin…Reebs also waited on QB and was rewarded with Cousins, and then Taylor to back him up…This team has some obvious questions at RB, but that WR group is so strong considering a guy like Nelson is the WR4 on this team…Hribar could be a contender both in 2017 and beyond with that cupboard full of wideouts…
Scott Fish
1.10 A.J. Green, WR CIN
2.03 Allen Robinson, WR JAX
3.10 Dalvin Cook, RB MIN
4.03 Terrelle Pryor, WR WAS
5.10 Carlos Hyde, RB SFO
6.03 Hunter Henry, TE LAC
7.10 C.J. Prosise, RB SEA
8.03 Adam Thielen, WR MIN
9.10 Zach Ertz, TE PHI
10.03 Larry Fitzgerald, WR ARZ
11.10 Joe Williams, RB SFO
12.03 Adrian Peterson, RB NOS
13.10 Jamaal Williams, RB GBP
14.03 Ben Roethlisberger, QB PIT
15.10 Deshaun Watson, QB HOU
16.03 Paul Richardson, WR SEA
17.10 Ryan Tannehill, QB MIA
18.03 George Kittle, TE SFO
19.10 Mohamed Sanu, WR ATL
20.03 Elijah McGuire, RB NYJ
Starting Lineup:
QB- Roethlisberger
RB- Cook
RB- Hyde
WR- Green
WR- Robinson
WR- Pryor
TE- Ertz
FLEX- Fitzgerald
Notes: I was shocked my friend Fish didn’t take Ajayi in the second round, instead opting for the upside of a WR/WR start to his draft…Fish clearly took some chances at RB, beginning with the rookie Cook, followed by Hyde, who is rumored to be gone from SF before the season begins. He followed that up with oft-injured Prosise. With that said, I love all three risks and even if Hyde is bounced from the Niners, he will almost certainly land in a better situation…Fish balanced out the upside of TE Henry with the veteran Ertz, who should continue to be featured even with the addition of Jeffery and Smith in Philly…The rookie RB Williams in the mid-rounds could either be Hyde insurance or the team’s next starter. Either way, solid pick…A player who is a weekly starter in the tenth round is a huge value and that’s what he got in Fitzgerald…I love this balanced lineup and Fish’s team would be a certain contender in 2017 with only a few touch ups needed to keep it going in the future…
Curtis Patrick
1.11 T.Y. Hilton, WR IND
2.02 Brandin Cooks, WR NEP
3.11 Davante Adams, WR GBP
4.02 Alshon Jeffery, WR PHI
5.11 Tevin Coleman, RB ATL
6.02 Marcus Mariota, QB TEN
7.11 Eddie Lacy, RB SEA
8.02 Kyle Rudolph, TE MIN
9.11 Juju Smith-Schuster, WR PIT
10.02 Drew Brees, QB NOS
11.11 Coby Fleener, TE NOS
12.02 Marqise Lee, WR JAX
13.11 Jeremy Hill, RB CIN
14.02 Matt Forte, RB NYJ
15.11 Allen Hurns, WR JAX
16.02 Jonathan Stewart, RB CAR
17.11 Amara Darboh, WR SEA
18.02 Jared Goff, QB LAR
19.11 Vance McDonald, TE SFO
20.02 Chad Hansen, WR NYJ
Starting Lineup:
QB- Mariota
RB- Lacy
RB- Coleman
WR- Hilton
WR- Cooks
WR- Adams
TE- Rudolph
FLEX- Jeffery
Notes: Patrick was another team who built around the WR position, taking four to begin the draft and leaving him to find RB value in the upcoming rounds…Mariota has been one of the offseason’s hot names and has seen a major value boost since last season…Considering Patrick was looking for RB help, Lacy was a perfect pick in the late seventh round. If he can overcome his weight issue, he could once again be a force for the Seahawks and a weekly fantasy starter…Both Jags WR Lee and Hurns have played in the shadow of their teammate Allen Robinson, but that has just led to them being value in the mid-rounds…The Panthers and Bengals drafted RBs early in the recent NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean we should give up on Stewart and Hill, who can still be useful…This is another team with questions at RB, but with quite a few options to fill those spots, Patrick looks like a playoff contender in 2017 and beyond…
1.12 Devonta Freeman, RB ATL
2.01 DeAndre Hopkins, WR HOU
3.12 Demaryius Thomas, WR DEN
4.01 Lamar Miller, RB HOU
5.12 Ameer Abdullah, RB DET
6.01 Kelvin Benjamin, WR CAR
7.12 Jordan Matthews, WR PHI
8.01 Mark Ingram, RB NOS
9.12 Kenny Golladay, WR DET
10.01 Tom Brady, QB NEP
11.12 Chad Williams, WR ARZ
12.01 Derek Carr, QB OAK
13.12 Kenny Stills, WR MIA
14.01 DeAndre Washington, RB OAK
15.12 Julius Thomas, TE MIA
16.01 Cole Beasley, WR DAL
17.12 Dion Sims, TE CHI
18.01 Terrance West, RB BAL
19.12 DeShone Kizer, QB CLE
20.01 Mack Hollins, WR PHI
Starting Lineup:
QB- Brady
RB- Freeman
RB- Miller
WR- Hopkins
WR- Thomas
WR- Benjamin
TE- Thomas
FLEX- Abdullah
Notes: There are some clear pros and cons about picking at the corner, but Wright made the most of this draft slot…This team has a solid balance from the start and is banking on a bounce back year from Hopkins and Miller in 2017…Benjamin, Matthews and Ingram have not bene popular targets this offseason, but all three have proven to be fantasy starters in the past and even with more competition, specifically for Matthews and Ingram, they should again be flex-worthy…The TE spot is the clear weakness of this squad with Wright relying on Thomas to return to his glory days in Denver with double-digit scores…Grabbing West near the end of the draft is already looking like a very savvy move, given the latest news of Kenneth Dixon’s injury…While TE is a concern, Wright is loaded everywhere else and a strong 2016 contender…
