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Dynasty Startup Draft Strategy Bonanza 2023

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DeVonta Smith
Ryan McDowell Posted On January 30, 2023
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Each month, I host multiple dynasty startup mock drafts in order to curate our ADP data. In order to best monitor these drafts, I participate in each mock. This month, I tried six different specific team-building strategies. Below, I’ll discuss each method and share the team that was born from that plan.

The six draft strategies I settled on were as follows:

  • Productive Struggle
  • Win Now
  • WR Heavy
  • All-22
  • Fake Punt
  • Best Player Available

PRODUCTIVE STRUGGLE

I’ve written quite a bit about the strategy I coined as Productive Struggle. Find the first mention way back in 2014, with an updated look at the strategy as part of our 2021 Dynasty Draft Guide. In case you missed those, the basis of the Productive Struggle is being willing to tank, or give up, the first season of dynasty league with the goal of building a powerhouse filled with young, valuable assets.

When applying the Productive Struggle strategy, there should be no concern about winning in year one, though that does occasionally happen. Also, no need to sweat exact position requirements. Often, Productive Struggle teams are built around the wide receiver position because that is the one with the best combination of high value and long career span. While youth is a focal point of this strategy, it’s not an exact rule. The real goal is to load up on players who are likely to gain value, with a goal of maximizing that projected value gain, likely through trading. Typically, this strategy would also involve moving up and down the draft board and acquiring future rookie picks, via draft pick trades, but that is not an option in our mock drafts.

Projected 2023 Starting Lineup:

  • QB- Watson
  • RB- Warren
  • WR- St. Brown
  • TE- Johnson
  • FLEX- Olave
  • FLEX- Smith
  • FLEX- D. Moore
  • FLEX- Johnson
  • FLEX- Claypool

This team is built around young wideouts and I expect the quartet of St. Brown, Olave, Smith and Moore to hold or increase value over the next two to three years. Not only does this give me a strong base when I am ready to compete, but a major value spike for any of this group could offer me multiple trade opportunities. As expected, running back is the weakness of this team but I wouldn’t really plan to address that until the team is ready to compete.

WIN NOW

Next up, I tried a “win now” team. This was very different for me as it has been years since I went into a league with this goal in mind. While the team and the resulting potential starting lineup are quite enticing, the future value drop would also be in the back of my mind. Of course, in a win-now build, the main goal is to construct a team that would be considered the favorite in the upcoming season. Not only are future years sacrificed via player age, but also by the willingness to trade upcoming rookie picks in order to create the strongest possible team in the moment.

In most of my team builds, I am uneasy about relying on early-round running backs due to their relatively short career span and fluctuating value. In a win-now, short-term-focused structure, that is not nearly as important, which results in a running back-heavy squad.

Projected 2023 Starting Lineup:

  • QB- Jackson
  • RB- Ekeler
  • WR- Diggs
  • TE- Waller
  • FLEX- Chubb
  • FLEX- Smith
  • FLEX- McLaurin
  • FLEX- Lockett
  • FLEX- Williams

I think there has been a misconception that win-now teams have to always be filled with players nearing the end of their career, or at least past their respective value plateau. While those players can be significant values for win-now teams, there’s nothing wrong with targeting young players who could slot into a winning lineup. With this roster, Smith fits that example.

WR-HEAVY

This strategy of focusing heavily, and I mean heavily, on the wideout position has some clear commonalities with a Productive Struggle team. While the result could be similar, the reasoning is different. The 2022 season was a reminder of just how volatile the running back position really is, even on a year-to-year basis. Nine months ago, Jonathan Taylor was the safest bet in a dynasty league and now he’s not even the clear RB1. We’ve seen other backs, especially younger players like Najee Harris and D’Andre Swift, disappoint as well. So instead, let’s build around wide receivers and have more confidence in our players to gain, or at least maintain, their respective value.

Projected 2023 Starting Lineup:

  • QB- Stafford
  • RB- Foreman
  • WR- Chase
  • TE- Waller
  • FLEX- Higgins
  • FLEX- Samuel
  • FLEX- McLaurin
  • FLEX- Cooper
  • FLEX- Smith-Schuster

Running back is really ugly here with Foreman and Wilson as the first two players drafted in the double-digit rounds. Unlike the Productive Struggle path, the idea here is that the strength at the wide receiver position is enough to make up for the backfield weakness.

ALL-22

Created by DLF guest contributor and high-stakes fantasy football legend Norm Cruz, the All-22 strategy is a fairly simple one. Draft only players that are 22 years old or younger. Norm explained his strategy in full here.

The results of this is another one that could end up looking a lot like a Productive Struggle team, which is probably why I like it so much. Also, as Norm pointed out in his article explaining the strategy, startup draft trades are a must. Again, that wasn’t an option for me, which resulted in a few obvious reaches. Also, since we do not yet have the upcoming rookie class as draft options, I added a year and selected only players who are 23 years old or under.

Projected 2023 Starting Lineup:

  • QB- Lawrence
  • RB- J. Williams
  • WR- Lamb
  • TE- Pitts
  • FLEX- London
  • FLEX- White
  • FLEX- J. Williams
  • FLEX- Robinson
  • FLEX- E. Moore

This team would likely take some lumps early in the process, but Norm has proven over the years that the team-building method can be both successful and very profitable. Again, a true All-22 team would be built through multiple trades during the startup draft, almost certainly acquiring additional future rookie picks in the process.

FAKE PUNT

Years ago, I had tried this strategy multiple times in dynasty startup drafts but didn’t have a good name for it. Essentially, the early focus is on acquiring young players who could be cornerstones for years to come, even if they may not be considered fantasy starters at this time. Then, in the later part of the startup draft, take advantage of the veteran values and acquire players who could fill out the starting lineup until those cornerstone pieces were ready. My friend and former DLF writer Brian McLeish aptly named this one the Fake Punt.

This makes total sense and brings up an important reminder for anyone taking part in a dynasty startup draft. Not only should you focus on your team and dynasty-building strategy, but pay attention to the competition as well. This could impact your player choices.

Projected 2023 Starting Lineup:

  • QB- Tagovailoa
  • RB- Conner
  • WR- St. Brown
  • TE- Ertz
  • FLEX- Wilson
  • FLEX- Brown
  • FLEX- Dotson
  • FLEX- Kupp
  • FLEX- Smith-Schuster

With an early focus on youth and the wide receiver position, this looks like yet another Productive Struggle team. That changes once the seventh round comes and veteran superstar Cooper Kupp is somehow still on the board. The direction of the team changes and with a mix of high-upside youth and reliable veterans, a strong starting lineup is constructed.

BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE

Finally, I gave the tried and true best player available strategy a try. The idea here is obvious but it also seems that dynasty players could define this in multiple ways. As I moved through the draft, I simply drafted the player I felt had the best combination of value and production. In general, this feels closer to a “win now” strategy.

Projected 2023 Starting Lineup:

  • QB- Lawrence
  • RB- Stevenson
  • WR- Waddle
  • TE- Andrews
  • FLEX- Olave
  • FLEX- Cooper
  • FLEX- Mixon
  • FLEX- Montgomery
  • FLEX- Boyd

There you have it. Six different ways to attack your next dynasty startup draft. Which team above is your favorite? What are your favorite ways to build a successful dynasty squad? This goes without saying but there is no one “right” dynasty strategy. I suggest trying out multiple options and I think mock drafts are the best and safest way to do that. Find the team-building plan that works for you and have fun building a dynasty your way.

Ryan McDowell
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