The 2024 Perfect Dynasty Draft: 1QB Balanced

Over the span of the next few weeks, we’re going to be bringing you our 2024 versions of the “Perfect Draft.” Anyone who has followed us for any length of time knows you can’t enter a draft without a strategy but which strategy you choose will directly affect who you want to target. With that in mind, these are the strategies we’re going to cover:

Win Now
Value
Balanced
Productive Struggle
Fake Punt
Bully QB/TE
Robust RB

Today, we’ll continue the series with an analysis of a 1QB draft looking for balance. A balanced draft should look like a mix of all of these other draft strategies. You want to win now, and you want to win in the years to come. You don’t want to have to worry about being weak at a certain position going into the season. You want to build depth with young, ascending talent to establish a dynasty for years to come. We’re going to look at three different areas of the draft to demonstrate how to execute this strategy from anywhere in the draft order. Early is defined as picks one to four, middle as picks five to eight, and late as picks nine through 12. Many start-up draft picks are bound to be traded and every draft format is a little different but this will give you an idea of who you can target throughout the draft.

Using July ADP, let’s have the perfect dynasty startup draft.

First Round

Early (Team One) : Justin Jefferson, WR MIN

In one quarterback leagues, the elite wide receivers will be the first players off the board. CeeDee Lamb, Ja’Marr Chase, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jefferson are all outstanding picks, and all of them are under 26 years old. Jefferson is my pick here because he has the fewest red flags for me. He’s been relatively available, consistent and his team has the quarterback position figured out, hopefully, for years to come.

Mid (Team Two) : Bijan Robinson, RB ATL

Christian McCaffrey has been my choice for the number one running back in dynasty, but since we are focusing on balance in this draft, Robinson is the ideal pick. If you believe the hype out of Atlanta, you could be drafting the 22-year-old version of CMC this year in Robinson. Those are lofty expectations and the Falcons will need to put their money where their mouth is, but he certainly has the talent to fulfill those goals.

Late (Team Three) : Puka Nacua, WR LAR

There are several exciting wide receivers at the end of the first round of dynasty ADP, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Nacua’s age and Sean McVay’s history of spotlighting a ball hog in the passing game gives him the edge to me. He’s a WR1 for this year, and his ceiling will only increase once Kupp takes a step back.

Second Round

Early (Team Three) : Tyreek Hill, WR MIA

Since team three went young with their first pick, they’ll take a veteran option with their second pick in Hill. As long as he is on the field, he is an outstanding bet to finish the season as the WR1 overall. He’s mentioned in the past that he wants to retire once this current contract expires, but he’s also been jockeying for a new contract. That contradiction could mean Hill plans to play for longer than he’s previously stated.

Mid (Team Two): Jaylen Waddle, WR MIA

Team two had a chance to double-tap the Falcons with Drake London here, but Waddle is the safer, more balanced pick. He’s a nice value here going in the second round and, when Hill does retire some day, Waddle will be the primary pass catcher on one of the best offenses in the league.

Late (Team One) : Brandon Aiyuk, WR SF

Aiyuk may be disgruntled with his current contract situation, but that is a temporary speed bump for this elite fantasy option. Aiyuk is one of the best route runners in the league. Brock Purdy’s success as Mr. Irrelevant has to be partially credited with having Aiyuk on the team. This team has two wide receivers to start off but will start to address their balance in the next round.

Third Round

Early (Team One) : De’Von Achane, RB MIA

We’re seven picks into this exercise and this is the third Miami Dolphin to be selected. That is a testament to how great this offense is, and the system that Mike McDaniel has built to help this team succeed. Achane’s rookie season was nothing short of spectacular. His efficiency was off the charts and, if he can keep it up, he won’t need much volume to be an RB1 for years to come. I believe we’ll get one more year of Mostert being the lead back in Miami before Achane and Jaylen Wright take the reins.

Mid (Team Two) : Josh Allen, QB BUF

Allen is the first quarterback to be selected in dynasty drafts, and he absolutely should be. He has been the quarterback one in all of fantasy for three of the last four seasons, and he was the quarterback two the only other season. In a balanced draft, you can usually wait a while to find value at the “onesie” positions, but Allen is a value in the third round. He may take a step back in 2024 because of the departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, but Allen makes enough plays on his own to make up for it.

Late (Team Three) : Isiah Pacheco, RB KC

A bell cow back on the best team in football who’s only 25 years old and can be drafted at the end of the third round of dynasty fantasy football drafts? Sign me up for Pacheco in this spot. It’s a bit of a boring pick, but we’re not trying to earn Time Magazine’s “Sexiest Team Alive” cover, we’re trying to build a balanced, winning dynasty team.

Fourth Round

Early (Team Three) : Jonathon Brooks, RB CAR

Team three balances out their boring third-round running back with an exciting fourth-round running back. Jonathon Brooks was a second-round pick and the first running back selected in the NFL Draft. He’ll go to a team coached by Dave Canales, the same man who got an RB1 finish out of Rachaad White last year despite his horrible inefficiency. Brooks will start the season recovering from his ACL, so it might take a little while, but if they need to this team can target Chuba Hubbard later on in the draft.

Mid (Team Two) : Tee Higgins, WR CIN

I love the value of Higgins in dynasty leagues right now. He’s been a bit of a forgotten man in Cincinnati, but he’s playing for his long-term contract this season. If he gets it with Cincinnati, then he’ll continue to be the best number two in the NFL with Joe Burrow for years to come. If he goes somewhere else, then he becomes their alpha receiver and the focus of their offense. Higgins has top-12 wide receiver upside but he’s being drafted as the 26th receiver off the board in dynasty.

Late (Team One) : Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR SEA

Last year’s number-one rookie wide receiver took a huge step back in ADP after his first season in the NFL. It wasn’t pretty. He was essentially only used at the line of scrimmage and did absolutely nothing for fantasy. JSN is a stud talent and the Seahawks’ new regime needs to realize what they have there. This is a risky pick, but as a third wide receiver the upside could be outstanding.

Fifth Round

Early (Team One) : Kyle Pitts, TE ATL

Team one takes another risky pick here in Pitts, but another one that is on a team implementing a new offensive system. OC Zac Robinson should be trusted to use Pitts as the weapon that he is. He’s being drafted as the sixth tight end in startups, but he’s one good season away from overtaking Sam LaPorta for the top spot.

Mid (Team Two) : Mike Evans, WR TB

Evans is a great pick for a balanced draft. He is incredibly consistent and has a massive floor. At 30 years old, he’s getting up there in age, but that’s why he’s a fifth-round pick and not going earlier. Baker Mayfield clearly clicked with Evans last year and that should continue into this season.

Late (Team Three) : Christian Watson, WR GB

Watson had a stellar rookie season before he started struggling with hamstring injuries. If you believe him, he’s gotten those issues figured out and he’s ready to go back to being the team’s WR1. The Packers are loaded at the position, but when Watson was healthy last season, Jordan Love targeted him plenty. He’s only 25 years old and creates a great wide receiver room for team three.

Sixth Round

Early (Team Three) : Anthony Richardson, QB IND

Richardson is a great pick here to kick off the sixth round of this startup draft. He’s another player who needs to prove he can stay on the field, but he got off to a blazing hot start last season. This team will need to balance out this pick with a steady pick at quarterback later in the draft, but they’ll be hoping Richardson is their starting quarterback more often than not.

Mid (Team Two) : Trey Benson, RB ARI

Benson will play a major part in the renaissance of the Cardinals offense. He was an electric talent at Florida State and, once James Conner takes a step back or moves on, he’ll bring that electricity to a backfield with Kyler Murray. When Benson, Harrison, Murray and McBride are all on the field for Arizona, defenses won’t know what to do.

Late (Team One) : Rhamondre Stevenson, RB NE

After taking a volatile RB1 in De’Von Achane, team three needs to take a safer and more reliable RB2. Rhamondre Stevenson fills that spot just fine. In 2024, the Patriots offense may not have anywhere else to go. They’ll start with Jacoby Brissett under center and the wide receiver group needs time to develop. Stevenson will get a ton of volume and hopefully he stays healthy enough to return to his 2022 form.

Seventh Round

Early (Team One): Kyler Murray, QB ARI

I’ve already made it known how excited I am for the Cardinals offense, so of course team one fills their quarterback position with Murray here. When he’s been on the field, he’s been a dominant quarterback for fantasy football. That was before Trey McBride broke out and before the team drafted Marvin Harrison Jr and Trey Benson. Murray may be drafted as a top-five quarterback for dynasty at this time next year.

Mid (Team Two) : Derrick Henry, RB BAL

Henry is a perfect running back placeholder while team two waits for Benson to earn a starting role. At 30 years old, Henry may be primed to have one of his best seasons as a pro with the Baltimore Ravens this season. They love to lean on the running game, and Lamar Jackson should demand plenty of attention away from King Henry in the backfield.

Late (Team Three) : Chris Godwin, WR TB

Godwin took a massive step back last season in Mayfield’s first season with the team. Godwin needs to be a slot receiver, but he was forced to play on the outside too often last year. New OC Liam Coen has promised to use Godwin in the slot more and mentioned he could play a Cooper Kupp-type role for the Bucs.

Eighth Round

Early (Team Three) : Evan Engram, TE JAC

Engram’s ADP seems surprisingly low in dynasty leagues, but it is in season-long leagues as well. He’s had back-to-back top-five tight end seasons in Jacksonville and he was absolutely peppered with targets last year (143). There are some new faces in the Jaguars wide receiver room, but Engram has chemistry with Trevor Lawrence and seems primed for another big season.

Mid (Team Two) : Joe Mixon, RB HOU

Missing a tight end, team two is the only team that still has an open QB/RB/WR/TE spot available. Even though this is a balanced draft, they’re not going to reach just to fill an open lineup spot. I don’t want to draft George Kittle, and this team can wait a bit to find more value at the position later on. Running back remains a bit of a question mark for this team, so they’ll take Mixon, another veteran running back joining a new team this off-season.

Late (Team One) : D’Andre Swift, RB CHI

This team is extremely balanced through seven rounds, with all of the starting positions filled and no clear holes. The position group that’s most concerning is still running back, so this team adds Swift. He isn’t my favorite running back pick, but he’s only 25 years old and he’ll have a large role in Chicago’s newly weaponized offense. I think Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert will have roles as well, which is why Swift is going this late. He’s also on his third team in three years, raising concerns.

Ninth Round

Early (Team One) : Keenan Allen, WR CHI

Team one takes Bears back-to-back with these picks, this time bringing in the veteran wide receiver. Allen is a PPR monster and should be an outstanding safety blanket for Caleb Williams as he starts his career. If Aiyuk holds out, or if Smith-Njigba doesn’t take a step forward, Allen is a perfect option to take a starting WR spot on this team.

Mid (Team Two) : Jake Ferguson, TE DAL

Ferguson finally fills the tight end spot for this team. With this balanced approach to drafting, tight end becomes the weakest link for this team. Ferguson is a solid tight end, and he may be the number two pass-catching option on this offense. But, this team will need to focus on taking a second tight end relatively soon.

Late (Team Three) : Aaron Jones, RB MIN

This team needs a reliable running back in this round. Jones will help fill in for Brooks while he’s ramping up from his ACL injury. He probably won’t be a bell-cow back for the Vikings, and he’s approaching a running back age cliff at 29 years old, but he should get plenty of volume and showed last year that he still has it.

Tenth Round

Early (Team Three): Brian Robinson, RB WAS

Team three is scrambling a bit at running back and decides to take the position back-to-back. The Commanders added Austin Ekeler to the backfield this off-season, but he seems to be well over the hill. Expect Robinson to still be the early-down back, and the goal-line back for Washington.

Mid (Team Two) : Dallas Goedert, TE PHI

Tight end remains the biggest weakness for this team, so now they’ll be able to stream between two NFC East foes in Ferguson and Goedert. Goedert isn’t my favorite pick, but he’s a reliable option, especially in PPR leagues. This is a contract year for him, so who knows what his situation will look like in 2025.

Late (Team One): Raheem Mostert, RB MIA

Mostert is a slam dunk pick for team one here in the tenth round. Achane is absolutely the biggest question mark on this team for 2024, so now this team is able to pair the two Dolphins running backs together. Combined, they could be the best running back tandem in the league in 2024. Jaylen Wright is also going in this range, and if team one wants to build for the future, they can go in that direction instead.

11th Round

Early (Team One) : Cole Kmet, TE CHI

Team one picks up their backup tight end to play behind Kyle Pitts in the 11th round of this draft. The hope is that Kmet will only see the starting lineup when Pitts is on bye, but if he continues to play like he’s in an Arthur Smith offense, they’ll be able to play the matchups with these two tight ends.

Mid (Team Two) : Jermaine Burton, WR CIN

Team two is starting to look a bit old after spending the last several picks on established veterans. To help balance this out, they take Bengals rookie Jermaine Burton. On this team, Burton can be looked at as an heir-apparent to Tee Higgins. If Higgins doesn’t leave next season, Burton’s upside will be severely capped.

Late (Team Three): Jahan Dotson, WR WAS

Dotson looked like he was going to be a special player in his rookie season, but faded into mediocrity with the Commanders revolving door of quarterbacks. Jayden Daniels will provide stability to this team, and Dotson should thrive. He’s a really nice sleeper option in dynasty drafts right now.

12th Round

Early (Team Three): Jared Goff, QB DET

I mentioned earlier that backup quarterback will be a priority for this team after they drafted Anthony Richardson. In the final round of this exercise, team three reaches to take the best “safe” quarterback left in Jared Goff. He was the QB7 last season and the QB10 the year before back, providing stability to Richardson’s unpredictability.

Mid (Team Two) : Josh Palmer, WR LAC

Palmer is the safest bet in 2024 to lead the Chargers in receiving. Quentin Johnston seems to be outside of the top three in Chargers training camp, and Ladd McConkey will have some growing pains in the NFL. Palmer is only 24 years old and could be the alpha for Justin Herbert’s offense this year.

Late (Team One) : Malachi Corley, WR NYJ

Team one hasn’t drafted a rookie yet and wants to join in the fun, so they select Malachi Corley to round out their wide receiver room. Corley was apparently a favorite of Aaron Rodgers in the pre-draft process. He could see the field early and often out of the slot in his rookie season for the Jets.

Team One

WR Justin Jefferson

WR Brandon Aiyuk

RB De’Von Achane

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

TE Kyle Pitts

RB Rhamondre Stevenson

QB Kyler Murray

RB D’Andre Swift

WR Keenan Allen

RB Raheem Mostert

TE Cole Kmet

WR Malachi Corley

Team Two

RB Bijan Robinson

WR Jaylen Waddle

QB Josh Allen

WR Tee Higgins

WR Mike Evans

RB Trey Benson

RB Derrick Henry

RB Joe MIxon

TE Jake Ferguson

TE Dallas Goedert

WR Jermaine Burton

WR Josh Palmer

Team Three

WR Puka Nacua

WR Tyreek Hill

RB Isiah Pacheco

RB Jonathon Brooks

WR Christian Watson

QB Anthony Richardson

WR Chris Godwin

TE Evan Engram

RB Aaron Jones

RB Brian Robinson

WR Jahan Dotson

QB Jared Goff

Author
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Tim Riordan

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

Tim has spent over a decade in sports radio as a host, analyst, play-by-play broadcaster and a producer. He’s been called the Tom Brady of dynasty commissioners and an expert of player values.