Three Dynasty Startup Draft Strategies

In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter:

This past week, I was forced (forced, I tell you!) into a Fantasy Life dynasty league. My arm metaphorically twisted beyond its natural bend, I had no choice but to add to my (previously trimmed and tidy) number of leagues.

Because I’m nothing if not a company man.

At the time of this writing, we’re several rounds in, and I’ve already learned a lot about my colleagues.

I’ve learned some are impatient little bunnies who think you should only use 12 minutes of an 8-hour clock (love you, commish). I’ve learned some treat the league's bylaws like a new iTunes user agreement (sorry, commish).

And I’ve learned, above all else, that nothing riles up the league chat like a blockbuster trade …

If you’re looking to join a dynasty startup (and I seriously think you should), here are some differing strategies from the Fantasy Life Superflex draft that you can take into your own leagues …

RANKINGS UPDATES FOR YOUR STARTUP

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Strategy 1: Get Your Guys Now

A natural impulse in dynasty startups is to play it safe. But that’s not how our Head of Content Licensing, James Kozack, rolls.

Immediately after drafting Justin Jefferson at 1.06, James traded right back into the 1.07 spot (giving up his 3.07 and a 2026 1st-round rookie pick) to grab tight end phenom Brock Bowers. Coming in at 9th overall in our dynasty rankings, Bowers simply wasn’t making it out of the first round, and James wasn’t taking any chances.

From the man himself: “I thought doubling up on picks in Round 1 would give me a real advantage since I missed on the elite QB tier. Bowers gives me a massive positional edge for the next five years.”

This bold strategy netted him a core trio of young alphas—including Jahmyr Gibbs in Round 2, who Ian Hartitz ranks 6th overall in redraft and suggests could be THE RB1 in fantasy if things break right.

Being aggressive in a startup can pay huge dividends and really put your leaguemates on their heels, but you’ve gotta be willing to live dangerously.

COULD GIBBS AND MONTY BOTH BE RB1s?

Strategy 2: Get Your Guys Later

On the flip side, our Head of Growth, Stefano Vaccarino, constantly worked the phones (so to speak) to move backwards in the draft and scoop up future rookie picks along the way. Through four rounds, Stefano acquired three future first-round rookie picks and still walked away with Caleb Williams and Cam Ward (in Superflex, that’s vital).

Now, since we’re still in the middle of the draft—and asking for too much detail on Stefano’s process at this point could look like collusion—I’ll have to speculate on his overall game plan:

But I see two paths for Stefano:

Completely kick the can down the road to dominate in 2026/2027. Acquire even more future rookie picks and stack the roster with as many young, high-upside/low-ceiling players as possible.
Load up on cheap, dusty old veteran players later in the draft—possibly some of Sam Wallace’s favorite win-now RBs—to help compete this year. Then, still be ready to immediately reload in rookie drafts if that doesn’t pan out.

Either way, he’s clearly been reading our 2026 Way-Too-Early Mock and frothing over the prospects.

SPEAKING OF UPSIDE, LOOK AT THESE QBs 👀

Strategy 3: Get Busy Receivin’ or Get Busy Dyin’

My approach to startups is similar to that of most NFL GMs: draft the best player available (did I just compare myself to an NFL GM? Why yes, I did, thank you for noticing).

I still have 3 months before I have to set a lineup, so why worry about securing an RB2 when there are still oodles of receivers that I much prefer for the long term still on the board?

So I hammered that WR button early and often, drafting five with my first eight picks, and adding three quarterbacks for good measure (in a Superflex league, QBs are worth their weight in gold bullion).

And look, I didn’t exactly invent the wheel here. Nineteen of the 30 non-QB picks made in the first four rounds were wide receivers, so obviously, many of my leaguemates used this same strategy.

… But did they do it better than me? (Possibly. Probably. OK, yes, almost certainly.) One thing’s for certain, though: F*ck them running backs.

WHICH WRs SHOULD YOU TARGET?

Around the Watercooler

The latest fantasy nuggets, silliness, and NFL gossip from our merry band of football nerds.

😈 Pro tip: Follow cooterdoodle and learn how to get inside your leaguemates’ heads.

🗣️ Yes, this is what they said. But this is what they meant.

🔮 Is Jameson Williams ready to take another step forward?

😳 Wait, how inefficient was Wan’Dale Robinson last year?? Maybe it’s better not to know.

😬 Are you lying to yourself about having a good dynasty team? Well … DON’T.

🔮 The crystal ball is out. What does it say about Bucky Irving?

🤔 Sean Payton LOVES to make promises. But can we trust him?

😂 With OTAs here, you know what that means: It’s SLOW-MOTION HYPE TIME.

🤷‍♂️ Say what you want about Will Levis, but at least he’s honest about his situation.