Since I’ve recently completed a 12-team startup Dynasty draft with the rest of the staff, and because it was a really tough draft, it’s a good time for me to offer up my plan going into the draft and also compare it to what I actually did.
My general approach to any draft is to strive for balance, so rather than load up mainly on super young players, or take advantage of some choice older veterans slipping due to their age, I took a “win-now” and a “win the next 2-3 years” approach. There are times when the flow of the draft and/or my actual picks can shape some of my picks, but other than perhaps taking a QB earlier than usual if the player appeals to me, there aren’t many differences from this plan and what will be my 2020 regular Draft Plan.
I thought I had a good draft, and I think I have a good team. Time will tell, but my measured, balanced approach worked pretty well for me in what was, again, an extremely difficult draft and field of fantasy experts.
Here’s a position-by-position look at my plan of action and my execution of that plan.
The Quarterback Plan
Similar to season-long drafts, unless it’s a 2-QB league, I usually don’t want to pay a premium for a QB, but in the Fantasy Points startup Dynasty draft, I couldn’t pass on Patrick Mahomes (KC) with pick 2.09 (21 overall). That was not a pick that everyone on staff agrees with, but I’ve never owned Mahomes, and since I think he’s the most physically-gifted QB to ever play with a legit chance to unseat Tom Brady (TB) as the G.O.A.T., I wanted to enjoy the Mahomes ride for the next decade. Fantasy is supposed to be fun, you know.
Had someone else taken Mahomes, I probably would have taken my QB1 100+ picks in, but it’s very difficult to handicap when a QB should be selected in a dynasty draft, where some owners will value youth or current production more than others. Plus, QB remains a very deep position in terms of quality options. Similar to how you’d draft the QBs in a 2-QB league, you just have to go with the flow and make sure you don’t overpay for a signal-caller, but also make sure you don’t get caught at the end of a critical QB run.
I will also say this: QB is probably the easiest position to fill without paying a healthy premium, so unless you’re sold that a younger player is a transcendent talent, you’re better off adding quality non-QBs the first half of your draft. I always go back to a keeper league we had at our last website stop where I got Deshaun Watson off the WW right before Week 1 of his rookie season. That league wasn’t full dynasty (12 keepers retained each year), but that’s still a great example of how easy it can be to acquire a strong producer for nothing or next to nothing.
In a startup dynasty draft, I think you have four viable approaches and any of them can work if you take the right players. They are:
- All-in: Like me taking Mahomes in the 2nd round. This is obviously viable, but you will likely have a deficiency at another position, as I do at WR. But if you think you can draft well in the later rounds, this route can absolutely work. Lamar Jackson (Bal) is also acceptable, but I trust Mahomes in the 2nd round a lot more than Lamar, so I wouldn’t take Jackson until the 3rd, in case his running starts slowing him down in 1-2 years.
- Almost All-in: Ben Kukainis took Kyler Murray (Ari) with an early 4th round pick (38th overall), which is pretty appealing because Murray could be an almost unrivaled fantasy asset for years to come and starting right now. Adam Caplan’s pick of Dak Prescott (Dal) at 41 overall also applies here. Had I passed on Mahomes and didn’t love the options in the 4th, I may have taken the younger Murray, but I probably would have passed on Dak.
- Value approach: Russell Wilson (Sea) and Deshaun Watson (Hou) could go off the board in the 50-70 overall range which is okay -- but hardly inexpensive -- and I’d expect rookie Joe Burrow (Cin) to go off the board within the top 100, as he did in our draft. But I’d prefer to get a little more value if I’ve yet to take a QB, and there are several players who stand out as terrific options 100+ picks into a draft. In the order they were taken in our startup dynasty draft, they are: Josh Allen (Buf), Carson Wentz (Phi), Daniel Jones (NYG), and Baker Mayfield (Cle). Had I not taken Mahomes, this would have been my sweet spot and I would have been fine with any of these guys other than maybe Allen, who won’t ever be a great passer despite his absurd ability.
- Economical approach: Drafting for the future is fine, but it’s still first about the here and now, which is why those players mentioned in the value approach are so appealing: they have immediate value right now as well as a strong outlook for the next 5+ years. If you pass on them, you should first be looking for a veteran who can still produce as a QB1 for the here and now. There aren’t many of them, but Matt Ryan (Atl), Matthew Stafford (Det), Jared Goff (LAR), Jimmy Garoppolo (SF), and Aaron Rodgers (GB) fit the bill. If you use a 120+ overall pick on one of these vets, you may also want to consider rookie Tua Tagovailoa (Mia) shortly thereafter to give you a future prospect with excellent potential.
In the Fantasy Points startup Dynasty draft, I didn’t even draft a backup QB, which was probably a mistake. What happened was, as the draft was in the latter stages, there were numerous options still available, so I figured there would be numerous strong options undrafted. But right around 190 overall, these guys started taking their QB2s and even QB3s. Old dudes like Tom Brady (TB), Drew Brees (NO), Ben Roethlisberger (Pit); young dudes like Sam Darnold (NYJ), Justin Herbert (LAC); and guys in between like Jimmy Garoppolo (SF), Ryan Tannehill (Mia), and Kirk Cousins (Min). The best-undrafted QBs were pretty bad: Derek Carr (LVR), Gardner Minshew (Jac), Philip Rivers (Ind), Jameis Winston (NO), and Mitchell Trubisky (Chi). I didn’t value the backup QB options because there’s no way I’m starting anyone but Mahomes ever, but I should have probably made a better contingency plan than no one in the [hopefully] off-chance Mahomes goes down. I’ll probably look to pick up Minshew at some point, just in case.
On the very low end, here are the players I’d be looking at in a deep dynasty league where most teams keep three or more QB:
Jordan Love (GB) - He’s a project, but he’s extremely talented and capable of playing at a top level with some seasoning.
Dwayne Haskins (Was) - I wasn’t a big fan coming out, but we’re 1-2 years away from discovering whether or not he will make it as a starter, and he can definitely sling it.
Cam Newton (FA) - It’s a complete guess, but I can see him sitting 2020 out and returning in 2021 at 32 years old, healthier and with a better opportunity than what exists right now. Regardless, he’s currently a free pick and makes sense as a stash in very deep leagues.
Jameis Winston (NO) - He may not be the future in New Orleans, but he should get another opportunity to start.
Jarrett Stidham (NE) - He’s hardly a lock and I don’t see much upside if he retains the job, but he is a good arm talent.
Jalen Hurts (Phi) - He may be gimmicky for the next 2-3 years, but I’d bet he’s on the fantasy radar at some point in the foreseeable future.
Jacob Eason (Ind) - There’s a lot to like, including size, arm strength, and athleticism, and he landed in a great spot because he needs to sit back and learn from a veteran for 1-2 years.
Mitchell Trubisky (Chi) - There’s already some optimism in Chicago that Trubisky will rebound, due in large part to their revised coaching staff, so I’m not burying Trubisky yet. But clearly, beating out Nick Foles will not be easy.
The Running Back Plan
There are many ways one can approach a startup dynasty draft, and our guys Graham Barfield and Scott Barrett, playing a long game, opted to invest minimally at this position in the early stages of the draft. Scott did take Dalvin Cook (Min) at 7 overall, and Graham took Cam Akers (LAR) in the 3rd round as the 17th RB taken, but both held off on drafting their RB2 until after the 10th round.
I understand that a stud WR is generally worth more than a stud RB from a career longevity perspective, but Graham and Scott’s approach is too extreme for me, since I’m wired to win now. Obviously, I focus on youth at RB more so than any other position, but it’s tricky when you have younger workhorse backs like Ezekiel Elliott (Dal), still only 24 years old as of this writing (25 in July), yet also with over 1300 touches on his resume. I still took Zeke 4th overall, and his incredible supporting cast certainly helped put him over the top. So my RB age threshold, at least for a #1 pick, is 25 years. If a stud back is 25 or younger, I can’t really worry about 3-4 years from now, as things change quickly in the NFL, and there will always be values in rookie drafts. For example, Alvin Kamara (NO) was only the 6th RB taken in our old staff dynasty league rookie draft back in 2017, and he was likely available at the end of the first round of most rookie drafts that year, if not in the 2nd round. Chris Carson (Sea) was taken 19th overall that year, so every team had a crack at him if they wanted him.
So if I was picking top-5 in a startup dynasty draft, I’m taking either Christian McCaffrey (Car), Saquon Barkley (NYG), Ezekiel Elliott (Dal), Alvin Kamara (NO), Dalvin Cook (Min), or Joe Mixon (Cin). But after those guys are gone, it’s all about youth, and I’m perfectly willing to take a rookie with zero career touches in the first round if I’m sold on the player, as I am on Clyde Edwards-Helaire (KC), and Jonathan Taylor (Ind). Miles Sanders (Phi) and Josh Jacobs (LVR) are also in play in the first round, since they have serious youth and also a solid season under their belts. We all here at the site greatly prefer Sanders, for what it’s worth.
RBs are as important these days as they’ve ever been, and QB/WR/TE are deep, so I’m perfectly fine using my first two picks on the position, even though almost every other option at the position has some questions or concerns. Nick Chubb (Cle), Austin Ekeler (LAC), Kenyan Drake (Ari), and Derrick Henry (Ten) all went in the 2nd round in our Fantasy Points startup Dynasty draft, and I’m okay with those picks other than maybe Henry, who doesn’t have great versatility and is over 25 (26). I also strongly considered Aaron Jones (GB) in this draft near the end of round two, so I can endorse him as a 2nd rounder even though his future in Green Bay isn’t exactly clear (although our guy Adam Caplan has told us that the two sides have been working on a new deal).
Unless you’re prepared to go or wind up going RB-RB to open your draft, you’re probably not going to have a fantastic option at RB2, but Cam Akers (LAR) did go in the third round in our draft, and he’s an excellent pick there. You’ll probably see a WR run in the third round, once all the obvious RBs are off the board, but if you’re in the RB business at that point of a draft, you should focus on youth because the other drafters likely will, which will push some solid veteran options down a least another round. To that point, other than Green Bay’s Jones, who went with the first pick of the round, rookie J.K. Dobbins (Bal) and D'Andre Swift (Det) were the only RBs to go in the third round of our draft. Dobbins may not hold much value in 2020 with Mark Ingram there, but his value soars after that and I wouldn’t be shocked to see him as a #1 pick in 2021 redraft leagues. And Swift at least is a high-end talent who is versatile.
In the fourth round of our Fantasy Points startup Dynasty draft, I still needed an RB2, and I considered two players: Melvin Gordon (LAC) and David Montgomery (Chi). I’m optimistic that Montgomery can perform better in his second season, but I opted for Gordon, who just turned 27 in April and has fewer career touches (but way more injury problems) than Ezekiel Elliott. Gordon is a better and more versatile player, so I valued that over Montgomery’s youth (which I may regret in 2-3 years).
I’ve now listed only 20 RBs, and we’re already out of brilliant keeper league choices, so now it’s a question of balancing youth and inexperience/unsecured roles with age and a quality body of work. I used my 6th round pick, 69th overall, on Kareem Hunt (Cle), which I really liked. Hunt has some downside for sure, but he otherwise fits my ideal criteria of being 25 or younger, plus he’s versatile and is a damn stud. He’s also an UFA next year and free to move on to another team in a lead role, so considering he still has value for 2020, I took a small chance on him. Going off our official keeper league rankings, rookie Ke'Shawn Vaughn stands out as a good RB3 (he went in the 7th round of our draft, 79 overall). Devin Singletary (Buf) would be a great RB2 and worthy of a 3rd round pick - were it not for the selection of Zack Moss (and QB Josh Allen’s propensity to run for TDs). He at least dropped to the 5th in our draft, so he’s a lot more palatable that late. But otherwise, the best advice I can give you for the remaining shakier options is to not overpay for them, and I’m talking about guys like Leonard Fournette (Jac), Chris Carson (Sea), Le'Veon Bell (NYJ), Todd Gurley (Atl), Sony Michel (NE), Raheem Mostert (Cle), James Conner (Pit), Mark Ingram (Bal), and David Johnson (Hou). All these guys are easily replaceable, and most will be replaced in 1-2 years, but it’s a lot easier knowing that going in when you take them.
As you’re adding depth to your RBs corps, there’s always a chance that a solid veteran will slip and present great value, like Marlon Mack (Ind), Damien Williams (KC), Tevin Coleman (SF), Latavius Murray (NO), or even Ronald Jones. Plus, I also like the sneaky complementary guys like Tarik Cohen (Chi), who I took 117th overall in our Fantasy Points startup Dynasty draft, Duke Johnson (Hou), and James White (NE).
But it makes sense to focus on young players in the middle-to-late rounds, and there are plenty to choose from like Anthony McFarland (Pit), Zack Moss (Buf), Darrell Henderson (LAR), Antonio Gibson (Was), A.J. Dillon (GB), and Joshua Kelly (LAC). There are also a lot of good handcuffs or stash-and-hope guys who are appealing in the later rounds, like Ryquell Armstead (Jac), Rashaad Penny (Sea), Tony Pollard (Dal), Darrynton Evans (Ten), Chase Edmonds (Ari), Alexander Mattison (Min), Damien Harris (NE), and Lamical Perine (NYJ).
I don’t need to list every single RB worth a look here, you can always check our updated Keeper Rankings, and we will also be back soon with an article on Dynasty Dart Throws based on a variety of factors. But to summarize my RB plan, which I believe I executed in the Fantasy Points startup Dynasty draft, my plan entails:
- Getting at least one stud RB aged 25 or younger, as I did with Ezekiel Elliott.
- Draft an RB2 who’s either a rookie with a promising future, like Cam Akers, or a solid vet I believe I can count on for 2-3 more years, like my 4th round pick of Melvin Gordon.
- Draft anyone available with talent and youth for my RB3/depth in the 60-100 range, like my 6th round pick of Kareem Hunt.
- Target a cheap complementary player who can help me now and also have value the next 2-3 years, like my 10th round pick of Tarik Cohen.
- Grab any viable handcuffs for my RBs and/or a stash-and-hope option with some upside, as I did with my 14th round pick of Phillip Lindsay and my 16th round pick of Rashad Penny.
- Find a late-round dart throw or two with legit potential like my pick of Raymond Calais in round 18.
The Wide Receiver Plan
This plan is a little more complicated lately, in that the depth at WR has never been better, and because fantasy owners are scooping up RBs left and right the first few rounds of any draft. However, stud WRs generally last a lot longer than stud RBs, so in many cases, they are better picks. As always, I strive for a balanced approach, which usually entails me using at least one of my first three picks on a wideout. I do that because I always feel secure when I have at least one alpha dog, a legit NFL WR1, on my side. As I’ve mentioned, my approach in a keeper or dynasty draft may shift a little depending on how my draft is going. For example, in the Fantasy Points startup Dynasty draft, I quickly saw that the youngest top players were flying off the board, and since I used my first pick on a back with a decent workload already on his resume (Elliott), I focused on youth for my WR1 and took 22-year old A.J. Brown over some older studs I love like Julio Jones and Allen Robinson. I was very close to going with Robinson, but I had to make at least a few picks that could still be viable in 5+ years. Heck, Brown will be in his prime in five long years.
My max-age for an early RB pick in the first 2-3 rounds is 25, but at WR it’s 27, and you’ll notice every top-12 wideout in our keeper rankings is 27 or younger (at least as of now). Fantasy rankings are really just a guide, so I don’t expect you to love everyone in our top-12 and to go 100% off the rankings. Heck, even I don’t love everyone in our top-12 (our rankings are a team effort, not just me), but we have the following as viable WR1s for the long-term: Michael Thomas (NO), Davante Adams (GB), Chris Godwin (TB), DeAndre Hopkins (Ari), Tyreek Hill (KC), Mike Evans (TB), Kenny Golladay (Det), D.J. Moore (Car), Amari Cooper (Dal), Allen Robinson (Chi), A.J. Brown (Ten), and JuJu Smith-Schuster (Pit). Cooper is still only 25 and signed a new long-term deal with the Cowboys, but I don’t love him as a WR1… but I can sign off on everyone else.
The depth at WR is outstanding, so in my opinion, there’s no major need to go crazy and draft like 3-4 WRs in the first 4-5 rounds. I liked my approach in the Fantasy Points startup Dynasty draft, in which I used two of my first five picks on WR. I don’t have an amazing WRs corps, but that’s because I used a 2nd round pick on Patrick Mahomes. I also used my WR1 to help me decide on a WR2. Since Brown isn’t going to be a big catch guy in a low-volume passing game, I opted for Cooper Kupp at 52 overall. It was certainly a tough call, since we don’t exactly know how the Rams will be playing offense and Kupp’s snaps and targets were down late in 2019 after they went with more 12 personnel. A younger player would have been nice, like Courtland Sutton (Den), Terry McLaurin (Was), Calvin Ridley (Atl), DK Metcalf (Sea), Jerry Jeudy (Den), Jalen Reagor (Phi), CeeDee Lamb (Dal), or D.J. Chark (Jac), but all except one of those guys were gone when I picked Kupp. The exception was Chark, who I seriously considered, and he went off the board with the next pick after I took Kupp. Had I gotten a young stud as my WR1, like Godwin, Hill, Golladay, etc., I might have been inclined to get an older veteran with WR1 potential the next 1-2 years, like Odell Beckham (Cle), Julio Jones (Atl), or Keenan Allen (LAC); but I felt more comfortable with Kupp because I believe in his talent, he’s fairly youthful at 27, and because he’s paired with a good QB who’ll be around for a while.
As I’m looking to add to my WR corps from around picks 60-100, there are obviously a lot of options, and the direction I go depends on my overall approach (go heavy on youth, focus on now, try to do both, etc) and how my draft is going. For instance, if I had two WRs already 27 or older, I’d be inclined to focus on youth with strong options like Deebo Samuel (SF), Marquise Brown (Bal), Diontae Johnson (Pit), Henry Ruggs (LVR), Michael Gallup (Dal), Michael Pittman (Ind), and Justin Jefferson (Min). Or, if I went heavy on really young players, I could add some stability and immediate help with some veterans like Adam Thielen (Min), Robert Woods (LAR), and Jarvis Landry (Cle). There are also players in between like Stefon Diggs (Buf), Tyler Lockett (Sea), Tyler Boyd (Cin), and DeVante Parker (Mia).
This exercise continues as we move along in a draft in that there are plenty of young options likely available in the middle rounds of a draft, as well as a myriad of win-now options, and many in between. My favorite yet-to-be-named youthful options for the long-term are: Darius Slayton (NYG), Mecole Hardman (KC), Brandon Aiyuk (SF), Christian Kirk (Ari), Tee Higgins (Cin), Denzel Mims (NYJ), Laviska Shenault (Jac)., Parris Campbell (Ind), Bryan Edwards (LVR), and Antonio Gandy-Golden (Was). If you’re already loaded with younger options, you may need some immediate help, and these guys should be around 60-100 picks: T.Y. Hilton (Ind), A.J. Green (Cin), Julian Edelman (NE), Golden Tate (Det), and Marvin Jones (Det). And there are plenty of good options who fall in between, ideally the land on the younger side like Will Fuller (Hou), Mike Williams (LAC), Anthony Miller (Chi), Breshad Perriman (NYJ), Preston Williams (Mia), Curtis Samuel (Car), Jamison Crowder (NYJ), Robby Anderson (Car), and Brandin Cooks (Hou).
Once again, I don’t have to list every single player of note, but you get the idea. I prefer a balanced approach, which I feel like I executed in the Fantasy Points startup Dynasty draft. Let’s take a look at all my WR picks for this position:
WR1: A.J. Brown (Ten, 21 overall) - I felt the need to focus on youth when I took him, and the 22-year old was a man among boys last year, and I can certainly see him getting better these next 1-2 seasons.
WR2: Cooper Kupp (LAR, 52 overall) - He’s not a complete slam-dunk, but I felt when I took him that I needed catches, and he’s young enough at 27; so while he’s not a spring chicken, he’s right now entering his prime.
WR3: Mecole Hardman (KC, 76 overall) - At this time, I felt a strong need for youth and upside, as the other teams were very proactive drafting young players, and Hardman was one of the last very young options who I felt had big-time upside.
WR4: Breshad Perriman (NYJ, 100 overall) - He was a nice combination of youth (26 years old until September) and NFL body of work, although he’s been a late-bloomer with good tape only the last two seasons… and not a ton of it. But I believe in his talent and how he’s bounced back after being considered a first-round bust.
WR5: Emmanuel Sanders (NO, 124 overall) - My wish was to go young here with Parris Cambell, but he was taken one pick in front of me. I thought I would get him for sure, but I pre-drafted Sanders just in case, so I got Sanders, who I do like for depth this year and maybe next.
WR6: Chase Claypool (Pit, 141 overall) - Our guy Greg Cosell doesn’t love him, which is why he slipped a little, but he made sense for me this late as a developmental prospect. As good as Cosell is, the Steelers have been brilliant in their evaluations of WRs.
WR7: Dede Westbook (Jac, 172 overall) - A guy like Dede is a dime a dozen, but he’s still young at 26 (27 in November), and has at least been consistent the last two seasons. He’ll also still be the #2 option in the passing game this year. With TWO flex starters, I thought he was worthy this late.
My WR group suffered because I took Patrick Mahomes in the second round, but I still accomplished most of my goals in a startup keeper draft at the WR position in that:
- I got at least one very young foundation player who’s already proven he can produce. A.J. Brown may not be the best example, but he’s 22 years old and averaged 20 yards a catch as a rookie.
- I got at least one very young and promising player who’s best football is clearly ahead of him. Mecole Hardman should certainly be usable in this league in 2020.
- Look for values among the veterans who are still relatively young, ideally aged 27 or younger. I got that with Cooper Kupp, Breshad Perriman, and Dede Westbrook, all of which I acquired at a favorable price.
- Get 1-2 long-term developmental prospects with a legit chance to grow into a starter’s role for my team in 1-2 years. I got only one guy who fits the profile -- and we’re down on him compared to most -- but at least the Steelers have a great track record drafting the position, which improves Chase Claypool’s outlook in my mind.
- Find 1-2 older veterans in good spots to offer support right now, which should be the case with Emmanual Sanders.
The Tight End Plan
This plan is interesting this year in that the position is a little top-heavy with a handful of studs who are pricey, yet the depth at the position and the number of intriguing young players is as good as it’s been in a while. I usually don’t fare well when I use an early pick on a TE, so George Kittle (SF) is probably out of the equation for me. Kittle went 18th overall in Fantasy Points startup Dynasty draft, which is too costly for me. I’d rather try to find the next Kittle 4-5 rounds later, or even deeper down the draft board than that. Travis Kelce (KC) is obviously still a stud, but he’ll be 31 in October, and he was still fairly expensive in our draft, going off the board 35th overall. Mark Andrews (Bal) is a possible compromise, and he’s young at 23 years old (24 in September), but the only way I’d take him is if he truly stood out as the best player available. Andrews is a stud, but he went 39th overall in our draft, and there were still a lot of young star players still on the board. Andrews is a star himself, so taking him can’t be considered a bad move; I’d just personally prefer finding the next Andrews like 75+ picks later. Andrews was my pick for breakout TE last year and I took him 137 overall in my #1 season-long league. I want to do that again this year at TE, if possible. I should also mention that, while his stock is down, Zach Ertz (Phi) doesn’t do much for me. He was a solid value at 74 overall, but he’s logged six very active seasons and is slowing down, plus Dallas Goedert is an issue. Ertz may pull a Jason Witten and continue to produce despite being slow as molasses, but he’s not a guy I want to hang my hopes on long-term.
As usual, since I’m greedy, I want to draft a stud at TE, but I want to pay a non-premium price for one, and the good news is there are plenty of viable options to choose from. My favorites are Hunter Henry (LAC), T.J. Hockenson (Det), and Tyler Higbee (LAR). I opted for Higbee in the 8th round and at 93 overall in the Fantasy Points startup Dynasty draft. I felt that was a slight overpay, but Hochenson went one pick later, and Henry was already off the board at 83.
There are numerous other ways to go here, as well. Darren Waller (LVR) is desirable, but I passed on him because he’s already 27 and the team just added a bunch of new receivers. Evan Engram (NYG) is a major pain in the rear due to his lack of availability, but he’s also a stud producer when healthy and only 25 years old, so he’s definitely worth a shot with his ADP down a bit (he went just 84th overall, 9 picks before my Higbee pick). If I drafted Engram, I’d be sure to get 1-2 other TEs, preferably one older guy I can count on now like Jared Cook (NO) or Rob Gronkowski (TB) and/or another promising prospect like Noah Fant (Den) or Mike Gesicki (Mia). There are still some other viable options, like taking Hayden Hurst (Atl), who is looking good this year and is still relatively young at 26. Or Dallas Goedert (Phi) or Austin Hooper (Cle). The key, if you wait on TE, is to make sure you’re covered by drafting 1-2 other strong options (either strong for right now or strong for the long-term, or both).
If you’re still looking for a TE2 or TE3 with legit potential, there are plenty of other options, like Irv Smith (Min), Chris Herndon (NYJ), Jace Sternberger (GB), Dawson Knox (Buf), Blake Jarwin (Dal), Ian Thomas (Car), rookie Adam Trautman (NO), and Jonnu Smith (Ten). In deeper leagues, my favorite sleepers are Harrison Bryant (Cle), Devin Asiasi (NE), Josh Oliver (Jac), and Albert Okwuegbunamm (Den). Those guys are only TE3s, though, since they can’t be counted on at all for 2020.
If you’re familiar with these players, you should realize the opportunity there is to draft a great value at this position, so that’s generally my approach. The depth is actually great at the position, too, so in a deeper or full dynasty league, you can easily draft three TEs to help protect yourself for the short and long-term.
To review, here’s my plan at TE:
- Get a young stud without paying a premium price. I believe I did that with my selection of Tyler Higbee, a potential league winner based on how he finished 2018.
- Depending upon how I feel about my TE1, draft another young prospect or wait on an older veteran who will drop in the draft due to his age. Just in case the Rams do something funny like not continue to feature Higbee, I opted for Jared Cook as my TE2. Cook is up there at 33, but he was a stud down the stretch last year, and he’s still moving well. I also liked this pick because, with two flexes, I’ll probably start him a few times when the byes come into play. I also like Cook because he was cheap, going off the board at 148 overall in the 13th round.
- In a full dynasty or a larger league (14 teams or more), use a late pick on a developmental guy for 1-2 years from now. I didn’t end up doing this because of the absurd value for a player I will mention below, but I was prepared to take Hunter Bryant or Devin Asiasi.
- Take advantage of any recency bias on a player who has recently disappointed, which I did with my selection of 2019 bust O.J. Howard a whopping 220 picks into the draft (aka a free pick).
Here’s my projected Week 1 starting lineup in the Fantasy Points startup Dynasty League that we drafted for in late-May. Note: This league does NOT use DT or PK.
QB: Patrick Mahomes
RB1: Ezekiel Elliott
RB2: Melvin Gordon
WR1: A.J. Brown
WR2: Cooper Kupp
WR3: Breshad Perriman
TE: Tyler Higbee
Flex1: Kareem Hunt
Flex2: Tarik Cohen/Emmanuel Sanders
Bench: Phillip Lindsay, Rashad Penny, Raymond Calais, Mecole Hardman, Chase Claypool, Dede Westbrook, OJ Howard.
This team may not be the youngest squad in the league, but I have only two players older than 27, and the majority of my guys are 25 or younger, so it’s built both to win now and in 2-3 years. I don’t know how you can look much further into the future, unless you’re talking about making moves to acquire future draft picks, which is really not my thing.
My plan may not be incredibly sophisticated or flashy, but I’d bet money that my team will be in the mix for the next 1-2 years, and then I’ll just take it from there.
