It’s that time of year again. The offseason is booming, as there are multitudes of rumors, free-agent signings, and trades going down with each passing day. Certainly, this is when dynasty managers thrive. Navigating the ever-changing tides. Adjusting our rankings to a new influx of information and rookie talent. All of these efforts are made to stay on top of our game and get an edge over league mates in your dynasty fantasy football leagues.

Consequently, one of the most popular pastimes done in the offseason by dynasty players is that of a startup dynasty draft. That being said, what better way to test your metal for your startup drafts than with a mock draft? Specifically, putting your new strategies through the grinder with real people in the draft room doing the same.

In the mock draft I will be presenting you with today, I will go through each portion of the first 20 rounds. Additionally, I’ll be pointing out any values or reaches that I noticed. Then, I will talk you through the process by which I made my selections. But first, I will introduce you to the draft room for this 2023 Dynasty Fantasy Football: 2QB Startup Draft.

• 1.01 @Jgrans8
• 1.02 @firephool
• 1.03 @BalenciagaPutin
• 1.04  @JKeasy
• 1.05 @rick_shmultz
• 1.06 @rocsox
• 1.07 @Ashspringer22
• 1.08 @GpodawundFF
• 1.09 @FF_Branley
• 1.10 @chefmykerowave
• 1.11 @FFDynastyGrill
• 1.12 @jared_fredrick5

For this 2QB draft, we assumed six points per passing touchdown for quarterbacks and a tight end premium of 0.5 added points per reception. Additionally, rookies were of course also included. For the sake of value and typical ADP, you can reference this for both 2QB and Superflex startup dynasty drafts. Shall we begin?

Rounds 1-3

When I approach the first three rounds of a startup, I typically lock in my top two quarterbacks with my first and second-round picks. The only exceptions come when my second-round pick is at the end of the round. Overall, six different teams in total followed this strategy to the beginning of their draft.

For those of you who may not be familiar with these settings or why quarterbacks go so high, allow me to explain. In the 2QB / Superflex format, quarterbacks hold the highest weekly ceiling/floor combination. To illustrate this, I laid out just how much of an advantage top players in the position are in this article on Superflex Draft Strategies.

Conversely, one of the most volatile positions in dynasty fantasy football leagues was well represented in these initial rounds. That is, the running back position. A good portion of the dynasty community, myself included, will have Bijan Robinson ranked at number one the second his name gets called in the 1st Round of the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft. And rightfully so. This is because he presents as a three-down weapon with unrivaled vision and a diverse route tree. Both of which are traits that hold near-unlimited upside. Especially to help you win a dynasty fantasy football championship.

Forget the RB route tree, #Texas RB Bijan Robinson looks more than comfortable running WR routes out of the slot. Plus the ball skills? And finish through contact?

All-22 Film Room on Robinson and 11 other NFL prospects from Saturday: https://t.co/kLbusDROUc pic.twitter.com/3fYTjiHAcj

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) October 19, 2022

Additionally, three tight ends went in these preliminary rounds, Travis Kelce, Kyle Pitts, and my third selection in Mark Andrews. The most notable of which came in Kelce. And though I will not say it was a bad pick as the advantage he brings is undeniable, this Hall of Fame talent is turning 34 before the end of the 2023 season.

To me, the most interesting start to the draft so far came from team eleven, one that I dubbed “Zag”. This was because of the contrary approach to team building in which they leaned into running back dominance and the tantalizing upside of rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Just one example of the tantalizing upside of Florida QB Anthony Richardson. Yes, clean pocket but ball placement is perfect. pic.twitter.com/k9hfe6uGxA

— Todd McShay (@McShay13) March 13, 2023

Rounds 4-6

Now, the rubber meets the road. In these middle rounds, teams find their identity and build themselves a firm foundation from which their dynasties are sprung.

In the fourth round, I took Raiders running back Josh Jacobs. I felt him to be one of the best values remaining on the board. Of course, this feeling wasn’t solely based on emotions. This selection is further backed up by Jacobs’ fourth-place finish in our Consistency Score metric.

Josh Jacobs just broke free for an 86-yard game-winning TD.

JACOBS FINISHES WITH 303 TOTAL YARDS ON THE DAY. BEAST.pic.twitter.com/UEfkDHRGLU

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 28, 2022

One of my least favorite picks in this entire draft also came within the same round. Jameson Williams two picks later as the 15th receiver off of the board. His final season at Alabama showed us all that he can be great. However, he has only one catch at the NFL level. I cannot abide by the price he is going for in the dynasty. 

Now, let’s bring our attention to the remaining running backs selected in this range after I took Jacobs off of the board. First, there are the aging backs coming off of highly productive seasons. Then, there are the new bloods dripping with promise. With Jahmyr Gibbs being the sole rookie ambassador out of the bunch.

How would you feel about Jahmyr Gibbs in Tampa? pic.twitter.com/U9EXrzs6O9

— JC Cornell (@CornellNFL) March 14, 2023

Of that latter group, Javonte Williams in round five stands out as the one holding the highest risk. This is because he tore his right ACL and LCL last October. With the timeline associated with this injury, it is up in the air whether or not he will start in Week 1 of the 2023 season.

Speaking of the Broncos, let’s check in on team “Zag” who took Mr. Unlimited as his second quarterback in round six. Overall this approach is unfamiliar to me, but, to quote Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, “It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for ’em.”

Rounds 7-10

Next, we come to the finishing touches on what can be considered “starting” pieces. A small run containing some of the less productive running backs started off the seventh round. Rachaad White went in the midst of them, as more of a bet on his upside with Leonard Fournette being released by the Buccaneers.

This was followed up by a run on wide receivers that got initiated by my selection of Quentin Johnston. Most of the following receivers are at the start of their careers or just hitting their prime. Obviously, the exception comes in the declining yet still productive player, DeAndre Hopkins.

Additionally, two of the other players taken in this run share the same team, the Jaguars. In fact, they were taken back to back in Christian Kirk and the recently reinstated Calvin Ridley. I took one of them in Kirk to stack with Trevor Lawrence and benefit from one of the highest-volume offenses in the league.

What a throw from Lawrence to Kirk. Tie game! #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/nxw53uTDET

— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) January 21, 2023

Though the flashier names at running back were beginning to run thin, I was not swayed in the slightest. In the ninth round as I dove back into the rookie pool by grabbing Zay Flowers, a dynamic playmaker out of Boston College.

dog levels are high with zay flowers pic.twitter.com/SfyV4jXx79

— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) March 11, 2023

In round 10, I decided to forgo addressing my second running back spot. I passed on one of my draft crushes in Devon Achane. I did this with the intent to lock in my third quarterback Jordan Love. While his long-term outlook is unknown, he is all but guaranteed the reigns of the Packers franchise. That gives me a player I can rely on to fill in bye weeks and quarterbacks like this hold great value in Superflex and 2QB dynasty leagues.

Rounds 11-15

These next few rounds were used to fill in the remaining depth required out of a playoff dynasty team. Third quarterbacks, tight ends, rotational running backs, and depth wide receivers. Furthermore, making the right decisions in this range is what helps supplement or even elevate teams when the margins get thin in December.

Having already filled out my quarterback room, I crossed between value and points in this range. My first pick was Evan Engram. He’s a potential Flex option and solid second tight end that also correlates with the Jacksonville offense my team has been built around thus far. I also added recent Raider’s signee, Jakobi Meyers.

Bailey Zappe to Jakobi Meyers!!!
Touchdown Patriots!!!
New England is smacking Detroit…
🦁 🔴🔵#DETvsNE#OnePride #ForeverNEpic.twitter.com/DMMQasXOPo

— Sportskeeda Pro Football (@SKProFootball) October 9, 2022

Additionally, I took the other incoming rookie running back out of Texas Roschon Johnston and a pair of rookie tight ends both projected to go in the top 50 by the mock draft database. These tight ends also clear my threshold for elite RAS scores, both coming in well over a score of 9 and running a sub 4.7 40-yard dash.

In my opinion, the steals of this portion of the draft came back to back at the 14/15 turn in the form of Saints teammates Michael Thomas and Jamaal Williams. Though another value of the note was the selection made by Team 10 in the 14th round, selecting Ryan Tannehill. I believe he can easily finish in the 12-18 range this coming season. Veteran quarterbacks like this who can produce right now and help you win are vastly undervalued in 2QB leagues.

Rounds 16-20

As for the final rounds of this mock, there are very few reasons to love or hate a player you would take. The way I approach these picks is less about the players and more about the position. That position for me is running back.

That is why four of my five picks here were running backs. With Curtis Samuel in the 16th round coming as the only exception, filling out my receiver rotation. My goal with the running back dart throws is to find easy spot starts throughout the regular season. A core tenet of the hero running back build, one of my favorite strategies in lineup leagues.

With these dart throws, I took a broad array of archetypes, going after discounted production in players the community has given up on or rookies that I feel are going under the radar. Those rookies are Eric Gray and Evan Hull. These are profiles that include adequate NFL size and a college target share well above 10%.

As for the veterans, I went for immediate production for my roster. I did this with Cordarrelle Patterson, a dynamic player with the ball in his hands, and Rashaad Penny, who is an elite rusher with a bad history of injuries. He’s also been a low-key winner throughout this year’s free agency period.

#Eagles add to their backfield with Rashaad Penny, who can be VERY tough to stop when healthy. pic.twitter.com/eumKrldlfq

— Shyam Ramachandran (@shyam_fanalyst) March 14, 2023

Other teams chose to go after their depth tight ends in this range if they so chose to avoid addressing it earlier. One selection I would like to highlight is that of Jake Ferguson. With the recent departure of Dalton Schultz, Ferguson is first in line to take over as the starting tight end in Dallas. He showed brilliant signs of coverage awareness and yards after the catch ability as a rookie. All in all, I am excited to see what he does with a starting role.

What I love about Jake Ferguson is that he isn’t a “catch and fall” TE. For years I’ve watched so many TE’s with this team catch the ball and fall down immediately. Doesn’t happen with this guy. Gets the YAC pic.twitter.com/xemqpVe7H9

— Ernie The Cowboys Fan (@es3_09) December 27, 2022

Another Fantasy Perspective

You’ve heard enough from me, we will hand our attention over to @JKeasy‘s recount of the draft of Team 4.

“Overall I feel really good about my team. It’s a good mix of high-end veteran talent with some really good young pieces. Being tight end premium, I was very happy to get Kelce and follow that up with Likely and Gesicki later. My wide receivers will need a boost most likely, something I would plan on hitting as the season got closer. (Michael) Pittman and (Chris) Godwin could be a good one/two punch but there are a lot of ifs there.

Being a Superflex league, getting (Jalen) Hurts and Tua (Tagovailoa) could be a dream scenario or I’ll have to scramble and hope (Desmond) Ridder pays off if injuries pop up. (Hendon) Hooker felt like a great value where I got him, I truly think he’ll end up being a top-three quarterback in this draft class.”

Love how Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker drops this in a perfect spot for the WR to make a play. Great route and tracking ability from the WR as well. I'm sure it's stuff like this that gets teams excited about Hooker. pic.twitter.com/4IBCIDMJNf

— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) March 17, 2023

Dynasty Notes and Takeaways

In short, I think my draft came out very well. With a good blend of youth, production, and value, I can choose to go in any direction the 2023 season takes me. Now I will run through some of the overall drafts that stick out to me as well done and unique.

First, I would like to highlight the team put together by Team 10. The quintessential example of a productive struggle dynasty team. He decided to take one of the best dynasty assets in Ja’Marr Chase instead of a quarterback. Kyler Murray, who is recovering from a torn ACL, fell back to him with his second-round selection.

The remainder of his selections through until the 12th round were young players with high pedigree attached to their profile in some way. My personal favorites came with the picks of Daniel Jones in the 5th, and Jahan Dotson in the 7th.

Next, I will address the best “win-now” team and that’s Team 2. Starting the draft by passing on Josh Allen for Justin Jefferson was a bold move, however, the board fell in their favor. They addressed quarterback in the fifth and sixth rounds, with Kirk Cousins and Jared Goff. Both of which came in the top-18 in our Consistency Score last year.

Finally, we shall revisit team “Zag”. Though they had a promising, albeit unorthodox start, the remainder of their draft did not spark confidence from me. As stated when I noted his first two picks, the running back position is volatile, and his overwhelming team strength is in that position. Though I used the word overwhelming, I doubt this team would be that in dynasty. I do not see a clear vision or strategy forward for this team.

Parting Thoughts

Luckily, this was just a mock, and mocks are where mistakes are best made. Mistakes from which we can learn and sharpen our minds when it comes to this game we all enjoy. This exercise of drafting and reacting to a new offseason of information was a fun one.

I am thankful for every one of the participants. This exercise was so much of a success, that I will be hosting more Superflex startup mocks throughout the offseason. If you would be interested in joining any of these feel free to find me @GpodawundFF on Twitter.

1QB Dynasty Startup Draft

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