Top 12 Rankings for Dynasty Football

NFL Draft season has flown by. That means, your dynasty fantasy football rookie drafts are not that far off. Yet, there is no such time as a bad time to do a dynasty fantasy football startup draft.

However, who should be the first 12 players drafted? The answer will change depending on your league’s settings and the draft strategy everyone uses. Below are my top 12 dynasty rankings in 1QB and half-point PPR scoring leagues. Therefore, there will be quarterbacks or tight ends in their rankings. Continue reading to find out who my Top 12 Rankings for Dynasty Football are.

1) Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Last year Jefferson was the WR1, averaging 17.9 fantasy points per game. Furthermore, he was the only wide receiver to score over 288 total fantasy points. More importantly, Jefferson is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, only three years into his career. He had at least 1,400 receiving yards every year of his career, including 1,809 last season.

Jefferson has been a top-six wide receiver every year of his career. He has done that despite averaging only 8.3 receiving touchdowns per season. The former LSU wide receiver had 10 receiving touchdowns in 2021, a career-high. Meanwhile, most superstar wide receivers have double-digit touchdowns almost every year. Jefferson would be the clear-cut 1.01 pick in every format if he consistently hits the double-digit touchdown mark.

2) Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

The debate for the 1.01 spot boils down to two former LSU stars. Jefferson has done more in his NFL career, but Chase is on his heels. Despite missing five games last year, Chase had a career-high 87 receptions and 134 targets in 2022. More importantly, his fantasy points per game average increased by 6.6%.

While Chase has only one top-six finish in his career, he has one massive advantage over Jefferson. Joe Burrow and Chase will be teammates for the next decade in Cincinnati. However, Kirk Cousins is entering the final year of his contract. Depending on what happens at the quarterback position in Minnesota, Chase could surpass Jefferson a year from now.

3) Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas Longhorns

A running back with zero NFL experience is third on the list? You bet! The former Longhorn had 258 rushing attempts for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2022. He ended his career with 539 rushing attempts for 3,410 yards and 33 touchdowns. Furthermore, Robinson averaged over six yards per rushing attempt in his three years at Texas. While the numbers are impressive, the former Longhorn is arguably the top running back draft prospect in 20-plus years.

Robinson is an elite runner, posting one of the best yards after contact per rushing attempt and breakaway percentage over the past several years. Furthermore, he had the best single-season elusive rating, according to PFF. More importantly, the former Longhorn has massive receiving upside. He had 60 receptions for 805 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his career. Robinson could make a case for the 1.01 spot in non-PPR scoring if he gets drafted by the Atlanta Falcons or Philadelphia Eagles.

4) Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

The 2022 season was an unfortunate fluke for Taylor. The superstar was the RB6 as a rookie, averaging 15.7 fantasy points per game. Then, he was the RB1 in 2021, averaging 20.8 fantasy points per game, a career-high. Unfortunately, injuries and poor circumstances made Taylor a fantasy bust last year. However, Taylor was only the RB18 on a points-per-game basis. While his struggles last year weren’t ideal, fantasy players should feel confident Taylor will rebound this upcoming season.

Hopefully, he won’t have reoccurring ankle injuries. Meanwhile, the former Wisconsin star is an underrated receiver. Last year, Taylor was seventh in route participation and 17th in target share among running backs. Furthermore, new head coach Shane Steichen led arguably the top rushing attack in the NFL last year. The Colts will draft a quarterback with their first-round pick. Therefore, expect Steichen to make Taylor a 320-plus touch player for the next few years to keep the pressure off the young quarterback.

5) Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

Unfortunately, Hall suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 7. However, the young running back reportedly will be ready for Week 1 this upcoming season. After a quiet performance in his first career game, Hall turned into a star running back. He scored 12 or more fantasy points in his final six games, including the one he suffered the injury.

More importantly, the former Iowa State star was on fire, picking apart defenses before getting hurt. Hall averaged 5.6 yards per rushing attempt in his final two healthy contests as a rookie. Furthermore, he was a target machine in 2022. The rookie running back had 31 targets. Over a 17-game pace, Hall would have totaled 75 targets, the third-most on the team. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers is finally a Jet. One of his favorite weapons in Green Bay is Aaron Jones. Just wait until he gets to play with a younger and more explosive running back.

6) Kenneth Walker, RB, Seattle Seahawks

A popular topic last offseason was the Seattle backfield. Some believed Walker got drafted to replace Chris Carson. Instead, Rashaad Penny couldn’t stay healthy once again, and the former Michigan State running back became a fantasy star. Walker was the RB6 for the rest of the season after Penny got hurt. His 14.9 fantasy points per contest was a higher average than several superstar running backs, including Saquon Barkley, Najee Harris, and Nick Chubb.

However, Walker is just scratching the surface of his potential. The Seahawks don’t have anyone on the roster to challenge his lead role after losing Penny in free agency. More importantly, the former Michigan State star was productive despite playing under 78% of the snaps in all but two games as a rookie. Walker was eighth in breakaway run rate (7.5%) and third in total breakaway runs (17) last year. He should only get better heading into his first offseason as the unquestioned starter.

7) Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

The 2022 season was one to forget for the Rams and anyone who drafted their players in fantasy football. However, Kupp is the exception, as he remained a fantasy superstar. He was the WR24 last year despite missing the final eight games. More importantly, Kupp averaged 18.2 fantasy points per game last year. Furthermore, the superstar was the WR1 on a points-per-game basis.

Meanwhile, he has been the most consistent wide receiver over the past two years. Kupp scored 12.7 or more fantasy points in all but one game since the start of the 2021 season, removing the Week 10 last year matchup where he suffered the season-ending injury. Some will say the superstar’s 2021 season was an outlier. However, that’s not true. Before the injury, Kupp was on pace to have similar numbers in 2022. He would have scored 345.1 fantasy points over a 17-game span last year using his first eight-game averages. In 2021, Kupp had 367 fantasy points, only 1.3 more fantasy points per game than his 17-game pace in 2022. The superstar is still a top-three dynasty wide receiver.

8) CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Last year fantasy players got to see Lamb as the No. 1 wide receiver following the trade of Amari Cooper. The former Oklahoma star ended the year as the WR6, averaging 14.6 fantasy points per game. More importantly, Lamb saw a massive uptick in touchdown production. His receiving touchdowns improved by 50%. Furthermore, he was a target hog.

Lamb finished fourth in targets (156), seventh in target rate (30.1%), 10th in air yards (1,594), and 14th in air yards share (34.3%) among wide receivers last season. He also finished top 20 in routes run (519) and route participation (93.3%). Furthermore, Lamb got the important targets. The former first-round pick was ninth in deep targets (26) and 18th in red zone targets (15). The addition of Brandin Cooks will only help keep defenses from doubling Lamb on every snap.

9) Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

The last few years have been rough if you had McCaffrey on your roster. After averaging 25.8 fantasy points per game in 2019, the superstar running back struggled with injuries. He played only 10 games over the next two seasons, missing 70% of the contests. However, the former first-round kept up his strong production, averaging 19.1 fantasy points per game in those 10 matchups.

Coming off back-to-back years dealing with injuries, fantasy players likely traded away McCaffrey before the start of the 2022 season. Unfortunately, that was a mistake. The superstar running back had 1,139 rushing yards and eight touchdowns last season, both the second-most of his career. Furthermore, McCaffrey’s fantasy production took off after he got traded to San Francisco. He was the RB1 starting in Week 8 through the rest of the season. If he can avoid the injury bug, McCaffrey has a few more elite years left in his career.

10) A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

After three seasons with the Tennessee Titans, Brown got traded to Philadelphia a year ago. The star receiver had a career year in 2022. He had 88 receptions on 146 targets for 1,496 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Brown tied his career high with 11 touchdowns while setting new career bests in every other category. Furthermore, the former Ole Miss star wide receiver didn’t miss a game after missing seven contests over the previous two years.

Brown became more of a vertical threat last season. He finished fourth in air yards (1,772), sixth in air yards share (39.4%), and seven in deep targets (28) among wide receivers. Furthermore, the star receiver averaged 1.6 deep targets per game in 2022, a career-high. The big play numbers aren’t surprising, given the upgrade at quarterback from Ryan Tannehill to Jalen Hurts. Meanwhile, the Eagles locked up their franchise quarterback to a long-term deal, keeping Brown’s best friend in Philadelphia through the 2028 season.

11) Travis Etienne, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game. Etienne missed his rookie season after suffering a foot injury in the preseason. However, he turned into a fantasy stat last year. The former Clemson Tiger ended the year as the RB17, averaging 11 fantasy points per game. Meanwhile, Etienne averaged 5.1 yards per rushing attempt last season. He had the third-highest average among running backs with at least 130 rushing attempts.

Meanwhile, the second-year star saw his fantasy production take off once the Jaguars started to give him more of a role at James Robinson’s expense. Etienne averaged 12.4 fantasy points per game from Week 5 through the end of the season. Furthermore, the former Clemson finished 15th in routes run (245), ninth in red zone touches (45), and fifth in breakaway runs (16). More importantly, Etienne averaged 5.9 yards per rushing attempt and 15.3 fantasy points per game during the fantasy playoffs. Between his explosive big-play ability and receiving upside, Etienne is a fantasy superstar in the making.

12) Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

When the Giants drafted Barkley with the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, fantasy players labeled him the new RB1. The former Penn State star was fantastic as a rookie, totaling over 2,000 scrimmage yards, 15 touchdowns, and 340.3 fantasy points per game. Barkley averaged 21.3 fantasy points per game that year, the highest average of his career. Unfortunately, injuries severely impacted the superstar running back.

Barkley missed 42.9% of the games from 2019-2021 because of numerous injuries. Furthermore, the star running back struggled when on the field. He averaged only 9.4 fantasy points per game over the previous two years before last season. Thankfully, the hiring of Brian Daboll changed things for Barkley. The former first-round pick returned to his superstar level of play in 2022. He was the RB6, averaging 16 fantasy points per game. While the Giants and Barkley need to work out a long-term deal, the superstar running back is still worthy of a late first-round pick in startup dynasty drafts.

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