We here at Dynasty Nerds are committed to giving you the best draft content in the industry. What better way to help our readers conduct their own drafts than for the Nerds to assemble for a Mock Draft? These will be a series of mocks that break down the various league types from our perspective. No matter what format you like to play, we aim to please. In this dynasty edition, we dive into a 10-Team 1QB BestBall Startup Draft:
- Each team will make 20 selections to build the core of its roster.
- Both starters and bench players will be covered.
- Discover how they crafted their teams to conform to strategies that range from win-now and productive struggle to dynasty value stockpiling and future juggernauts.
Join “Doc” Matthew Mitchell, Mike Johrendt, Keith Ensminger, Steve Pintado, John Hammersmith, Jon Glosser, Jayson Snyder, Bobby Bishop, Taylor Christianson, and Tristan Cook for this Best Ball Startup draft. Check it out and let us know how you think we did. Whose build did you like the best, whose did you hate the most? Please enjoy our most recent Startup Mock Draft.
1QB BestBall Startup Mock Draft
Scoring and Format Overview
The scoring and format for this 1QB, PPR, Startup Mock Draft are as follows:
- 10 Teams
- 10 Starters (QB, RB2, WR3, TE1 Flex3)
- 6 points per passing touchdown (PPTD)
- 1 point per reception (PPR)
1.01 | Jon Glosser | @Glosser13
Jon: This was a great exercise for me, as 1QB dynasty startup drafts have become close to extinct in my world. However, picking 1st overall sure makes things easy when you can start your team off with the 2024 NFL receiving triple crown winner in Ja’Marr Chase. As much as I would typically fade QB in this format, the 3rd round reversal forced me to be a bit aggressive, knowing I wouldn’t have my choice of the top player at the position had I waited. I was able to secure Josh Allen, who has finished as QB1 or QB2 in five consecutive seasons. I felt much better about this decision as I watched three QBs come off the board before my next pick.
Dynasty startup drafts are dangerous around this time of year while rookie fever is at its height, and I bought in. I selected rookie players with my next three selections, including the fantasy football cheat code in Travis Hunter. As the IDP Director, it would only be fitting that I stay on brand. TreVeon Henderson and Tyler Warren were my next two selections and players who I think will increase their dynasty value by this time next year. Picking from the 1st slot in drafts is never fun. After the first couple of rounds, you find yourself reaching to try and get ahead of a run. Overall, I was happy to do so because drafting with the Dynasty Nerds staff, you can never expect to find those value players to fall to you as you much as you might expect in a public league.
My favorite value of my draft was Jaylen Waddle at the 6.01, I feel he has a great chance to significantly boost his dynasty stock this season in Miami. I invested heavily in youth in this mock draft and mostly at WR. I drafted 7 of them in the first 14 rounds, and only two have more than 2 years of NFL experience. My strategy here was to invest in young players in established offenses while taking a few chances on high upside players in hopes they hit and can put my team over the top. Despite drafting such a young team, I was able to add some veteran players in good situations late like Najee Harris, Brian Robinson, and David Njoku. These players have all been solid fantasy points per game producers in their careers, and give my rookies time to develop if needed without sacrificing wins early in the season. I was pleased with how my team ended up. I did my best to draft to the format, and I would be hopeful that this team could make the playoffs by season’s end.
1.02 | Steven Pintado | @CoachStevenP
Steven: I built this team as I would any of my 1QB bestball dynasty startups. I selected stud running backs who anchor my team, along with upside players who can play a role now and in the future. I mainly focus on acquiring receivers, as I believe having an abundance of them is the best way to start a startup draft. They have a longer career span, and I was able to bring together a mix of young and old receivers to compete. I was able to draft 7 receivers in the first 11 rounds in this draft.
As I mentioned earlier, I was able to select Bijan Robinson (1.02) and Jonathan Taylor (3.09) early in this draft to give my running back unit a strong starting lineup. Within the first half of the draft, I was able to select 4 receivers who are 25-years old or younger, which will solidify my starting lineup for fantasy. I did take some risks, as I needed to hope that Emeka Egbuka and Matthew Golden could rise to be among the top 36 receivers. I think I was able to get solid values with George Kittle in round 5 and Bo Nix in round 8. While I do have high hopes for Marvin Harrison Jr. at the 2.09, I was sniped on not getting either Drake London or Omarion Hampton.
In the back half of the draft, I was able to acquire a mix of players to compete this year and build for the future. I was able to get Calvin Ridley and Jauan Jennings to play a flex role for this team, which would give me a cushion until the young receivers were able to break out as rookies. I was also able to get a strong backup to Bo Nix in Dak Prescott in case the Broncos’ young quarterback regresses. I was able to secure a solid backup TE in Brenton Strange, who looks like he is going to have a breakout 2025 season. With my last two picks, I was able to get Dont’e Thornton and Jalen McMillan, who have upside in their respective offenses. Although I may have only five running backs on the team, I have built a receiver to make up for any shortfall the running backs may have. I think this team could go either way in 2025, but they are well-positioned for future success.
1.03 | Mike Johrendt | @Mjohrendt23
Mike: I’ll be the first to admit, taking a heavy-running back start to building my team is typically the antithesis of how I draft. As a devout wide receiver truther, I heavily lean on that position early in drafts, drafting RBs later on. However, with how the board fell, being a bit overweight on RBs through the first five rounds made the most sense. As one of only two rosters to have three backs on their roster after round five, capitalizing on that value drove the rest of how I built out my roster.
Starting with Jahmyr Gibbs and Omarion Hampton, the youth movement was in full effect. Jayden Daniels (3.08) and Tetairoa McMillan (4.03) rounded out a strong start to the build, with Kenneth Walker III going in round five as the last back for a few rounds. Even with the contract situation with Terry McLaurin, his talent (and ability to stack with Daniels) in round six was tough to pass up. McLaurin was the first of four consecutive pass catchers drafted through round nine, as he was followed by George Pickens, and rookies Colston Loveland and Tre Harris. I purposefully went after younger options to build out my roster’s core, as McLaurin is the only player older than 24.
The back-half of the draft went back to being more RB-heavy, with Joe Mixon, Jaylen Warren, Jordan Mason, and final-round Jerome Ford. Mixon’s health is a big question mark, but adding him as my RB4 in the 10th round made sense. For pass catchers, Keon Coleman and rookies Jaylin Noel and Pat Bryant rounded out my receiver room, while Jake Ferguson was a strong TE2 addition at pick 15.08. Having paired Michael Penix Jr. with Daniels, my final roster build is 2QB, 7RB, 7WR, and 2TE, an extremely even build. A few strengths of my roster include my RB room and overall youth, as I selected six rookies. The weak part of my roster is at WR, which is reliant on McMillan and Pickens starting off the year strong, especially if McLaurin holds out. My plan wasn’t to go QB early, but with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, and A.J. Brown all going off the board before my third-round pick, I ultimately pivoted to Daniels. Overall, I think my roster is built to compete more in the long run, but there are plenty of win-now pieces that would help this roster be competitive right out of the gate.
1.04 | Keith Ensminger | @TheSmingDynasty
Keith: The secret to my success in this draft was patience. I participate in so many SuperFlex leagues that it was hard not to pull the trigger on an elite gunslinger as each round passed. As we know, I love drafting quarterbacks in those leagues! However, in this 1QB quarterback format, while it took a lot of willpower to wait, I think the results speak for themselves. I was the last person to draft a quarterback, and I landed not one, but two quarterbacks who I believe will finish in the top 12 this year and years to come in Jordan Love and J.J. McCarthy.
Waiting on quarterback allowed me to bolster my roster with a balance of talent, production, and youth. At receiver, taking Justin Jefferson, Drake London, and A.J. Brown with my first three picks allowed me to take chances with drafting older players as the draft went on, especially at running back, where I picked Derrick Henry and James Conner. They may only have a year of production left, but with the newly re-signed Kyren Williams anchoring that position in my lineup, I should be able to focus future rookie draft picks on plugging those aging holes at running back. If Tyreek Hill returns to form and Josh Downs fulfills his legacy as everyone’s favorite sleeper, this roster could really hum. Finally, at tight end, a position I typically tend to ignore much more so than other dynasty managers, I believe the duo of T.J. Hockenson and Mark Andrews is safe but unspectacular.
Once I had a solid core, I was able to take shots on younger players where Sleeper’s ADP seemingly hasn’t caught up to recent events. I was elated to get Dylan Sampson and Woody Marks, as both feel like values given the news out of Cleveland and Houston, respectively. Jalen Royals and Brashard Smith get me a ticket in the door of Kansas City’s offense, and it never hurts to take a swing on a running back (Jordan James) in San Francisco. In the end, I’m sad this was only a mock draft, because I think this “fake” team of mine would have an outstanding season!
1.05 | John Hammersmith | @DynastyHammer
John: My go-to draft approach is a productive struggle. I trust my rankings, lean on value, and build a roster that develops in Year 1 to compete in Year 2. This was a 1QB startup with three WR spots and two flexes, which in my book, gives wide receivers a slight boost in the rankings. Talent tends to slide in a 10-team league, and this draft was no exception. I leaned in, hammering stud WRs early and often, locking in four with my first four picks.
Picking from the 5th slot, I opened with Malik Nabers over CeeDee Lamb and Ashton Jeanty, the other two players in my tier. Youth tipped the scales over Lamb and positional value over Jeanty. The theme continued as no RB tempted me more than the WRs available, leading to a run of Nico Collins, Garrett Wilson, and Tee Higgins in the next three rounds. That gave me an elite WR corps but left me chasing RBs. In the 5th and 6th, I grabbed two rookie backs who often go in the first round of rookie drafts: R.J. Harvey and Kaleb Johnson. I then addressed my onesie spots with Caleb Williams and Dalton Kincaid, but quickly regretted the Williams pick after seeing quality QBs slide into the 12th. The 9th brought rookie Jaylen Higgins, a player I’m bullish on, followed by a trio of favorite RB stashes, Zach Charbonnet, Trey Benson, and Tyjae Spears. Baker Mayfield in the 13th and Justin Fields in the 18th reinforced that I overpaid for Williams. I rounded things out with Isaiah Likely as a late TE dart, rookie RBs Bhayshul Tuten and Devin Neal, and one final WR in Marvin Mims.
Mock drafts are the perfect place to test strategies and see how they play out, and I’m glad this one wasn’t for real. I don’t hate the roster, but drafting Caleb Williams was a decision I regretted almost immediately, and it shaped the rest of my draft. My WR room is loaded with top-tier talent, and my RBs are young, talented, and positioned for either starting roles or high-end backup duties. I’m still high on William’s upside, but the opportunity cost of taking him in the 7th instead of Drake Maye in the 12th was massive. That single choice was the difference between landing a T.J. Hockenson or George Pickens versus ending up with Tyjae Spears. It was a reminder not to reach for mid-tier QBs in a 1QB, 10-team format. The same goes for Dalton Kincaid, talented but raw, and probably another reach that stemmed from passing on Hockenson earlier. Tight end ended up as my weakest spot. Overall, the team has a shot, but a few missteps kept it from being the kind of roster I’d be truly excited to take into the season.
1.06 | Jayson Snyder | @Spydes78
Jayson: The classic conundrum of a dynasty startup is whether to build for the future or for the present. Traditionally, analysts will advise that you build a war chest of high-profile prospects because they are confident in their talent evaluations and believe that their youth-oriented teams will blossom into perennial powerhouses. This is a reasonable approach, and with the experts at Dynasty Nerds on your side, you have every right to be bullish in your youthful zeal. That said, I have no objections to making the contrarian play and leaning into a veteran-heavy, win-now mindset. It all depends on what the board allows.
In the case of this mock, I was able to execute on a balanced, Goldilocks-esque strategy. Not too young. Not too seasoned. But, just right. Take a look at the average maturity of my position groups. My quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends came in with mean ages of 25.0, 22.8, 23.1, and 27.0, respectively. And this is despite the incorporation of veteran players like Jalen Hurts, Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, Davante Adams, and Travis Kelce, who give this roster an immediate competitive edge.
On the side of youth, the highlights were players like Ashton Jeanty, De’Von Achane, Drake Maye, and Tucker Kraft. All of these instant contributors are under 24 years of age, and provide the framework for sustainable, long-term team success. You may also notice that I snagged Tank Dell in the final round, despite his present unavailability due to injury. Adding a high upside player that can be stashed on IR is an easy way to expand your roster and may give you a tradable asset down the road. Reminder to always know your bylaws and use them to your advantage to gain a strategic advantage over the pack.
1.07 | Bobby Bishop | @_BobbyBishop
Bobby: In a 1QB league, my main goal is to build up my WR and RB rooms as strong as possible. I began the draft by hammering WR, grabbing Ceedee Lamb, Brian Thomas, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. This trio forms the young core of my team. Win or lose, these are players I would hold on to dearly for the next half-decade. Next, I grabbed two running backs who should have bellcow roles: Josh Jacobs and Chase Brown. These are my every week starting running backs for the next 2-3 years.
I wasn’t planning on taking a quarterback until later, but I simply couldn’t pass up on Joe Burrow in the 6th Round. He’s someone whom I feel comfortable starting every week except for his bye week. Then, it was time to round off my WR room. By snagging Jordan Addison and Jameson Williams, I believe I formed the best young receiver room in the league. Next, the time came to add running back depth. David Montgomery and Tyrone Tracy offer me high floors and more bye week options.
My team’s biggest weakness has become glaringly obvious. I begin to draft values at the tight end position. Kyle Pitts’ connection with Michael Penix offers upside this late in the draft. Mason Taylor has solid draft capital and ample opportunity. Jonnu Smith finished the season on a very strong note. He switched teams, but he landed in a very familiar scheme. Furthermore, I found value in young backup quarterbacks with upside in C.J. Stroud and Cam Ward. My team is built to compete right away, but it has the youth to sustain success for the foreseeable future.
1.08 | Taylor Christianson | @mysleepers
Taylor: While I value stockpiling longterm dynasty value, there’s a satisfying feeling to being an early juggernaut in a startup league. I targeted best player available based on a 2 Year window while retaining dynasty value and looked to capitalize on positional advantages. Even in a non-TEprem, Brock Bowers is a cheat code over the rest of the league and is one of the safest dynasty assets to hold longterm value. The drop off in elite RB talent in a 10-team league compared to the WR position feels massive this season. I wanted to have the best RB in the league after last season in Saquon Barkley and know I can contend immediately after adding Lamar Jackson. I was thrilled to fill in my starters with, Zay Flowers, Chris Olave, and Alvin Kamara.
I was willing to take risks in this startup draft because it’s bestball. I swung for the fences with Chris Godwin, Stefon Diggs, and Jayden Reed–a trio that could produce two WR1 performances each week. I took Quinshon Judkins as a high upside pick during a stretch of lower-valued dynasty assets being drafted. J.K. Dobbins can fill in during Judkins’ absence this season and I will be set up for future value bumps with Jonathan Brooks and Brandon Aiyuk. Pairing Brock Purdy with Aiyuk as my QB2 in the 14th round was one of the most satisfying clicks of the “Draft” button.
Aside from my core and bench, I took 3 players with immense opportunity potential in Cedric Tillman, Ben Sinnott, and Jack Bech. If any of these three players can become a consistent option in their offenses, I could trade away a more appealing dynasty asset for more in-season production and future draft capital (Olave, Aiyuk, Reed). We never know how the season will play out, but–despite the other confident managers in this draft–I feel positioned to earn a 1st round bye in the inaugural season.
1.09 | Doc Mitchell | @ReflipeWThenuz
Doc: With this team, I decided early that I was going to wait on my QB. In 10-Team 1QB leagues, we tend to devalue the QB position. My goal was to build a young core of skill position players. I also wanted to make sure to grab one of the top TEs in the league. I understood that there was no TE Premium bonus, but to have one of the top players at the position is a natural leg up on the competition. Drafting at the back of the draft, I was a bit nervous, especially with there being only 1QB.
Over the first six rounds of the draft, I managed to select a young group of stud players. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Rome Odunze, and Jerry Jeudy make up the backbone of this squad. To this excellent group, I added one of the top TEs in the NFL with Trey McBride. Bucky Irving and Chuba Hubbard anchored my RB position. I did manage to grab some nice here, but more on that later. Despite wanting to avoid taking a QB early, I was extremely happy landing the duo of Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence.
With my young foundation set, I began to draft for a Year 1 compete. I tend to lean toward competing early in my new dynasty leagues. You never know if the league will last, and with that in mind, I like to come out of the gates strong. I managed to scoop up some really high upside veterans later in the draft to give this roster the depth needed to compete. Players like D’Andre Swift, Aaron Jones, Deebo Samuel, Christian Kirk, Darnell Mooney, and Evan Engram give me some really nice options for bye weeks and matchups. I did manage to scoop up some nice youth along the way as well, with the likes of Ricky Pearsall and Jaxson Dart. From top to bottom, I was really happy with how this team came together.
1.10 | Tristan Cook | @THEtristancook
Tristan: I went into this draft with the plan of loading up on wide receivers and running backs unless I found value elsewhere, and that’s exactly what happened. I would have loved it if Amon-Ra St. Brown fell to me at pick 10, but Puka Nacua and Ladd McConkey are great building blocks for my future. With the third-round reversal, I knew I’d get a good running back in the 3rd. I was tempted to go with CMC but opted for a younger back in Breece Hall and the hopes of a bounce-back. The theme of my draft was players I expect to rebound. I felt I did that well with LaPorta in the fifth.
At the 6-7 turn, I scooped up D.J. Moore and one of my favorite values in the whole draft, Patrick Mahomes at 7.01. My selections of Travis Etienne and Michael Pittman might not excite you now, but I expect their values to increase significantly after the season, so I’m happy to buy low here. Courtland Sutton, Cooper Kupp, and Tony Pollard all have the potential to help me win in year one or could be traded if my team underperformed. I was really hoping that Chris Godwin would fall to me in the 10th round, and likely would have traded up if this were a startup draft with trading.
To round out my squad with my final six selections, I tried to add some depth with players who could also see a rise in value come this time next year. I am not totally sold on Bucky Irving in Tampa so Rachaad White seemed like a sneaky pick that could massively return value if he can regain the job. Jared Goff is a great QB2 and can fill in admirably if Mahomes struggles to put up good fantasy numbers. Cade Otton and Pat Freiermuth are solid options off the bench at TE, with Otton showing some flashes of strong production. Nick Chubb could return value early if Mixon misses time and be traded for draft picks if I want to return value. I am really happy with this team and feel that it could contend early, but is also positioned well for the future.
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