The NFL season is almost here, which also means it’s time for dynasty startup drafts! The first four rounds of a dynasty startup draft will define your franchise for years to come. These are the cornerstone pieces to your roster that establish your championship window, determine your roster’s overall direction, and create the foundation for every move you’ll make going forward. While it’s tempting to simply draft the highest-ranked players available, smart dynasty managers know that not every early-round selection holds the same long-term value.
This article will examine the first four rounds of dynasty startup drafts, using Sleeper’s August startup ADP to guide your decisions on who to draft, target in trades, or avoid in each round. The goal is to help you identify which superstars can anchor your roster and which may be better leveraged for maximizing dynasty value. All advice is tailored to 12-team super flex, tight-end premium formats.
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Round 1 | Keep Trade Cut
| Josh Allen 1.01 | Jahymr Gibbs 1.05 | Amon-Ra St. Brown 1.09 |
| Bijan Robinson 1.02 | Puka Nacua 1.06 | Joe Burrow 1.10 |
| Drake Maye 1.03 | Jaxson Smith-Njigba 1.07 | Lamar Jackson 1.11 |
| Ja’Marr Chase 1.04 | Jayden Daniels 1.08 | Malik Nabers 1.12 |
Drake Maye | ADP 1.03 | Keep
At only 23-years old, Maye has the potential to be the dynasty QB1 for years to come. In 2025, Maye finished as the QB2 for the season and had 12 games in which he finished as QB12 or better. The New England offense has only improved with the addition of A.J. Brown. You do not want to miss on your first-round pick in startup drafts, and Maye has established himself as one of the NFL’s premier dual-threat quarterbacks, combining high-level passing efficiency with rushing production that creates a weekly fantasy ceiling few quarterbacks can match. I would not be shocked if Maye is the 1.01 in startup drafts in 2027.
Josh Allen | ADP 1.01 | Trade Away (Tier Down)
Josh Allen enters the 2026 fantasy season as the premier quarterback option and the 1.01 in most startup drafts. His consistency is unmatched as he has ranked among the top-three fantasy quarterbacks in points per game for five consecutive seasons. However, Josh Allen is 30-years old and still holds tremendous trade value. I would have no problem trading away the 1.01 to tier down at quarterback, possibly to Drake Maye, while also adding additional draft capital in startup drafts.
Joe Burrow | ADP 1.10 | Cut (Avoid)
Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have Joe Burrow on my dynasty roster, but not at his current cost. Burrow comes with a ton of question marks, including his injury history and his cryptic talks of retirement. I also prefer my QB1 to have some rushing insulation, and with Burrow, he has a limited rushing ceiling. Burrow is one of the NFL’s best pure passers, but he doesn’t provide the elite rushing yards like Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or Jalen Hurts. With an ADP as the 10th overall pick, I am more comfortable taking a 29-year-old Burrow at the back end of the 2nd round.
Round 2 | Keep Trade Cut
| Brock Bowers 2.01 | Ashton Jeanty 2.05 | Omarion Hampton 2.09 |
| Caleb Williams 2.02 | Jeremiyah Love 2.06 | Drake London 2.10 |
| Trey McBride 2.03 | Ceedee Lamb 2.07 | Jaxson Dart 2.11 |
| Justin Jefferson 2.04 | De’Von Achane 2.08 | Justin Herbert 2.12 |
Brock Bowers | ADP 2.01 | Keep
After locking in a cornerstone player at 1.12, the 2.01 turn is the perfect opportunity to target a true difference-maker at a premium position. In SF TEP dynasty startups, few players provide a weekly advantage like Brock Bowers. At only 23 years old, Bowers has already proven he can produce at a high level while offering long-term stability. Securing an elite tight end this early allows you to lock down one of the shallowest positions in fantasy football for years to come, giving you a weekly edge while freeing up future draft capital to build around other positions.
Jeremiyah Love | ADP 2.06 | Trade Away (Tier Down)
Drafting Jeremiyah Love in the second round of a dynasty startup is paying tomorrow’s price for today’s hype. Love is an exceptional prospect with elite athleticism and game-breaking upside, but spending a premium startup pick on a player who hasn’t taken an NFL snap ignores one of dynasty’s biggest advantages: letting another dynasty manager absorb the uncertainty. In the second round, you should be adding proven cornerstone assets with stable value, not betting on projection alone. The odds of Love immediately returning second-round startup value are far from guaranteed.
I prefer a strategy of building your foundation with proven fantasy producers early and targeting running backs once their NFL situations and market values become clearer. Let another manager chase the hype while you lock in elite, proven talent, and you can take your swings on upside talent later in the draft.
Drake London | ADP 2.10 | Cut (Avoid)
I am lower on Drake London than most in the industry. While I believe he is an amazing talent, I cannot justify using a second-round startup pick on a receiver who has produced only one 1,000-yard season since entering the league in 2022. London also faces some instability at the quarterback position. There are enough questions about Atlanta’s offense that I would feel more comfortable taking London in the 3rd round of startup drafts rather than at his current ADP of 2.10.
Round 3 | Keep Trade Cut
| Jalen Hurts 3.01 | Colston Loveland 3.05 | Bo Nix 3.09 |
| Patrick Mahomes 3.02 | James Cook 3.06 | Nico Collins 3.10 |
| Jonathan Taylor 3.03 | Trevor Lawrence 3.07 | Chris Olave 3.11 |
| Tetairoa McMillan 3.04 | George Pickens 3.08 | Brock Purdy 3.12 |
Jalen Hurts | ADP 3.01 | Keep
I have a common theme among my quarterbacks that I choose to draft in startups. All of them offer high rushing upside, which helps insulate their fantasy value. Jalen Hurts has reached double-digit rushing touchdowns in four of his last five seasons, with a QB9 finish as his lowest finish during that time. At 28 years old, I anticipate multiple seasons of similar production from Hurts. Depending on your team build, Hurts has the possibility of being your QB2, giving you a massive edge at the quarterback position.
George Pickens | ADP 3.08 | Trade Away (Tier Down)
George Pickens has been a tremendous addition to the Dallas Cowboys’ offense. Pickens is coming off the best season of his career, but is playing on the franchise tag after Dallas elected not to sign him to a long-term extension before the deadline. While that doesn’t necessarily hurt his 2026 outlook, it introduces more long-term volatility. Another concern is target competition, as he’s still sharing the field with CeeDee Lamb. Pickens averaged nearly 120 receiving yards per game without Lamb compared to 87.2 yards per game when Lamb was active, putting him as more of a WR2. If I’m on the clock in a dynasty startup and George Pickens is available at his current cost, I’d tier down to receivers like Garrett Wilson or Emeka Egbuka, who I can get one round later and obtain more draft capital.
Chris Olave | ADP 3.11 | Cut (Avoid)
I understand the hesitation in putting Chris Olave on the “cut” list. Olave is coming off a career-high season with the New Orleans Saints. Given Olave’s current ADP as a third-round startup pick, I am not comfortable with his concussion history, which could hinder his long-term value, as well as New Orleans drafting offensive playmakers Jordyn Tyson and Oscar Delp in the first and third rounds, respectively, in the NFL Draft. I view Olave as more of a WR2 for dynasty rosters and feel more comfortable drafting him in the 5th or 6th rounds of startups.
Round 4 | Keep Trade Cut
| Emeka Egbuka 4.01 | Chase Brown 4.05 | Ladd McConkey 4.09 |
| Tyler Warren 4.02 | TreVeyon Henderson 4.06 | Harold Fannin Jr. 4.10 |
| Fernando Mendoza 4.03 | Christian McCaffrey 4.07 | Kenneth Walker III 4.11 |
| Garrett Wilson 4.04 | Dak Prescott 4.08 | Breece Hall 4.12 |
Garrett Wilson | ADP 4.04 | Keep
Garrett Wilson has produced 1,000-yard seasons in 3 of his first 4 NFL seasons with subpar quarterback play. Before a knee injury ended his 2025 campaign, Wilson was the WR5 through the first five weeks of the season. His value has dropped in startup leagues with the additions of tight end Kenyon Sadiq and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. Wilson has the potential to be a WR1 for your team but is being discounted right now at WR2 prices.
Fernando Mendoza | ADP 4.03 | Trade Away (Tier Down)
Fernando Mendoza is going in the early fourth round of Superflex dynasty startup drafts, and much like I spoke about earlier with Jeremiyah Love, it applies here as well. You’re paying for what he might become rather than what he has already proven. It also appears that Kirk Cousins will start under center for Las Vegas, meaning you would not get instant production from one of your cornerstone players. That’s a dangerous bet when proven fantasy producers are still on the board. Older quarterbacks like Dak Prescott, Baker Mayfield, and Jared Goff are still available and will offer more consistent production.
Christian McCaffrey | ADP 4.07 | Cut (Avoid)
Christian McCaffrey has league-winning upside when healthy, but selecting him in the fourth round of dynasty startup drafts is a bet that carries significantly more risk than reward. At 30 years old, McCaffrey is well beyond the age where running backs typically maintain elite dynasty value, and injuries have become an increasing concern over the past several seasons. Even if he delivers RB1 production in 2026, his trade value is unlikely to increase, leaving you with a depreciating asset from the moment you draft him.
In the fourth round of a startup, you’re passing on younger players whose value can increase while still providing strong production. Unless you’re pushing all-in for a championship in Year 1, the opportunity cost of drafting McCaffrey at his current startup price is simply too high.
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