2023 1QB Dynasty Startup Mock Draft 1.0

Photo: Joe Nicholson, USA Today Sports

Dynasty Startup drafts are not for the faint of heart! It's not easy to do a draft that's often 20+ rounds and to navigate the draft board to find the best value selections throughout.

It's not uncommon for Dynasty managers to get to the 15th round and not recognize many of the names that are staring them in the face, let alone the two- to three-year prognosis for these players.

If you're one of these managers that's about to head into a Dynasty startup draft this offseason, don't fret! I'm here to help with a 1QB startup mock before 2023 NFL Free Agency. I'll provide my thoughts for each selection, along with some players to target when you're on the clock in the later rounds.

The League Settings

• 12 teams
• 1QB format
• Half-PPR
• 18 Rounds
• Starting Rosters
  • 1 QB
  • 2 RBs
  • 3 WRs
  • 1 TE
  • 2 flex

I will be drafting from the No. 5 spot in this mock draft conducted on Sleeper.

Round 1

• 1.01 - Ja'Marr Chase (WR - Cincinnati Bengals)
• 1.02 - CeeDee Lamb (WR - Dallas Cowboys)
• 1.03 - Justin Jefferson (WR - Minnesota Vikings)
• 1.04 - Austin Ekeler (RB - Los Angeles Chargers)
• 1.05 - Jonathan Taylor (RB - Indianapolis Colts)
• 1.06 - Patrick Mahomes II (QB - Kansas City Chiefs)
• 1.07 - Bijan Robinson (RB - 2023 Rookie)
• 1.08 - Christian McCaffrey (RB - San Francisco 49ers)
• 1.09 - A.J. Brown (WR - Philadelphia Eagles)
• 1.10 - Josh Allen (QB - Buffalo Bills)
• 1.11 - Najee Harris (RB - Pittsburgh Steelers)
• 1.12 - Stefon Diggs (WR - Buffalo Bills)

Draft Pick Analysis: It was a rough year for Taylor in 2022, but we need to realize that a lot of factors were beyond his control. The offensive line took a step backward, the quarterbacks couldn't complete a pass, and Taylor was dealing with a nagging injury for most of the season. We still saw flashes, though, of what he can be for fantasy football when he's healthy, and the Colts are going to be a much different team in 2023 than the train wreck that we saw on the field this past season. At still just 24 years old, there's no reason Taylor should fall outside of the Top 5 of Dynasty startups, and he can remain a cornerstone building block.

Round 2

• 2.01 - Cooper Kupp (WR - Los Angeles Rams)
• 2.02 - Tyreek Hill (WR - Miami Dolphins)
• 2.03 - Breece Hall (RB - New York Jets)
• 2.04 - Travis Kelce (TE - Kansas City Chiefs)
• 2.05 - D'Andre Swift (RB - Detroit Lions)
• 2.06 - Jalen Hurts (QB - Philadelphia Eagles)
• 2.07 - Jaylen Waddle (WR - Miami Dolphins)
• 2.08 - Ken Walker III (RB - Seattle Seahawks)
• 2.09 - Saquon Barkley (RB - New York Giants)
• 2.10 - Josh Jacobs (RB - Las Vegas Raiders)
• 2.11 - Davante Adams (WR - Las Vegas Raiders)
• 2.12 - Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR - Detroit Lions)

Draft Pick Analysis: Ideally, a top-tier wide receiver would be the direction to go at this point of the draft to pair with Taylor. However, it's impossible to ignore a top-five consensus Dynasty running back still being available towards the back end of Round 2. Walker showcased exactly why he had insane hype coming out of Michigan State in his rookie campaign, and he completely took over this backfield as the season progressed. It is worth proceeding with slight caution due to Pete Carroll's historic track record of utilizing multiple backs, which could lead the Seahawks to bring in a running back in the NFL Draft or free agency, but Walker proved that he can be the guy for an offense. As an RB2 on my roster, that's a solid start to a draft.

Round 3

• 3.01 - Joe Burrow (QB - Cincinnati Bengals)
• 3.02 - Derrick Henry (RB - Tennessee Titans)
• 3.03 - Travis Etienne Jr.(RB - Jacksonville Jaguars)
• 3.04 - Tee Higgins (WR - Cincinnati Bengals)
• 3.05 - Garrett Wilson (WR - New York Jets)
• 3.06 - Dalvin Cook (RB - Minnesota Vikings)
• 3.07 - Joe Mixon (RB - Cincinnati Bengals)
• 3.08 - DK Metcalf (WR - Seattle Seahawks)
• 3.09 - Lamar Jackson (QB - Baltimore Ravens)
• 3.10 - Javonte Williams (RB - Denver Broncos)
• 3.11 - Nick Chubb (RB - Cleveland Browns)
• 3.12 - Jahmyr Gibbs (RB - 2023 Rookie)

Draft Pick Analysis: Wilson showcased his ridiculous talent all last season, despite woeful quarterback play for the majority of the year. He's truly one of the game's best young up-and-coming wideouts, and he has a bright future ahead of him. The added benefit to select him as the WR1 for my Dynasty roster is that the Jets are in line to get a massive quarterback upgrade this offseason. Several veteran quarterbacks have been linked to this team, and whichever one ends up in town is going to provide Wilson with the stability that he didn't have in his rookie campaign. It wouldn't shock me at all at this time next year to see Wilson's name in the first round of Dynasty Startups.

Round 4

• 4.01 - Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR - 2023 Rookie)
• 4.02 - Mark Andrews (TE - Baltimore Ravens)
• 4.03 - Chris Olave (WR - New Orleans Saints)
• 4.04 - Rhamondre Stevenson (RB - New England Patriots)
• 4.05 - Deebo Samuel (WR - San Francisco 49ers)
• 4.06 - DeVonta Smith (WR - Philadelphia Eagles)
• 4.07 - Alvin Kamara (RB - New Orleans Saints)
• 4.08 - Kyle Pitts (TE - Atlanta Falcons)
• 4.09 - Tony Pollard (RB - Dallas Cowboys)
• 4.10 - Terry McLaurin (WR - Washington Commanders)
• 4.11 - Aaron Jones (RB - Green Bay Packers)
• 4.12 - George Kittle (TE - San Francisco 49ers)

Draft Pick Analysis: If this were an actual draft, the clock would've run out on me as I stared between Pitts' and Pollard's names on the draft board. The upside for Pollard moving forward is absolutely insane if he becomes the featured back in Dallas - or somewhere else via free agency - but the value point for Pitts was too good to pass up. At this time last year, Pitts wasn't getting out of the top-15 picks in Dynasty Startups, which makes the fact that he was still on the board here astonishing. Even with a down year - due to some poor quarterback play - Pitts is still going to be just 22 years old when the 2023 NFL season commences, so we shouldn't let his value go too far down the board.

Round 5

• 5.01 - Drake London (WR - Atlanta Falcons)
• 5.02 - Justin Herbert (QB - Los Angeles Chargers)
• 5.03 - Quentin Johnston (WR - 2023 Rookie)
• 5.04 - T.J. Hockenson (TE - Minnesota Vikings)
• 5.05 - Michael Pittman Jr (WR - Indianapolis Colts)
• 5.06 - Dameon Pierce (RB - Houston Texans)
• 5.07 - Chris Godwin (WR - Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
• 5.08 - Jerry Jeudy (WR - Denver Broncos)
• 5.09 - J.K. Dobbins (RB - Baltimore Ravens)
• 5.10 - Keenan Allen (WR - Los Angeles Chargers)
• 5.11 - Trevor Lawrence (QB - Jacksonville Jaguars)
• 5.12 - Justin Fields (QB - Chicago Bears)

Draft Pick Analysis: Pittman's been hyped as a breakout candidate for a few years now, and he's shown his potential to be a top-12 Dynasty wide receiver on multiple occasions, but he's been held back by mediocre quarterback play. The Colts have cycled through multiple different quarterbacks during Pittman's tenure with the franchise, which has prevented him from reaching his ceiling from a fantasy standpoint. Looking ahead to 2023 and beyond, the Colts are committed to finding a long-term answer at football's most important position, and that could be the key for Pittman working his way up the Dynasty rankings.

Round 6

• 6.01 - Christian Watson (WR - Green Bay Packers)
• 6.02 - D.J. Moore (WR - Carolina Panthers)
• 6.03 - Miles Sanders (RB - Philadelphia Eagles)
• 6.04 - Jameson Williams (WR - Detroit Lions)
• 6.05 - DeAndre Hopkins (WR - Arizona Cardinals)
• 6.06 - Cam Akers (RB - Los Angeles Rams)
• 6.07 - Jordan Addison (WR - 2023 Rookie)
• 6.08 - Treylon Burks (WR - Tennessee Titans)
• 6.09 - George Pickens (WR - Pittsburgh Steelers)
• 6.10 - Dalton Schultz (TE - Dallas Cowboys)
• 6.11 - James Conner (RB - Arizona Cardinals)
• 6.12 - Brandon Aiyuk (WR - San Francisco 49ers)

Draft Pick Analysis: Burks certainly did not have an out-of-this-world productive rookie season, but that doesn't mean we should be completely off of the former Arkansas wideout from a Dynasty standpoint. The quarterback play in Tennessee last year was up-and-down, but Burks showed that he could be an impactful fantasy wideout if given the opportunity. Adding youthful talent to your Dynasty roster is a must for every manager, but it all comes down to roster construction. Burks as the WR1 for your Dynasty roster is a risky strategy going into the next season. However, adding him as a WR3 - as I did here - is an excellent way to balance your roster.

Round 7

• 7.01 - Zach Charbonnet (RB - 2023 Rookie)
• 7.02 - Mike Evans (WR - Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
• 7.03 - Marquise Brown (WR - Arizona Cardinals)
• 7.04 - Kayshon Boutte (WR - 2023 Rookie)
• 7.05 - Christian Kirk (WR - Jacksonville Jaguars)
• 7.06 - Pat Freiermuth (TE - Pittsburgh Steelers)
• 7.07 - Ezekiel Elliott (RB - Dallas Cowboys)
• 7.08 - Michael Mayer (TE - 2023 Rookie)
• 7.09 - Amari Cooper (WR - Cleveland Browns)
• 7.10 - Diontae Johnson (WR - Pittsburgh Steelers)
• 7.11 - Zach Evans (RB - 2023 Rookie)
• 7.12 - Mike Williams (WR - Los Angeles Chargers)

Draft Pick Analysis: The balance of a Dynasty startup draft is knowing when to prioritize youth versus capitalizing on value for veterans. Kirk's coming off of a fantastic year in Jacksonville this past season, and the chemistry that he developed with Trevor Lawrence should only continue moving into year two. Yes, Ridley is now in town, which will steal away some targets, but Kirk should easily remain the No. 1 receiving option for this offense for the foreseeable future. Adding him as a flex option is a fantastic selection this far along in the draft.

Round 8

• 8.01 - Dallas Goedert (TE - Philadelphia Eagles)
• 8.02 - Rachaad White (RB - Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
• 8.03 - David Montgomery (RB - Chicago Bears)
• 8.04 - Josh Downs (WR - 2023 Rookie)
• 8.05 - Leonard Fournette (RB - Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
• 8.06 - Calvin Ridley (WR - Jacksonville Jaguars)
• 8.07 - A.J. Dillon (RB - Green Bay Packers)
• 8.08 - Isiah Pacheco (RB - Kansas City Chiefs)
• 8.09 - James Cook (RB - Buffalo Bills)
• 8.10 - Sean Tucker (RB - 2023 Rookie)
• 8.11 - Devon Achane (RB - 2023 Rookie)
• 8.12 - Tank Bigsby (RB - 2023 Rookie)

Draft Pick Analysis: Running back was a priority with the first two selections, but it was put on the back burner for the next several rounds. This part of the draft presents an intriguing list of names to fill out your depth with, though, and they will start flying off the board shortly. Pacheco showed phenomenal things in his rookie season for the Super Bowl champions. It's even more impressive when you consider that he was a seventh-round draft pick in 2022 and worked his way up the depth chart by the end of the season. There's a slight possibility that Pacheco sees some competition added to this backfield this offseason, which is why I would have favored Dillon if he were still on the board, but the upside is certainly present. As an RB3 on my roster, I can live with the potential range of outcomes.