Rookies and veteran players alike can see their dynasty fortunes swing on draft night. Rookies can lose draft capital and suddenly become afterthoughts in dynasty leagues. On the other hand, if a veteran's team spends a high pick at their position, that veteran could struggle for playing time.
Players who avoid losing value are called "Dynasty Survivors," i.e., a player with a lot to lose entering the draft who came out clean on the other side of the NFL draft.
We asked our staff for their favorite dynasty survivor. Here are their answers.
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Veteran Dynasty Survivors
Jason Wood
Isiah Pacheco is a clear winner. The Chiefs bolstered their receiving and tight end corps in free agency and the draft but did nothing to add competition for Pacheco at tailback. He's now positioned as a feature back on the league's best team.
Ryan Weisse
It was a sequence of events, but things went very well for Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys were considered a premium landing spot for a rookie running back. Instead, they drafted zero and drought back Elliott. No running back in the league last year touched the ball in the redzone more and scored fewer touchdowns than Tony Pollard. Elliott might not be the same back he once was, but he can still fall in the endzone.
Leo Paciga
The obvious answer here is Isiah Pacheco. The 25-year-old RB enters his 3rd season with the Chiefs with very little competition in the backfield. Adding WR speedsters Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown will draw defensive attention away from the line of scrimmage and underneath routes, putting Pacheco in the perfect position to build on his 4.7 YPC career average and 44 receptions in 2023.
Corey Spala
Greg Dulcich (TE, DEN) is my favorite draft survivor. General manager George Paton mentioned in February (2024) that Denver needs to solidify the tight end position, specifically “a weapon in the middle of the field.” They did not draft a tight end or sign one in free agency. Dulcich only played 32 snaps before having a season-ending injury in 2023.
Denver traded away Jerry Jeudy, and pending health, Dulcich will look to acquire the targets where Jeudy operated. This is the area where GM Paton wants a tight-end weapon over the middle.