The DFF Team volleys content ideas regularly in search of compelling articles at pertinent times. And though we’ve found our focus primarily on the 2025 NFL Rookie Prospects as of late, I asked the squad to pull together a mock start-up for the first five rounds. Surely, there are more fantasy degenerates like us, right – and not just the bettors looking at NFL point spreads this week.
As the ideas started to percolate, @FFChalmers threw out the notion to not only cover the genesis of a startup draft, as we have done so many times in the past, but this time to make it an actual league. A bunch of us looked around the room and said, “Duh,” – so the DFF Dynasty League of Record was born (not to be confused with the other 5-6 DFF Leagues currently in operation). We hope that you can glean from the strategies, at least early on, should you choose to join a Startup before Free Agency or the NFL Draft. We start with the first round – Part 1 of 5.
Settings
- 12-team SuperFlex with Full PPR.
- Half-point Tight End Premium.
- Start 11 with 2 RBs, 3 WRs, and 3 Flex.
- Third-Round Reversal.
- Rookies are included in the draft pool.
- We ran the 100 Yard Rush to establish our initial order, then held a derby for final draft spots.
1.01 Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills – BingoGringo
Having the seventh choice in the derby, I was looking at draft slots 1 through 6. I opted to select first overall even though this draft was 3RR, and I had a clear Tier 1 of 3 players (Allen, Daniels, and Jackson). In a Dynasty startup with 11 other league mates who know exactly what they are doing with each pick and don’t miss, you have to Go. Get. Your. Guy (h/t @Zeke_Destroy). Lamar Jackson could end up being the back-to-back and 3-time MVP of the NFL, and Jayden Daniels just had one of the most prolific rookie QB seasons in NFL History. However, I am opting for one of the most consistent dual-threat QBs over the past five seasons, finishing as QB1 overall three times and QB2 overall twice. Keep it simple, stupid.
1.02 Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders – @BWinkNFL
The 1.02 slot was essentially picked for me, with just 4 and 6 as my alternatives. We began preparations for this draft during conference championship week, and the gears of my brain began to spin about who I wanted to lead the charge against a menacing pool of opponents. Before the derby had even started, the thought of having Jayden Daniels at the top of my starting lineup every week going against my colleagues was dominating my headspace. So naturally, once the #2 was dropped in my lap, I knew what I had to do.
To say that Jayden Daniels had the greatest rookie QB season of all time is almost an understatement. Despite breaking his ribs after a generational September, which featured one of the highest 4-week completion percentage runs of all time, Daniels remained consistent and returned to his peak form by around midseason. He went on to lead the former second-worst team in the league to its first NFC championship in 33 years, scoring over 21 FPPG along the way. All doing this while throwing to a now legendary trio of receivers in Terry McLaurin, Dyami Brown, and Olamide Zaccheaus. Just imagine what’s in store for Jayden if this team puts an elite cast of weapons around him. The kid’s so talented he’s making Zach Ertz completely cancel his retirement plan. And here’s the final take for you: there is no more valuable asset in Dynasty SF than Jayden Daniels.
1.03 Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens – @jim_DFF
I came in eighth in the 100-yard dash, giving me draft slots 2-6 to choose from. My “Tier 1” for Dynasty SuperFlex consists of Josh Allen, Lamar Allen, and Jayden Daniels. With this being a third-round reversal (as all startups should be), I went with the 1.03 draft slot rather than the 1.02 to get the earlier 2nd and 3rd round picks. I didn’t really have a strong preference among these three guys and was more than happy to grab whoever fell to me. Lamar has had six straight seasons of 20+ fantasy points per game and still holds the record for most PPR points per game from a quarterback in a single season, with 27.7 FPPG, according to Stathead. The rushing upside makes Lamar an undeniable league-winner, and he’s one hell of a passer, too.
1.04 Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals – @fantasybuff
@DFF_MR fills in for @fantasybuff Round 1: Our first trade featured Ross moving up to grab Joe Burrow at 1.04. Scheisty had an incredible 2024 season after a wrist injury cut his 2023 campaign short. Incredibly, the Bengals missed the playoff this season but in no way because of Burrow who helped his former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase to the WR Triple Crown while averaging just under 24.5 FPPG. Should the Bengals retain Tee Higgins in the offseason and stick with Chase Brown as their workhorse RB (who was incredible in his own right back half of the season) look for Burrow to stay dominant as a locked-in top 5 pick in SuperFlex Dynasty Leagues.
1.05 Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles – @alex_greco2
In SuperFlex leagues, securing your anchor QB is key. There are only 32 starters in the league, so the importance of this position is emphasized even with TEP and three extra flex spots. I was a bit surprised by the early run on later-round draft picks in the derby, but nonetheless, I was very happy taking the fifth spot as the ninth selection. I saw essentially five QBs I would be happy to leave this draft with: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts, and Joe Burrow. Jalen Hurts has had four consecutive top-10 seasons with 320+ fantasy points and at least 10 rushing TDs. On top of this, having only missed 9% of his games in the last four seasons, any injury risk is rather mitigated (even more with a consistently top-tier OL). He signed a big-money contract last offseason and has made two Super Bowls in his first five seasons at QB, despite playing under five different play-callers in his first five seasons. Easy choice for me here at the 1.05.
1.06 Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals – @FFChalmers
I didn’t have much of a choice in my pick. I finished 11th in the derby. Honestly, I just wanted to draft next to Ryan (@FFDelly) to have some fun. Quarterbacks are vital, but patience is also key. I only felt that there were five elite options worth owning at the position before I needed to pivot. They were all drafted before me. Why not go with Mr. Triple Crown? My opinion: this was the easiest choice to make outside of the quarterback position. Chase is a staple on any type of fantasy roster. His connection with Joe Burrow will have him in the WR1 overall conversation for a long time to come.
1.07 Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings – @FFDelly
Chose the 1.07 in the derby solely to not be affected by the third-round reversal as much as possible and still get a player in my first tier. With all of the elite QBs off the board, I pivoted to WR, the position in my mind that has the best longevity. That being said, by now everyone should know Jefferson is a generational talent & consistency is key in the early rounds. I’ll look for him to finish as a top 3 WR for many years to come and a staple to my roster.
1.08 Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders – @force_fantasy
In the derby, 8 was my draft slot of choice because that was the end of a tier for me, and I wanted to be closer to the end of the draft since it was third round reversal. 7 of the 8 players I had ranked in the top 8 were selected so it made my pick easy. Brock Bowers was my top-rated tight end prospect ever and he proceeded to have the best rookie tight end season ever. In a tight-end premium league, it feels good to have that kind of foundational piece.
1.09 CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys – @DFF_Matt_T
I was 12th in the derby and ended up with the 1.04. I was happy with the talent on the board with Burrow and Hurts, the best available options in a SuperFlex league when I went to draft. But I wanted to trade down so that I could move up in the second round to get more premier talent. So I swapped my 1.04, 2.09, 7.09, and a 2026 4th for the 1.09, 2.04 7.0,4 and a 2026 3rd. Then with the 1.09 pick, I selected CeeDee Lamb, who at 25 years old, is a top 3 Dynasty WR. He finished as the WR1 in 2023 and only had a down year this past season because Dak was lost mid-season and Lamb himself missed the last two regular season games. With all this, he still finished as the WR8. Being able to move up later in the draft and still draft Lamb who’s one of the best Dynasty players in my view and should be a lock to be a top Dynasty WR for the foreseeable future is a steal and gets my draft off to a nice start
1.10 Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs – @dirrim23
Two years ago, if someone had ended up finishing first in the derby and drafting Patrick Mahomes, that would have come at the cost of the first or second-overall pick. Let’s fast forward. I ended up getting first in the derby and decided to slate myself in the 10th spot. Selecting Mahomes hadn’t crossed my mind when the draft began, but I could not resist taking him here at such tremendous value. In a Superflex Dynasty startup, this is a great start for my squad! In his seven years as a starter in the NFL, Mahomes has finished as the QB1 twice, the QB4 or better four times, and the QB8 or better six times. He is coming off his worst fantasy season as the QB11, but I’m not worried at all. Mahomes is only 29 years old, he’s in his prime, and he’s now surrounded by a plethora of weapons that include promising, young pass-catchers in Rashee Rice (24) and Xavier Worthy (21). Now that I have my cornerstone quarterback for my squad, I can approach the next few rounds with a “best player available” approach.
1.11 Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants – @DFF_MR
My decision in the Derby to sling at the 1.11 had less to do with the first round than it did with securing 3.02. However, the back end of the first has its benefits particularly when the high-end QBs start to fall off the board and you can lock in a top-3/4 WR to start your build, especially with Start 3 WRs. We’re off to a great start.
1.12 Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions – @Evan_Kerr_
With the second choice in the derby, I was lucky enough to choose the 12th pick in the draft, which is my top choice for third-round reversal drafts. A number of wide receivers in my tier 1B remained, including ARSB, BTJ, Nico, and Puka. The only other players on my board outside of wide receiver were Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. I think any two of this group are acceptable on the first turn, but for this draft, I wanted to start WR/WR. ARSB has been one of the most consistent top receivers for fantasy and I don’t see that changing in the high-scoring Lions offense. He was an easy choice for me here.
Stay tuned as the Startup Draft progresses and fire over any questions or comments you might have about the league specifics. You can reach me on Twitter/X via @DFF_MR. And for those interested in an annual membership, visit us here for the next steps! #DFFArmy #DynastyFantasyFootball #AlwaysBeBuilding #NFL
