For the first time since 2024, we've got a dynasty startup underway in our Discord community format. And boy, how the startup landscape has shifted in that time!

As is our way, this league is replete with a cadre of killers for hire and industry/content guys. We've got Kyle Lesti on loan from PlayerProfiler, Matt "The Podfather" Kelley from RotoUnderworld, and a hand-picked assortment of house players that can keep those guys from getting too comfortable.

Without further ado, let's delve.

1st Round

Shockingly slow start on quarterbacks; in six previous startups we had never seen fewer than eight taken in the first round. For the players selecting in the back half of the first round, it made sense to float a QB by the time the board reached them — they knew a cornerstone QB1 would make it back around to them in the next round. But the push for the (recently) difference-making production of Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs and JSN was too much for some of for most of the guys picking in the top half.

Despite being the only player over 30 taken in the first two rounds, Josh Allen manages to hang on to his 1.01 throne a little longer. Deserved, although for how much longer is anyone's guess; with Allen now the all-time leader in QB rushing TDs, we're officially in uncharted territory. Hard to quibble with Bijan Robinson at 2, although leaving an ascendant Drake Maye on the board to do it could age poorly. Ja'Marr Chase ekes out Smith-Njigba to be the first WR taken; could argue that one either way.

A consensus top 2 pick a year ago, Daniels sliding to 7 here is potentially tremendous value — if Dan Quinn can keep him out of harm's way. Should 'JD5' be permitted to suffer another serious injury in futility, Quinn will surely fall on his sword with great force. I hate to pick on Lamar Jackson, but heading toward his 30th birthday it's a hard pick to love; this could be the last startup cycle we see him running in the top 10. Puka Nacua sliding all the way to 9 is shockingly good value that may be the result of some off-the-field stuff.

While I myself am a big believer, Ashton Jeanty banging all the way to 10th overall after that rookie season will understandably give many pause. Hard to call Amon-Ra St. Brown a reach anywhere outside the top 10, but even at the tail end of the first round it felt like he could have made it another couple of picks. Caleb Williams surprisingly bumps bigger names at the position out altogether to close out the first round; zesty.

All in all, exactly the kind of rock-solid action I would have expected from a grizzled group of veterans. Some of their 1st round rationale below.

Josh Allen at 1.01. Any hesitiation there? He did turn 30 last week.
Schoell: "I think in a superflex league he's a no doubter, followed by a younger 2nd QB to take the reins down the line. Even though he's mobile I think his arm [allows him] to settle down and stay around for awhile."

You went Chase as the WR1. Any temptation to go with JSN, or one of the QBs?
MadScientist: "I almost wanted to reach for Joe Burrow. I don't like the idea of gambling on Jayden Daniels' health, or the possibility of Lamar Jackson regression. I did consider JSN, but I figured if I can't get Joe Burrow I'll just take his top weapon."

Was Smith-Njigba the pick no matter what, or were you hoping Chase or Maye had made it to you there instead?
JawnVito: "Loved being in the 5 spot because I was absolutely fine [with any of] those three. Didn't think I had a chance at Maye. Chase was the one I wanted over JSN just because more years of consistency being the top guy but happy as [heck] with JSN."

Jayden Daniels at 7, great value. You more pumped or nervous?
Tyler: "A bit of both. Daniels has a path to bounce back but the injuries and his surrounding cast are a legit concern. Washington at least on paper improved their defense which should help a bit. I just go back to his historic rookie season and believe he's capable of that again. He's only 25, so that made him the pick for me over Lamar and he has the same rushing upside."

You went Lamar at 8, the second oldest player in the 1st round (Allen). Did you consider any other players? If so, how seriously?
Gibbsy: "I was hoping one of the top 2 RBs or WRs would fall, but once I saw how the draft was going (fewer QBs, more skill position) I pivoted to QB. Tyler jumped on Jayden, but I like Lamar. He was the No. 4 overall pick by my rankings, so pick value was high."

"... Also I couldn't pick Caleb after talking so much [trash] about him yesterday."

Slight reach on St. Brown (although you wound up getting a slight stroke of luck with Burrow making it back to you anyway at 14). Was that a difficult pick at all?
ChubbIndex: "The hardest part about my first round pick was passing on Caleb Williams. I had hoped he would fall to me in the 2nd, but I felt confident that if he didn't fall then Burrow would. I have St. Brown as my dynasty WR3, so it didn't feel like a reach for me at all."

2nd Round

The draft board continues to surprise. We had never seen an RB-RB open in any of the startups that use this format before, and yet we get not one but two here. The tepid mood on quarterbacks fully resolved coming back around: Ten are off the board in the first 24, directly in line with the historical average through the first two rounds.

The first TE off the board by a lot, the Bowers hype is officially 'to the moon'. The 'cut & paste' logic that he is Klint Kubiak's new JSN is reductive... but I can't say I particularly disagree. Joe Burrow has been a consensus top 6 pick for the last several startup cycles, so seeing him tumble all the way to 14 is pretty jarring. A lot of value in that pick.

Doubling down and then some, the Jeanty drafter pairs him with a running back touted every bit as highly as rookie Jeremiyah Love. Not having to think about the RB position for a few years does have its charms; in Dynastyland, there are a lot of teams that are one star running back away from being contenders.

The slide of the former consensus first rounders continues with Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert, both of whom are still foundational players at the format's most important position. Following up his 'don't mind if I do' value buy the round before, Tyler nabs a sliding Justin Jefferson that hasn't made an appearance outside the first round of startups since his rookie season.

Omarion Hampton is the first pick that really gives me pause; good, young player, but I don't have him consuming enough of this backfield to justify this capital short-term. For Trevor Lawrence the panic button has been turned off, but that is owing entirely to last year's seven-game close against almost exclusively bad defenses. To date, Lawrence owners have given the experience a positive review for approximately 1.5 of his 5 NFL seasons to date — he flat out should not have gone before the next two QBs taken.

Our first trade! With MadScientist looking to value hunt, Chungus obliges him by moving up from 3.11 to 2.09 in exchange for his 6th rounder, allowing him to pair Malik Nabers with St. Brown. The status of Nabers' knee has captivated the nation, but he was another guy running in the first round a year ago. If you're going to pony up for a big buy, a borderline Ja'Marr Chase clone is a guy worth the burn. Supporting cast warts and all, De'Von Achane quietly exits the board as the RB6. He's 24, could lead his team in receptions and has quietly processed 586 touches the last two seasons. That's rock solid.

Woobie comes out of his shoes to make Jaxson Dart the 10th quarterback taken, ahead of much more established options with a lot of football still in them. A lot of people are onboard with that valuation; I'm not. Last but certainly not least, last year's runaway TE1 comes off a whopping 11 picks behind Bowers. He is three years older, but regardless both players should have at least five years of excellent production left in them. Strong way to close out the second.

You passed over some big names to take Caleb Williams and Brock Bowers. How much conviction that you got the right guys?
Kyle Lesti: "Not sure there’s many bigger names than Brock Bowers. Pretty undeniable floor with the monster ceiling hooking up with a new QB at 23.5 years old.

'Caleb > Burrow' is definitely the bigger question here. I think Caleb’s ceiling is at least equal to that of Maye’s. And while Caleb is approaching his prime years, Burrow is more firmly within his prime. Burrow also has the injury history and is attached to a franchise that can’t seem to get out of their own way. I also can’t get the possibility of an Andrew Luck-type [early] exit out of my head, due to the frustrations stemming from the above stated factors. I knew Burrow would be selected immediately after, but I’m confident in the picks."

You were our lone player to opt for a QB-QB start. You got two good ones (Lamar, Herbert), but with the league now caught up at the position are you worried about what your RB/WRs will look like?
Gibbsy: "No. Print that! Ha!"

Gibbs-Hampton gives you one of two RB-RB starts in the league. Those are also the only two RB-RB starts in FIDD history. What is it that made Hampton too tempting to pass up?
Boards: "Youth, system, and a disparity in what I consider staple RBs for dynasty. I’ve also been a fan of him in general, so I’m biased. I know you don’t think as much of him, but we have a difference there. Cliff is coming soon so just wanted them locked in."

Lawrence over Mahomes in the 2nd is a pretty big vote of confidence. What drove that decision?
JawnVito: "Mahomes has [only] been slightly above average in terms of fantasy numbers the last few years. I feel like I get a younger guy who can produce in rushing points that might be lacking when compared to Mahomes, I really like what I saw from Lawrence in his first year in Liam Coen's offense. Him being a top 5 QB last year gives me confidence he can put up numbers near Mahomes', plus he’s 3-4 years younger. Lawrence ranked in the top 10 in downfield passing and I think that continues this year."
(Note: Prior to his ACL tear, Mahomes in 2025 also posted career highs in rushing yards and TDs.)

You hit the first trade up of the draft to go and get the sliding Malik Nabers. How good did that one feel?
ChubbIndex: "That trade was honestly an unprompted offer that felt too good to pass up. Stacking St. Brown and Nabers together feels like a recipe for a true contender."

You took Dart over Nix and Mahomes. Big bet. Care to elaborate?
Woobie: "Dart is just a bet. Easier to make that bet on a rushing QB in this format (superflex, 4-pt passing TDs). Nix was never on my list (I have Nix shares elsewhere, so no hate—just a lower ceiling than Dart in my opinion). Mahomes is more brand than production. If all these picks suck ‘27 is a good year to have a high draft pick."

3rd Round

The value extravaganza may have reached its crescendo here in the first half of the third— several of these guys have slipped from their all-time high draft stocks very recently.

After starting off his career with back-to-back QB7 finishes in typical scoring, Bo Nix leading off the round as the QB11 feels like a tad like an underhanded compliment. Perhaps the quietly lingering questions about his season-ending ankle injury are behind this soft but lingering skepticism. Despite going gangbusters last year before the wheels fell off for that whole Colts team, Jonathan Taylor slips out of the second round; another player discounted for crossing the age-27 fire line. Probably the most shocking fall has to be that of CeeDee Lamb, who falls at least a full round from the price he commanded in 2025.

Same trade, different round: Chungus facilitates more MadScientist gamesmanship, this time leaping into place to secure ascendant star Tetairoa McMillan to give himself the most formidable WR trio in the land... for the small price of his 4th and 5th round picks, and next year's 1st. While McMillan has no shortage of devotees, I was somewhat surprised he was the pick there over Drake London, who has delivered much more elite production to date and is barely McMillan's senior. London didn't last long after that, going to the JSN owner with the very next pick.

Patrick Mahomes making it to 30 was the last eye-opener of the round, for me. Yes, he's almost 31 and attempting to come back from a late season ACL tear, but he's already throwing at OTAs; he's beginning to look like a real safe bet to be ready to go Week 1. Not so long ago that he was the format's consensus 1.01.

James Cook and Nico Collins both get off the board approximately where they should; I want to make a case for both to go earlier (especially Cook), but there's a pretty clear top 30. Same thing with Purdy, who is young, protected by a massive contract and attached to an elite offense but feels like a top 5 finish is just out of reach. Remaining relentlessly committed to youth, the Carnell Tate pick nonetheless comes off as a reach; odds are he would have been there coming back around in a few picks. Fellow Buckeye alum Emeka Egbuka goes one pick later, despite likely enjoying both ceiling and floor advantages over his college teammate. Sandwiched at the turn, it was put up or shut up time on Rome Odunze. Judging by what he left on the board to take him, the latter may prove to have been the better option.

You got McBride a whopping 11 picks later than Bowers was selected, and you're the first team to lock up their QB2. Any concerns about waiting until potential the 4/5 turn to take your first RB and WR?
T. Schoell: "Not really. I was probably early on Bo, but through 2 years he’s been a top 15 fantasy scorer. [If I] pair that with the young talent on the board in the next couple rounds I'm good with that. Plus, some guys could fall to me while everybody else is catching up at TE and QB."

Jonathan Taylor as your RB2, not too shabby. Any concerns about his mileage? He's eighth in total touches among active players, and he had big workloads at Wisconsin.
Woobie: "Excellent point. Aging RBs are always a worry. More concerned about [Daniel] Jones staying healthy. In Rd 3 it’s either high ceiling with some moderate risk or high-grade mediocrity with less risk. I’d rather be boom/bust than mediocre."

Drake London tapdances through the rain to make it to you as the WR9. Were you hoping to get McMillan, or were you relieved to see him go the pick before?
JawnVito: "Seeing London drop to me was a relief. Although I love Tet, I think fantasy-wise for the foreseeable future [I see] London being the better producer with both players having average if not below average quarterback play. If London was taken I probably would have gone Cook for this scoring format — I almost took him over London."

Mahomes plummets to you at 30th overall as the QB12(!). At a glance, huge value. Did it feel that way to you?
Boards: "It did. I took a while because I was a bit shocked that he was there for me. WRs were a consideration but we are in a bigger tier now so I figure I can get one on the way back, whereas I’d be punting QB [if I had passed on Mahomes] and I don’t like doing that."

Your second pick comes 27 spots after your first. How far in advance had you zeroed in on Egbuka as the pick there?
MadScientist: "Once Lamb finally went off the board grossly late (one pick before mine!), I decided I was going full throttle 'Productive Struggle'.

I knew then my target was gonna be Egbuka, come my next pick. I got a little worried he might get scooped up by Podfather, and even contemplated trading back up. But I decided to hold to my gameplan, and fortunately it worked out this time."

4th Round

Round 4 picks up how the previous one closed, with George Pickens and Garrett Wilson making it five wideouts in a row between Purdy and Fernando Mendoza becoming our QB14. I think I prefer both Pickens and Wilson to Odunze; Wilson's young and has already been endorsed with a top-of-market extension, and Pickens will soon join him. I'll stop distrusting UW receivers when it stops proving itself right.

I really can't summon a strong argument against the Mendoza pick. Yes, since Super Bowl 37 the Raiders have been a bottomless morass of ineptitude far more often than not, and these wide receivers are still deeply suspect. But the Kubiak hire (and his subsequent poaching of Andrew Janocko) scan for me as meaningful, culture-disrupting guys. With All-Pro caliber players at tight end and running back and an underrated offensive line he should be set up for at least near-term stability, and perhaps more.

Breece Hall jumps off just behind his partner in 'Gang Green' misery. Pretty much the opposite argument from Mendoza: Love the player, but his surroundings have worked against him for years. This was a reach, albeit one after my own heart. Chris Olave and Kenneth Walker were much sounder investments.

Second year risers Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren are already the consensus two-man second tier at tight end; interesting that they go several picks closer to each other than did Bowers and McBride. The round closes with three consecutive running backs being taken, all at different plot points in their career arcs: Christian McCaffrey becomes our second member of the over-30 club to be drafted; the explosive youngster TreVeyon Henderson; and finally Chase Brown, who would seem to have none of the question marks of the previous two. Curious order to see those players taken.

Odunze and Pickens at the turn are strong value, both still young. But Pickens still has second billing to Lamb, and Odunze might turn out to be in the same boat. Any target share concerns?
Kyle Lesti: "Sure. How many true target hogs are left? Especially in pass-heavy or pass-first offenses? Pickens is set to play on the tag, he could definitely be the alpha somewhere new in 2027. Maybe K.C.?"

5th Round

This round was all about locking in high upside youth, with a brief detour to lock in a couple of veteran stalwarts that have some decent tread left. Luther Burden makes it three Chicago pass-catchers taken in a 14-pick span. Oh, what a difference Ben Johnson makes. Rookies Jordyn Tyson and Makai Lemon were quick to follow, along with former phenom Marvin Harrison the second. Second-year Nick Chubb successor Quinshon Judkins broke up the run on receivers, and it ended with fellow sophomore Cam Ward.

Rather than continue the youth craze, Tyler made it three running backs in a row with the slightly discounted Kyren Williams who saw 55 fewer touches last season than in 2024. Still only 26 and embedded in a five-star offense, he still looks like a quality piece of real estate. Saquon Barkley is the very next pick; interestingly, last year he hemorrhaged touches in a very similar fashion to Williams.

Following his Breece buy, Hanny makes it an all-New York/New Jersey backfield with Cam Skattebo, who looks to be closer to full health than was previously known. Tyler Shough is taken well ahead of several established, household names. Presumably this is owing to his youth edge... except Shough is already almost 27. Along with the new Barkley owner, MadScientist entered the round without a single running back yet rostered. Between this and a roster constructed almost strictly out of players still on rookie deals, the Jadarian Price selection makes some sense. But this smelled to me of desperation — I would have gone with almost any of the running backs taken in the next round over him there. Ladd McConkey looking to rebound from a disappointing encore to his big rookie season closed out Round 5.

You were one of the last teams to take a wide receiver. How do you feel about 'LB3' as your WR1? Were you surprised that he was available to you 12 picks later than Odunze was taken?
T. Schoell: "Definitely feel like I'm lacking on WRs, but there's still a lot of young talent on the board. LB3 has a ton of upside; [he finished] the year extremely well. Outside of Rome and Loveland there's no competition for targets and he didn't get fully involved until the 2nd half of the season. I'm very interested to see what he does with a full green light this year."

Quite the unorthodox approach! You've now got five pass catchers that are all 26 or younger, all were first round picks - and that's it. What's the plan, skipper?
MadScientist23: "I remain committed to the 'productive struggle' build. Aiming directly for young core of WR who can age well with my future build (hopefully). Tough to commit to many RBs with this approach; Judkins was under consideration (being only 22), but once he was taken right before my pick MHJ was an easy pivot.

"I've waited so long at QB, what's the point in grabbing one right now while almost everyone else has two already? I can wait and take some shots later knowing that, come next season, my starting QB is in the 2027 draft."

You grabbed Cam Ward in the 5th, over a round later than Fernando Mendoza was taken. That gives you four players under 24, and stars/depth at three of four positions.

Of course, you'll be by far the last team to take a wideout. Worried?
Boards: "I never go this far without a wideout and it is scary. I guess in the past I’d let that fear dictate what I did, and I would’ve taken one of the various WRs I had the opportunity to [take]. Playing it a little different now; if I missed out on who I have as top 12 receivers then I’m not in a rush to grab one of 30 guys who should be in the same-ish tier (obviously ceilings vary) for me. Don’t feel like that’s giving me enough of a positional advantage when I can be grabbing QBs and a TE who I feel can be difference makers for years to come.

It is scary though and it can lead to a rough year if I’m wrong about my guys, but I also like my prospects of drafting WRs in the next couple years if I’m [messing] up here. I did get an offer early of Tet (who went in the 3rd) for my 4th and 5th. As much as I like Tet, I would have bled too much value to do it, so I stayed the course."

Like a few other teams, you opted for a third RB before a second WR. How come? Were any of the pass catchers tempting?
Tyler P.: "I think all of the pass catchers available felt like a reach in that spot. Still some value to be had (at WR) late. Also, an RB group of Cook, K9 and Kyren sounded too good to pass up."

Not one, but two Big Apple running backs. Which one are you more nervous about?
Hanny: "Prolly Skat. Only because of his injury and draft capital. But the team loves him. Dart loves him. Let's see if Harbs (John Harbaugh) loves him."

6th Round

7th Round

—This article is in progress, and will be updated periodically.