Paul Charchian looks ahead to see which players could be good targets for startups in Dynasty Fantasy Football Empire Leagues.

Dynasty players, a couple weeks ago, I dropped Empire Leagues on y'all—the single best advancement in the history of dynasty leagues. Empire Leagues are Dynasty 2.0.

Follow the above link for an excruciatingly detailed description, but the short explanation of Empire Leagues goes like this: 

  • It's a dynasty league.
  • At the end of the season, only dole out half the league's pot.
  • The rest of the money accrues over time, until someone wins in consecutive years, at which point the winner cashes out and the league ends.

The response was tremendous. So much so, that you've been asking "Charch, I'm starting an Empire League from scratch. Which players should I be targeting? Also, I have a weird rash in my armpit. Do you think I have scabies?"

As outlined in the original article, you're aiming to win your Empire League in roughly five years, enough time for your empire pot to build some legit coin.

So, which players are uniquely helpful in an Empire League startup draft?

Since we're targeting wins in 2029 and 2030, we can't use standard dynasty draft strategies. 

Here are seven guys you should pay more to acquire in Empire than Dynasty. Each of them are young enough to help when you're trying to make your move in 2029.

Empire Leagues Players to Target in Startup Dynasty Drafts

Patriots QB Drake Maye, age 26 in 2029

Last season, no quarterback overcame more obstacles than Drake Maye. It was reminiscent of my courageous trips to the bathroom at 2 a.m. in a hotel room with sharp corners on the bed frame. Despite (arguably) the league's worst offensive line and (inarguably) the worst set of wideouts, Maye made some downright heroic plays. By 2029, the Patriots should have finally fixed their offensive line and wide receiver problems, creating a legitimately good offense. And Maye's rushing is very underrated. Last year, he led all quarterbacks in yards per carry at 7.8. His PFF rushing grade placed Maye between mobile stalwarts Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray. And he was third among quarterbacks in yards after contact, 3.8. 

Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving, age 26 in 2029

Right now, Bucky Irving might be the NFL's most talented runner. And he could still be a dominant force in 2029 and 2030, when you're looking to salt away your Empire League. If you think it's absurd to consider Bucky an elite runner, check out his rookie season rankings among runners with at least 150 carries:

  • Yards after contact: 1st (4.0)
  • Avoided tackle rate: 3rd (27.5%)
  • Yards per carry: 4th (5.4)
  • Third-down conversion rate: 1st (80%)
  • Rushing yards over expectation: 3rd (.94)

Bucky is awesome, and the Bucs offense looks young enough to be good five years from now.

Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson, Age 26 in 2029

Running backs have a short shelf life and finding a viable candidate for 2029 production isn't easy. I can envision a multi-year timeshare between Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson, which would keep mileage off Henderson, and hopefully extend his career. Fantasy Life's Sam Wallace ranks Henderson as the 35th overall player in new dynasty drafts, so he's already pretty expensive. But when Stevenson's career tails off in a couple years, Henderson could be a workhorse when you need him, down the road.

Texans WRs Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins, both age 26 in 2029

Both Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins are viable Empire targets, even in the long shadow cast by Nico Collins. By 2029, Collins will be 30 years old, a point at which some receivers start slowing down. Teammates at Iowa State, both were highly productive and could garner playing time quickly. Higgins is likely the better fantasy producer because of the touchdown upside that comes with his big body. But Noel gains the advantage of walking into the slot receiver role quickly. And Noel is going to make big plays with his 4.39 speed and lightning footwork. Both should be supported with solid quarterbacking from C.J. Stroud.

Jets WR Garrett Wilson, Age 28 in 2029

FantasyLife currently ranks Wilson as the 15th-best dynasty player. Empire Leaguers can nudge him up a bit higher because of his young age and because the Jets will surely improve their quarterback position over the next five years. Right? RIGHT? Granted, Jets history makes this sound implausible, but I'd like to think they'll figure it out. And let's not forget, Wilson is really good, ranking as PFF's WR26 last year, despite playing in the long shadow of (the now departed) Davante Adams. 

Saints WR Chris Olave, age 30 in 2029

Right now, nobody is clamoring for Saints. But let's peer into our crystal ball. The probable outcome with Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener is that none of them are adequate NFL passers. Teams with bad quarterbacking lose a lot of games and find themselves at the top of the draft. At that point, they can reset the position by drafting an elite prospect. In 2029, Olave may be catching passes from Arch Manning, Cade Klubnik, or Garrett Nussmeier.  We know Chris Olave is a good receiver, as evidenced by the consecutive 1,000-yard seasons he posted in his first two years—when catching passes from Andy Dalton and Derek Carr.  

Bills TE Dalton Kincaid, Age 29 in 2029

It's been a janky start to Kincaid's career, but in 2029 we won't be sweating a timeshare with Dawson Knox. And I'd like to believe Kincaid will make good on his first-round pedigree by then. Maybe Keon Coleman explodes this season, but overall, the Bills wideouts don't look as impactful as Kincaid could if everything breaks right. Josh Allen will be 34 by then, midlife for a very good passer.