Jake Trowbridge, Jonathan Fuller, & Sam Wallace highlight their favorite targets in dynasty startup drafts.

NFL offseason workouts and practices are in full swing, which means it's time to fire up those dynasty startup drafts. With so many different ways to build a successful dynasty roster, Jake Trowbridge, Jonathan Fuller, and Sam Wallace are here to highlight their three favorite targets in dynasty startup drafts.

For a full list of dynasty fantasy football rankings to help with your startup drafts, click here. You can also view our 2025 fantasy rankings to see how these players project for the immediate future.

J.J. McCarthy Leads QBs To Target In Dynasty Startup Drafts

J.J. McCarthy, QB - Vikings

Jake: I’m not audacious enough to think J.J. McCarthy could have a Patrick Mahomes-esque debut, but the pieces are in place to give the first-year starter the best possible odds at success. Let’s run down everything McCarthy has going for him in fantasy:

  • First-rate receiving options (including an underrated tight end and pass-catching RB).
  • A head coach who transformed Sam Darnold from Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense to Bill Murray in Ghostbusters. (Remember that time Darnold said he was seeing ghosts? Has anyone ever talked about that?)
  • A redshirt rookie season to ease into the offense and the NFL, in general.
  • The ability to handle defensive pressure and create magic on the fly.

The only real argument I can see against putting him in the same tier as C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love, and Brock Purdy is that we haven’t actually seen McCarthy play an NFL game yet. 

But that’s why it’s important to send those offers now, instead of waiting for the price tag to go up.

 

Jordan Love, QB - Packers

Jonathan: It is easy to forget that we have only had two years of Jordan Love as a starting QB in the NFL because he spent his first two seasons as a backup. Fantasy managers also seem to have collective amnesia for just how great Love was in his first season as a starter, throwing for 4,158 yards and 32 TDs to finish as the QB6 in fantasy points per game.

Last year was definitely a step back in terms of his headline stats, but Love suffered an MCL sprain in Week 1 that caused him to miss the next two games and seemed to limit his mobility for the rest of the season. The Green Bay offense was also extremely run-heavy last year, ranking 30th in pass rate over expectation for the season. As a result, 2024 was close to the worst possible scenario for Love's fantasy value, and he still finished as the QB16 in fantasy points per game. 

Love is currently being valued as a fringe QB1 in most dynasty startups, where he is generally selected in the QB11-QB14 range. This puts him towards the end of a tier with other young QBs who have flashed upside but aren't established stars yet (think Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, C.J. Stroud, Bo Nix). Being one of the cheapest options of that tier makes Love a priority target for me in startup drafts and a great option for dynasty managers who prioritize other positions in the early rounds.

A Priority RB Target In Miami For Dynasty Startup Drafts

De'Von Achane, RB - Dolphins

Sam: I feel like De'Von Achane had the quietest RB5 finish of all time last year. He topped 200 rushing attempts and maintained a strong level of efficiency. In fact, through his first two seasons, he's averaging 5.6 yards per carry on over 300 rushing attempts.

Achane's 87 targets last year were second only to Alvin Kamara (89) and, with the Dolphins offense making no major changes, there's little reason to expect his role will change.

Still only 23 years old and possessing the rare blend of rushing/receiving upside, Achane has the profile of the type of player who could push for 2,000 scrimmage yards in a season at some point during his career.

So much attention is on players like Ashton Jeanty, Bijan Robinson, and Saquon Barkley, and rightly so. You can get access to that same tier of high-end fantasy finishes with Achane, who won't cost you as much (RB6).

Rashee Rice and Josh Downs Headline WRs To Target in Dynasty Drafts

Rashee Rice, WR - Chiefs

Sam: Here's a quick history lesson for you. As a rookie, Rashee Rice finished with:

  • 102 targets
  • 79 receptions
  • 938 receiving yards
  • 7 TDs

Rice began his sophomore season by averaging 9.6 targets, 8.0 receptions, and 96 receiving yards through three games. He also tacked on two TDs.

A brutal knee injury cost him the remainder of the 2024 campaign, but fast forward, and he's already a full participant in OTAs.

I know the Chiefs have Travis Kelce, Xavier Worthy, and Hollywood Brown to go along with Rice, but Rice is the one I am most interested in at his current cost of WR17. He is the most expensive of the wideouts right now, but I think he offers both the safest floor in PPR formats and a massive ceiling, as demonstrated by his target-earning ability.

Josh Downs, WR - Colts

Jonathan: Poor QB play is the only thing holding Josh Downs back from being recognized as one of the best young WRs in the NFL. In his second season with the Colts, he led the team in receptions and receiving yards per game and managed to post top-20 marks in both YPRR and YAC per reception among all WRs despite catching passes from Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco.

Downs finished as the WR34 in half-PPR points per game last season, but is now being drafted later than that in many dynasty startups. His QB situation hasn't improved a ton heading into 2025, but Daniel Jones at least provides a floor of competency for the offense, and Downs is just 23 years old, so there is still time for his situation to improve while he is in his prime.

The real upside case for Downs is if the Colts actually manage to bring in an above-average QB in the near future. If that happens, Downs could easily be a WR2 for fantasy purposes and look like a steal for fantasy managers who ignored the situation and bet on talent in their startup draft.

Ricky Pearsall, WR - 49ers

Jake: Ricky Pearsall was drafted to be the future of San Francisco’s wide receiver room. And his spot on this list is just as much about his individual talent as it is a simple process of elimination.

The 49ers receiving room is still solid after the Deebo Samuel trade, but there are plenty of question marks to go around. Jauan Jennings’ breakout in Week 3 was phenomenal, but it was also just the second time in his career that the 27-year-old notched 65+ yards in a game (and the first occurrence was thanks to overtime). The rest of the pass-catching options have a frightening combination of age and injury concerns.

Pearsall had the kind of up-and-down rookie year you might expect from someone who was literally shot during the offseason, but he really flashed down the stretch with Samuel missing time.

You can bet on this offense a number of different ways, but I’ll take the versatile first-round draft pick with a clear pathway to being a cornerstone in a historically prolific offense.

Cedric Tillman, WR - Browns

Jake: I hope you’re ready to get thoroughly Browns’d, folks, because a pair of Cleveland receivers are flying under the radar and HEY WAIT STOP SCROLLING!

Fine. First, let me acknowledge: Cedric Tillman did absolutely nothing before his Week 7 breakout. I understand that. Counterpoint: No one on the Browns did anything while Deshaun Watson was under center.

Yes, it’s a tiny sample size, but in Weeks 7 through 11—when Tillman was healthy and playing with any QB besides Watson—he bested his teammates in Target Share, Air Yards, End Zone Targets, and PPR points.

He looked damn good out there, too. But Tillman’s momentum was deflated by a concussion in Week 12 that would keep him sidelined the rest of the season.

The depth chart is exceedingly thin with Elijah Moore gone and NFL team tourist Diontae Johnson replacing him, leaving Tillman with a ton of upside at a meager price tag.

Jerry Jeudy, WR - Browns

Sam: Jake said wonderful things about Cedric Tillman, and I'm not here to take anything away from that … I just happen to prefer Jerry Jeudy.

Here's why:

Did you know that Jeudy finished as a WR1 last year? Despite everything going on within the Browns organization, he managed to finish as the WR12 with some pretty impressive metrics.

Here's a quick snapshot of his numbers:

  • 93% route participation
  • 24% target share
  • 33% air yards share

His final line of 90/1,1229 /4 TDs on 145 targets is even more impressive when you consider the context of this offense.

The three-win Browns ranked dead last in offensive scoring, and each of the following QBs started at least once during the season—Jameis Winston, Deshaun Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Bailey Zappe.

Whether it's Joe Flacco or Shedeur Sanders starting this year, I expect Jeudy to have another excellent season. He's still firmly in his prime (26 years old) and is priced almost outside of WR3 territory (WR35).

Is A Baltimore Ravens TE The Best TE Target In Dynasty Drafts?

Isaiah Likely, TE - Ravens

Jonathan: We usually don't pay much attention to the TE2 on a team for fantasy football, but Isaiah Likely is one of the rare exceptions. The 25-year-old has flashed serious playmaking ability in his NFL career so far, but the most important trend for his future fantasy value is the fact that he has closed the gap on Mark Andrews in terms of route participation and target share in each of his first three seasons.

In 2024, Likely's 62% route participation and 14% target share ranked just behind Mark Andrews (67% and 16%). Andrews is also heading into his age-30 season, and there were enough trade rumors over the offseason to prompt the Ravens GM to make a statement on the matter. Even though it appears Andrews will remain in Baltimore for the 2025 season, he is in the last year of his contract, so there is a decently high probability he moves on for the 2026 season.

When Likely takes over as the top TE, I expect him to easily be an every-week starter for fantasy managers, and he is still startable in the meantime as a bye week or injury replacement option. This makes him an awesome target in the middle rounds of startup dynasty startup drafts.