It is now July. We are on the precipice of fully engulfing ourselves in preparing for the upcoming redraft fantasy football season. While redraft leagues are ready to move into the foreront, we here at PFN have not forgotten about the dynasty folks with new leagues set to kickoff.
Here is a 1QB PPR dynasty startup mock draft analyzed through the lens of the No. 3 pick.
Later in the summer, we will have mock drafts with all of the Pro Football Network fantasy analysts, as well as with our great Discord community. For now, though, you’re stuck with just me.
I am only one person. As much as I’d like to, if I’m drafting for every team, it’s not possible for me to truly and honestly make every pick without factoring in what my other teams look like.
In these mocks, I will explain my thought process behind each pick. This will be less of a player analysis and more of a fantasy football draft strategy discussion and explaining why I am targeting a specific position or taking one player instead of another.
Now that my long-winded prologue is complete, let’s get to the mock draft.
This is a PPR league with a starting lineup of one QB, two RBs, two WRs, one TE, and two Flexes. My mocks never include kickers or defenses.
Redraft Mock Draft From the No. 3 Spot
1.03) Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
There’s value in zigging while others zag, especially in constructing dynasty rosters. At the top of the draft, though, we don’t need to deviate from the cornerstone of every great dynasty roster: wide receivers.
Given the shelf life of the top receivers compared to the top running backs, the first two rounds of every dynasty startup will be dominated by WRs. With CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson off the board, Ja’Marr Chase is the easy pick here.
Chase is 24 years old, tethered to a top-five quarterback in Joe Burrow, and is in a pass-heavy offense. He’s never averaged fewer than 16.4 fantasy points per game and it’s a near certainty we haven’t seen his best season yet.
2.10) Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
Do I love Malik Nabers’ situation right now? Absolutely not. The Giants project to be one of the worst offenses in football. They do not currently roster their QB of the future. It’s just not a great spot for production from wide receivers.
Fortunately, this is a dynasty startup. Nabers is 21 years old. We have no idea what his situation will look like in a couple of years, but it’s highly probable it will improve. In dynasty, we prioritize talent, and Nabers has a ton of it.
As the clear WR1 on the Giants, he should command an elite target share immediately. Once the QB situation is resolved, he could be a perennial WR1.
3.03) Rome Odunze, WR, Chicago Bears
With this pick, I’ve made the decision that I am building for the future. That’s not to say this team couldn’t win this year. However, Rome Odunze does not project well for the 2024 season. He’s behind DJ Moore and Keenan Allen while playing with a rookie QB.
The reason I like Odunze here is because he’s 22 years old, would be the clear WR1 in most rookie classes if not for Marvin Harrison Jr. and Nabers, and he should be tethered to a top quarterback in Caleb Williams for the better part of the next decade.
4.10) Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
I’m trying to build a juggernaut. Much like Odunze, Brock Bowers probably isn’t going to smash in 2024. However, he’s 21 years old and considered a generational prospect at fantasy’s most shallow position.
The Raiders’ QB situation is still a work in progress. It’s a virtual certainty their 2025 starter is not currently on the roster. But there’s plenty of time for that to work itself out while Bowers develops into one of the best pass-catching TEs in the NFL.
5.03) Tank Dell, WR, Houston Texans
I was deciding between Bowers and Tank Dell at my last pick. My decision to go with Bowers worked out, as I wound up with both.
Dell is 25 years old and tethered to C.J. Stroud for the forseeable future. Although Nico Collins is the WR1 in Houston, Dell performed comparably when the two were on the field together.
MORE: PFN Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer
I am not worried at all about Stefon Diggs, as he is 30 years old, and I no longer believe he is a top talent. Dell should be this team’s WR2, and there’s a non-zero chance he ends up as the most valuable fantasy WR on the roster.
6.10) Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos
This is the first pick I made that I didn’t really love. It’s an upside play.
Of the top running backs available, I like the others more for this year. However, they are mostly older backs without three-down upside. Javonte Williams at least has the potential to emerge as a top fantasy back.
7.03) Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
In a redraft league, it’s hard to endorse taking a bench WR before your RB2. In dynasty, we can easily justify taking the Jaguars’ potential WR1 of the future in the seventh round.
Thomas is far from a sure thing, but he has high-WR2 upside in a WR room that lacks a clear alpha. Hopefully, Trevor Lawrence can put it all together and take Thomas to the next level with him.
8.10) Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans
I was all set to go QB here. But I looked down at the board and saw Jordan Love, Jayden Daniels, and Kyler Murray all available. Murray is third on the list, and he’s the one I want the most. There is a 100% chance I will get one of them, and there’s a very high probability I will get the one I want. That allows me to go running back here.
Tyjae Spears flashed upside last season, especially as a receiver. The Titans are set to have an even timeshare between Tony Pollard and Spears. The sophomore RB is only 23 years old. At worst, he should be a high RB3. At best, he takes control of this backfield. That’s the profile I’m looking for here.
9.03) Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Sure enough, the two teams picking ahead of me went Love and Daniels, allowing Murray to fall right into my lap.
Lest we forget Murray is only 27 years old and has never averaged fewer than 18.2 fantasy points per game in a season. Now another year removed from his ACL tear, he can easily be a top-five QB as soon as this season.
10.10) Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints
Kendre Miller did next to nothing as a rookie. He was also banged up throughout the year and playing behind Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams.
Heading into the 2024 season, reports are the Saints want Miller to become their lead guy. Kamara isn’t going anywhere just yet, but it would behoove the Saints to return Kamara to more of a satellite back role.
Regardless, Kamara is 29 years old. He’s only got a couple of years left, at most. He may very well be on another team in 2025.
There’s certainly a world where Miller is a complete bust and I drop him after this season. But there’s also a world where Miller is a weekly RB2. We need to chase that upside given the backfield I’ve put together.
11.03) Mar’Shawn Lloyd, RB, Green Bay Packers
What if Josh Jacobs’ struggles last season were a sign of a larger problem? What if Mar’Shawn Lloyd ends up seeing a lot more work this season than we expect? That’s the potential with the rookie, who I’m drafting as my RB4.
Lloyd should have an immediate role plus injury contingent upside. There’s also the chance he can play his way into more work if Jacobs doesn’t perform up to expectation.
12.10) Luke Musgrave, TE, Green Bay Packers
It’s important not to have just one guy, even at the onesie positions. Luke Musgrave had some moments as a rookie. He’s 24 years old and one of the best athletes at the position in the NFL.
Tied to Love and a very good Packers offense, Musgrave is the perfect backup TE in a pass-catching corps that’s very uncertain at the moment.
13.03) Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons
There’s not a ton of long-term upside with Tyler Allgeier. But if something happens to Bijan Robinson, I should be able to flip Allgeier to a contender and get a positive return on my investment.
Or, if I’m the contender, I can just use Allgeier as a weekly RB2.
14.10) Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns
I don’t anticipate Deshaun Watson rebounding. I’m not entirely sure he will be a starting QB in the NFL after the 2024 season.
But he was once an elite fantasy QB and is still just 29 years old. This is purely a value proposition. There’s more upside in the chance I’m wrong about Watson than in taking a random RB or WR.
The Remainder of the Draft
15.03) Curtis Samuel, WR, Buffalo Bills
16.10) Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans
17.03) DeMario Douglas, WR, New England Patriots
18.10) Erick All, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
19.03) Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
20.10) D’Onta Foreman, RB, Cleveland Browns
Full Draft Board:
