If you’ve never experienced the glorious chaos of a startup dynasty draft, you’re missing out. I highly encourage everyone to join a league and embrace the beautifully dysfunctional dynasty crowd. These leagues test your ball knowledge, patience, and emotional stability in ways your significant other probably already does. The best part of startup drafts is the endless internal player debates and the split-second decisions that ultimately determine whether you’ll be hoisting a trophy in two years or rage-scrolling through Tankathon.
Debate Stage
- Position: Quarterback
- Players: Jayden Daniels vs. Caleb Williams
After Josh Allen and Drake Maye go off the board in a Superflex league, there are only a few first-round worthy QBs to choose from. When faced with this dilemma, it’s easy to get lost in the stratosphere of information overload. Both Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels were selected with premium draft capital and possess league-winning upside, but only one gets my first-round investment.
Williams checks nearly every box I look for in a franchise dynasty quarterback. The biggest one? Ben Johnson. Johnson transformed Jared Goff from a bridge quarterback into a perennial fantasy QB1, never finishing lower than QB10 from 2022-24. In Year 1 under Johnson, Williams rewarded the Bears’ investment with a QB6 finish, and there’s every reason to believe the pairing is only getting started. Better yet, Chicago appears committed to keeping Johnson around, giving Williams valuable continuity that few young quarterbacks enjoy.
The Bears have also surrounded Williams with one of the league’s best young supporting casts. Their top three pass catchers were all selected within the first two rounds of the NFL Draft, and their lead running back also carries second-round draft capital. More importantly, Chicago’s front office has consistently shown a willingness to invest premium resources around its franchise quarterback. That’s exactly what dynasty managers want to see.
Daniels isn’t lacking talent. In case you forgot, he showcased his fantasy ceiling with a QB4 finish in 2024 before injuries derailed his 2025 campaign. Interestingly, he still averaged 18.9 fantasy points in the six games he finished. Want to know who averaged even more? Williams, at 19.0 fantasy points per game, was good for a top-five pace among quarterbacks. Daniels’ rushing ability provides an elite fantasy ceiling, but it also introduces risk. His slender frame and aggressive playing style make durability a legitimate long-term concern, especially when you’re investing a first-round startup pick.
The surrounding talent also tilts in Williams’ favor. Chicago’s offensive nucleus looks built to grow together, while Washington still has questions to answer. The Deebo Samuel experiment has come and gone, and the receiver room behind Terry McLaurin lacks proven short and long-term answers. In fact, Washington hasn’t used a first- or second-round pick on a wide receiver since Josh Doctson in 2016. If Rachaad White finishes the season as the team’s second-leading receiver, Commanders fans may need to bring back the Hogettes just to hide their expressions.
Decision: Caleb Williams, and it’s not close for me. To take it a step further, I would pass on Daniels in the first round in favor of a WR or RB.
- Position: Wide Receiver
- Players: Justin Jefferson vs. CeeDee Lamb
Both own an overall WR1 finish on their résumé, but Jefferson has been the model of consistency with four top-five fantasy finishes compared to Lamb’s two. They’re both entering their age-27 season, which just so happens to be the sweet spot for elite wide receiver production. Dynasty managers should be focused on the next three years, and both are squarely in their prime. The question is simple: Which superstar deserves to anchor your startup roster?
Lamb enters 2026 with one major advantage: quarterback stability. Dak Prescott is under contract for the foreseeable future, and the chemistry between the two has already produced elite fantasy seasons. The concern isn’t Dak; it’s George Pickens. Pickens exploded in his first season with Dallas, leading the Cowboys in every major receiving category and finishing as the WR5. At just 25 years old, Pickens is also playing for a long-term payday.
Whether Jerry Jones ultimately writes the check remains to be seen, but if Pickens sticks around, Lamb’s path back to WR1 territory becomes a little more crowded. The two averaged roughly eight targets per game in 2025, yet Pickens outproduced Lamb by nearly three fantasy points per contest. After posting his lowest fantasy finish (WR22) since his rookie year, Lamb suddenly looks more like a low-end WR1 than the runaway alpha we’ve grown accustomed to.
Jefferson didn’t exactly light up fantasy scoreboards either, finishing as the WR21 despite playing all 17 games. This marked his worst finish when playing 17 games. The culprit wasn’t Jefferson—it was Minnesota’s revolving door at quarterback. Fortunately, the Vikings addressed that issue by signing Kyler Murray to a one-year prove-it deal. If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Murray, it’s that he knows how to feed elite receivers.
In 2020, DeAndre Hopkins turned a 29% target share into a WR5 finish. Jefferson has averaged roughly a 28% target share over his career, proving he’ll command volume regardless of who’s under center. If Murray clicks in Kevin O’Connell’s offense, Jettas could be right back in the conversation for the overall WR1, and Minnesota may finally find the long-term quarterback solution it’s been searching for, while securing Jefferson’s long-term outlook.
Decision: The safe dynasty pick is Lamb with Prescott providing long-term stability, and there’s comfort in knowing exactly who his quarterback will be for the next several seasons. But I’m flying high with Jefferson. He’s simply the better receiver, owns the stronger track record of commanding elite target volume, and doesn’t have another receiver on the roster capable of siphoning targets the way Pickens can. Bet on talent, bet on volume, and let the quarterback situation behind a great play-caller sort itself out.
- Position: Running Back
- Players: Bijan Robinson vs. Jahmyr Gibbs
Saving the best debate for last! Is there really a wrong answer between these two dynasty studs? The answer might surprise you. Over their first three NFL seasons, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs have looked like the Spider-Man pointing meme; both elite, yet they produce a little differently.
| 2025 Average | 2024 Average | 2023 Average | Career Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijan Robinson | 21.5 touches | 21.8 points | 21.4 touches | 20.1 points | 16.0 touches | 14.5 points | 1003 touches | 958.8 points |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | 18.9 touches | 21.6 points | 17.8 touches | 21.3 points | 15.6 touches | 16.1 points | 856 touches | 971.9 points |
Gibbs holds the statistical edge. He’s scored more total fantasy points despite playing only 49 games, averaging 19.8 fantasy points per game compared to Robinson’s 18.8. He’s also crossed the goal line 49 times versus Robinson’s 34. Running behind one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses certainly hasn’t hurt, and now he’ll get his first shot at being the unquestioned lead back after former backfield running mate, Knuckles (David Montgomery), was shipped to Houston. The question is whether Gibbs can handle a true workhorse workload and whether Detroit’s touchdown machine keeps humming at the same pace.
Robinson, meanwhile, has quietly built the profile that dynasty managers dream about. He’s suited up for all 51 possible games, logged 805 rushing attempts to Gibbs’ 675, and handled 147 more total touches. He’s also the better receiving option, posting 261 targets and 198 receptions compared to Gibbs’ 228 targets and 181 catches. More importantly, Atlanta’s offense runs through Robinson. He’s one of the rare modern three-down workhorses who never leaves you wanting more volume, besides touchdown equity.
Decision: Splitting hairs between Robinson and Gibbs is like arguing over your favorite steakhouse—everyone’s eating well! Gibbs may have the slight edge in fantasy production today, but Robinson is my RB1 in dynasty. When spending your first-round startup pick, take the back whose workload doesn’t need projecting.
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Cheers!
