Superflex Dynasty Startup Draft Results

PlayerProfiler is home to award-winning dynasty rankings and tools. Our Dynasty Deluxe package includes complete Dynasty Rankings, Rookie Rankings, Trade Analyzer, Draft Planner, Mock Drafts, and more. Check it out! Below, Wolf Trelles-Heard recaps a real 12-team Superflex dynasty startup draft. No mocks here!

Recently, I wrapped up a 12-team dynasty startup and wanted to share it with you fine folks. While mock drafts are great, I thought it might be helpful to see how real managers draft when there’s actual U.S. dollars on the line.

This league had a 2-year buy-in upfront, and it included several managers with whom I’m in other leagues. It was a fun, rambunctious bunch – lots of trading from the jump. One manager had six players by the end of Round 3. Another stockpiled five future 1sts by then.

I drew the No. 2 spot and purposely stuck with it as much as possible to give you a clear look at what kind of team you can build from that position. I did make some deals later in the draft that I’ll break down as well.

The format and scoring:

Superflex (as it should be, in my opinion)
Full PPR
TE premium (an extra 0.5 points per reception)
Six-point passing touchdowns
Starting lineup: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, Flex, Flex, Superflex
10 bench spots with four taxi spots

Round 1

Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens

The first manager didn’t make this easy by selecting Jayden Daniels no. 1 overall, which left me with a decision between Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. I went with Jackson. He’s coming off an absurd season, one where he was the top producer with 25.6 points per game – nearly three points more than Allen. Jackson has never dipped below 20 PPG as a full-time starter and he’s in his prime. After getting snubbed for what should’ve been his third MVP, I think he’s coming into this season on a mission. Watch out!

Round 2

Saquon Barkley, RB, Eagles

Five wide receivers went off the board this round, and since we must start 3 WRs, I really hoped Nico Collins or Drake London would fall to me. No dice. Not wanting to reach for a WR, I pivoted to Saquon Barkley. I have zero shares of Barkley across my other leagues, so I figured I’d grab him here. Avoiding running backs this early is typically what I do but he’s tied to an elite run-first offense and just landed a lucrative contract extension. I think this year’s Madden cover man has a couple prime years left in the tank and was happy to get him as my RB1 anchor.

Round 3

Travis Hunter, WR, Jaguars

Travis Hunter’s Advanced Metrics

The 3RR (third-round reversal) hit me hard, wiping out a big chunk of the WR pool. I would’ve snagged Jaxon Smith-Njiba or Ladd McConkey had either fallen to me. Instead, I took the highest-drafted WR since Calvin Johnson in Travis Hunter. The reigning Heisman winner has insane potential. Not sure he’ll ever be a dominant WR1 in fantasy, but if I can get low-end WR1 to high-end WR2 numbers, I’ll be happy.

Round 4

Baker Mayfield, QB, Buccaneers

I considered double-tapping WR at the turn here with Tee Higgins, but locking in a points machine for my QB2 felt like the smarter call. Plus, I’m a Bucs fan – I want to root for Baker Mayfield. The guy’s a dawg. He put up a career-best 22.5 PPG last season and finished as the QB4 overall. Pairing him with Jackson gives me a lethal QB duo that’s going to be a nightmare for my league mates.

Round 5

Derrick Henry, RB, Ravens

Full disclosure: I think this is too early for a 31-year-old RB in a startup. But I started salivating at the chance to pair “King” Henry with Barkley. That combo racked up nearly 4,000 yards on the ground last season. At some point, Father Time will catch up to Henry. But with the win-now roster I’ve built, he seemed like the best pick to help me obtain a championship this year. I’ll worry about the age later – give me those sweet, sweet fantasy points.

Round 6

DK Metcalf, WR, Steelers

DK Metcalf’s Advanced Metrics

It was time to start building out my WR corps, and I got an alpha in DK Metcalf. I contemplated DeVonta Smith here, but I like Metcalf’s situation more. He has almost no competition for targets, and Aaron Rodgers loves to feed his top wideout. I’m more bullish on Metcalf than most this year – I think he’s going to smash in Pittsburgh. Only 27, he’s got some good years left, too.

Through six rounds, things were beginning to take shape. You could see who was pushing their chips in and who was punting for later years. Team RamboKobaX and Team MitchAvina put together some slick squads that should compete from the get-go, while Team FantasyFantatic5 and Team JSlasher13 leaned into the future, pairing young, upside players to go with their pile of future 1sts they collected by trading down the board. Team Grubby16 and Team Aaronh44 stayed put and took their guys, like my approach, and assembled some impressive cores. Meanwhile, Team BlindDude bounced around the board and added value where he could, getting himself a strong, young core of WRs to go with Justin Herbert.

Round 7

D.J. Moore, WR, Bears

This round saw a run on receivers as managers scrambled to lock down their WR3s and WR4s. I was thrilled to see D.J. Moore fall to the 7.11. New head coach Ben Johnson could deploy Moore in some creative ways, and he should be, at worst, the no. 2 option for Caleb Williams. Even in a down year, Moore still had 98 catches for 966 yards and six TDs. If this offense takes even a modest step forward, Moore easily beats this draft cost.

TRADE ALERT: After reviewing my roster, I decided to go for broke. Team JSlasher13 had the 8.01 on the block, so I offered my 2026 1st. He accepted, and I took WR Ricky Pearsall. Barring injuries, my pick should be a late one – getting a 24-year-old who could be the 49ers WR1 seemed like a good return.

Round 8

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins

After three seasons of consistent WR12 to WR21 production, Jaylen Waddle‘s numbers cratered last season. He was WR50 with just 10 PPG. Still, I’m optimistic going into 2025. Waddle ranked no. 14 in route win rate (50.3 percent), his QB is healthy again, and TE Jonnu Smith, who had 88 catches last year, is gone. Plus, Waddle has the contingent upside to go nuclear should the Dolphins decide to get rid of Tyreek Hill.

Round 9

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins

Part of the Pearsall trade was moving back two spots from 9.11, so technically this pick happened at the start of Round 10. I needed to secure my QB3 here before the position dried up. Tua Tagovailoa was the QB13 in PPG last year and just one season removed from leading the league in passing yards. He’s an injury risk, no doubt, but he offers a solid floor when I need him in my lineup.

Round 10

David Montgomery, RB, Lions

David Montgomery’s Advanced Metrics

It was time to dip my toes back in the RB well. Barkley and Henry are other-worldly, but they aren’t exactly spring chickens. David Montgomery gives me a trustworthy RB3 that can go into the flex or fill in nicely during bye weeks. He’s missed three games to injuries each of the last two seasons, but when he’s on the field, he’s been money. Montgomery racked up 25 TDs in 28 games as a Lion, and he’s coming off a year in which he averaged 15.8 PPG (second-best of his career). Rock-solid production, plain and simple.

TRADE ALERT: It was time. After passing on TE for 10-plus rounds, I made a deal with Team FantasyFanatic5 to land Isaiah Likely. I gave up my 15.11 and a 2026 2nd to move to the 11.05 for my guy. This move was made with an eye on the future, especially with Jackson on my roster. Love that stack’s upside in the coming years, even more so when Mark Andrews is out of the picture.

Round 11

Michael Pittman, WR, Colts

I would’ve clicked on Jauan Jennings or Evan Engram had they fallen here, but I was plenty happy with Michael Pittman. He’s the cheapest WR1 for the team that you can get, and he’s averaged 134 targets per season over the past four. Now healthy after a back injury that slowed him last season, Pittman is just one year removed from a 109-catch, 1,152-yard season where he put up 15.6 PPG. Hard to beat that at WR6 on my team.

TRADE ALERT: TheBallatician sent me an offer of George Pickens for Ricky Pearsall. With CeeDee Lamb and Brock Purdy already in his lineup, he was willing to take a slight hit in value to stack Pearsall with his QB. I have Pickens ranked a wee bit higher, so I was more than happy to make the swap.

Round 12

Jake Ferguson, TE, Cowboys

Jake Ferguson’s Advanced Metrics

After missing out on the previous tier of TEs, I wanted to grab one of the last reliable ones in “Turd” Ferguson. He’ll be my starter, especially if Likely’s foot sprain lingers into the regular season. I’m not as high on Ferguson this season due to HC’s Brian Schottenheimer’s track record of underwhelming TE production, but he just got a hefty contract extension, and Dak Prescott loves finding him underneath. If he can get anywhere close to his 2023 line of 71 catches for 761 yards, I’ll gladly take it.