Five Fantasy Football Players You Must Have in 2024 Dynasty Startup Drafts

Dynasty has quickly become my favorite format and is easily my preferred way to play fantasy football. When you partake in a startup draft, you are locked into your team for the long haul, strapped into the roller coaster of ups and downs that your particular roster construction is fated for. Dynasty is a bit more forgiving than your typical redraft leagues because there's much more incentive to continue grinding throughout the season, even though your squad might not be what you hoped. Remember -- you can still lose your league in your draft.

However, dynasty allows a certain kind of latitude in the way you can comfortably set your team up for the years to come by selling off assets that no longer serve you, acquiring draft picks and young studs yet to blow up in the process. Aside from exploiting values via trades, you can also accomplish this in your startup draft. There will always be misvalued players; the trick is finding them.

Two main elements come to mind when discussing must-have players in startups. Firstly -- we want them to be young. Longevity has taken a bit of a back seat in recent years, but we should still consider it when we attempt to value players. Secondly, we want them to be elite, near-elite, or have the potential to make the jump into one of those tiers. This transition can occur due to many factors, so it is critical to be vigilant when scouting players' athleticism, team situation, and overall potential. Below, I've highlighted five must-have players for you to target in startup drafts, all of whom could be game-breaking fantasy assets in 2024. Happy hunting!

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Anthony Richardson, QB - Indianapolis Colts

ADP: QB8

The risks are evident with Anthony Richardson. A full-time starter for just one season throughout his collegiate career at Florida, there is much Richardson has yet to prove before we can crown him a fantasy stud. Sure, the risks are there -- but the upside is darn near stratospheric.

The Colts were willing to take a shot at the upside when they selected him fourth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, and we should be just as fearless when we scout him for fantasy. I'm not worried one bit about his injured shoulder, and he could play now if it were essential.

Anthony Richardson's @GatorsFB highlights are electric ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/2eZ4zV598Y

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 24, 2023

Although he was in limited action before the AC joint injury last season, Richardson showed the kind of X factor he can be on the field and in our fantasy lineups. He was oft-injured -- suffering a concussion in his limited action, too -- but A-Rich flashed his propensity for fantasy gold with QB4 and QB2 weekly finishes. He even scored 18 fantasy points on just a third of the snaps in Week 2, rushing for two touchdowns and 35 yards on just three carries.

At QB8 -- No. 61 overall -- in Sleeper dynasty ADP, he's someone you'll have to pay up for, but he is one of the few quarterbacks with a legitimate shot to dethrone Josh Allen as the overall QB1.

We've seen running QBs become a fantasy cheat code in recent years, and the Colts have done an excellent job surrounding him with weapons -- adding Adonai Mitchell to the likes of Josh Downs and alpha No. 1 wide receiver, Michael Pittman Jr. It's wheels up for Richardson in an exciting Shane Steichen offense. Go get him.

Jerome Ford, RB - Cleveland Browns

ADP: RB43

After Nick Chubb suffered a severe knee injury early in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jerome Ford took over starting duties for the Cleveland Browns. Ford filled in admirably in Chubb's absence, racking up 813 yards and four touchdowns on the ground -- chipping in another 319 yards and five TDs through the air on 44 receptions.

He wasn't superb like we expected Chubb to be, but he did garner an RB16 finish in PPR leagues. Ford has excellent speed and ripped off chunk plays throughout the season in both facets of his game. The efficiency wasn't always there, but he did have four instances in which he ran for 6.29 yards per carry or better and picked up four top-10 finishes at his position on the season.

JEROME FORD HOUSE CALL 😱

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/3ftou9sqDi

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) October 22, 2023

While Ford might not be an elite asset, he's more than serviceable and still just 24 years old. Aside from the projected volume he'll undertake, his most significant draw is his current price. Ford is off the board No. 137 overall -- 46 picks after Chubb -- but could still be the RB1 on his team. It's not often we can get a fantasy RB2 in drafts after pick 100, and I'm even more bullish on Ford after Chubb's most recent comments regarding his return from injury.

After undergoing a pair of surgeries late last year, Chubb is still unwilling to put a timetable on his return. Players are typically the most optimistic about their own outlook, but his hesitancy to predict a return to the field puts his health in doubt. Further evidence to be down on Chubb's comeback is the reminder that this is not the first time the stud RB has fallen victim to a serious injury in his left knee.

Eight years prior, Chubb tore the PCL, MCL, and LCL in the same leg during his time at Georgia, and there is some serious speculation that he's a good candidate for early-onset arthritis. We've all witnessed what multiple serious knee injuries can do to a player's effectiveness -- Todd Gurley, anyone?

I'm not calling for the end of Chubb's career, as we still might see him make a return to the field. However, it's fair to hypothesize that his best days are behind him. When Ford is there in the middle rounds, I take him every time.

Garrett Wilson, WR - New York Jets

ADP: WR7

Garrett Wilson has been one of my favorite players to watch since he entered the league in 2022. We've all been waiting for his breakout season, and in 2024, it just might come to fruition. We may have seen it in 2023 if Aaron Rodgers lasted more than a handful of plays (Achilles injury), but with Rodgers seemingly fully healthy, the third-year wideout is set to explode. Wilson creates separation with ease and is downright freaky after the catch. It's an excellent combination of skills that set him up to challenge the top-five scorers at his position.

It's impossible to determine what kind of player Rodgers will be this season. At the ripe age of 40 and entering his 20th season in the league, it's fair to wonder if he can still be a top-tier quarterback. However, this is a moot point if we consider his track record when he has a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver. Even if he has lost some of his arm talent, I still firmly believe that he can be an accurate quarterback, and he's shown an inclination to hyper-target his best guy.

Wilson's steep ADP of 11 overall (WR7) on Sleeper will certainly not be for everyone, but his 315 targets throughout his first two seasons indicate a player who commands them with gusto. If we consider the laundry list of subpar QBs those targets have come from -- Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, Tim Boyle, Joe Flacco, and Mike White -- it's easy to see why Wilson hasn't finished higher than WR21, despite the massive volume he's received. I have zero qualms with Wilson's price, and I'm ready to get hurt again. Although, I don't believe we will this season.

GARRETT WILSON IS THAT GUY!!!

WE'RE TIED!!#BUFvsNYJ on ESPN pic.twitter.com/SUMWcTPF1e

— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 12, 2023

Drake London, WR - Atlanta Falcons

ADP: WR14

I was enamored with Drake London's college tape, and I flip-flopped back and forth between him and Garrett Wilson as my WR1 in the 2022 draft class. After the Falcons selected him eighth overall, it only fueled my excitement for how he would produce once he hit the NFL field. His first two seasons certainly did not go as expected, though.

London is a hulking, prototypical X wide receiver whose underwhelming counting stats are a byproduct of poor quarterback play and questionable schemes -- totally unrelated to the player's true talent. Aside from the dubious play of Marcus Mariota and then Desmond Ridder, Atlanta deployed a run-heavy scheme, ranking in the top five in team rush percentages for each of the last two seasons under Arthur Smith. The volume has yet to be there for him, and even when it was -- it was inconsistent at best. Things are looking up for London heading into 2024, though.

DRAKE LONDON WITH THE HIGHLIGHT REEL CATCH 🤯

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/WNdVRYdOS9

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 10, 2023

Arthur Smith is out, and the Falcons hired Raheem Morris (ex-Rams defensive coordinator) as their new head coach. More importantly, Zac Robinson is their new offensive coordinator. Robinson spent the last five seasons with the Rams, too, working in various roles across Sean McVay's offense. At this point, I'm willing to trust just about anyone from the McVay coaching tree, as they've yet to disappoint offensively in any instance.

Perhaps the biggest boon to London's outlook is the Falcons' offseason signing of Kirk Cousins. Captain Kirk carries some risk after an Achilles injury of his own, but if we like Aaron Rodgers this season, we have to be in on Atlanta's new field general, too. Cousins has four years on Rodgers and has taken almost every rep thus far in OTAs.

Anyone who claims London "can't separate" clearly hasn't watched his film. He doesn't have the long speed you'd like to see out of a top option, but London is a dominant underneath separator who still finds ways to create space on the deepest of routes. He is a smash pick at his current ADP -- No. 25 overall -- and primed for a massive season as the unquestioned WR1 in the Falcons' new-look offense. Take him confidently, as he has flashed what he can do if given the volume to be great.

Jayden Reed, WR - Green Bay Packers

ADP: WR35

Jayden Reed is just one of a few intriguing wide receiver options for the Packers. I put my brain in a pretzel, deciding whether it would be him or Dontayvion Wicks that I would reference here because both will have significant roles this upcoming season.

Green Bay was in the top half of the league regarding passing percentage, and with what Jordan Love showed us throughout the 2023 season, there's reason to believe opportunities will be aplenty for all of his wideouts in 2024. As much as I love Wicks at his ADP -- WR71 -- Jayden Reed is presumably a safer bet. Still, Wicks gets an honorable mention, and I see no reason not to roster them both.

It’s February and Dontayvion Wicks & Jayden Reed are already putting in the work 🔥

(h/t @itzzSKL)

pic.twitter.com/RcfUDcU78b

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 18, 2024

As far as Reed goes, he was electric in 2023. He scored 10 touchdowns on just 75 touches -- an astounding number. That's unsustainable, as it's hard to believe he'll score a TD on every 7.5 touches, but there is a lot to like about Reed's game overall.

Firstly, the Packers designed touches for him, which we love to see. "Get the ball to your best guy!" is frequently heard in my household on Sundays, and Green Bay did just that. He was used in motion very effectively, and while he flashed the quickness to be a reliable option on "layup" routes for Love, that is not the only enticing part of his game.

As per Reception Perception, the only three routes that Reed had a below-average success rate on were the nine, out, and curl. I'd like to see him do a bit better running curls because a large portion of his work came from the slot (66.7% of his routes), but otherwise, he was an above-average separator on every other route.

Reed can do damage in the intermediate and deep game, consistently ripping defenses for huge chunk gains on digs, posts, and corner routes. He's even adept at setting up blocks in the open field with the ball in his hands. Reed had an impressive 82nd percentile success rate when running against press, even though it was a small sample (7% of his routes).

All in all, Reed's WR35 ADP -- 73rd overall -- is a great value if we consider he finished 2023 as the WR25 in PPR. If he and Love take another step forward this year, we could be looking at the next dynamic QB/WR duo to grace the field of Lambeau.

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