Dynasty Fantasy Football Startup Draft Targets: Luther Burden, Bo Nix & More

Dynasty fantasy football startup drafts remain one of the single-best events in all of fantasy football. You have your entire future ahead of you, and you can build your roster however you want. As we approach mid-July, here are my current favorite targets in single-QB dynasty startups based on current dynasty fantasy football rankings.

Targets For 2026 Dynasty Fantasy Football Startup Drafts

Bo Nix | QB | DEN

All Bo Nix has done for fantasy managers is finish as the QB7 on consecutive seasons to start his career. He's playing with arguably one of the greatest head coaches of our generation (Sean Payton) and offers the ideal blend of passing and rushing to elevate his weekly fantasy floor.

While Nix has failed to top 4,000 passing yards in either of his two seasons (3,775 & 3,931), he's tallied nearly 800 rushing yards and nine scores over the same time frame. That is what keeps him in the conversation as one of my favorite QB targets in 1QB startup drafts.

As of this writing, the general consensus on Nix is QB12, and he's my QB11.

In addition, the Broncos made a splashy signing this offseason, acquiring Jaylen Waddle to bolster their receiver room. Waddle spent his first five years with the Dolphins, where he topped 900 receiving yards four times (three times going over 1,000 yards). He's also averaged 5+ TDs per year in his career.

At just 27 years old, Waddle is squarely in his prime and immediately steps into the No. 1 role for Payton and Nix. Not only should Waddle look to top 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth time, but Nix is well-suited to crack 4,000 yards as well.

In a 1QB startup draft, don't feel like you need to chase the elite options. If you're playing in a 12-team league, unless someone goes hard after QBs, pretty much every manager will snag a solid, top-end starting option. In this format, the opportunity cost of drafting someone well ahead of Nix is too high when you consider the fact that you can take an elite WR or RB earlier and just draft Nix later.

That said, don't wait too long at QB. For me, Nix represents the end of a solid tier of options, making him the ideal target in your next dynasty startup draft.

Omarion Hampton | RB | LAC

An ankle injury limited Omarion Hampton, the Round 1 pick to the Chargers last spring, to just nine games in his rookie campaign.

That hasn't stopped the dynasty community from being insanely high on him despite a relatively small sample size. As of this writing, Hampton is currently valued as the RB5. So, why am I suggesting spending premium draft capital on a guy who has yet to play in double-digit NFL games? Let's take a closer look.

Hampton was the RB2 of his class per our Rookie RB Model last season, trailing only Ashton Jeanty. Hampton's model score (80) puts him in the same tier of players like Jonathan Taylor (#OnWisconsin), Breece Hall and Najee Harris. Now with a full offseason under his belt and a few new changes on offense, it's wheels up for Hampton in 2026.

Led by Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers added Mike McDaniel to be their offensive coordinator. That should only mean good things for Hampton and for this offense as a whole. Let's hope Justin Herbert can finally make a deep playoff run.

As for Hampton, the player, he brings everything to the table you could want. His frame (6-foot/220 pounds) screams bell cow, and he's both a great pass catcher out of the backfield and a stout blocker in the backfield.

The Chargers have both Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal as depth/change-of-pace options, but I'm not too worried about either of them. In fact, our fantasy football projections have Hampton (240) easily leading the team in rushing attempts over both Mitchell (74) and Vidal (26).

As mentioned, snagging the RB5 will cost you premium draft capital, but I believe it's worth it. If you don't have a shot at guys like Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs, I am quite content to leave my draft with Hampton locking down my RB1 slot for the foreseeable future.

Luther Burden | WR | CHI

It sure seems like everyone in the fantasy space is excited about Luther Burden, and it's becoming incredibly easy to see why.

Currently valued as the WR17, Burden has the profile and trajectory to be a WR1 by this time next year, and I don't think that's even that hot of a take. Now that DJ Moore is in Buffalo, the path to becoming the No. 1 option for a Ben Johnson-led offense captained by Caleb Williams is wide open.

To be sure, the end-of-season numbers don't jump off the page. Burden appeared in 15 games and tallied:

60 targets
47 receptions
652 receiving yards
2 TDs

In fact, his single-best performance came in Week 17 (fantasy championship weekend) when he erupted for 8/138/1 on nine targets.

But this is how you know the fantasy community is getting smarter. Despite the outward numbers being pedestrian at best, his underlying metrics hint at elite upside. In a piece he penned earlier this offseason, Dwain McFarland showed how Burden compared to guys like Rashee Rice and Jaxon Smith-Njigba the year before each of them broke out.

You're going to want to read his analysis.

In fact, if you want more pro-Burden propaganda, make sure to check out his player page on our website. There's a ton of useful tools, insights and projections that are sure to keep you clicking "Draft" on Burden as often as you can.

The obvious concern for Burden is the talent around him. Fellow wideout Rome Odunze and rising star TE Colston Loveland are going to demand their own share of opportunities on this offense. In fact, our projections have four different players topping 190 PPR this season.

The Bears are going to feast for their fantasy managers this year, and Burden is going to be at the center of it.

Harold Fannin | TE | CLE

Heading over to Cleveland for one more player, Harold Fannin is about as trendy as any young player could be at a onesie position, yet it's easy to see why.

In 2024, Fannin had one of the most productive seasons ever for a collegiate TE. In his third and final season at Bowling Green, he finished with:

117 receptions
1,555 receiving yards
10 TDs

A fair concern was his level of competition (MAC), but the Browns still made him a Day 2 (Round 3) pick, and it's paid off so far. As a rookie, Fannin topped both 100 targets and 70 receptions to go along with 730+ receiving yards and six TDs.

That was good for a TE6 finish in his first season.

Now valued as the TE6, Fannin offers unique upside because of the relative unknown/lack of experience around him at wide receiver. The Browns are heading into this season with the trio of Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston at receiver. Our projections give the nod to Fannin to finish as the top-scoring pass catcher in Cleveland this season.

We know what Jeudy is at this stage of his career, and if Concepcion takes a bit to get acclimated either to the NFL or to whoever his QB will be (we still don't know), Fannin suddenly emerges as the "veteran" go-to option in just his second season.

As his price suggests, he won't cost you the same as guys like Loveland or Tyler Warren, but, in PPR formats, his floor/ceiling combination and longevity are as good as anyone else in the league. Don't be afraid to make a player from Cleveland a cornerstone piece of your dynasty fantasy football squad this summer.

Players Mentioned in this Article

BoNixQ
QBDEN
PPG
18.2
Proj
296.5
OmarionHampton
RBLAC
PPG
11.8
Proj
215.2
LutherBurden
WRCHI
PPG
6.7
Proj
180.2
HaroldFannin
TECLE
PPG
9.4
Proj
131.8

Published Jul 12, 2026, 6:55 AM ETUpdated Jul 12, 2026, 9:11 AM ET