Must

Check out a few of my must-have fantasy football players that I’m targeting in dynasty startup drafts. And you can find all of my must-have dynasty startup targets in this article.

Here are the fantasy football players I’m targeting in my dynasty startup drafts.

Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE)

Damien Harris has been replaced by human meat shield James Robinson on a monopoly money and heavily incentive-based contract making him no lock to make the roster. The low commitment suggests that Rhamondre Stevenson's role in 2023 will be more of what we saw from Weeks 5-16 when he was the RB13 in points per game as the Patriots’ lead back. And even when Harris played alongside Stevenson, the big running back finished third in route participation (58%) and targets (82) among running backs.

Stevenson has a sky-high fantasy ceiling that is worth buying into. His combined size and pass-catching props are a fantasy manager's dream for the running back position.

Recall that Stevenson's strong campaign en route to an RB10 finish was not even fueled by touchdowns. Stevenson was one of the worst RBs converting from inside the 10-yard line as he scored just thrice despite 19 goal-line carries. His teammate Harris scored thrice from inside the 10, on just 6 carries. If Stevenson experiences positive TD regression with the red zone role all but his, he will build off a strong sophomore season as PFF's 11th-highest graded rusher.

And that's why you should be aggressively targeting Stevenson across all formats. He's got the requisite three-down skill set and size. All that's missing is the TDs. And that should come in a normal functioning offense.

I am targeting the 25-year-old at his RB15 ADP in dynasty start-ups. It's his backfield to lose in an offense that should be substantially better than last season. Give me Stevenson over Javonte Williams, Najee Harris, or Derrick Henry.

Cam Akers (RB – LAR)

Cam Akers was a total zero from the get-go, getting benched in Week 1 and he looked like he was going to be outright cut by the Rams. Eventually, Akers inherited the Rams’ RB1 role and he delivered as the fantasy RB4 during the last six weeks of the season. With LA in a rebuilding year, Akers will again be a truly polarizing player. Did he do enough in the final 6 weeks as the NFL's leading rusher averaging 85 rushing yards per game to retain bell-cow-type usage?

The good news is that Sean McVay is remaining in Los Angeles, which bodes well for Akers to remain the go-to guy in the backfield. Recall, that Akers played 100% of the snaps in the Rams’ season finale.

And with so many needs on the Rams’ current roster, they did not add any running backs in the draft until the sixth round. That means Akers will be competing for volume with Zach Evans, alongside Day 3 scrubs Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers. Although it seems impossible considering his career arc, Akers isn't even 24 years old yet.

His dynasty ADP is RB25. With free agency on the horizon, the Rams have all the reason in the world to ride Akers into the ground during a contract year. Send Isiah Pacheco, Mike Evans, or Gabe Davis to acquire Akers.

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