"Thank you... fantasy football draft, for letting me know that even in my fantasies, I am bad at sports." - Jimmy Fallon
Like the new Pokemon Go game, fantasy football is loved by many (and potentially hated). Some players aren’t even full-time football fans. Each player has a different level of understanding and a different strategy when it comes to drafting. For those that may struggle with the draft, this article will discuss strategies to help you build the team of the century.
I will use a 10-team, snake draft format as my example throughout this article, but a 12-team league would be fairly similar. The first thing you need to assess is where you will begin drafting. Essentially, what number are you in the draft will determine the strategy you use. So, without further ado, here is the strategies that I take when playing fantasy. I will try to be as detailed and succinct as possible.
I am drafting in slot 1-6 (and possibly 7).
This one is obvious: Take the best available running back. This year’s teams are loaded with RB talent that will be hard to pass up in the first rounds, even if you are set on taking Cam Newton or Aaron Rodgers in the top 10. Seriously, Le’Veon Bell, Adrian Peterson, Todd Gurley, and Jamaal Charles should be on your “must-draft” lists, especially if you hold a 1-6 spot. Even rookies Ezekiel Elliott and Derrick Henry could make big splashes (I believe they will). Below are several methods you could take in this spot going into the next three rounds.
- RB-WR-QB: This seems to be the normal way to go if you are in the top six picks. Depending on the type of draft you use could also factor into your decision. However, you will be drafting later in the second round where most of the good RBs will be gone, so take the best available receiver next and then your franchise QB.
- RB-RB-WR: RBs will see a lot of action no matter which team they play for. Besides the center and QB, they will touch the ball the most. If a player does not touch the ball, he will not score you any points. Like I said before, this running back class is deep this year, and many more rookie players could have huge impacts. If you get, say, Todd Gurley and Mark Ingram in rounds 1 and 2, you will have a solid 1-2 punch for fantasy. Then, snag the best available WR, which may surprise you.
- RB-QB-WR: Another good strategy is drafting your franchise backs back-to-back. Snag your bell-cow RB, then acquire your Pro Bowl QB and your team will look amazing. You might even luck out and get a Top 10 receiver. It all depends on the other drafters in your league and how high their football IQ is.
These are a few of the strategies you can take at this position, but many more are out there. You just have to try them and see how it goes. In retrospect, the 4-6 spots are the worst to have because you do not move very much when drafting. With the top three picks, you will sit out for about 20 picks before you pick again, but then it turns into back-to-back picks for #1 and closer picks for 2 and 3.
I am drafting in slot 7-10 (or start at 8).
Honestly, this is where you want to be when drafting! Your picks, although pretty far spread out after you pick, are close enough together to where you can snag two, top-5 position players in the first two rounds, and potentially top 15 position players in the 3rd and 4th rounds. My top three strategies are as follows in order of importance:
- WR-TE-RB: This strategy won me my league with a 9-4 regular season record, and an 11-2 regular season record in another. Since you are deeper in the first round, most, if not all, of the best WRs will be at your disposal. Snag the best one there, then snag Rob Gronkowski. Best. Decision. Ever. There are only 32 TEs in the league, but only 5 or 6 are high-scorers in fantasy (i.e., Gronk, Kelce, Olsen, and Reed, just to name a few). You want the best on your team. If Gronk is there, draft him! If not, see number 2 for your next step.
- WR-WR-RB: This helped me two years ago when I dominated through my 11-2 league en-route to a championship. I had the last pick in the 10-team league and snagged Demaryius Thomas and A.J. Green back-to-back. Then, I drafted Arian Foster and Le’Veon Bell. Crazy right?! I had a stacked team, however this was due to Arian returning from a bad injury and Le’Veon Bell not being a dominant force in Pittsburgh yet. In this case, nobody knew how well they would perform, so I lucked out. Imagine this year snagging Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham, Jr. back-to-back, and then grabbing Lamar Miller. You have the potential to be dominate.
- WR-RB-RB: Again, touches matter in fantasy. An RB will see more action early on in the game, so you want to have two solid backs bolstering your line-up in case other positions are not as strong. However, you should never squander the opportunity to have the top WR on your team vs. a top 10 RB. However, in this format, you get the best of both with the potential to find a dark horse RB (i.e., Thomas Rawls, Dion Lewis, Latavius Murray, etc.) with your next pick.
These are just suggestions on how to draft, but I can say from experience that two of these methods have helped me win my league. Your spot is crucial to how you should draft, but then again you may have a strategy that has won your league every single year. Anyway, whether you are a franchise champion or a rookie looking to make a splash in your league, I hope this helps in your fantasy football quest. Good luck this year!
