Fantasy: Strategy for drafting at the top of the round
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theScore's Justin Boone breaks down the best ways to approach your draft depending on where you're selecting in the order.
Draft position- Top of the round
- Middle of the round
- End of the round
Here's how to attack the draft if you're assigned one of the first four picks in a 12-team PPR scoring league.
Round 1Picks: 1.01-1.04
If you're picking at the top of the first round, there's a clear tier with Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook sitting above the rest. CMC averaged 30.1 fantasy points per game in his injury-shortened 2020 campaign, while Cook was at 24.1.
The only other rusher to come anywhere close was Alvin Kamara at 25.2 fppg. And while there may be concerns about the Saints breaking in a new quarterback, there's no doubt Kamara will see all the touches he can handle - especially with Michael Thomas out.
If you feel good about the running backs you can get in the second round or beyond, Davante Adams would be the pick after the top three backs are off the board. Now that Aaron Rodgers is back, Adams is the best bet to finish as the overall WR1 in fantasy once again.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Christian McCaffrey | 1st |
Others to consider: Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, Davante Adams
Round 2Picks: 2.09-2.12
Having secured a top running back in the opening round, there's not as much pressure to address the position at the two-three turn after most of the strong RB1 candidates have already been selected.
Darren Waller wasn't as dominant as Travis Kelce last season, but he also wasn't far off - he scored 278.6 fantasy points to Kelce's 312.8. To put that in context, the next closest tight end was Robert Tonyan at 176.6. No matter how strongly you feel about a particular sleeper, the odds of uncovering that kind of production at the tight end position are slim to none.
Whether you take Waller here or risk it and hope he falls to the early third, he's an excellent addition who could give you a significant weekly advantage over the majority of your league mates.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Christian McCaffrey | 1st |
| TE1 | Darren Waller | 2nd |
Others to consider: Calvin Ridley, D.K. Metcalf, Joe Mixon
Round 3Picks: 3.01-3.04
Try not to go into your draft with a rigid plan that you aren't willing to deviate from. Instead, have an idea of which players you like in each round and be willing to adapt depending on who ends up being available.
By taking a tight end early, we're making our job of filling running back and receiver spots more challenging. However, we can remain open to whatever value comes our way later by staying balanced through the first three rounds.
There's a ton of great wideouts up for grabs in this range, so feel free to pick your favorite. Mine would be Keenan Allen, who made an appearance in my annual article on players who will lead you to a title. The veteran is as reliable as they come following his four straight campaigns with at least 97 receptions. Allen's also only missed two games during that span, so we'll happily take that kind of safety near the top of our roster.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Christian McCaffrey | 1st |
| WR1 | Keenan Allen | 3rd |
| TE1 | Darren Waller | 2nd |
Others to consider: A.J. Brown, Chris Carson, Terry McLaurin
Round 4Picks: 4.09-4.12
With elite options at three different positions already, we're hunting for values that might sneak through the cracks - based on ADP, it seems like there are a few that fall to this area of drafts.
Tyler Lockett's numbers trailed off in the second half of 2020, but so did the Seahawks' entire passing attack. That shouldn't overshadow the fact that Lockett has delivered stat lines of 82-1,057-8 and 100-1,054-10 the last two seasons. Seattle also brought in a new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to shake things up, and he's expected to increase the offense's pace.
If you're someone who shies away from players with preseason injuries, note that Lockett has practiced off to the side recently due to a groin issue. However, with several weeks remaining until the season kicks off, the team has not expressed any real worry.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Christian McCaffrey | 1st |
| WR1 | Keenan Allen | 3rd |
| WR2 | Tyler Lockett | 4th |
| TE1 | Darren Waller | 2nd |
Others to consider: Chris Godwin, Darrell Henderson, Travis Etienne
Round 5Picks: 5.01-5.04
The wideouts in this range of the draft are incredibly enticing, and you should aim to hit that position hard in these rounds.
We have two experienced producers ready to be plugged into our lineup, so this time we'll take a young breakout candidate in Brandon Aiyuk. While we don't know for sure how the 49ers plan to distribute targets, all signs are pointing towards Aiyuk's ascension in his sophomore season.
As a 22-year-old rookie, Aiyuk posted 60 catches, 748 yards, and five touchdowns, putting him on pace for 80 grabs, 997 yards, and seven scores over a 16-game campaign. This offseason, beat writers have routinely mentioned his chemistry with both Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, while teammate Deebo Samuel suggests Aiyuk is on the verge of being unguardable.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Christian McCaffrey | 1st |
| WR1 | Keenan Allen | 3rd |
| WR2 | Tyler Lockett | 4th |
| WR3 | Brandon Aiyuk | 5th |
| TE1 | Darren Waller | 2nd |
Others to consider: Ja'Marr Chase, Diontae Johnson, Javonte Williams
Round 6Picks: 6.09-6.12
We'll complete this turn by adding another potential breakout receiver in Jerry Jeudy.
Jeudy overcame horrendous quarterback play a year ago to finish with 52 receptions, 856 yards, and three touchdowns. If the Broncos' QBs enter the regular season performing like they did in the first preseason game, Jeudy is going to smash those totals regardless of whether Drew Lock or Teddy Bridgewater is under center.
As far as our roster construction goes, we're set at RB1, TE1, and our receiving corps is loaded with the right mix of proven veterans and young talent ready to take the next step towards stardom.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Christian McCaffrey | 1st |
| WR1 | Keenan Allen | 3rd |
| WR2 | Tyler Lockett | 4th |
| WR3 | Brandon Aiyuk | 5th |
| TE1 | Darren Waller | 2nd |
| FLEX | Jerry Jeudy | 6th |
Others to consider: Tee Higgins, Chase Claypool, Dak Prescott
Round 7Picks: 7.01-7.04
With most of our starting lineup locked in, we can take some shots at finding another tailback who could eventually emerge as a strong RB2 for us.
Trey Sermon fits that description as a rookie who landed in a productive yet fairly wide-open backfield after the 49ers traded up to select him in the third round. Sermon's likely to open the campaign splitting time with speedster Raheem Mostert, who's dealt with durability issues in recent seasons.
When forced to pick between them, Sermon would be my choice to sustain success all year long, but both are worth considering at this point of the draft. San Francisco's favorable late-season schedule could be the key to winning fantasy titles in 2021, so rostering pieces of their offense is a must.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Christian McCaffrey | 1st |
| RB2 | Trey Sermon | 7th |
| WR1 | Keenan Allen | 3rd |
| WR2 | Tyler Lockett | 4th |
| WR3 | Brandon Aiyuk | 5th |
| TE1 | Darren Waller | 2nd |
| FLEX | Jerry Jeudy | 6th |
Others to consider: Robby Anderson, Raheem Mostert, Antonio Brown
Round 8Picks: 8.09-8.12
When you pass on a second running back in the early rounds, you need to give yourself multiple options later in the draft.
A.J. Dillon is another young rusher who won't start the year at the top of the depth chart but could provide flex numbers behind Aaron Jones. Dillon's primed to take on a portion of the 119 carries and 35 targets Jamaal Williams vacated when he left in free agency.
The 6'0, 247-pound sophomore is one of only a handful of backups we can confidently predict would offer league-winning upside if something were to happen to their team's starter.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Christian McCaffrey | 1st |
| RB2 | Trey Sermon | 7th |
| WR1 | Keenan Allen | 3rd |
| WR2 | Tyler Lockett | 4th |
| WR3 | Brandon Aiyuk | 5th |
| TE1 | Darren Waller | 2nd |
| FLEX | Jerry Jeudy | 6th |
| Bench | A.J. Dillon | 8th |
Others to consider: Gus Edwards, James Conner, Will Fuller
Round 9Picks: 9.01-9.04
Quarterbacks tend to be taken earlier in home leagues than what you might see happen in analyst mock drafts. We outlined the different approaches you could take to find your starter during our recent QB preview episode, but the ninth through 11th rounds tend to be a sweet spot.
Matthew Stafford, Tom Brady, and Ryan Tannehill are the main names to target here. All three have outstanding supporting casts and a path to a top-five finish (Stafford/Brady = huge TD total, Tannehill = efficiency, rushing stats).
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Matthew Stafford | 9th |
| RB1 | Christian McCaffrey | 1st |
| RB2 | Trey Sermon | 7th |
| WR1 | Keenan Allen | 3rd |
| WR2 | Tyler Lockett | 4th |
| WR3 | Brandon Aiyuk | 5th |
| TE1 | Darren Waller | 2nd |
| FLEX | Jerry Jeudy | 6th |
| Bench | A.J. Dillon | 8th |
Others to consider: Tom Brady, Ryan Tannehill, Tony Pollard
Round 10Picks: 10.09-10.12
While we still need more halfbacks to fill out our bench, Corey Davis is a value you can't pass up in this round.
After finishing in the top 30 of fantasy receivers as the Titans' second option, Davis will get an opportunity to prove he can be the focal point of a passing attack with the Jets.
All the attention focused on rookie Elijah Moore overshadowed the contract New York gave Davis in free agency. Now that Moore has missed some time with a quad issue, the former first-round pick is starting to get the respect he deserves. Davis should be going inside the top 100 picks in fantasy drafts.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Matthew Stafford | 9th |
| RB1 | Christian McCaffrey | 1st |
| RB2 | Trey Sermon | 7th |
| WR1 | Keenan Allen | 3rd |
| WR2 | Tyler Lockett | 4th |
| WR3 | Brandon Aiyuk | 5th |
| TE1 | Darren Waller | 2nd |
| FLEX | Jerry Jeudy | 6th |
| Bench | A.J. Dillon | 8th |
| Bench | Corey Davis | 10th |
Others to consider: Alexander Mattison, Latavius Murray, Darnell Mooney
Late roundsWith this build, we need more running back depth. Nyheim Hines provides a possible flex play thanks to his pass-catching ability, while Damien Williams is an underrated backup who could shift the balance of leagues if an injury sidelines David Montgomery.
The truth is, after the 10th round or so, you no longer need to pay close attention to ADPs. You should focus on stocking your bench with as many high-ceiling players as possible, with your sights set on running backs and receivers.
Remember, single-play positions like quarterbacks or tight ends can always be streamed or acquired by trading a bench player. So don't load up your bench with backups, and leave your final two picks for a defense and a kicker.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Matthew Stafford | 9th |
| RB1 | Christian McCaffrey | 1st |
| RB2 | Trey Sermon | 7th |
| WR1 | Keenan Allen | 3rd |
| WR2 | Tyler Lockett | 4th |
| WR3 | Brandon Aiyuk | 5th |
| TE1 | Darren Waller | 2nd |
| FLEX | Jerry Jeudy | 6th |
| Bench | A.J. Dillon | 8th |
| Bench | Corey Davis | 10th |
| Bench | Nyheim Hines | 11th |
| Bench | Damien Williams | 12th |
- Top of the round
- Middle of the round
- End of the round
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