Fantasy: Strategy for drafting in the middle of each round
Get ready for your season with theScore's 2018 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.
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 (Aug. 18)
Here's a look at how you can attack your draft if you've been assigned one of the middle picks in a 12-team standard scoring league.
Average draft position (ADP) data courtesy of Fantasy Football Calculator and is based on 12-team leagues with standard scoring.
Round 1Picks: 1.05-1.08
Barring injury, it's hard to screw up your first-round pick considering how many studs are available.
Antonio Brown is the most surefire fantasy producer out there, but he'll likely be selected in the top five, so let's begin with one of the most exciting stars from 2017 - Alvin Kamara.
With backfield mate Mark Ingram facing a four-game suspension, Kamara will have a chance to take control of the Saints' backfield, if he hasn't already. Few players have his combination of elite rushing and receiving skills, so Kamara now finds himself closing in on the Le'Veon Bells and David Johnsons of the fantasy world.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Alvin Kamara | 1st |
Others to consider: Antonio Brown, DeAndre Hopkins
Round 2Picks: 2.05-2.08
Most of the running backs in middle of the second round come with more risk than you might want from an early pick. Fortunately, the receivers in this range are much safer.
Michael Thomas, Davante Adams, Keenan Allen, and A.J. Green are proven fantasy performers and I'm happy to take any of them - in that order - in the second.
Since Thomas normally goes a bit earlier, we'll snag Adams, who's set to be Aaron Rodgers' top target and has as much touchdown upside as any receiver in the NFL.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Alvin Kamara | 1st |
| WR1 | Davante Adams | 2nd |
Others to consider: Devonta Freeman, A.J. Green
Round 3Picks: 3.05-3.08
Since we didn't double up on the same position with our first two picks, we're free to go in any direction we please in the third round.
Jay Ajayi joined the Eagles in a midseason trade last year, and his usage rose throughout the schedule despite splitting the backfield with LeGarrette Blount, and having to learn the playbook on the fly.
With Blount gone, I'm optimistic Ajayi can take over this backfield in 2018, increasing his volume and his goal-line carries while flirting with low-end RB1 numbers in fantasy.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Alvin Kamara | 1st |
| RB2 | Jay Ajayi | 3rd |
| WR1 | Davante Adams | 2nd |
Others to consider: Alex Collins, Stefon Diggs
Round 4Picks: 4.05-4.08
Now that we've built a reliable core, we can take some chances on players who may have a little more risk baked into their ADP.
Everyone is worried about Josh Gordon's availability after he left the Browns prior to training camp. But we haven't heard anything that suggests he'll miss regular-season action, and most signs point to Gordon rejoining the team before Week 1.
Gordon has been a WR1 for fantasy owners in the past, and if he's working out on his own to avoid the bright lights of "Hard Knocks," as some have suggested, he'll be a steal in the middle of the fourth round.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Alvin Kamara | 1st |
| RB2 | Jay Ajayi | 3rd |
| WR1 | Davante Adams | 2nd |
| WR2 | Josh Gordon | 4th |
Others to consider: Kenyan Drake, Zach Ertz
Round 5Picks: 5.05-5.08
Chris Hogan was set up to emerge as the Patriots' No. 1 wideout even with Julian Edelman on the field. Now that Edelman is suspended for the first four games of the season, Hogan has a chance to be a league-winner for fantasy owners who recognize his true value.
Hogan was a top-10 fantasy receiver in 2017 before an injury derailed his season. Therefore, he should easily return WR2 production this year with only Rob Gronkowski set to challenge him for targets.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Alvin Kamara | 1st |
| RB2 | Jay Ajayi | 3rd |
| WR1 | Davante Adams | 2nd |
| WR2 | Josh Gordon | 4th |
| WR3 | Chris Hogan | 5th |
Others to consider: Marvin Jones, Kerryon Johnson
Round 6Picks: 6.05-6.08
Before we address our openings at quarterback and tight end, let's build up our bench with at least one big swing.
Sony Michel was my favorite rookie rusher not named Saquon Barkley in this year's draft class. The Patriots are also a dream landing spot, although a knee issue has sidelined Michel in the preseason, delaying his development.
The injury means Rex Burkhead is likely to begin the year as the starter, with Michel coming along as the season progresses. The rookie has Kamara-like skills, and after drafting him in the first round, New England is sure to get him involved once he's ready. That may take a little longer than expected, but with a sixth-round investment, we can wait for a potential breakout.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Alvin Kamara | 1st |
| RB2 | Jay Ajayi | 3rd |
| WR1 | Davante Adams | 2nd |
| WR2 | Josh Gordon | 4th |
| WR3 | Chris Hogan | 5th |
| Bench | Sony Michel | 6th |
Others to consider: Corey Davis, Tevin Coleman
Round 7Picks: 7.05-7.08
There's a clear trio of elite tight ends in fantasy, after which the position becomes far less certain. If you don't secure Gronk, Travis Kelce, or Zach Ertz, you should be waiting until the mid-to-late rounds before drafting your starter.
You could make an argument for five or six tight ends who could finish the year directly behind that top group, but Delanie Walker has the best combination of high-end production and a favorable ADP.
Walker led the Titans in receptions and receiving yards in 2017. And over the last four years, he finished as the TE7, TE5, TE3, and TE7 in fantasy. With Rishard Matthews still sidelined, Walker is positioned to be one of Marcus Mariota's top two threats, alongside Corey Davis.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Alvin Kamara | 1st |
| RB2 | Jay Ajayi | 3rd |
| WR1 | Davante Adams | 2nd |
| WR2 | Josh Gordon | 4th |
| WR3 | Chris Hogan | 5th |
| TE1 | Delanie Walker | 7th |
| Bench | Sony Michel | 6th |
Others to consider: Marquise Goodwin, Kyle Rudolph
Round 8Picks: 8.05-8.08
We're switching the gear back to upside in the eighth round by securing the services of a potential breakout star in the Bears' offense.
Tarik Cohen posted 100 total yards in two of the first three games he played last season, before then-head coach John Fox decided to limit his touches throughout the rest of the season. That won't happen under the new coaching staff, which vowed to use Cohen all over the offensive formations - something we're already seeing in practices.
Cohen can score from anywhere on the field and could be Chicago's version of Tyreek Hill, who was a fantasy week-winner when new Bears head coach Matt Nagy was the Chiefs' offensive coordinator. We can put Cohen on our bench for the price of an eighth-rounder and see if his best-case scenario materializes.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Alvin Kamara | 1st |
| RB2 | Jay Ajayi | 3rd |
| WR1 | Davante Adams | 2nd |
| WR2 | Josh Gordon | 4th |
| WR3 | Chris Hogan | 5th |
| TE1 | Delanie Walker | 7th |
| Bench | Sony Michel | 6th |
| Bench | Tarik Cohen | 8th |
Others to consider: Robby Anderson, Randall Cobb
Round 9Picks: 9.05-9.08
This can sometimes be a dead zone in drafts, unless a player you have higher on your board falls to this round. That's why I often address the quarterback spot in this range.
Ben Roethlisberger certainly has MVP potential for 2018, as he's set to play with the best receiver in the game (Antonio Brown), an excellent second option (JuJu Smith-Schuster), a dangerous rookie (James Washington), an athletic tight end (Vance McDonald), and one of the most dynamic pass-catching backs we've ever seen (Le'Veon Bell). Not too shabby.
Even if Roethlisberger misses time, as he has in the past, quarterback is one of the easiest roster spots to fill in fantasy leagues.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Ben Roethlisberger | 9th |
| RB1 | Alvin Kamara | 1st |
| RB2 | Jay Ajayi | 3rd |
| WR1 | Davante Adams | 2nd |
| WR2 | Josh Gordon | 4th |
| WR3 | Chris Hogan | 5th |
| TE1 | Delanie Walker | 7th |
| Bench | Sony Michel | 6th |
| Bench | Tarik Cohen | 8th |
Others to consider: Jamison Crowder, Kelvin Benjamin
Round 10Picks: 10.05-10.08
The Panthers' offense went from having limited receiving weapons to perhaps having too many options capable of making plays downfield.
First-round wideout D.J. Moore has joined Greg Olsen, Devin Funchess, and Christian McCaffrey, giving Cam Newton one of the most talented receiving corps he's ever played with. The only question is how the targets will be distributed.
Moore has the draft capital to suggest he'll be given a shot as the No. 1 at some point, and he's been making a case for sooner rather than later by flashing game-breaking quickness in the preseason. The Maryland product has a path to becoming a fantasy starter in 2018, which makes him well worth a 10th-round pick.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Ben Roethlisberger | 9th |
| RB1 | Alvin Kamara | 1st |
| RB2 | Jay Ajayi | 3rd |
| WR1 | Davante Adams | 2nd |
| WR2 | Josh Gordon | 4th |
| WR3 | Chris Hogan | 5th |
| TE1 | Delanie Walker | 7th |
| Bench | Sony Michel | 6th |
| Bench | Tarik Cohen | 8th |
| Bench | D.J. Moore | 10th |
Others to consider: Matt Breida, Josh Doctson
Later roundsAfter the 10th round, you should no longer pay close attention to ADPs and should instead focus on filling out your bench with as many high-upside running backs and receivers as possible. Quarterbacks and tight ends can always be streamed, or, at worst, can be acquired by trading a bench player.
Players to consider: Kenny Stills, Latavius Murray, Giovani Bernard, Jordan Wilkins, Nyheim Hines, Anthony Miller, Michael Gallup, Austin Ekeler, John Ross
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