Fantasy: Strategy for drafting in the middle of each 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 a look at how to attack the draft if you've been assigned one of the middle picks in a 12-team PPR scoring league.
Round 1Picks: 1.05-1.08
If you're picking in the middle of the first round, you've lost out on a sure-fire running back option like Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook.
You're then left with either a lesser running back who you hope can give you a top-five finish or one of the top receivers like Davante Adams or Tyreek Hill.
In this instance, Aaron Jones is the cornerstone of our roster. The Green Bay Packers back finished as the RB3 and RB5, respectively, in fantasy points per game the last two years. His ADP was held down only by the uncertainty surrounding Aaron Rodgers' status earlier in the offseason.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Aaron Jones | 1st |
Others to consider: Ezekiel Elliott, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill
Round 2Picks: 2.05-2.08
When you're taking a receiver in the early rounds, you have to find a player who's locked into a monster target total.
Established veterans like Stefon Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins are guaranteed to see significant volume, but they aren't the only ones. Calvin Ridley is stepping into the No. 1 role on an Atlanta Falcons offense that's been led by target hog Julio Jones for the last decade.
In the seven weeks when Jones was sidelined last year, Ridley averaged seven catches and 109 yards per contest to go along with three touchdowns. Perhaps more importantly, he was targeted 11.3 times per outing in those efforts - more than league-leader Adams, who saw 10.6 looks per game.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Aaron Jones | 1st |
| WR1 | Calvin Ridley | 2nd |
Others to consider: Antonio Gibson, D.K. Metcalf, Joe Mixon
Round 3Picks: 3.05-3.08
This round brings us to a fork in the road, with several quality players available at different positions. However, we're sticking with a similar approach as our Ridley pick and selecting another wideout with guaranteed volume.
Terry McLaurin is building an excellent resume with the Washington Football Team, with stat lines of 58-919-7 and 87-1,118-4 over his first two NFL campaigns, respectively. Entering Year 3, he gets an upgrade at quarterback in experienced journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has a history of having tunnel vision for his top receiver.
With Ridley and McLaurin on our roster, we now have two of the top 11 target-getters from 2020.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Aaron Jones | 1st |
| WR1 | Calvin Ridley | 2nd |
| WR2 | Terry McLaurin | 3rd |
Others to consider: Allen Robinson, CeeDee Lamb, D'Andre Swift
Round 4Picks: 4.05-4.08
Normally, you don't want to take too many chances in this part of the draft. Building a strong base in the early rounds allows you to swing for the fences with your later picks.
However, Darrell Henderson is in a unique situation after being thrust into the starting lineup at the beginning of training camp following Cam Akers' season-ending Achilles tear.
That left Henderson unchallenged atop the depth chart, and given the names still out there on the free-agent market, there likely isn't a true lead back coming to steal his job. We've identified Henderson as a breakout candidate capable of excelling as a runner, pass-catcher, and touchdown-scorer in an offense that should take a huge step forward with Matthew Stafford under center.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Aaron Jones | 1st |
| RB2 | Darrell Henderson | 4th |
| WR1 | Calvin Ridley | 2nd |
| WR2 | Terry McLaurin | 3rd |
Others to consider: Robert Woods, Chris Godwin, Kyle Pitts
Round 5Picks: 5.05-5.08
There are still several intriguing receivers on the board in the fifth round, but we've yet to address the tight end position, and the number of quality options is dwindling.
After the elite three of Travis Kelce, Darren Waller, and George Kittle, the next player worth considering is Kyle Pitts in the fourth round. There's no denying Pitts' potential as a near-perfect prospect on an offense that will move him all around the formation in an attempt to fill its Julio-sized void. But many fantasy managers will have a hard time paying up for him when rookie tight ends rarely deliver.
Though Pitts is still someone we're high on, we passed on him to take T.J. Hockenson a round later. A former top 10 pick himself, Hockenson will be the de facto No. 1 receiver for the Lions in 2021. The 24-year-old is also coming off a solid fantasy season in which he finished as the TE5.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Aaron Jones | 1st |
| RB2 | Darrell Henderson | 4th |
| WR1 | Calvin Ridley | 2nd |
| WR2 | Terry McLaurin | 3rd |
| TE1 | T.J. Hockenson | 5th |
Others to consider: Brandon Aiyuk, Ja'Marr Chase, Diontae Johnson
Round 6Picks: 6.05-6.08
Our starting lineup hasn't been complete yet, but we're still going to take a player who may end up on our bench in the first few weeks.
Javonte Williams is a promising rookie back who'll eventually wrestle the Denver Broncos lead running back role away from Melvin Gordon - it's only a matter of time.
Denver ball carriers face the second-easiest schedule this season, including a cupcake final stretch during the fantasy playoffs. Since most rookie runners tend to break out in the second half of their debut campaigns, we feel great about having Williams for the late push.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Aaron Jones | 1st |
| RB2 | Darrell Henderson | 4th |
| WR1 | Calvin Ridley | 2nd |
| WR2 | Terry McLaurin | 3rd |
| TE1 | T.J. Hockenson | 5th |
| Bench | Javonte Williams | 6th |
Others to consider: Tee Higgins, Jerry Jeudy, Chase Claypool
Round 7Picks: 7.05-7.08
The possibility of having to wait for Williams to be a fantasy starter means we need a fill-in at some of our other spots. Fortunately, the receiver depth has kept that position going strong even in the seventh round.
Robby Anderson is coming off a 95-catch, 1,096-yard campaign but ended the year as just the WR19 in PPR leagues because he scored only three touchdowns.
Regardless of how you feel about Sam Darnold, he shouldn't be that much of a downgrade from Teddy Bridgewater. With positive touchdown regression working in Anderson's favor, he's poised for another strong season.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Aaron Jones | 1st |
| RB2 | Darrell Henderson | 4th |
| WR1 | Calvin Ridley | 2nd |
| WR2 | Terry McLaurin | 3rd |
| WR3 | Robby Anderson | 7th |
| TE1 | T.J. Hockenson | 5th |
| Bench | Javonte Williams | 6th |
Others to consider: Trey Sermon, Raheem Mostert, Brandin Cooks
Round 8Picks: 8.05-8.08
Remember, we expect to have Williams starting in our flex spot at some point. But until he's proven to be a weekly producer, we'll need to find a temporary flex option.
Antonio Brown isn't just an intriguing stop-gap, he could be a real difference-maker depending on how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' targets get distributed this season.
After Brown's arrival in Week 9, he averaged the 27th-most fantasy points by receivers, with Mike Evans in 11th and Chris Godwin in 20th. That makes him more than worthy of flex status while also offering high-end upside if injuries strike the Bucs depth chart.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Aaron Jones | 1st |
| RB2 | Darrell Henderson | 4th |
| WR1 | Calvin Ridley | 2nd |
| WR2 | Terry McLaurin | 3rd |
| WR3 | Robby Anderson | 7th |
| TE1 | T.J. Hockenson | 5th |
| FLEX | Antonio Brown | 8th |
| Bench | Javonte Williams | 6th |
Others to consider: A.J. Dillon, James Conner, Will Fuller
Round 9Picks: 9.05-9.08
With a slightly more fragile build in the works and multiple moving pieces in our starting lineup, we'll give ourselves more chances to unearth value at the most important positions of running back and receiver.
Michael Gallup is just a year removed from a 66-reception, 1,107-yard, six-touchdown campaign. He also had at least 50 yards in four of his five games with Dak Prescott at the helm last season.
Though he's behind CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper on the depth chart, the Dallas Cowboys have talked up all three wideouts as interchangeable pieces. That's particularly key for Gallup, who was often limited to a clear-out, field-stretcher role in 2020.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Aaron Jones | 1st |
| RB2 | Darrell Henderson | 4th |
| WR1 | Calvin Ridley | 2nd |
| WR2 | Terry McLaurin | 3rd |
| WR3 | Robby Anderson | 7th |
| TE1 | T.J. Hockenson | 5th |
| FLEX | Antonio Brown | 8th |
| Bench | Javonte Williams | 6th |
| Bench | Michael Gallup | 9th |
Others to consider: Corey Davis, James Conner, Jaylen Waddle
Round 10Picks: 10.05-10.08
Instead of picking a quarterback here, we're waiting on the position to stock up on more premier bench stashes.
Some backfields lack clarity, but Tony Pollard is one of the true RB1s in waiting. In the only game when he was given at least 15 touches last year, the Cowboys backup amassed 69 rushing yards, 63 receiving yards, and two scores.
If Ezekiel Elliott misses time, Pollard would be an automatic top-12 fantasy option.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| RB1 | Aaron Jones | 1st |
| RB2 | Darrell Henderson | 4th |
| WR1 | Calvin Ridley | 2nd |
| WR2 | Terry McLaurin | 3rd |
| WR3 | Robby Anderson | 7th |
| TE1 | T.J. Hockenson | 5th |
| FLEX | Antonio Brown | 8th |
| Bench | Javonte Williams | 6th |
| Bench | Michael Gallup | 9th |
| Bench | Tony Pollard | 10th |
Others to consider: Marvin Jones Jr., Jamaal Williams, Alexander Mattison
Later roundsThere are a few different ways to play the quarterback position in 2021, and we outlined them all in our QB preview episode.
For those willing to wait, a winning strategy would be pairing one of the top rookie passers with a reliable veteran who has a soft early-season schedule.
For this roster, we matched the ceiling of a dual-threat quarterback surrounded by talent in Trey Lance with high-floor veteran Kirk Cousins. The Minnesota Vikings take on the Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, and Detroit Lions in three of their first five games. Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers have the fifth-easiest slate for quarterbacks, including a stretch run that features games against the Bengals, Falcons, Tennessee Titans, and Houston Texans.
| Roster | Player | Round |
|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Kirk Cousins | 12th |
| RB1 | Aaron Jones | 1st |
| RB2 | Darrell Henderson | 4th |
| WR1 | Calvin Ridley | 2nd |
| WR2 | Terry McLaurin | 3rd |
| WR3 | Robby Anderson | 7th |
| TE1 | T.J. Hockenson | 5th |
| FLEX | Antonio Brown | 8th |
| Bench | Javonte Williams | 6th |
| Bench | Michael Gallup | 9th |
| Bench | Tony Pollard | 10th |
| Bench | Trey Lance | 11th |
- Top of the round
- Middle of the round
- End of the round
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