Fantasy Football Who to Draft - Fantasy Draft Help by Position
In this article we'll look at fantasy football who to draft and when. The goal is to provide you with fantasy draft help by position that you can take with you to your league draft or use in an online draft format. The comments made in this fantasy football draft help section are based on the following:
12 team league
Serpentine draft order(owner that drafts last in round 1 picks first in round 2)
Typical scoring system that includes TDs and yardage.
Rushing/Receiving TD - 6 pts
Passing TD - 4 pts
Rushing/Receiving yardage - 1 pt every 10 yards
Passing yardage - 1 pt every 25 yards
Starting lineup requirement of 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1
team D, and 1 K.
12 team league
Serpentine draft order(owner that drafts last in round 1 picks first in round 2)
Typical scoring system that includes TDs and yardage.
Rushing/Receiving TD - 6 pts
Passing TD - 4 pts
Rushing/Receiving yardage - 1 pt every 10 yards
Passing yardage - 1 pt every 25 yards
Starting lineup requirement of 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1
team D, and 1 K.
Please keep in mind that you should follow your fantasy draft value sheets that are driven by how many teams are in your league, your weekly starting lineup requirements, and your league's scoring system.
Fantasy football who to draft - Quarterback fantasy draft help
In a typical fantasy league, you only need to start one QB. Combine that with the fact that you can go 18-20 QBs deep to find a decent starter, and you realize that drafting a stud QB is not necessary to win your league.
A good fantasy football strategy is to wait and see if one of the top 3-4 QBs lasts until the third or fourth round. Remember I'm basing that comment on a 12 team league, so adjust accordingly if you have more or less teams.
Usually there are 3-4 stud QBs and then about 4-6 more that could stand alone as your starter throughout the season. Once you get past the top 8-10 QBs, you should plan on using a platoon system(2 quarterbacks) to maximize the output you get from the position. So if one of the top 8-10 QBs is not available in the fifth or sixth round, you should plan on drafting 2 decent QBs by the time the seventh or eighth round is finished. Use your fantasy draft value sheet to guide you along.
Using the platoon system can turn out to be a wise decision if one QB has a breakout season or if one is a bust or goes down to injury. By waiting to take 2 QBs in the middle rounds, you are able to lock up your RB and WR starters or maybe you can steal a top TE in the fourth or fifth round. Just remember that if your RB/WR situation is looking good, you shouldn't hesitate to grab a stud QB if one falls to you in the third or fourth round.
Fantasy football who to draft - Running Back fantasy draft help
You should understand two things about RBs as they pertain to fantasy football: 1) RBs and QBs touch the ball the most and therefore score the most fantasy points. 2) Starting RBs are more scarce than any other position. There are 32 teams in the NFL, meaning there are 32 starting RB available. However consider the fact that some NFL teams use a RB by committee scheme. So now there are only about 20-24 RBs that can be counted on to get the majority of their team's carries. In most cases you have to start 2 RBs and you probably have the option of starting 3 RBs if your league utilizes a flex player. With 10 or more teams in your league, you can see just how valuable the top RBs really are. Throw in bye weeks, injury potential, and the lack of consistent backups, and you'll understand why RBs fly off the board the first three to four rounds of a fantasy draft. You will also notice that the first backups taken are RBs.
For RBs the rule of thumb is draft two in the first three rounds. Do not take a stud WR over the top tier of RBs. There are usually 2-3 WRs that you can consider once the stud RBs are gone. When deciding between a tier two RB and a stud WR, use your fantasy draft value sheet and consider your draft position. You need to end up with at least one RB from the top two tiers. And if you don't have a stud RB, you better have either a couple tier twos or a tier two and a tier three. Much of your early round fantasy football draft strategy will hinge on your draft position.
Fantasy football who to draft - Wide receiver and tight end fantasy draft help
Don't take a stud QB over the top 2-3 WRs. Typically there's a larger drop-off after the top WRs than there is after the stud QBs. Additionally, in most leagues you have to start 3 WR every week as opposed to just one QB.
If you do not draft a stud WR, make sure you get a tier two. WRs go 10-12 deep before hitting the tier three level. If you are in the 4th round and you don't have a WR on your roster, you are taking one here.
Don't even think about taking a stud TE until at least the 4th round. At that point there may be one or two top TEs worth considering. Use your fantasy draft value sheet and your roster sheet to guide you. If you took a stud QB in the first three rounds, you will need to take a WR or RB in the fourth. If there's a stud QB still on the board in round 4, you're taking him. After the top 1-2 TEs, there's usually 1-2 more before a drop-off in fantasy production. If you don't draft one of the top 3-4 TEs then hold off on taking one until late in the draft. TE production is inconsistent especially after the studs are gone. Again, do your homework ahead of time and let your tiered fantasy draft value sheet guide you.
Fantasy football who to draft - Kicker fantasy draft help
Wait until late in your draft to choose a kicker. At the end of the season there are usually 2-3 kickers that will stand out above the rest. The problem is that it's difficult to predict which ones they're going to be. You can make an educated guess and target 2-3 kickers before your draft. If you get to the point where you're sitting good on reserves and have played a hunch or two, grab one of the top 2-3 kickers if they are available. Otherwise wait until the last 2 rounds to draft an accurate kicker in a high scoring offense or that plays in a dome and has the leg to boot 50 yard field goals.
Fantasy football who to draft - Team defense fantasy draft help
Because defenses are hard to predict and don't see the drop-off in potential fantasy football points like other positions do, have a plan that is similar to the one you put together for kickers. Target 1, 2, or 3 top defenses that you feel will stand out during the upcoming season. If you feel good about your reserves and your tiered fantasy draft value sheet tells you now would be a good time to take a top defense, then by all means go for it. If you don't get a defense that you targeted, you have two options:
1) Wait until the last two rounds and draft a defense that you will rely on when you can't find a defense on the waiver wire that plays a weak offense. So you'll have a decent defense to fall back on when there are no favorable match-ups via the waiver wire.
2) Draft two defenses over the last three rounds and platoon them throughout the season based on match-ups. These are the basics to look for in the two defenses that you target:
Must be available late in your draft. So target defenses that are quite far down your competition's cheat sheets.
Must combine to face many weak offenses.
Must have improved their defense in the off-season. To your advantage many of your competitors overlook how coaching changes, free agents, and rookies will impact defenses around the NFL.
Must have playmakers.
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Fantasy football who to draft - Quarterback fantasy draft help
In a typical fantasy league, you only need to start one QB. Combine that with the fact that you can go 18-20 QBs deep to find a decent starter, and you realize that drafting a stud QB is not necessary to win your league.
A good fantasy football strategy is to wait and see if one of the top 3-4 QBs lasts until the third or fourth round. Remember I'm basing that comment on a 12 team league, so adjust accordingly if you have more or less teams.
Usually there are 3-4 stud QBs and then about 4-6 more that could stand alone as your starter throughout the season. Once you get past the top 8-10 QBs, you should plan on using a platoon system(2 quarterbacks) to maximize the output you get from the position. So if one of the top 8-10 QBs is not available in the fifth or sixth round, you should plan on drafting 2 decent QBs by the time the seventh or eighth round is finished. Use your fantasy draft value sheet to guide you along.
Using the platoon system can turn out to be a wise decision if one QB has a breakout season or if one is a bust or goes down to injury. By waiting to take 2 QBs in the middle rounds, you are able to lock up your RB and WR starters or maybe you can steal a top TE in the fourth or fifth round. Just remember that if your RB/WR situation is looking good, you shouldn't hesitate to grab a stud QB if one falls to you in the third or fourth round.
Fantasy football who to draft - Running Back fantasy draft help
You should understand two things about RBs as they pertain to fantasy football: 1) RBs and QBs touch the ball the most and therefore score the most fantasy points. 2) Starting RBs are more scarce than any other position. There are 32 teams in the NFL, meaning there are 32 starting RB available. However consider the fact that some NFL teams use a RB by committee scheme. So now there are only about 20-24 RBs that can be counted on to get the majority of their team's carries. In most cases you have to start 2 RBs and you probably have the option of starting 3 RBs if your league utilizes a flex player. With 10 or more teams in your league, you can see just how valuable the top RBs really are. Throw in bye weeks, injury potential, and the lack of consistent backups, and you'll understand why RBs fly off the board the first three to four rounds of a fantasy draft. You will also notice that the first backups taken are RBs.
For RBs the rule of thumb is draft two in the first three rounds. Do not take a stud WR over the top tier of RBs. There are usually 2-3 WRs that you can consider once the stud RBs are gone. When deciding between a tier two RB and a stud WR, use your fantasy draft value sheet and consider your draft position. You need to end up with at least one RB from the top two tiers. And if you don't have a stud RB, you better have either a couple tier twos or a tier two and a tier three. Much of your early round fantasy football draft strategy will hinge on your draft position.
Fantasy football who to draft - Wide receiver and tight end fantasy draft help
Don't take a stud QB over the top 2-3 WRs. Typically there's a larger drop-off after the top WRs than there is after the stud QBs. Additionally, in most leagues you have to start 3 WR every week as opposed to just one QB.
If you do not draft a stud WR, make sure you get a tier two. WRs go 10-12 deep before hitting the tier three level. If you are in the 4th round and you don't have a WR on your roster, you are taking one here.
Don't even think about taking a stud TE until at least the 4th round. At that point there may be one or two top TEs worth considering. Use your fantasy draft value sheet and your roster sheet to guide you. If you took a stud QB in the first three rounds, you will need to take a WR or RB in the fourth. If there's a stud QB still on the board in round 4, you're taking him. After the top 1-2 TEs, there's usually 1-2 more before a drop-off in fantasy production. If you don't draft one of the top 3-4 TEs then hold off on taking one until late in the draft. TE production is inconsistent especially after the studs are gone. Again, do your homework ahead of time and let your tiered fantasy draft value sheet guide you.
Fantasy football who to draft - Kicker fantasy draft help
Wait until late in your draft to choose a kicker. At the end of the season there are usually 2-3 kickers that will stand out above the rest. The problem is that it's difficult to predict which ones they're going to be. You can make an educated guess and target 2-3 kickers before your draft. If you get to the point where you're sitting good on reserves and have played a hunch or two, grab one of the top 2-3 kickers if they are available. Otherwise wait until the last 2 rounds to draft an accurate kicker in a high scoring offense or that plays in a dome and has the leg to boot 50 yard field goals.
Fantasy football who to draft - Team defense fantasy draft help
Because defenses are hard to predict and don't see the drop-off in potential fantasy football points like other positions do, have a plan that is similar to the one you put together for kickers. Target 1, 2, or 3 top defenses that you feel will stand out during the upcoming season. If you feel good about your reserves and your tiered fantasy draft value sheet tells you now would be a good time to take a top defense, then by all means go for it. If you don't get a defense that you targeted, you have two options:
1) Wait until the last two rounds and draft a defense that you will rely on when you can't find a defense on the waiver wire that plays a weak offense. So you'll have a decent defense to fall back on when there are no favorable match-ups via the waiver wire.
2) Draft two defenses over the last three rounds and platoon them throughout the season based on match-ups. These are the basics to look for in the two defenses that you target:
Must be available late in your draft. So target defenses that are quite far down your competition's cheat sheets.
Must combine to face many weak offenses.
Must have improved their defense in the off-season. To your advantage many of your competitors overlook how coaching changes, free agents, and rookies will impact defenses around the NFL.
Must have playmakers.
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