We’ve given you all the tools you need to help you at your fantasy football draft, from positional rankings to lists of sleepers to preseason trends to buy and sell on.
But what’s your strategy for your pick depending on where you select in a draft? That’s what we’re here to do.
We did this post last year, and hopefully it helped: Breaking down each of the first-round picks you might have as a guide to what you should do with them in the first three rounds. After that? You’re on your own — the rules of your league may be different and your strategy may change.
Away we go:
First pick
No-brainer. You’re taking Jonathan Taylor here, the perfect first pick in fantasy: A running back with little to no competition, who is the centerpiece of a more balanced offense with Matt Ryan around, who’s coming off a bonkers season.
There aren’t guarantees he’ll repeat his 2021, but he’s the safest pick.
At 24 and 25 in a 12-team league, you’re getting an opportunity to choose your fate — do you lock up another running back (maybe Leonard Fournette or Ezekiel Elliott is there) or grab from the elite wide receivers there?
If it’s me, I’m going wideout first — Mike Evans, A.J. Brown or Tee Higgins are solid at that point, and if you’re one of those people who wants to grab a tight end, the next pick could be Kyle Pitts.
Second pick
Sheesh, we’re one pick in and I’m already going to cast doubt.
Christian McCaffrey is the consensus second selection, although I have my doubts about his health. But: Derrick Henry’s coming off a bad foot injury and Dalvin Cook has had his share of injuries over the years.
So, sure: McCaffrey it is. The upside is there for him to catch a ton of passes along with his rushing workload.
At 23, I’m probably leaning receiver if Deebo Samuel or CeeDee Lamb somehow slip. And 26 could mean another elite wideout, or you could roll the dice on James Conner having another solid year for the Cardinals. One thing I’m not doing here: Taking a QB with the second or third pick. Sorry, Josh Allen fans.
Third pick
I’m more Team Cook than Team Henry, but sure, either way. If you’re in a PPR league, Austin Ekeler is in the conversation here.
At No. 22, you could stop and think about any RB that might have dropped (I’m starting to hop on the Saquon Barkley train a bit at that pick, if your leaguemates pass on him). That said, you can grab a receiver and then either Pitts, a WR2 or an RB2 with your third-round pick.
But if you go RB-RB-WR, that’s not bad at all.
Fourth pick
Henry, Cook, Ekeler, Joe Mixon … Najee Harris?
This is where it gets interesting. If I’m in a PPR league, Ekeler is my guy. Harris and Mixon both caught passes and may do it again this year.
But we’re trying to be definitive here, so I’ll say Ekeler or Cook.
You get Nos. 21 and 28 after that, so how about Lamb or Deebo? If you’re a believer in Javonte Williams (I’m not, at least while Melvin Gordon is around) you could go that route. But I’m very much leaning toward one of those heavy-usage WRs.
With the third-rounder, you could go Pitts if you’re a top TE guy, or a receiver if you went RB with your No. 2 pick.
Fifth pick
I’m going to repeat myself a lot: Ekeler (if he’s there), Harris or Mixon is a great pick. Nick Chubb is in the running. Either way, I’m taking a running back. I’m too scared to go Zero RB.
At 20, maybe some people are scared about a Packers timeshare for Aaron Jones and he falls in your lap. Or your friends think Davante Adams going from Aaron Rodgers to Derek Carr is a problem. Their doubt is your gain.
At 29, I’m still in WR-picking mode — Higgins, Brown or Michael Pittman would be great.
Sixth pick
Pick a running back. Any running back. Well, not any running back. But Mixon, Harris or Chubb work just fine here.
At 19, there’s a good shot you can double up on your RBs and not worry about the position for a few rounds. And if that’s the case pick No. 30 needs to be a wideout.
Seventh pick
RB blah blah blah … but this is where you could start to wonder: How early is too early to take Justin Jefferson? (It’s too early here. But you can think about it!).
No. 18 depends on how you feel about who’s left after your buddies pick. Is Stefon Diggs there? Jones? Adams? Alvin Kamara? I’d probably lean RB at this point if one of those guys drops, because the RB options will dry up VERY quickly by the time No. 31 rolls around.
And would you be OK with Higgins or Pittman as your WR1? Sure, why not? Receiver is deep as heck!
Eighth pick
Hear that? It’s Jefferson dancing the Griddy into your brain:
50 YARDS. Kirk Cousins to Justin Jefferson. Griddy time. #SKOL
📺: #MINvsBAL on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/HWr6uhQ8Jp— NFL (@NFL) November 7, 2021
Seriously though: If Chubb or Harris are there, that’s where I’m headed. But I’d take a full minute to think about Jefferson, who I think has a WR1 year despite being ranked the WR1 overall by so many experts.
If you do go Jefferson, there could be Barkley or Jones at pick No. 17, which isn’t bad at all given that either of those two could break into the top-10 at that position this year.
At 32, it’s probably a receiver, although if you’re high on Breece Hall or Cam Akers, that’s intriguing depending on whether you went Jefferson or an RB with your first pick.
Ninth pick
Thus ends the run on running backs with your first pick. That’s cool though.
Because you could get Jefferson, or you can bet on Cooper Kupp having another out-of-this-universe kind of year (he can’t repeat what he did in 2021, but even 4/5ths of that would be worth the pick).
You then get Nos. 16 and 33. If D’Andre Swift or Kamara are there in the second round, those are no-brainers. I might even reach a bit for Jones even with A.J. Dillon around.
And at 33, what’s wrong with Pittman, Keenan Allen or Mike Williams? Nothing, that’s what!
Tenth pick
Do you think Kupp falls to Earth a bit and that Ja’Marr Chase is even better than he was in his amazing rookie year?
That’s my take. I’ll grab Chase here and then Swift or Kamara at No. 15. Should those backs not be there? I’m not one to take tight ends so high. If you are, Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews work there, I don’t see their workloads getting any lighter. If you’re not a TE early guy, you’re going to have an elite set of receivers and could consider Zero RBing it up.
At 34, this is where I go Hall and then start loading up on running backs after that.
Eleventh pick
Soooo, it’s Chase or Kupp … or I think by the time the season rolls around, Kamara or Swift could be moving up here.
Again, as someone who waits to pick tight ends, I’m fine with reaching slightly when it comes to these picks.
At 14 and 35, it depends. Did you pick an RB first? Go WR. And vice versa. And if you end up going WR-RB in the first two rounds, it would make sense to go Akers or Hall or Elijah Mitchell there.
Twelfth pick
You could go Kelce here and I think I’d be fine with it, and then you’d get the very next pick, so you could grab Swift or Kamara if they’re available.
At No. 36, you could grab your first receiver to create a very neat TE-RB-WR run. Solid first three picks right there!
