Best Draft Strategies and Best Picks per Round

In this write-up, I will project the best values for the first 8 rounds of a single quarterback, half PPR redraft league. I will break down each round based on whether you have an early pick or a later pick in the first round, highlighting the best targets and players to avoid. These recommendations are calculated based on my rankings and the results of 50+ mock drafts that I have completed from multiple different draft positions on the Yahoo and Sleeper platforms. My goal is to help you build the best fantasy team and win a championship.

Round 1:

Early Pick 1-5 (Target – CeeDee Lamb):

This round is littered with solid picks. It depends on where you are in the draft, but I absolutely love grabbing a wide receiver if I have picks 1-5. The reason I love this is because I am much higher on many wide receivers this year, and my running back dead zone is larger than that of other analysts. Christian McCaffrey's injury (calf strain) is very alarming considering his previous injury history and this being a lingering issue. The problem is never on the field—if CMC is out there, he will be breaking fantasy like he usually does. However, as the saying goes, “you can never win your league by your 1st round pick, but you can certainly lose your league from it.” I am avoiding CMC in this draft and drafting any of the three receivers ahead of him (CeeDee, Tyreek, or Chase), with CeeDee being my favorite target of the three.

Later Pick 6-10 (Target Bijan Robinson):

If you have picks 5-10, I love taking a running back there. I feel like Amon Ra is a good pick here, but I prefer coming back to the 2nd round with an elite running back. If I have picks 5-10, then I am taking one of the top running backs, Bijan and Breece, in that order respectively. The reason I favor wide receivers in the first half and running backs in the second half is due to the way the 2nd round unfolds. The pool of elite wide receivers tends to thin out quickly, making it advantageous to secure one early, while there are often still high-quality running backs available in the latter half of the round.

Round 2:

Early Pick (Target – Olave/Marvin Harrison):

If you selected a wide receiver in the 1st round, then I love coming away with another elite receiver in the 2nd round. For example, if you drafted a wide receiver like CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill, or Ja'Marr Chase, then in the 2nd round you’ll likely be looking at a board with Kyren Williams, Isiah Pacheco, Devon Achane, etc. All of which I am lower on than the consensus at their given price tag. Instead, target another elite receiver like Marvin Harrison (whom I am lower on but feel more comfortable with him as my WR2), Olave, or London. That way, your team could look like CeeDee Lamb & Chris Olave to round out the 2nd.

Later Pick (Target – A.J. Brown/Garrett Wilson):

If you drafted a running back in the 1st round, then I will absolutely take the best receiver available in the 2nd round. Depending on how the board shakes out, later receivers can be A.J. Brown, Garrett Wilson, with sometimes Amon Ra or Justin Jefferson falling here (obviously less likely, but you can never predict some of those home leagues). I am avoiding Puka this year due to injury concerns in training camp. So if the strategy plays out correctly, your team could look like Bijan Robinson & A.J. Brown, securing top skill positions on your team.

Round 3:

Early pick (Target – Travis Etienne):

If all goes right, your team will be sitting with 2 elite wide receivers. This is a very fluid spot to be in because it could go one of two ways. In nearly 50% of mocks, I have seen Travis Etienne, Isiah Pacheco, or Derrick Henry fall to the early 3rd round. I will be taking either of those three in that spot. I will not take Jacobs, Achane, or White to be my RB1. If Etienne, Pacheco, and Henry are gone, then I will go for a receiver yet again, such as Drake London, Nico Collins, or Jaylen Waddle. I am avoiding Mike Evans due to losing Dave Canales as HC and the disgruntled Davante Adams at this range. If all goes well, you will either have 3 superstar receivers or 2 superstar receivers and a safe bell cow to round out the 3rd. Given the depth of the receiver pool, I would prefer to come away with one of those running backs – allowing your team to sit at a hypothetical: CeeDee Lamb, Chris Olave, and Travis Etienne.

Later Pick (Target – Jaylen Waddle):

Following the hero RB strategy, you should have an elite running back and elite wide receiver on your team. As mentioned above, I really do not like the running backs that typically fall here. This spot is likely too late to land Etienne, Pacheco, or Henry. Therefore, I am targeting another elite receiver. There are a few receivers here that I really like, such as Jaylen Waddle, Nico Collins, and Deebo Samuel (if Brandon Aiyuk leaves, though this would likely bump his ADP up to earlier in the round). So, our hypothetical team could look like Bijan Robinson, A.J. Brown, and Jaylen Waddle.

Round 4:

Early Pick (Target – Ken Walker III):

The 4th round showcases just how deep the wide receiver pool is this year, which is exactly why you'll be skipping receiver and selecting a running back, depending on who is left. Without the Hero RB strategy, you'll need a solid second running back, and targeting Ken Walker III here would put your team in a great position to grab the best player available on your next turn. Now this is slightly a reach according to ADP, but I feel more confident in KWIII's ability than a lot of the other running backs selected around this spot. This selection will start to round out all the skill positions on your team, which would stand at: CeeDee Lamb, Chris Olave, Travis Etienne, and Ken Walker III.

Later Pick (Target – DK Metcalf):

Remember, the Hero RB strategy only works if you can secure a locked and loaded RB1 to anchor your team. With one of the earlier picks in the 4th round, you can select from a large pool of receiver talent. While I like Ken Walker III this year, I see more value in targeting a receiver in this spot with the Hero RB strategy. You'll likely be choosing from DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman, and occasionally Nico Collins, if he falls this far. Should Nico Collins still be available, he's my pick. However, in most cases, he will be gone, leading me to select DK Metcalf. He’s an incredible value in this round and will significantly bolster your receiver corps. Your team could now look like: Bijan Robinson, A.J. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, and DK Metcalf—a powerhouse lineup at receiver.

Round 5:

Early Pick (Target – Devonta Smith):

Devonta Smith is an excellent value pick here. Especially with this draft strategy, where you already have 2 solid running backs and 2 strong receivers, you can go for the best player available, which happens to be Devonta Smith. I expect big things from him this year under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who loves to pepper the slot receiver with targets. Hopefully, Smith will be that key piece of the puzzle for Moore. Your team now stands at: CeeDee Lamb, Chris Olave, Travis Etienne, Ken Walker III, and Devonta Smith.

Later Pick (Target – Devonta Smith):

Surprise! It's Devonta again! Another skill position should be targeted with this draft strategy, and Devonta Smith is a tremendous value at this spot in the draft as mentioned above. Selecting Smith here will likely cap off your receiver selections until later in the draft, setting your receiver depth in an ideal position. With this pick, your team would shape up as follows: Bijan Robinson, A.J. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, DK Metcalf, and Devonta Smith.

Round 6:

Early Pick (Target – Anthony Richardson):

This is an ideal time to target one of the top quarterbacks off the board. I understand that Anthony Richardson is one of the riskiest players to select, but his upside is simply too high to ignore. If he plays 16+ games this season, there’s a strong chance he finishes as a top 5, or even top 3, quarterback in fantasy. In the 6th round, given how this draft strategy has set you up, it’s the perfect time to take a chance on him. Your team would be very well-rounded, consisting of: CeeDee Lamb, Chris Olave, Travis Etienne, Ken Walker III, Devonta Smith, and Anthony Richardson.

Later Pick (Target – Alvin Kamara)

Now is the perfect time to secure another running back, and Alvin Kamara fits the bill. While he may not be the flashiest pick, Kamara has consistently finished as a top 20 RB every year of his career, making him a reliable RB2 or better. With Derek Carr at quarterback, you can expect a steady stream of dump-offs to Kamara, ensuring a healthy inflow of fantasy points from your second running back. This pick rounds out your skill positions and solidifies your team as a powerhouse so far in the draft: Bijan Robinson, A.J. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, DK Metcalf, Devonta Smith, and now Alvin Kamara.

Round 7:

Early Pick (Target – Amari Cooper):

In most of my mocks, Amari Cooper falls to me in the early 7th round, and I take that value every time. I also like George Pickens here a lot, but he was available much less frequently. Adding Amari Cooper to this team really rounds out your depth and continues to build a strong squad. Your lineup would now be: CeeDee Lamb, Chris Olave, Travis Etienne, Ken Walker III, Devonta Smith, Anthony Richardson, and Amari Cooper.

Later Pick (Target – Kyler Murray):

With your team now fully stacked with skill positions, it’s time to draft a quarterback. While this might seem like a reach based on ADP, as he’s projected to fall around pick 85 in a single quarterback league, I have him valued higher, making this a great spot to grab him. This pick will solidify your lineup with a superstar quarterback who just got a fun new weapon in Marvin Harrison Jr. Your lineup would now look like this: Bijan Robinson, A.J. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, DK Metcalf, Alvin Kamara, Devonta Smith, and Kyler Murray.

Round 8:

Early Pick (Target – Best Tight End Available):

In most of the mocks I’ve done on Sleeper and Yahoo, a top 8 tight end was available in this round. In the majority of my mocks, it was George Kittle who was available, and I was ecstatic to select him here. I’d also be happy with Mark Andrews, Dalton Kincaid, or Evan Engram at this spot, though they were available here less frequently. This selection is highly dependent on who’s left on the board, but with all your skill positions filled, it’s incredible to round out your lineup with another stud. This is how your lineup stands after 8 rounds of following this strategy.

Final Hypothetical Roster:

QB: Anthony Richardson

RB: Travis Etienne

RB: Ken Walker III

WR: CeeDee Lamb

WR: Chris Olave

TE: George Kittle

FLEX: Devonta Smith

FLEX: Amari Cooper

Later Pick (Target – Best Tight End Available):

This will be the same in both strategies as this is an amazing spot to grab one of the last tight ends available. Whoever is available of the top listed above will be solid options here. As the last round of this mock that I’ll analyze, this team is a surefire powerhouse, ready to compete with anyone in any league.

Final Hypothetical Roster:

QB: Kyler Murray

RB: Bijan Robinson

RB: Alvin Kamara

WR: A.J. Brown

WR: Jaylen Waddle

TE: George Kittle

FLEX: DK Metcalf

FLEX: Devonta Smith

Remaining Rounds:

Early Pick:

This will apply to both strategies but I am targeting Jaylen Warren with my 9th pick to give myself a solid RB3 for my squad. After that, I feel I have depth at both skill positions and should take shots on some of the riskier/higher upside players.

Later Pick:

As said above, I am targeting Jaylen Warren with the 9th pick and then adding the backup to my hero RB. In this case, it was Bijan as my hero RB so I would take Tyler Allgeier. The rest of the draft I'd follow as best player available after you lock those two guys in.

Closing:

I believe both of these draft strategies can lead to rock-solid teams, and they are absolutely achievable in this year's upcoming draft. I managed to pull off these selections in many of my mock drafts on Yahoo and Sleeper. That being said, I find myself preferring the second half of the draft this year, with picks 6-10 being my favorites. The depth and value available in those middle-to-late rounds offer a great opportunity to build a balanced and competitive team. Thanks for reading, and I hope this guide helps you dominate your fantasy league!