Building the perfect fantasy football draft strategy is all about thinking multiple moves ahead. While your leaguemates are playing checkers, you should be playing chess. When your buddies are planning on a draft going exactly as planned, you will prepare for things going wrong and have contingency plans.

The fundamental idea of a perfect draft isn't getting every player you think you must have – it is about building the best roster given the circumstances. Mike Tyson once said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." 

So, why don't we plan on getting punched in the mouth and see what happens?

Over the last two weeks, we have been building up to this moment by analyzing the best strategies for each position.

Now, it is time to zoom out and reassemble everything into an easy-to-use format so you can adapt as the draft unfolds. You can still refer to those pieces for more in-depth reasoning behind value targets.

We have hit on all these concepts below in the positional strategies but went deep on No. 2. 

  1. Positional supply and demand: How many do I need, and how many are available? League scoring and starting roster requirements are enormous factors that many fantasy players don't consider.
     
  2. Value: Can I target mispriced assets that offer similar value at this position later? The more confidence we have in this answer, the more we can consider not spending early picks on the position. These players become pillars within our strategy.
     
  3. Draft capital allocation: How much have I spent on this position? As a rule of thumb, the more we spend earlier in drafts, the less we will invest later and vice versa.

Today, we will hyper-focus on No. 1 and No. 3, with the answers to No. 2 in mind (which informs our strategy guidelines). By using the guidelines below, you will be ready for anything. 

Especially if you are willing to put the practice reps in and rehearse the fantasy equivalent of getting punched in the mouth: the top of your queue just got sniped, or the player you were waiting for at position X just went two rounds early.

What do I mean by practice reps? Perform multiple mock drafts using ADP from the site you are drafting on. My favorite is our Draft Champion mock draft simulator, which allows you to customize the experience based on your league settings.

Format: Two WR + One Flex

This format is the standard set up for the majority of leagues. It is the default for ESPN and Yahoo. These guidelines are based on half PPR (Yahoo) or full PPR (ESPN) scoring in a 12-team format, however they can still be applied to different league sizes.

How to use this table

Think of this table as a simplified "if-then" analysis. The left-hand columns are the four different strategies you might deploy. 

If you go Hero RB (one RB and two WRs) in the first three rounds, you can consider three paths in Rounds 4 to 6. Once you finish Round 6, you know your attack plan for Rounds 7 to 9.

Example:

You don't have to predetermine which strategy you will use. While it is good to understand the ramifications of each path in future rounds, you can let the draft come to you. This approach keeps you open to unique value combinations early.

Strategy Guideline Do's and Dont's

  • Do: Focus on WR and RB in the first three rounds.
  • Don't: Take a TE or QB in the first three rounds – there are too many values later.
  • Do: Draft one QB or TE in Rounds 3 to 6. Don't risk getting cut off at both positions.
  • Don't: Take a QB and TE *both* in Rounds 3 to 6.
  • Do: Focus on rounding out your RB, WR and Flex in Rounds 3 to 6.
  • Don't: Use Heavy RB unless it is unbelievable value.

Preferred strategies for two WR leagues in 2024

While I am an avid Zero RB drafter in best ball formats, my preferred strategy is Hero RB (one RB in the first three rounds), and my second favorite is Super Hero RB (two RBs in the first three rounds) in two-WR managed leagues.

There are two reasons:

  1. Some of the best ADP values are at WR.
  2. I prefer one to two RBs early because names like Joe Mixon and Rachaad White are way overpriced versus the WR values in that range. Of course, we don't want just any combo of RBs in these three rounds; there are backs we wish to avoid.

When evaluating likely outcomes for Zero RB, I was consistently disappointed with my RBs and was often forced to leave value on the board later at WR as I had to pivot to cover other needs.

Having said all of this, you know your league far better than me. If you play in a league where WRs fly off the board, then Super Hero RB might not be for you, but Hero RB is in play. The framework above allows you to adapt based on your unique insights about your league mates.

Tip: You can use the Draft Champion and select your draft strategy to practice different builds.

Example Hero RB builds in two WR leagues

Drafting from early position (1 to 4) on Yahoo using Hero RB-A:

Tip: Check out the Yahoo fantasy football ADP board to quickly see some combinations you can target.

Drafting from middle position (5 to 8) on Yahoo using Hero RB-A:

Drafting from late position (9 to 12) on Yahoo using Hero RB-C:

Example Super Hero RB builds in two WR leagues

Drafting from early position (1 to 4) on Yahoo using Super Hero RB-A:

Drafting from middle position (5 to 8) on Yahoo using Super Hero RB-A:

Drafting from late position (9 to 12) on Yahoo using Super Hero RB-A:

Format: Three WR + One Flex | Two WR + Two Flex

If you play in a format that starts three WRs or has two flex spots, many of the above strategy guidelines are still in play. However, I am more willing to push the boundaries at QB and TE. This is because an extra WR or RB selection in Rounds 4 to 6 now inserts into our starting lineup rather than sitting on our bench. We want to be cautious with piling on additional RBs that don't have strong profiles in this draft range – the WRs are the prime ADP values.

Below, you can see two new lines for Hero RB and one new line for the Super Hero RB and Zero RB strategies. These all address the potential to wait for QB and TE in Rounds 7 to 9.

In formats like these, avoiding taking your QB and TE both in Rounds 4 to 6 is essential because it can put you really behind at RB or WR. You can also consider stressing the limits on your Hero RB builds by almost always focusing on "C" or "E" strategies, which prioritize two WRs in the middle rounds.

Zero RB builds become more appealing in these formats, but it still depends on your league-mates adapting. Most novice or new fantasy players won't make this adjustment, so consider your competition. If they aren't adjusting, the original strategies outlined for two WR leagues remain my favorites to ensure I don't get cut off at both onesie positions (i.e., QB and TE).

Happy drafting!!!