Fantasy football draft szn is finally here. Unfortunately, the Fantasy Life crew can’t sit right next to you, a scholar, during your draft — but fortunately what follows are 10 general tips that will help you in drafts of all shapes and sizes!

Make sure to check out Fantasy Life’s (free!) rankings and strategy content for additional preparation before draft day.

As always: It’s a great day to be great.

1. Don’t be a hero in the early stages of the draft

Fantasy drafts are sort of like the NFL draft in terms of average draft position (ADP): Many can logically predict a good amount of the early rounds (especially the first), but things get far more random and tough to call in the later stages.

This is mostly because of the heightened attention paid to the top 20 or so players at each position; early-round ADPs are sharper and better to follow than what you get in the mid-to-late stages of drafts.

This isn’t to suggest you can’t draft your RB7 ahead of the guy the public has deemed the RB6. Rather: Don’t make a habit of going after players with an ADP well below (12-plus spots) where you’re presently picking in the early rounds.

The ADP on sites such as Yahoo and ESPN can sometimes be different enough to foster some serious values. Getting “your guy” is great; just realize there’s a better chance you won’t need to reach in order to secure the player you want in the third round as opposed to the 13th.

2. Be like water

Zero-RB, robust-RB, hero-RB: There’s a place and time for any fantasy football draft strategy, but predetermining what you want to do before the draft even starts is an easy way to not take advantage of a particular room.

Listen to the late great Bruce Lee and be like water.

I’m not saying you should throw draft strategy out of the window, but rather be willing to scoop up massive ADP value that will help differentiate your lineup when competing against hundreds of thousands of other entries.

My favorite fantasy football draft ranges highlight areas of the draft in which I LOVE multiple options at a particular position. Knowing where and when there are viable later-round options at certain positions helps me (wait for it) be like water and adjust to the draft at hand without completely throwing all roster construction strategy out the window.

3. What can you get in this round that you can’t get later?

The man responsible for this lovely quote is none other than Best Ball Mania III winner Pat Kerrane, who I also recently had the pleasure of drafting with (check it out!).

While Pat was originally referencing the TE position in best ball, this idea can and should be applied to every pick in every round regardless of the format. At least having an idea of the best positional ranges to target helps mightily with tiebreakers throughout the process.

There are three main archetypes that I believe this mindset especially helps with:

High-ceiling QBs

It costs a pretty penny to get the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen these days. I’m not against pulling the trigger at the Round 2-3 turn on either *if* you just missed out on respective RB and WR tier-breakers like Tony Pollard and D.K. Metcalf, but there’s also no need to panic if it’s Round 4 and you still don’t have a high-end QB.

The following five QBs present discount dual-threat upside and stand out as my favorite mid-to-late-round options if fading the signal-callers going inside the top-five rounds:

Deshaun Watson, Browns

Remains one of just five QBs in the Super Bowl era to average 20-plus fantasy points per game even after last season’s disaster. Watson will be in the 2024 early-round conversation with a return to pre-2021 form.

Anthony Richardson, Colts

29 of 33 QBs with at least 100 rush attempts in a season have turned in top-10 fantasy production on a per-game basis since 2000. Guys like Justin Fields, Taysom Hill, hell, even Tim Tebow have been great fantasy producers despite massive struggles throwing the football — and Richardson is the freakiest athlete of them all.

Daniel Jones, Giants

One of just eight QBs to average at least 18 fantasy points per game last season, Jones largely ran his way to high-end fantasy relevance inside of a Giants offense devoid of pretty much any high-end pass-game options to speak of. Year 2 with Brian Daboll and the additions of guys like Darren Waller, Jalyn Hyatt and Parris Campbell add credence to the idea that maybe the artist known as Vanilla Vick is just getting started.

Geno Smith, Seahawks

My Fantasy Life colleague Chris Allen just wrote an excellent breakdown on why Geno is such a great late-round QB. Think of the veteran as a discount version of Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert — whom he out-scored last season — thanks to his sneaky-solid rushing floor and abundance of weapons all over the offense.

Kyler Murray, Cardinals

Yes, Murray is still recovering from last year’s ACL tear and is on quite possibly the single-worst team in the NFL. Also yes, we have no history of Murray being on a football field and failing to put up big-time fantasy numbers; he carries more best-case upside than any QB regularly available outside of the top-150 pick.

Inefficient RBs on bad offenses with GREAT volume

I fully understand drafters who don’t want to deal with these sorts of backs regardless of the price tag, but sometimes weird shit happens in drafts and you simply can’t help but leave the first three rounds without a single RB on the squad.

In past years these sort of players would be risky third- or fourth-round picks, but in 2023 RBs are falling DRASTICALLY in drafts.

Don’t hate the player, hate the ADP.

 Guys like James Conner and Rachaad White profile as fantasy’s two cheapest potential workhorse RBs and serve as much cheaper versions of Najee Harris, Miles Sanders and Cam Akers, who also could ride high-end (likely) inefficient volume to tons of fantasy success, but carry a higher opportunity cost considering the far superior myriad of other qualified non-RB fantasy options going around them in drafts.

TEs with a legit chance to lead their offense in targets

Fantasy Life Projections currently have three TEs leading their entire offense in targets:

  • Travis Kelce (TE1, pick 6.2 ADP)
  • Mark Andrews (TE2, 29.2)
  • Darren Waller (TE6, 73.7)

This isn’t to suggest that you can’t draft Kelce or Andrews in the first few rounds of drafts, but rather to demonstrate how much of a value Waller is at the moment.

The ex-Raiders veteran is admittedly a bit long in the tooth at nearly 31 years of age, but the position historically does a far better job at continuing to produce elderly high-end fantasy assets than RB or WR.

Consider: Waller has only averaged 0.4 fewer PPR points per game than Andrews since 2019 while playing nine fewer games. Any age and/or injury concerns are more than made up by the 40-plus pick gulf between their ADP; don’t be afraid to target the Giants’ No. 1 pass-game option in the middle rounds of drafts if you miss out on the position’s top-two elite options.

4. Don’t hate the player, hate the ADP

The fantasy lows from 2022 are still fresh in all of our minds; this regret is often responsible for pushing players too far down the board when, shocking info here, we are now playing fantasy football in 2023.

I believe the following four players are only priced as low as they are because drafters remain pissed off about last season, when in reality we now have a golden opportunity to select them far closer to their floor than ceiling.

Russell Wilson - QB, Broncos

Russ did ever so briefly start to flash a fantasy ceiling at the end of 2022, posting three top-five fantasy finishes in his final four starts of the season. This isn’t a “2015 Peyton,” “2020 Brees” or even “2022 Ryan” situation where we have to worry about the veteran’s ability to still throw the deep ball.

We’re all well aware of what the floor is like for Russ these days… and that’s accordingly where he’s being priced in fantasy land! Currently carrying QB18 (pick 132.3) ADP, Russ is going nearly two full rounds behind guys like Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins, who were considered either equals or straight-up inferior fantasy assets this time last season.

Antonio Gibson - RB, Commanders

There are three key variables that have caused me to draft Gibson more than any RB not named Jaylen Warren: 

  1. Newfound pass-game opportunity: Longtime scat back J.D. McKissic remains an unrestricted free agent. He trailed only Austin Ekeler, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in targets per game from 2020 to 2022. New OC Eric Bienemy helped oversee a Chiefs offense that fed Jerick McKinnon 71 targets last season.
  2. Lack of incoming competition: Washington only added sixth-rounder Chris Rodriguez to the RB room. The grinder caught just 20 passes in five seasons at Kentucky and is a far bigger threat to Brian Robinson’s early-down work than anything.
  3. Steady drumbeat of good news: Last August Gibson truthers were forced to stomach updates that the former third-round pick was suddenly facing a new reality as a return specialist. Suddenly, head coach Ron Rivera can’t stop finding different good things to say about the team’s 25-year-old back.

The floor for Gibson is as a PPR-friendly RB3 inside of a bad Washington offense.

The ceiling if Robinson misses time is as a poor man’s CMC — except this time Washington might really mean it.

Diontae Johnson - WR, Steelers

The rationale for fading Johnson at his currently depressed ADP has to come down to people (not me) believing that the 27-year-old WR is not good at football.

A few pieces of evidence that scholars (me) have compiled in an effort to retort this outrageous claim:

  • Johnson’s scoreless 2022 campaign didn’t provide high-end counting stats, but his first read target share and overall WR score (ESPN) put him in the company of guys like Stefon Diggs, Tyler Lockett and Tee Higgins.
  • One only needs to go back 12 months to find a rather awesome 107-1161-8 campaign (WR8 in PPR points per game) that featured plenty of borderline erotic route-running ability.
  • The Steelers signed up to pay Johnson $18.355 million per year — more than all but 13 players at the position.

Noted WR guru Matt Harmon’s Reception Perception profile of Johnson demonstrates just how good the veteran still was last season.

Priced far closer to this 2022 floor as opposed to his 2020 and 2021 ceiling, Johnson is my most-drafted WR this offseason and profiles as the one of fantasy’s cheapest potential target hogs at the position.

Gabriel Davis - WR, Bills

Davis’ season-long 48-836-7 receiving line wasn’t exactly what truthers had in mind considering the man ended his 2021 campaign with an incredible 8-201-4 performance in the Bills’ batshit crazy AFC Divisional Round loss to the Chiefs. His status as the WR38 in PPR points per game didn’t exactly pay off his pricey WR24 preseason ADP.

One important note: Davis suffered a high-ankle sprain in a Week 2 practice that he ultimately played through during the rest of the season. Somehow still only 24 years of age, Davis (again) profiles as Allen’s rather undisputed No. 2 WR. The Bills’ pass-happy offense has produced the single-most expected WR PPR points per game over the past three seasons; improved health in 2023 *should* yield returns closer to what drafters were hoping for last season.

Or maybe it won’t; either way Davis is currently being priced below where he finished last season. The definition of buying a fantasy asset closer to their floor than ceiling, Davis is a prime post-hype candidate who has proven capable of booming in a major way when everything is right.

5. Injury-prone and already injured are two completely different things

The idea that certainly players are injury prone is largely a myth according to actual doctors, but obviously, fantasy managers should stay updated on players actively dealing with injuries.

While it’s tough to fully discern just how serious things are in training camp without the assistance of an actual injury report, the following ongoing situations need to be monitored throughout August:

  • Joe Burrow (calf): Escaped a season-ending injury, but still not practicing. Ja’Marr Chase’s recent comments on the matter weren’t exactly great.
  • Kyler Murray (ACL): Has largely done nothing other than ball out when healthy enough to be out there. Week 1 doesn’t seem likely, but an early-ish season return could make Murray a value at the end of drafts.
  • Alvin Kamara (suspension): Will miss Weeks 1-3, which is good news for the early-season stock of Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller.
  • Jonathan Taylor (ankle, back, contract): An increasingly messy situation with the Colts, Taylor doesn’t seem to have the sort of leverage to simply miss out on game checks, but a return to practice at some point would be nice.
  • Josh Jacobs (contract): You’d like to think Jacobs will show up before Week 1. If not, wheels up for Zamir White.
  • J.K. Dobbins (knee, contract): Ian Rapoport has said this is the type of injury that can only go away with a new contract. 
  • Kenneth Walker (groin): Issue isn’t perceived to be overly serious, but you never know with head coach Pete Carroll’s ever-confusing injury updates.
  • Breece Hall (ACL): Seems poised to be ready for Week 1, although limited snaps to start the season are possible. Whether or not the Jets make a serious RB addition in free agency will be a good sign towards just how banged up Hall is at the moment.
  • Javonte Williams (ACL): Will play in the preseason and is seemingly on pace to serve as the 1.A option in this two-back committee. Preseason snaps with the first-team offense will tell us a lot.
  • Jerome Ford (hamstring): Considered week-to-week. This late-round handcuff could lose his stranglehold on the No. 2 RB job should the Browns feel compelled to dip into the RB free agency market.
  • Damien Harris (leg): I already had concerns about Harris’ role considering just how close his contract is to Latavius Murray. This current issue isn’t helping matters.
  • Jaylen Waddle (midsection): Left practice early on August, 9. Please be OK.
  • Kadarius Toney (knee): Will allegedly be ready for Week 1, but obviously the injury history here speaks for itself.
  • Garrett Wilson (ankle): A low sprain and not considered overly serious; let’s just make sure the recovery goes that way.
  • Jameson Williams (suspended): Out for the first six games of the year — 20 targets per game for Amon-Ra St. Brown, who says no?
  • Rashod Bateman (foot): Was activated off the PUP list on Wednesday, which is a GREAT sign for his chances to suit up at 100% in Week 1.
  • Cooper Kupp (hamstring): Fully expected to be good to go for Week 1.

There will certainly be more updates once preseason action really gets underway — make sure you subscribe to the always free Fantasy Life Newsletter for daily notes on everything you need to know.

6. Take an extra five minutes and review your scoring and roster settings before the draft

I won’t reveal names, but last year I participated in a “Fantasy experts” draft in which a truly smart individual who I really respect picked Jonathan Taylor with the 1.01 selection… because they failed to realize it was a SUPERFLEX format that gives drafters the opportunity to start two QBs.

From third-round reversal to maximum position settings to TE premium scoring: There are tons of factors that can turn a draft upside down in a hurry.

As ace UFC commentator Jon Anik once said: “Preparation is the No. 1 thing that I can control.” There’s nobody to blame but yourself if you don’t understand your league’s rules. 

7. Upside is everything

Especially in the later stages of drafts: Don’t f*ck around with complementary WRs who you are never going to feel good about starting when there are plenty of RBs *one* injury away from being on the cover of the next week’s waiver wire article.

This strategy goes hand-in-hand with the general desire to draft five WRs inside of the first nine rounds: I LOVE loading up on RB4-handcuff types who offer the potential boom up the ranks if an injury strikes.

The following RBs are going outside of the top-10 rounds of drafts and would boom up the ranks in a hurry if their respective team’s RB1 is forced to miss any time:

Tank Bigsby (RB44, pick 131.7 ADP)

Possesses the size and pass-catching chops to potentially earn some standalone FLEX value alongside Travis Etienne, who struggled as a pass-catcher and on the goal line in 2022. If not: The handcuff upside alone still makes him a target.

Jaylen Warren (RB45, 134.8)

Similar to Bigsby: Warren has an outside chance of earning some solid standalone value if the Steelers believe his 2022 performance warrants more touches alongside Najee Harris, but the price is right regardless thanks to Mike Tomlin’s willingness to lean on one single RB when forced to do so.

Devin Singletary (RB49, 156.2)

Had enough three-down ability to rack up at least 950 yards in each of his four seasons with the Bills. Dameon Pierce is the lead back here, but his demonstrated struggles in pass protection could lead to a sneaky 1.A/1.B committee — and Singletary could take over the whole situation if disaster strikes.

Jerome Ford (RB52, 168)

Currently dealing with a hamstring injury that certainly complicates matters. Still, the Browns’ lack of investment in additional backfield options demonstrates their belief in Ford as Nick Chubb’s direct backup. Ford probably won’t eat up all of Kareem Hunt’s vacated 158 touches; just realize the handcuff allure is more than worthy of this cheap price tag. 

Chuba Hubbard (RB59, 188.8)

Similar to Ford, it’s hardly a guarantee that Chuba Hubbard earns bunches of pass-down work ahead of Miles Sanders. But who exactly is there to challenge the rising third-year veteran for touches should anything happen to the ex-Eagles veteran? Hubbard is the single-cheapest handcuff in fantasy football, possibly one injury away from leaping into the position’s top-20 weekly options.

There are more quality handcuff options like Jamaal Williams, Tyler Allgeier, Elijah Mitchell, Gus Edwards, Zamir White, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Tyjae Spears, although their respective skill-sets and depth charts probably wouldn’t afford the same sort of true every-down role as these big-five options. Still guys I would rather take over meh WRs or TEs, but not necessarily folks I felt compelled to rank too highly in my RB Handcuff Tiers.

This abundance of late-round RB options with at least some level of best-case upside brings us to my next point…

8. Don’t draft a kicker or DST unless you have to

Just spam backup RBs who are feasibly one injury away from at least somewhat booming up the ranks. Injuries can and will happen between now and Week 1; there is plenty of time to cut these guys and fill your starting lineup before the season if disaster doesn’t strike.

The following RBs are currently priced outside of the top-175 picks; that would undoubtedly change if anything were to happen to their squad’s respective starter:

  • Tyjae Spears
  • Gus Edwards
  • Zamir White
  • Chuba Hubbard
  • Clyde Edwards-Helaire

There are additional darts like Pierre Strong Jr., Michael Carter and Malik Davis/Rico Dowdle who face more uncertainty due to the potential for their teams to add a veteran if suddenly in dire need of an RB, but again: There’s pretty much zero downside considering the plethora of kicker and DST options readily available on the waiver wire.

Speaking of quality early-season DST options…

9. The Saints are easily the best late-round DST pick

Plenty of leagues force drafters to take a DST, and if so your order should be:

  1. 49ers
  2. Eagles
  3. Saints

Of course, the former two DSTs are regularly taken off the board prior to the final two rounds by overzealous drafters, leaving the latter as the most realistic target in the final stages of drafts.

Seriously: Look at this opening schedule:

  • Week 1: vs. Titans (19.25 implied points)
  • Week 2: at Panthers (21)
  • Week 3: at Packers (21.75)
  • Week 4: vs. Buccaneers (17.75)
  • Week 5: at Patriots (22)
  • Week 6: at Texans (19)

A ridiculously easy schedule to start the season allows drafters to keep the Saints defense until a Week 7 matchup against the Jaguars. Hell, even that game is in the Superdome — and then the team gets two more theoretically great matchups against the Colts and Bears before having a tough road trip to Minnesota and a Week 11 bye.

The league’s reigning ninth-ranked scoring defense managed to perform rather great in 2022 despite inconsistent offensive performance and injuries to high-priced secondary starters CB Marshon Lattimore (7 games played) and S Marcus Maye (10).

It’s not guaranteed the group simply keeps on keeping on after losing defensive linemen Marcus Davenport, David Onyemata, Shy Tuttle and Kentavius Street in free agency; just realize the schedule Gods have done the Saints some SERIOUS early-season favors.

10. Have fun

It is just fantasy football, after all!

Ian's Favorite Draft Strategy