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Picking in standard drafts: No. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
When it comes to Fantasy Football, it's your job to be prepared. Every year, it's our job to help you prepare, which is why Jamey Eisenberg and I take part in a two-man draft. It's to give you an example of what you might (and might not) expect when it comes to drafting in your 12-team non-PPR league.
Naturally, there are picks that we love, some we hate and some we wish we could have had. By the time you're done reading this you should at least have a baseline of what we'd recommend doing from your draft slot.
Here is my team at No. 5 overall in a standard format ...
- 1.5 Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings
- 2.20 Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers
- 3.29 Demaryius Thomas, WR, Broncos
- 4.44 Golden Tate, WR, Lions
- 5.53 Drew Brees, QB, Saints
- 6.68 Chris Ivory, RB, Jaguars
- 7.77 Jordan Matthews, WR, Eagles
- 8.92 T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jaguars
- 9.101 Antonio Gates, TE, Chargers
- 10.116 Corey Coleman, WR, Browns
- 11.125 Tyler Eifert, TE, Bengals
- 12.140 C.J. Prosise, RB, Seahawks
- 13.149 Texans DST
- 14.164 Blair Walsh, K, Vikings
The No. 5 overall draft slot bears good news and bad news. The good news is that you are promised to get either a top-three running back or a top-three receiver. The bad news is that you might not get to pick the position you want since four other owners pick before you.
When I was up, I could have gone with Julio Jones over Adrian Peterson. But I want a shot at a dominant running back since those guys are rare. Is it risky? Yes. Will it be worth it? We'll see. Peterson's track record is pretty pristine and he seems to be a really unique running back. Those types of studs have good longevity. I'm not shying away from Peterson.
The game plan after Round 1 was to take receivers with my next two picks -- but sometimes plans change. At receiver, the best-available player was Amari Cooper. Also on the board was Doug Martin. With the thought that running back depth would crumble while receiver depth was still good enough, I rolled the dice that a receiver I'd feel good starting would make it back to me in Round 3.
So I went with Martin in Round 2 and felt fortunate to land Demaryius Thomas with my Round 3 pick. Had I gone with Cooper in Round 2, the types of running backs I'd be staring at in Round 3 would include potentially Mark Ingram, LeSean McCoy and Latavius Murray. I'm not convinced I did the right thing by passing on Cooper.
Knowing I needed more receivers, I focused on that position in Round 4. In practice that was a good move, but taking Golden Tate wasn't the best choice. However, I felt much better about things when I picked up Drew Brees in Round 5. That No. 53 overall pick is a tricky one -- it feels like most of the players available from 45th to 55th overall aren't really great values. Brees is a safe alternative, if not a good value considering the likelihood of finishing as a top-five passer.
The rest of my draft was spent attacking depth at running back and receiver. I locked up the Jaguars backfield with two of my next three picks and tossed Jordan Matthews onto the roster. All of those guys have starting potential in Fantasy, so I'm happy to have them on my bench. Taking Matthews meant passing over Charles Sims to handcuff Martin, but it was a necessary decision given my lack of the receivers after six picks.
Normally I don't recommend taking two tight ends. I got Antonio Gates just to shore up my lineup -- Tyler Eifert was a luxury pick. Since I already had Gates, I was comfortable drafting Eifert and giving him a bench spot to fill up until he's back in action. It's an investment for the second half of my Fantasy season at a very reasonable 11th-round price.
The execution of my draft was fine -- maybe taking a receiver in Round 2 would have made a difference in my overall plan, but it's not like I'm paper thin at any position. If anything, a trade might be in my future given the depth I have at running back, wide receiver and tight end.
