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One of the questions I struggle the most with during draft season is "what's your draft strategy" and that's because, for the most part, I let the draft room determine my draft strategy. I'm as comfortable with Zero-RB as I and with Robust RB, and I think most managers should be if they want to optimize their chances of winning. And in a Dynasty start-up, there's another layer added on top of that. My first few picks also determine my strategy.

To better understand this, we can take a look at one drafter's team in our recent mock. Alfredo Brown started his team from the No. 2 pick with Ja'Marr Chase. Chase is the rare player who would fit perfectly as the best player on a rebuilding team or the best player on a contending team. But the next pick changed everything because he selected Travis Kelce. Kelce in Round 2 is too early for me, but Brown did exactly what he should have done after making that pick.

His next five picks were Austin Ekeler, Justin Fields, Derrick Henry, Tyler Lockett, and Keenan Allen. Suddenly, it looks like everyone else is playing for second place in 2023. Brown may be rebuilding his team as early as 2024, but he's established himself as the clear favorite for this year.

I took the opposite path with my squad, building a youthful team around CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Hurts, and Drake London. The one exception to my strategy was Joe Mixon, because I thought Round 5 was too far for him to fall. if my team surprises and competes in Year 1, I'll keep Mixon, if not, he should be easy enough to deal at the deadline and he may be worth more then to a contender than he is now. 

You don't have to be so married to a strategy that you eschew all value, but it should serve as a guide as you move through a start-up. It should be more than a tie-breaker, but it doesn't have to determine every single pick. Still, I'd like my roster better if I'd taken a younger player there.

The analysts who participated in this mock draft are:

Dave Richard, CBS Sports
Alfredo Brown, Footballguys
Cristian Crespo
Heath Cummings, CBS Sports
Adam Aizer, CBS Sports
Frank Stampfl, CBS Sports
Dan Schneier, CBS Sports
Chris Towers, CBS Sports
Jay Felicio, Front Yard Fantasy Sports
R.J. White, CBS Sports
Joel Cox, CBS Sports
Jamey Eisenberg, CBS Sports

And here are the full results:

Round By Round
Round 1
Pos Team Player
1 R.J. White
2 Adam Aizer
3 Frank Stampfl
4 Jay Felicio
5 Alfredo Brown
6 Chris Towers
7 Cristian Crespo
8 Dan
9 Joel Cox
10 Jamey Eisenberg
11 Dave Richard
12 Heath Cummings
Round 2
Pos Team Player
13 Heath Cummings
14 Dave Richard
15 Jamey Eisenberg
16 Joel Cox
17 Dan
18 Cristian Crespo
19 Chris Towers
20 Alfredo Brown
21 Jay Felicio
22 Frank Stampfl
23 Adam Aizer
24 R.J. White
Round 3
Pos Team Player
25 R.J. White
26 Adam Aizer
27 Frank Stampfl
28 Jay Felicio
29 Alfredo Brown
30 Chris Towers
31 Cristian Crespo
32 Dan
33 Joel Cox
34 Jamey Eisenberg
35 Dave Richard
36 Heath Cummings
Round 4
Pos Team Player
37 Heath Cummings
38 Dave Richard
39 Jamey Eisenberg
40 Joel Cox
41 Dan
42 Cristian Crespo
43 Chris Towers
44 Alfredo Brown
45 Jay Felicio
46 Frank Stampfl
47 Adam Aizer
48 R.J. White
Round 5
Pos Team Player
49 R.J. White
50 Adam Aizer
51 Frank Stampfl
52 Jay Felicio
53 Alfredo Brown
54 Chris Towers
55 Cristian Crespo
56 Dan
57 Joel Cox
58 Jamey Eisenberg
59 Dave Richard
60 Heath Cummings
Round 6
Pos Team Player
61 Heath Cummings
62 Dave Richard
63 Jamey Eisenberg
64 Joel Cox
65 Dan
66 Cristian Crespo
67 Chris Towers
68 Alfredo Brown
69 Jay Felicio
70 Frank Stampfl
71 Adam Aizer
72 R.J. White
Round 7
Pos Team Player
73 R.J. White
74 Adam Aizer
75 Frank Stampfl
76 Jay Felicio
77 Alfredo Brown
78 Chris Towers
79 Cristian Crespo
80 Dan
81 Joel Cox
82 Jamey Eisenberg
83 Dave Richard
84 Heath Cummings
Round 8
Pos Team Player
85 Heath Cummings
86 Dave Richard
87 Jamey Eisenberg
88 Joel Cox
89 Dan
90 Cristian Crespo
91 Chris Towers
92 Alfredo Brown
93 Jay Felicio
94 Frank Stampfl
95 Adam Aizer
96 R.J. White
Round 9
Pos Team Player
97 R.J. White
98 Adam Aizer
99 Frank Stampfl
100 Jay Felicio
101 Alfredo Brown
102 Chris Towers
103 Cristian Crespo
104 Dan
105 Joel Cox
106 Jamey Eisenberg
107 Dave Richard
108 Heath Cummings
Round 10
Pos Team Player
109 Heath Cummings
110 Dave Richard
111 Jamey Eisenberg
112 Joel Cox
113 Dan
114 Cristian Crespo
115 Chris Towers
116 Alfredo Brown
117 Jay Felicio
118 Frank Stampfl
119 Adam Aizer
120 R.J. White
Round 11
Pos Team Player
121 R.J. White
122 Adam Aizer
123 Frank Stampfl
124 Jay Felicio
125 Alfredo Brown
126 Chris Towers
127 Cristian Crespo
128 Dan
129 Joel Cox
130 Jamey Eisenberg
131 Dave Richard
132 Heath Cummings
Round 12
Pos Team Player
133 Heath Cummings
134 Dave Richard
135 Jamey Eisenberg
136 Joel Cox
137 Dan
138 Cristian Crespo
139 Chris Towers
140 Alfredo Brown
141 Jay Felicio
142 Frank Stampfl
143 Adam Aizer
144 R.J. White
Round 13
Pos Team Player
145 R.J. White
146 Adam Aizer
147 Frank Stampfl
148 Jay Felicio
149 Alfredo Brown
150 Chris Towers
151 Cristian Crespo
152 Dan
153 Joel Cox
154 Jamey Eisenberg
155 Dave Richard
156 Heath Cummings
Round 14
Pos Team Player
157 Heath Cummings
158 Dave Richard
159 Jamey Eisenberg
160 Joel Cox
161 Dan
162 Cristian Crespo
163 Chris Towers
164 Alfredo Brown
165 Jay Felicio
166 Frank Stampfl
167 Adam Aizer
168 R.J. White
Round 15
Pos Team Player
169 R.J. White
170 Adam Aizer
171 Frank Stampfl
172 Jay Felicio
173 Alfredo Brown
174 Chris Towers
175 Cristian Crespo
176 Dan
177 Joel Cox
178 Jamey Eisenberg
179 Dave Richard
180 Heath Cummings
Round 16
Pos Team Player
181 Heath Cummings
182 Dave Richard
183 Jamey Eisenberg
184 Joel Cox
185 Dan
186 Cristian Crespo
187 Chris Towers
188 Alfredo Brown
189 Jay Felicio
190 Frank Stampfl
191 Adam Aizer
192 R.J. White
Team by Team
R.J. White
Rd Pk Player
1 1
2 24
3 25
4 48
5 49
6 72
7 73
8 96
9 97
10 120
11 121
12 144
13 145
14 168
15 169
16 192
Adam Aizer
Rd Pk Player
1 2
2 23
3 26
4 47
5 50
6 71
7 74
8 95
9 98
10 119
11 122
12 143
13 146
14 167
15 170
16 191
Frank Stampfl
Rd Pk Player
1 3
2 22
3 27
4 46
5 51
6 70
7 75
8 94
9 99
10 118
11 123
12 142
13 147
14 166
15 171
16 190
Jay Felicio
Rd Pk Player
1 4
2 21
3 28
4 45
5 52
6 69
7 76
8 93
9 100
10 117
11 124
12 141
13 148
14 165
15 172
16 189
Alfredo Brown
Rd Pk Player
1 5
2 20
3 29
4 44
5 53
6 68
7 77
8 92
9 101
10 116
11 125
12 140
13 149
14 164
15 173
16 188
Chris Towers
Rd Pk Player
1 6
2 19
3 30
4 43
5 54
6 67
7 78
8 91
9 102
10 115
11 126
12 139
13 150
14 163
15 174
16 187
Cristian Crespo
Rd Pk Player
1 7
2 18
3 31
4 42
5 55
6 66
7 79
8 90
9 103
10 114
11 127
12 138
13 151
14 162
15 175
16 186
Dan
Rd Pk Player
1 8
2 17
3 32
4 41
5 56
6 65
7 80
8 89
9 104
10 113
11 128
12 137
13 152
14 161
15 176
16 185
Joel Cox
Rd Pk Player
1 9
2 16
3 33
4 40
5 57
6 64
7 81
8 88
9 105
10 112
11 129
12 136
13 153
14 160
15 177
16 184
Jamey Eisenberg
Rd Pk Player
1 10
2 15
3 34
4 39
5 58
6 63
7 82
8 87
9 106
10 111
11 130
12 135
13 154
14 159
15 178
16 183
Dave Richard
Rd Pk Player
1 11
2 14
3 35
4 38
5 59
6 62
7 83
8 86
9 107
10 110
11 131
12 134
13 155
14 158
15 179
16 182
Heath Cummings
Rd Pk Player
1 12
2 13
3 36
4 37
5 60
6 61
7 84
8 85
9 108
10 109
11 132
12 133
13 156
14 157
15 180
16 181