Best Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Drafting from the 1.01
So you’ve been lucky enough to land the first overall pick in your fantasy football draft? As amazing as that sounds, you’ve got to remember that with great power comes great responsibility. Today, I’ll be breaking down the best fantasy football draft strategy drafting from the 1.01.
Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Drafting from the 1.01
When it comes to the best fantasy football draft strategy, having the first pick is fantastic until you realize that you will not be making another pick again for another 23 turns. It can be a very tough pill to swallow on draft day and many people completely crumble under pressure. So in this article, we’re going to examine what the best plan of attack is if you happen to have the first overall selection of your 2024 fantasy draft is
Best Fantasy Football Draft Strategy Round 1, Pick 1:
Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco
McCaffrey has been (and will continue to be) a fantasy cheat code for a very long time. He had a top-2 finish at the running back position in both 2023 and 2022… a feat that he had also obtained back in 2018 and 2019. Going with C-Mac instead of CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson (and so on) should be a lock-and-loaded action for anyone with pick #1.
I know you may not need much convincing, but in case you do, let me lay this out for you as simply as possible. If you combine every player’s fantasy points from 2023 and 2022, McCaffrey would have 747.36 PPR points. Over that same span, the only players with more fantasy points are… Josh Allen (822.80) and Jalen Hurts (755.80). That’s it. Don’t get too cute with this one.
Best Fantasy Football Draft Strategy Round 2, Pick 12:
Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City
Another realistic option that I would prefer equally (or more) would be Travis Etienne.
You may be wondering why I am going with a 2nd running back instead of going with the “Hero RB” strategy that has become so popular lately. Well, the answer is fairly simple: If I wait until the 4th/5th-round turn rather than grab a running back right here, I run the risk of settling for a boom-or-bust RB2 and have almost no insurance if McCaffrey goes down with an injury.
My personal philosophy is always to zig when others zag. Over the last few years, more and more are punting the running back position to favor wide receivers. Is this a bad strategy? No, it’s not. However, I think there is an advantage to be had if you prioritize running backs while others do not.
By grabbing Pacheco or Etienne, you’ll have two different running backs who have a legitimate chance of being the overall RB1 of the 2024 season. Pacheco will see a massive workload on the NFL’s best offense, and Etienne gets a ton of work in the passing game that can greatly increase his production, especially in PPR leagues. In my opinion, there are only 8 running backs in the entire league that could potentially finish at the top of the position for fantasy, and these two players are certainly on the list. If you nail this pick correctly, you’ll be getting significantly more points from your running back room than anyone else in the league.
Best Fantasy Football Draft Strategy Round 3, Pick 1:
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay
Other realistic options include Brandon Aiyuk, Davante Adams, or if you’re feeling frisky, Malik Nabers
Now that we’ve cemented our running back room, we’re going to stack the receiver room. Ideally, five or six of our next seven picks will be receivers – as we’ve got some ground to make up on those that went receiver early.
I’ll be fully transparent: we are not going to draft the #1 overall wide receiver of 2024 with the options we have here, but we certainly can land one that can finish in the top 10. I believe that Evans, Aiyuk, and Adams have the best chance at that.
Aiyuk would be my top choice, though, with his ADP (average draft position) and the looming trade rumors, he may not be as safe for production as we think. After him, my preference does turn to Mike Evans, whose situation has not changed since 2023 and is as locked and loaded as they come for 1,000+ receiving yards and a healthy dose of touchdowns. You can do a lot worse than him at your WR1 spot.
Best Fantasy Football Draft Strategy Round 4, Pick 12:
George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh
Other options include Tee Higgins, Cooper Kupp, DK Metcalf, Devonta Smith and Amari Cooper
Again, we’re gearing up to stack our receiving room, so unless someone falls that shouldn’t (always be prepared to make judgment calls on draft day), we’re gonna stick to the plan.
Of the entire list I included for this pick, I think Pickens might be my favorite, albeit he may also be the riskiest.
Pickens ranked 37th of all wide receivers in catchable targets last season. However, he was 16th overall in receiving yards and had the same amount of touchdowns (5) as Amari Cooper, Chris Olave, Michael Pittman, Jaylen Waddle, and a handful of other receivers who are being drafted over him. Pickens (106 total targets) is also the only player in the NFL who averaged 18+ yards per reception and saw more than 35 targets in 2024.
It’s no secret that the state of the quarterback position for Pittsburgh has been absolutely abysmal as of late. However, their luck is poised to turn around in 2024. They’ve brought in both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to compete for the starting job, both of which have supported top-notch fantasy receivers in their career (DJ Moore for Justin Fields, DK Metcalf & Tyler Lockett for Russell Wilson). You can rebuttal that any way you’d like, but the fact of the matter is that Wilson and/or Fields cannot possibly be worse than the combo of Kenny Pickett and Mitchell Trubisky that the Steelers were previously rolling with.
This spells positive regression for Pickens. He should be on the receiving end of high-quality targets (and more targets in general) which should lead to an uptick in catches, yards, and touchdowns. On top of that, the Steelers have also traded away Pickens’ biggest threat to receiving work in Diontae Johnson earlier in the offseason which only further cements the claim that Pickens is due for a breakout in 2024.
Best Fantasy Football Draft Strategy Round 5, Pick 1:
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati
Other options include George Pickens, Cooper Kupp, D.K. Metcalf, DeVonta Smith and Amari Cooper
Higgins has disappointed many who have drafted him over the last couple of seasons, but his price tag has finally dropped to a point where I think he may be a sneaky value.
Furthermore, Higgins is in a contract year in which he will be fighting tooth and nail to show the NFL what he’s got. It’s a near-lock that he will not be back with the Bengals in 2025, so he’ll need to showcase his skills if he wants to be the top-paid receiver in next year’s free agency. Personally, I think he’ll get it done.
He’s always been a big-bodied skillful receiver who makes highlight-reel catches; he’s just been overshadowed by injuries and sharing the field with Ja’Marr Chase. We’ve seen him catch 74+ balls for over 1,000 yards and 6+ touchdowns in multiple years and I think he’ll have a real shot at setting career numbers in 2024.
He’ll need to be lucky enough to stay healthy to make it happen (his injuries have not been recurring/predictable, so please don’t label him as injury-prone), but with Joe Burrow at full speed and Ja’Marr Chase helping to keep defenses honest, I see no reason why Tee can’t become a 250+ point fantasy player this season. He’s priced as a top-25 receiver but could easily flirt with top-15 numbers. We’re taking some risks in this draft, but scared money don’t make any money!
Best Fantasy Football Draft Strategy Rounds 6-8:
Two Receivers and a Tight End (but stay fluid!)
Around round 6, your pre-draft plan will start to fall apart. It’s almost impossible to successfully guess what your draft will look like by this point in the draft, but you should still go in with a loose idea.
Personally, my priorities for this range are going to be another wide receiver and my starting tight end. Then, I’ll follow it up with a bench option either at receiver or running back depending on how the board shakes up.
Rather than tell you exactly who to go for here, I’m going to tell you the best values to look out for, and you can make the calls as you go.
Best Fantasy Football Values in Rounds 6-8
Evan Engram (ADP 67 overall) just had 143 targets in 2023. That is the 2nd-most tight end targets of all time. Ultimately, he finished as the TE2 but is only the 7th tight end off the board in most cases. At cost, he may be the best tight end overall to target in 2024.
Rashee Rice (ADP 72 overall) is a controversial pick due to the likeliness of a suspension. With that being said, there’s no denying that the guy is talented and is tied to the best quarterback in football. There was a quote I saw recently on X that really showcases just how special Rice might be as a player:
Kyler Murray (ADP 83 overall) now has a potentially elite wide receiver to throw to in Marvin Harrison Jr., along with a top-3 tight end in Trey McBride. He’s also got some massive upside as a rushing quarterback. I am not typically a fan of drafting a quarterback this early, but if he’s available for me in the 8th round, or if I don’t love the board in the 7th, he’s definitely a target of mine.
Jonathan Brooks (ADP 91 overall) will likely be slow to start the year, so his current price is probably justified. However, he could be a true league-winner, as he’s slated to take over as Carolina’s RB1 at some point during the season. Carolina traded up for him and made him the first running back selected in the 2024 NFL Draft for a reason… they’re excited to get him rolling.
Keon Coleman (ADP 98 overall) is an uncertain prospect, but he could not have stepped into a better situation. He’s the only big-bodied receiver in Josh Allen’s offense and will have every opportunity to seize the role of WR1 in Buffalo. I’m not sure how much we can realistically expect in year one, but I don’t think a 1,000-yard rookie campaign would surprise anyone.
Best Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Rounds 9-15
Now is the time to fill out the rest of your roster. If you haven’t grabbed a quarterback by now, I’d highly recommend taking one very soon. By round ten, your options are scarce, but Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa, Kirk Cousins, and a few others should still be out there. There is undoubtedly some upside to be found there.
On top of that, you should absolutely be drafting 2 or 3 running backs for your bench. By this point in the draft, there aren’t any quality starting running backs available, so you’ll want to focus on players who will potentially have a big opportunity if their starter goes down with an injury. You could also target those that should see a bit more volume than the average back.
My favorite double-digit round starting running backs would be Gus Edwards, Chase Brown, and Ezekiel Elliott. Chuba Hubbard is another interesting option, as he should see the lion’s share in Carolina before Brooks is ready for action.
The best handcuff options include Blake Corum, Zach Charbonnet, Tyler Allgeier, and rookie running back Tyrone Tracy.
Best Late-Round Picks In Fantasy Football Drafts
Some late fliers for receivers include Curtis Samuel, Tyler Lockett, Romeo Doubs, Adonai Mitchell, Xavier Legette, Troy Franklin, Jerry Jeudy, Mike Williams, and Quentin Johnston, but you should only be targeting these guys if you have your starting quarterback, tight end, and at least two bench running backs.
Then of course you need to draft a kicker and defense, which should always come in the last two rounds. It doesn’t really matter what you go with at these positions, as chances are you’ll be adding/dropping them multiple times during the season. With that being said, my favorite targets are Ka’imi Fairbairn and Baltimore’s defense, as they have both produced decent fantasy numbers before, and their BYE weeks are both in week 14 which will give me one less thing to worry about for most of the season.
Best Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, the best fantasy football draft strategy is securing the first pick in your fantasy draft, which can be more of a blessing than a curse, but you’ve got to be prepared. Just because I’ve detailed a handful of guys that should be available in rounds two through eight doesn’t guarantee that any of them will actually be there for you to draft.
You can read all of the articles you want and seek out as much help as you possibly can, but at the end of the day, it’s your fantasy draft. Do your research but make your own set of rankings and go into draft day with a few different plans depending on how the board shakes out.
The most important thing is that you remember when it comes to the best fantasy football draft strategy is to have fun with it. Oh, and draft Christian McCaffrey if you have the 1.01.
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