Fantasy Football Redraft: Middle Pick Draft Strategy

Football is quickly approaching, and many people are starting their fantasy football drafts. No matter the platform, the fantasy football strategy is generally the same. And the middle is a strong spot with the current draft boards heading into the season. Even though you struck out on a top pick, you will still have an elite option at running back or wide receiver. Let’s dive into the approach you can take in our mid-pick draft strategy.

Fantasy Football Strategy

For this exercise, we will use FantasyPros 1 QB PPR ADP and give you an idea of who will be available in each round. Brandon did a great job breaking it down in his article for the later picks in the draft. I will limit the overlay, but there will likely be some.

Round 1

Candidates: Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson

In fantasy football, I love to play edges, and there’s no player who accomplishes that more than Kelce. Do not get me wrong; this scenario has no bad pick. However, I have Saquon a tier below these other players.

Kelce will likely finish as the TE1 again this year. It is commonly said you can’t win your league in round 1, but you can lose it. Kelce is one of the safest picks with upside no other player possesses at the position. If I had to rank them:

1. Travis Kelce
2. Bijan Robinson
3. Tyreek Hill
4. Saquon Barkley

Round 2

Candidates: Patrick Mahomes, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jonathan Taylor, Garrett Wilson,

If you go Kelce in the first round, I would not fault you for trying to stack him with Mahomes in the second. If that is not an option, you should attack one of the positions you missed in round 1. However, the receiver position is easier to address in the second round if Tony Pollard is off the board.

Right now, Jonathan Taylor would be there, according to ADP. He would have been my pick, but it’s reported that he will now miss the first four games of the season; which leaves Garrett Wilson as my top option for Round 2 with Aaron Rodgers under center for the Jets.

Round 3

Candidates: Devonta Smith, Tee Higgins, Jahmyr Gibbs, Calvin Ridley

Higgins or Smith will provide substantial value as your WR1 if faithful to the ADP. Do not worry that they are not the first receiver on the depth chart. They will still get the required volume to succeed in their high-powered offenses. I will take Smith over Higgins by the slightest margins. If you went receiver in round 2, I would rank Gibbs as my first choice.

1. Devonta Smith
2. Tee Higgins
3. Jahmyr Gibbs
4. Calvin Ridley

Round 4

Candidates: Dameon Pierce, Keenan Allen, Breece Hall, Amari Cooper

It is easy to determine what position to take here; receivers have more quality options later later in the draft. So the real question is, do you trust Pierce in the Texans offense or Hall’s repaired knee?

Even in round four, every running back from here on out will have questions. I will buy into the hype with the camp videos and hope Hall can recapture the magic he had last season with the Jets. Both receivers have major upside in PPR and can provide stability at the position.

1. Breece Hall
2. Amari Cooper
3. Keenan Allen
4. Dameon Pierce

Round 5

Candidates: DJ Moore, Darren Waller, DeAndre Hopkins, Cam Akers

In this group, Moore feels like he stands out above the rest, especially in a Kelce build. It is obvious that Fields and Moore are developing chemistry. We have also seen what a star receiver can do for a young quarterback. Lean into that trend here and take the high-upside receiver.

1. DJ Moore
2. Darren Waller (without Kelce)
3. Deandre Hopkins
4. Cam Akers

Round 6

Candidates: Drake London, Brandon Aiyuk, D’Andre Swift, James Cook

I love this range, and it is because of what is available at the receiver position. We can see breakouts for both Aiyuk and London this season. They do have problems holding each of them back, however.

For London, it’s the quarterback. For Aiyuk, it’s volume and his superstar teammates. I still love both options in round 6 with their ceilings this season. If I had to make a choice between the two running backs, I would pick Swift over Cook, but it would be close.

1. Drake London
2. Brandon Aiyuk
3. D’Andre Swift
4. James Cook

Round 7

Candidates: Diontae Johnson, David Montgomery, George Pickens, Marquise Brown

Diontae is a step above the rest in my eyes when it comes to this range. He will draw another elite target share this year, as will Brown. However, the regression will hit, and Diontae will find the endzone at least once this season. As a flex, Diontae would provide excellent value for any fantasy football team.

1. Diontae Johnson
2. Marquise Brown
3. David Montgomery
4. George Pickens

Round 8

Candidates: Jahan Dotson, Jordan Addison, Zach Charbonnet

Brandon already wrote about Dotson, who would be my first choice. I also think Dotson is poised for a breakout. However, Zach Charbonnet can be a great value in fantasy football drafts. You spend a second-round pick on a running back to put him on the field. I like Charbonnest as a depth option for the position this year.

1. Jahan Dotson
2. Zach Charbonnet
3. Jordan Addison

Rest of Draft – Sleepers

Tank Bigsby: I believe Bigsby will carve out a nice role this season for the Jaguars. He will have some standalone value, and if Travis Etienne ever has to miss time, he will be a lineup lock.

Roschon Johnson: Similar to Bigsby, but Johnson has a higher upside. I can see Johnson winning the Bears’ job, whereas Bigsby can not. Johnson is a talented back who got stuck behind Bijan in college.

Jakobi Meyers: I think Meyers has the chance to be a solid flex play with Jimmy Garoppolo starting in Las Vegas. The defenses will be keying in on Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs, so Meyers should have plenty of opportunity. He is a talented player and well worth the late-round flier.

If you would like to see our full list of rankings, head over to www.theleaguewinners.com to see rankings from our entire staff.