Drafting 10th Spot In A 12 Team PPR League
Picking from the back of the draft has become my favorite thing when drafting in my home leagues. There are pros and cons at different draft positions, but it's all about maximizing your draft from the position to the best of your ability. Granted picking in the rear of the draft won't allow you to get players like Christian McCaffery or Ceedee Lamb this season but there are still plenty of players to choose from picking from the 10th spot. But before you head into your drafts, there are a few things you want to keep in mind after you find out where you're drafting.
For starters, ensuring you have a strategy is the smartest way to go. Having a plan of attack instead of going in blind will allow you to have success in your home draft. You should also keep in mind how your league mates like to draft. If you have been in a home league for a while, you may be able to pick up on how certain guys draft. I know there's a lot of information in the fantasy football world but I rarely see this talking point. No matter how you plan or what ADP charts you may follow, your home leagues will find a way to screw it up whether it's intentional or not. That's why it's important to know your league mates, at least a little, and be flexible in your draft strategy.
And speaking of ADP, it's not set in stone. I mean that ADP is a constantly fluctuating system that helps fantasy managers track the draft positions of players for fantasy football. However, it should be used more like a guide than a "set in stone" law. Trust me when I tell you that going strictly with ADP is a surefire way to lose the draft and your season. But now that we got a few nuggets out of the way, let's get into a method of attack for drafting at the 10th overall spot in a 12-team PPR league.
Drafting From The 10th Spot
Now that your strategy is ready, it's time to head into the draft and make it happen. One thing you're looking for when drafting in the back of the draft is a way to capitalize on high-volume players that have fallen to you. Like I said before, unless your league mates are cavemen you won't be getting players like Christian McCaffrey or Ceedee Lamb in the back of the first round. That doesn't mean you still can't clean up. Because there's so much talent on the board, you feel like you want all of the players. However, the focus should remain that you want to target high-volume players in good offenses during the first three to four rounds. These players will be your "spearhead" for your fantasy team.
If you're going wide receiver, players like AJ Brown, Puka Nacua, and Davante Adams will be around this area for you to choose. Also, remember that you may want to consider a running back at this point too. There may be a few more names at the running back position than there were in the past but this is where you can also pick up bell-cow backs that showcase versatility like Breece Hall and Bijan Robinson. Keep in mind that the running back position still isn't as deep as you think. There is a significant drop-off after the third or fourth round as more backs are sharing workloads than the guys at the top. What I've done in this past is during the first three rounds go WR, RB, WR. It allows you to get at least three big contributors that can lead your fantasy team. You get two high-volume wide receivers and a bell-cow pass-catching running back to take the lead. Depending on how the board continues, you can scoop up a high-producing running back as your RB2 later on in the draft in the fourth or fifth round like Joe Mixon or David Montgomery.
When Should You Target The Tight End/Quarterback Position?
This area can be a little tricky. There are only so many tight ends to choose from and I think we all know, unless you're new to fantasy football and are reading this (welcome, by the way), that after the top 5 guys, there's a drop. But that doesn't mean you still can't find good talent at tight end. For example, last season Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was being drafted in the ninth round in PPR formats. Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was being drafted in the eighth round. Despite being taken later in the draft, both tight ends finished in the top 10. So if your strategy doesn't involve reaching for guys like Travis Kelce or Sam LaPorta in the early rounds, look to add the tight end later on in the draft. Just don't wait too long. While you are passing on the position at the start of your draft, this allows you to further build your fantasy firepower and depth at the running back and wide receiver positions.
By employing this strategy, you're adding solid depth at those key positions and stacking up potential trade pieces and backups for your team in case of injury. You'll want to do just that—last season when I lost De'Von Achane for a few weeks and I needed to recover that production. Last season I lost Aaron Rodgers and had some glaring holes in my team that needed immediate fixing. I ended up trading Eagles WR AJ Brown for two pieces to help me win my league. One of those was Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua. I already drafted Amari Cooper and Nico Collins so my receivers were stacked. The point is that by adding depth, you can make moves later on and command a higher price on performing players should the need arise.
When choosing when to take a quarterback, you can wait and grab a quarterback in the later rounds. Because there's so much more depth at the position and the top 12 quarterbacks are the prize you can't wait to see how the board falls when targeting the quarterback position. If you know what quarterback you want to target before the draft, that might be the best way to start your attack. For example, Dak Prescott finished as a top 3 fantasy quarterback last season but is still coming off draft boards this season as the QB8. And there are other quarterbacks to target that could also pan out like Kyler Murray (QB10), Jared Goff (QB12), and even Justin Herbert (QB15) who are solid options to round out your fantasy team. There are plenty of options at quarterback outside of the more popular guys but that's why it's important to build a stellar roster instead. Remember, when you reach for a position you're allowing players to fall to other teams. So if you were to take a quarterback early in the draft, you're allowing higher-ranked players to fall into enemy hands.
What About The Rest Of The Draft?
Once your starting positions are filled and you have solid depth at the running back and wide receiver positions, it's time to start targeting your "upside" guys. This could be players like rookies or players that could be valued in fantasy football. For example, Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston is a player who's on my target list and can be drafted much later. When you're starting to head into the double-digit rounds, rookies appealing too. Jaguars rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr is a player that has major upside as part of the Jacksonville passing offense, per Fantasydata's ADP chart, Thomas is coming off the boards as the WR49. You can also check for any handcuff players later in the draft. If you have a stud running back like Bijan Robinson for example, swinging back around to grab Tyler Allegier would be a wise move just in case.
While I would rather build up a stable of running backs and have assets to trade in case of emergency, every fantasy manager's strategy is different. Just make sure to keep your eyes open on the draft. And if your league draft has alcohol in it, you might want to stay away from it if you're a lightweight. You don't want anything throwing you off your game when drafting your team.
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