Draft Strategy: 7th in a 12-team Half-PPR League
With many re-draft fantasy football leagues drafting soon, preparing and strategizing is important, which means participating in as many mock drafts as possible. Mock drafts are a great way to understand how a typical draft may play out, especially if you already know your draft position. Of course, mock drafts will never be able to simulate everything that may happen in a real draft. When drafting with real people, there will always be head-scratching selections and runs on positions that you weren’t expecting, forcing you to pivot away from any plan you had coming into the draft. As you know, you cannot win your league during the draft, but you can make things much easier or more difficult for yourself. This article will discuss the best strategy for the 4th pick in your 12-team Half-PPR league, and who you may want to target on draft day.
Round 1
Depending on which ADP list or rankings list you’re looking at, sometimes Ja’Marr Chase (because of his current holdout) falls in drafts. If that happens, grab him. Joe Burrow appears to be healthy and as the No. 1 target in the offense, Chase should be able to have a bounce-back campaign after having a down year in 2023. Chase has the upside to finish as the overall WR1 when on the field. But I expect a deal to get done and Chase’s ADP to rise, making him unavailable. If that’s the case then Amon-Ra St. Brown would be my next target. St. Brown is coming off a season with 119 receptions (164 targets), 1,515 yards, and 10 touchdowns. He finished as the WR3. He should again demand a ton of targets on one of the most explosive offenses in the league.
Ideal Pick: Ja’Marr Chase
Other Options: Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, Justin Jefferson, Jonathan Taylor, Saquon Barkley
Round 2 and Round 3
Heading into the second round I’d be looking toward running back. There is still plenty of high-level value at WR in Round 3, but after the second round, the drop-off at running back is steep. Travis Etienne is an ideal target. Etienne has two straight seasons of over 1,400 total yards and finished as the RB3 in 2023. He is still just 25 years old and is one of the best dual-threat backs in the league. With Calvin Ridley no longer on the team, Etienne could be even more involved in the passing game. In Round 2 then I’d get my WR2. My favorite target is Texans WR Nico Collins. There are a lot of mouths to feed in Houston but Collins should be at the top of the pecking order and is coming off a season with 1,297 yards and 8 touchdowns en route to a WR9 finish. He could be even better in 2024.
Ideal Picks: Travis Etienne, Nico Collins
Other Options: Marvin Harrison Jr., Isiah Pacheco, Derrick Henry, Mike Evans, Brandon Aiyuk, Rachaad White
Round 4 and Round 5
Full disclosure, Trey McBride is one of my favorite Round 4 selections. In my estimation, he is one of four tight ends with overall TE1 upside. 2023 was a breakout season for McBride. He caught 81 of 106 targets for 825 yards and three touchdowns and finished as the TE9 and finished as a top 7 tight end or better in six of his final 10 games. With only Marvin Harrison Jr. as his competition for targets, McBride is at worst the No. 2 option for Kyler Murray, but he could be the No. 1 option while Harrison Jr. takes time to develop. McBride is a tight end likely to produce like a wide receiver. After McBride, continue dipping your toes in the wide receiver pool. Tee Higgins is a great target for your WR3. He is the clear WR2 on his team, but with a healthy Joe Burrow, he could be more of a 1B to Ja’Marr Chase’s 1A. This gives Higgins the chance to produce mid-range WR2 numbers, with the upside for more if Chase were to miss time. Sign me up.
Ideal Picks: Trey McBride, Tee Higgins
Other Options: Mark Andrews, Joe Mixon, DeVonta Smith, Rhamondre Stevenson, Malik Nabers, James Conner
Round 6 and Round 7
In Round 6 if you’re able to stack Trey McBride with Kyler Murray, do it. A stack can give you a weekly advantage. It’s also just fun every time it hits. Murray is also a good mid-round QB target because his rushing ability creates a high floor. Murray has the upside to finish as a top-five QB. After that, you’ll have to grab your RB2 because after Round 7 the remaining RBs feel more like depth pieces than legitimate starters. My favorite target here is Tony Pollard. Pollard looked good in his first preseason game, rushing four times for 35 yards. Pollard finished as a top 15 running back in 2023 and has that same upside in 2024. He will be part of a committee with Tyjae Spears, but Pollard should be the 1A in this backfield and will contribute in both the passing game and running game. Pollard is a great hero-RB or zero-RB target who should produce as an RB2 with upside.
Ideal Picks: Kyler Murray, Tony Pollard
Other Options: Jordan Love, Tank Dell, Najee Harris, Chris Godwin, Zack Moss, Rashee Rice
Round 8 and Round 9
With a well-balanced team, depth is the name of the game in rounds 8 and 9. Javonte Williams has cemented himself as the starter and the best running back option in Denver. Williams was barely a top-30 running back in 2023, but the Broncos offense could be greatly improved in 2024. Rookie QB Bo Nix has looked the part in preseason and Williams has been involved in both the running and passing game in his limited preseason action. He won’t win you any weeks, but Williams is someone you can draft and stash on your bench who could develop into a solid flex with RB2 upside. Christian Watson should also be on your radar in Round 9. So far Watson has been a disappointment because he’s found it difficult to stay on the field. But when healthy he might be the best receiver on the Packers and with Jordan Love (who was a major surprise last season) throwing him the ball, if he ends up being his go-to target he will easily outperform his ADP of 99th overall.
Ideal Picks: Javonte Williams, Christian Watson
Other Options: Rome Odunze, Xavier Worthy, Brian Robinson, Jr., Tyjae Spears, Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams
Late Rounds/Recap
In the late rounds the strategy is pretty much the same in all formats from all draft positions. The late rounds are when you take rookies with upside or players who are just an injury away from becoming a key contributor. You can also take a backup QB or TE, but I tend to pass on that strategy. There’s not enough value in selecting players who will only play on bye weeks. The one exception to this is if you end up with Jayden Daniels or Caleb Williams as your starting QB. In that scenario, I would look to grab someone like Jared Goff or Tua Tagovailoa in these late rounds. Otherwise, it’s best to load up on wide receivers and running backs. Some great targets are Keon Coleman, Gus Edwards, Courtland Sutton, Brian Thomas Jr., Khalil Shakir, Rico Dowdle, Chuba Hubbard, Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Wright, and Ty Chandler.
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