Draft Strategy: 9th Spot in a 12-team Half-PPR League
Football season is right around the corner, and if you’re like me you like to wait as long as possible to start drafting. That way any injuries, holdouts, or anything that can impact the value of a player should be known. But with the busiest week in fantasy football drafting approaching, it’s important to start participating in mock drafts. This is particularly true if you know your draft spot. Even if you don’t though, it’s a good idea to do several drafts to get a feel for who may be available to you at various points in the draft. This article will discuss the ninth draft spot in a 12-team Half-PPR league and who you may want to target. Let’s dive in.
Round 1
Coming into this season, there is a consensus top eight in fantasy drafts. They are Christian McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson, Breece Hall, Ja’Marr Chase, and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
This makes the 9th spot very interesting because you have to decide who is the best of the next tier. Who you decide on will depend on how you like to build your squad. If I miss out on the top three running backs, I prefer to target top-tier wide receivers in the first round. My favorite available wide receiver at this point in the draft is A.J. Brown. Since joining the Eagles in 2022, Brown has been incredible. In his first season in Philadelphia Brown caught 88 of 145 targets for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns. Last season, he finished with 106 receptions on 158 targets for 1,456 and seven touchdowns. In both seasons he was a top-seven WR. With an improved run game and a QB in Jalen Hurts whose numbers have improved every single year, Brown could be even better in 2024
Ideal Pick: A.J. Brown
Other Options: Garrett Wilson, Saquon Barkley, Jahymr Gibbs, Jonathan Taylor
Round 2 and Round 3
In Round 2, I like to take a hero or anchor-RB strategy by grabbing a consensus top-10 player. That makes Kyren Williams a great pick. Williams was a huge surprise in 2023 finishing with 1,350 total yards and 15 total touchdowns. The presence of Blake Corum may scare some managers, but not me. Corum may be involved, but when Sean McVay finds a running back he likes, he sticks with him, and McVay likes Williams. Round 3 is a good time to get your WR2. Mike Evans is a great target. Evans is 31 years old and lacks the upside of some of the younger players in this range, but since joining the NFL in 2014, Evans has had at least 1,000 yards receiving in every season. He is also coming off a very productive season of 79 receptions, 1,255 yards, and 13 touchdowns. The decline will happen at some point, but he has shown no signs of it yet and is a good bet to score double-digit touchdowns once again. This makes him a great, consistent WR2 after securing the upside of A.J. Brown in Round 1.
Ideal Picks: Kyren Williams, Mike Evans
Other Options: Marvin Harrison, Jr., Travis Etienne Jr., Drake London, James Cook, Jaylen Waddle, Cooper Kupp
Round 4 and Round 5
In Round 4 I’d target Joe Mixon who has been quietly productive throughout his career, and is coming off a 2023 season of 1,410 total yards and 12 touchdowns. A change of scenery could mean even better things for Mixon. The Texans’ passing game should be even more electric this year, but the Texans’ coaching staff still wants to run the ball and chose to upgrade the position with Joe Mixon. Mixon is a great RB2 with RB1 upside. In Round 5, I’d pivot to tight end. This year I prefer to get one of my top eight ranked players at the position, and top four if the draft falls right. If Andrews is available here, I’d grab him. He had a down season in 2023 due to injury but he should still be Lamar Jackson’s favorite target now that he’s back and could be a touchdown magnet. Andrews is toward the top of a list that includes a handful of players who have overall TE1 upside.
Ideal Picks: Joe Mixon, Mark Andrews
Other Options: Kenneth Walker, DJ Moore, DeVonta Smith, David Montgomery, Kyle Pitts, Alvin Kamara, George Pickens
Round 6 and Round 7
In Round 6, I like Terry McLaurin, especially with the departure of Jahan Dotson. McLaurin was barely a top-30 wide receiver in 2023, but he has been the epitome of consistency with four straight seasons of at least 1,000 yards receiving and four touchdowns. With no competition for targets and a rookie QB who looks every bit the part of a starting-caliber NFL QB, McLaurin could be in line for the best season of his career. In Round 7, I’d double-dip at wide receiver and target new Titans’ receiver Calvin Ridley. Teammate Deandre Hopkins is dealing with a knee issue but is expected to be ready for Week 1. Still, there have been reports that QB Will Levis and Ridley are developing a nice connection, and at 29 years old, Ridley is three years younger than Hopkins. There is a clear path to Ridley being the No. 1 target in this offense and producing decent WR2 numbers at a WR3 price.
Ideal Picks: Terry McLaurin, Calvin Ridley
Other Options: Tank Dell, Kyler Murray, Christian Kirk, Jordan Love, Jake Ferguson, Jayden Reed, Tony Pollard
Round 8 and Round 9
I love waiting on quarterback this year and pairing one of the top two rookies with a veteran signal-caller. I’d opt for Jayden Daniels. Daniels serves two purposes. He is a dual-threat QB who, if things go well for him, has the upside to break fantasy this year. It also completes a stack with Terry McLaurin which, when it hits, is extremely fun to have on your roster and can give you a weekly advantage. There was some question coming into the NFL Draft if Daniels should go No. 1 overall. That remains to be seen, but in the eighth round, it’s worth it to find out. Then I’d target a high-upside younger running back in Tyjae Spears. The Bengals’ Chase Brown is also an option, but I slightly prefer Spears. Tony Pollard and Spears are expected to create a 1A/1B committee, so knowing when Spears’ big weeks will be could be difficult. But even as a co-starter, Spears could give you flex production, and if Pollard gets hurt he could be a league-winner.
Ideal Picks: Jayden Daniels, Tyjae Spears
Other Options: Brian Robinson, Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, Jonathon Brooks, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jordan Addison, Christian Watson
Late Rounds/Recap
As is normally the case, in these later rounds a best available approach is preferable. Just be sure to build a balanced roster. Look at young players who could surprise us, as well as players who are an injury away from weekly relevance. You will also want to pair your rookie QB with a steady veteran who will give you consistent numbers early in the season while you wait and see what you have in Daniels. Some options would be Jared Goff, Tua Tagovailoa, and Trevor Lawrence. After that look for high-upside players who could break out as the season goes on, and, if your league plays with a defense and kicker always use your last two picks on those positions.
Possible Options: Jared Goff, Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Lawrence, Chase Brown, Gus Edwards, Jerome Ford, Blake Corum, Courtland Sutton, Keon Coleman, Jameson Williams, Brian Thomas Jr.
Filed under: Free Articles
