- Add Brock Bowers early: Anyone picking at the end of the first round is not in a great position to land a top early quarterback or tight end, but Bowers is the only exception.
- Double up at running back: The third and fourth rounds are the right time to land two high-upside lead running backs.
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Estimated reading time: 13 minutes
This perfect draft strategy for 12-team, single quarterback, redraft, PPR fantasy football leagues uses a consensus of current average draft positions (ADPs) from ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo! to deliver a round-by-round guide for managers picking first overall. To find more information about any player mentioned in this article, click on the player's name to find their fantasy football player profile.
Last updated: Friday, July 11
Round 1, Pick 12: Draft a wide receiver
Anyone picking from the middle of the first round to the end is either picking their top available wide receiver or a running back like Ashton Jeanty or Derrick Henry. There are six wide receivers ranked third to eighth, where seemingly no two analysts have the receivers in the same order. All of them could end up as the top overall wide receiver if everything goes well, but all of them are going through some changes with some combination of new play-callers, new quarterbacks and new competition for targets. In Brian Thomas Jr.’s player profile, I detail why I believe he is the best option of the group, but there are legitimate reasons to pick a different receiver.
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