Niner Noise
FanSided

Fantasy Football: 10 League-Winning Strategies for 2016 Draft Day

By JD Leidy

Aug 20, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Quinton Patton (11) in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 20, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Quinton Patton (11) in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 12
Next
Dec 27, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks (10) gestures after a catch in the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks (10) gestures after a catch in the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports /

When in Doubt, Draft the Offense, Not the Player

This point dovetails nicely with the prior one on offensive lines. There may be a player whom you love, and for all of the right reasons: speed, size, historical production, etc. But, if he’s pitted against another player with a more productive offense, default to the latter.

For instance, wide receivers ranked Nos. 10-15 heading into the 2016 season are as follows: Alshon Jeffery, Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins, Brandin Cooks and Amari Cooper. Each of these pass catchers is projected to go in the third round.

Who am I taking? You guessed it, the one with the highest-ranked offense.

In 2015, the New Orleans Saints finished as the second-ranked offense with 6,461 total yards. Of course, yards aren’t everything. But the Saints also finished eighth in total points (408).

Compare those numbers to Chicago’s, as an example, that finished 21st in total yards (5,514) and 23rd in total points (335).

In all fairness, Jeffery only played half a season in 2015. So, some regression to the mean can be expected this year. However, if I’m choosing among one of the five receivers above, I’m selecting the one with the best offense: Cooks.

Next: Don't Sleep on Quarterbacks