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Fantasy football: A beginner’s guide to draft strategy

By Jeremy Wohlfart

SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 24: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after scoring on a eight-yard touchdown catch against the Jacksonville Jaguars during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 24: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after scoring on a eight-yard touchdown catch against the Jacksonville Jaguars during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images) /
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SAN FRANCISCO – DECEMBER 14: A San Francisco 49ers helmet sits on the field prior to their game against the Arizona Cardinals at Candlestick Park on December 14, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO – DECEMBER 14: A San Francisco 49ers helmet sits on the field prior to their game against the Arizona Cardinals at Candlestick Park on December 14, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Round 3-4:

Pick No. 1-No. 4

Take the best receiver on the board for the third round. There should be plenty available for you if the predicted run on running backs occurs. Most people like to wait later to draft their first tight end but I actually disagree with this strategy. An elite tight end is like drafting one of the best receivers. Take someone who gets a lot of targets, and it can make a real difference in your team.

For the fourth round, wide receiver or tight end (depending who you take in the third) again.

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Pick No. 5-No. 8

Having two running backs? Take two receivers (wide or tight end). Have a running back and a receiver? Go for a running back. Took two wide receivers? Well then, you didn’t follow the first two rounds of advice but definitely now double up on running backs.

Pick No. 9-No. 12

Pretty much the same as the Nos. 5 to 8 advice. The only exception I might make is, since you’ll be picking at the end of the fifth round, you could look for a quarterback.

People will say wait for the middle rounds for a quarterback and that’s the right decision in most cases. But an elite quarterback is worth a pick late in the fourth- or early fifth-round selections.  If you do want to go QB, Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson or Cam Newton are your best bets.

Some way Russell Wilson, but no way would I make him one of the first three QBs off the board with the turnstiles that the Seattle Seahawks call an offensive line.

At this point, I’m now abandoning the tiered advice, since they pretty much break down the same from here.