Perfect Fantasy Draft: 1st in a 12-Team ESPN PPR League
The 1st overall pick allows you to pick from the entire catalog of skill players in the NFL. You get to be the proverbial kid in the candy store, and you can take any player you like to start your draft. Granted, you have a bit of a wait until you select again, but for the rest of the way, you get to enjoy back-to-back selections, giving you ideal opportunities to start runs in a particular position. The first overall pick is not a chore, but it is a gift.
My plan here is to show you how to dominate your draft on ESPN platforms should you find yourself blessed—and you should count yourself blessed—with the first overall pick position in your 12-team leagues. I will walk through my favorite players in each round that should be available to me and discuss my overall draft strategy from this draft spot.
The 4for4 staff uses the Draft Hero software for all of our leagues. Draft Hero syncs directly to your league and optimizes each pick using projections and value-based rankings from 4for4. Draft Hero lets you customize your draft experience with settings on which rounds you want to draft a position, how many players you want at each position, and players to target or avoid.
For those new to Draft Hero, be sure to explore this walkthrough of the app.
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My Plan of Attack When Drafting 1st
Roster Settings: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex (WR/RB/TE), 1 Kicker, 1 DEF, 7 bench spots
- Land an absolute stud with the first pick - this seems fairly obvious, but occasionally there can be a temptation to get cute with the first pick in the draft. Fight this urge and start your team with a superstar.
- Look for running backs who will catch the ball - the PPR element of this format makes satellite backs valuable commodities, even if they have to share their backfield with other players. Landing players who will be active receivers increases your weekly floor.
- Ignore kickers and DST until the very end of the draft - these are not positions of high priority in fantasy, and a strong case can be made that weekly streaming at these spots is a viable strategy for success. You should ensure that all of your starting spots and at least a few of your backup players are filled before you even contemplate picking a kicker.
Continue reading for a breakdown of my picks through Round 10 and a list of potential late-round targets at each position.
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