If you follow me on Twitter or have seen me on the Footballguys Best Ball Show, you know that I love drafting. It's my favorite part about fantasy football. I have logged over 500 drafts already this offseason. While it's important to be fluid in your draft strategies and let the board come to you, here are some of the biggest takeaways I've learned regarding player values heading into the 2022 fantasy football season.
The Top 5
In the first round, there’s a very clear-cut top-five. You can shuffle these players around in any order you feel comfortable, but here is how I am drafting them.
- Christian McCaffrey
- Jonathan Taylor
- Justin Jefferson
- Cooper Kupp
- JaMarr Chase
If I'm picking inside the top-five, I'm not taking anyone outside of these players. If I'm picking between1.06-1.08, I'm hoping that one slides to me.
Now the Draft Starts
In my opinion, the draft really starts once those five are off the board. Like with the top five, there's a pretty obvious list of guys to target in the next tier, and I'll mix up who I take here. All of these players have the potential to be No. 1 at their position but carry a bit more risk than the tier ahead. Picking players in this tier comes entirely down to personal preference.
The Back of Round 1
This year, for whatever reason, running back values are sliding. I prefer double-tapping running backs if I’m picking near the end of the first round. Anchoring a team with two of these running backs is a safe bet. If both hit, you're set up to dominate your league. And if one gets injured or busts, you've got another option. All of these running backs have some risk associated with their value, be it age, injury history, legal problems, or workload uncertainty. But the ceilings for each of these backs are sky-high.
- Joe Mixon
- DAndre Swift
- Saquon Barkley
- Aaron Jones
- Alvin Kamara
- Leonard Fournette
- Derrick Henry
- Najee Harris
Back to Wide Receivers
You may have noticed that I've glossed over quite a few wide receivers. While I am happy to draft Jefferson, Kupp, Chase, or Diggs in Round 1, this tier of receivers doesn't seem to be exceptionally better than the guys you can get in the next round. I find myself passing on these wide receivers unless they slide well past ADP.
Their values are fair, and there's no shame in drafting them. I simply prefer the running backs and tight ends available in Round 2 more.
Targeting Tight Ends
About halfway through Round 2, I have my eyes set on two primary targets.
These young tight ends are in the same tier as Kelce for me and can be had nearly 20 picks later in your draft. Lock in a massive positional advantage by taking guys with TE1 firmly in their range of outcomes.