Three Draft Strategies to Win Your Last Five Picks

Photo: Brian Spurlock, USA Today Sports

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The goal at Footballguys is simple: We want to help you win more fantasy championships. While you may not win the trophy at your draft, you can build the foundation.

You undoubtedly have great players in mind that you want to land in the first five rounds. You probably even have some sleepers to target and busts to avoid in Rounds 6-10. Of course, you're using our tools, so I am sure that your team will look like a winner before you even hit the last five rounds. But what you do to end your draft can make that journey to the championship easier.

When it comes to Rounds 11-15, drafters can become robotic. They want to fill their last few spots and call it a day. Some will look for dart throws and handcuffs. Most will add their kicker and team defense. Nothing is inherently wrong with this, but it's also not setting them up for success. So instead, here are three strategies for your last five picks that will set you apart from your league.

Plan for Week 1

The issue with the robotic approach is when they skim the draft board, they have no plan. Instead, most just look for a name they've heard and add them to their roster. If the player doesn't show immediate promise, he's usually cut in favor of Week 1's hottest waiver target.

This strategy is a direct counter to that problem. You still get to leave your draft with a traditional roster. It's just put together with a goal in mind.

If you previously played fantasy football, you know the massive value players can gain and lose after the season's first games. So when you hit these rounds, think about Week 1.

First and foremost, you are not drafting your defense and kicker until your last two picks, with no exceptions. Later, we'll talk about skipping them altogether, but some leagues may not allow that, or maybe you prefer to have them. That's fine; just make sure you land the right ones.

Choosing your kicker is easy: pick a good offense. Usually, the weather won't play a significant factor in September but maybe lean towards someone with an opening game in a dome.

With defense, all that matters is the Week 1 matchup. Even the best fantasy defenses are only relevant in half their games. So, look for teams playing against a bad offense on the opening weekend. After that, you can plan to stream the position all season, searching out the best matchups. Our Sigmund Bloom has a weekly article giving you the best options for the position.

For your picks in Rounds 11, 12, and 13, focus on players that will at least see the field in Week 1. There are still starters on your board, and you should prioritize them.

They will be easier to find at wide receiver. Look for players making their debut with a new quarterback or returning from injury. Kenny Golladay comes to mind in this range. You don't want a perennial top-50 wide receiver with no upside. You'll never start them, and they have no trade value. You want players with an unknown ceiling that could pop in Week 1.

Finding solid running backs is a little trickier but not impossible. Typically, third-down backs and passing specialists fall. Think Nyheim Hines. Players that only do one thing, but that thing has massive fantasy value. The point of this strategy is to leave with pieces that should score fantasy points in Week 1. You should know what you have immediately and can utilize or trade them early in the season.

Plan for Trade Bait