It’s that time of year—the NFL season is less than a month away, and it’s time to dive back into Fantasy Football research. So, we decided to make things easier by breaking down some of our favorite players by position to help simplify your draft day. We’re giving you a handy cheat sheet to reference, so when the countdown begins and you’re frantically searching for another WR, you won’t end up with a dud!
This cheat sheet was made for a league with 10 to 12 players playing half PPR without a super flex spot. If you’re in a two QB league or have a different number of players, this probably isn’t the best sheet for you to use.
When discussing quarterbacks, four will stand out most this season: Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, and Lamar Jackson. Allen is likely to be the first quarterback taken in any fantasy draft, but if you’re searching for the best quarterback in the league, don’t hesitate to pick Allen in the mid to late second round. If he’s gone, Jackson or Hurts are also excellent options. Daniels is an impressive second choice after a fantastic rookie season, though he may be a bit riskier since we haven’t seen him perform this consistently over the long term.
After these four, you should probably wait until around the sixth round to draft a QB. Mahomes or Burrow will usually be among the next QBs, but don’t worry about prioritizing Mahomes. In fantasy football, he’s been disappointing over the last two years, so it might be best to let him slide this year.
With last year’s fantasy season being dominated by RBs, this year might see a shift back towards WRs. Still, there are some elite options at RB if you’re looking. With an amazing RB rookie class this year, considering picking up Omarion Hampton or RJ Harvey later in the draft around the sixth round.
As for top players, it’s the usual suspects up top with Barkley, Henry, Bijion, and Gibbs looking like excellent first-round pickups. Christian McCaffrey is going to be the make-or-break first-rounder this year.
With so many usable WRs this year, some standouts still shine through. Notably, at the top of the list, Ja'Marr Chase will probably be the first player selected. Other excellent choices include Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, and Amon-Ra St. Brown in the first round. Some late-round names to watch are Xavier Worthy on KC or George Pickens on Dallas, both offering high upside midrange options. Beyond that, there are plenty of reliable WRs in the league this year. So, drafting RBs might be a smart move this year.