It’s that time of year, the NFL season is almost here, and fantasy football is officially back on the brain. Whether you’re defending your league title or trying to finally climb out of the basement, draft day is where it all starts. To make things easier, we’ve put together a simple guide on how to approach your draft in a 10–12 player half-PPR league (no superflex). Take this as your guide to avoiding panic grabs, piling up value when it counts, and preparing yourself for a season-long dash toward the playoffs.
Rounds 1 Targets: Ja'Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, CeeDee Lamb. Maybe considering Christian McCaffrey near the end of the first round, he’s a massive wild card with huge upside, but serious injury concerns.
Round 2: Alternating to whatever position you didn’t select in the first round is general a good strategy. So snag a RB if you took a WR and vise versa. If you’re in the middle of the second round you may even want to considering cashing in on Josh Allen early: Nico Collins, Kyren Williams, Brock Bowers, and Josh Allen.
Round 3 Value: Round three you can select basically anyone, you’re just looking for best available player: Lamar Jackson, George Kittle, Tee Higgins, Chase Brown.
This players have some of the best upside in the entire draft while managed risk.
Rule of Thumb: Come out of Round 3 with a least one RB and a least one WR. Preferably, you'd have two studs there if you can.
This is where you're going to build depth and pick up possible breakout stars.
Round 4: TreVeyon Henderson, James Cook, Kenneth Walker III, James Conner.
Round 5: DK Metcalf, Calvin Ridley, DeVonta Smith, Joe Burrow.
Round 6–7: D'Andre Swift, Isiah Pacheco, Mark Andrews, TJ Hockenson, Jerry Jeudy, Kyler Murray.
Quarterbacks and tight ends are really where you break it open if you didn't grab one early.
All upside and filling gaps in your lineup here in these rounds.
Round 8: Justin Fields, Dak Prescott, Deebo Samuel Sr., Jauan Jennings.
Round 9: Travis Etienne Jr., Zach Charbonnet, Chris Godwin, Jared Goff, Jordan Love.
Round 10: Josh Downs, Jordan Mason, Tank Bigsby, Michael Pittman Jr.
This is where QB value intersects with young WRs/RBs set to breakout.
Last and save high-upside lottery tickets to draft your defense and kicker. Rookie WRs, backup RBs, or players one injury away from a start are ideal targets.Draft Day Quick Tips
Don't Panic: When the clock is ticking away, trust your plan.
Stay Flexible: Every draft is different—adjust to how the board drops.
Depth Wins: Build a bench that can cover bye weeks and injuries.
Ja'Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, CeeDee Lamb, Puka Nacua, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Tee Higgins, George Kittle.
Breece Hall, DK Metcalf, Calvin Ridley, DeVonta Smith, Joe Burrow, D'Andre Swift, Isiah Pacheco, Mark Andrews, TJ Hockenson.
Justin Fields, Dak Prescott, Travis Etienne Jr., Chris Godwin, Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Deebo Samuel Sr.
Kickers, defenses, and high-upside rookies.