Life Before The Lake – Early Mooresville History
- *Mooresville
I am excited to be here to talk about all things fantasy football throughout the season. These posts will drop weekly before the Thursday night games, giving you tips, players to sit, players to start, and potential waiver-wire pickups to help you win your league!
For the first post of the season, we will focus on my favorite part of fantasy football: THE DRAFT!
There are many different draft formats, depending on your league. We are going to keep it simple and review some strategies, identify players you may want to target, and highlight a few you might want to avoid in a traditional snake-style draft.
So, here we go!
I have always been an “RB-first drafter” when I can. Having two or three stud running backs can carry your team a long way because dependable RBs are difficult to find. It also gives you valuable trading power as the season progresses and injuries begin to pile up.
At the top of most draft boards is Jahmyr Gibbs, who should see a heavy workload in Detroit’s offense. Bijan Robinson is also high on many boards, but I have some concerns. Atlanta’s quarterback situation is on shaky ground, and Bijan could face a lot of defenses stacking the box to stop him. He is still worthy of a first-round pick, but I have my hesitations.
Christian McCaffrey is always an intriguing player because he can do so much—especially in PPR leagues—by catching the ball out of the backfield. The problem is that he gets hurt almost every year and often misses an extended period of time.
Another “buyer beware” candidate is Ashton Jeanty, who recently suffered a high ankle sprain in Las Vegas. That is not an easy injury to overcome, especially for a running back.
If the top running backs are gone, do not force the position when you have a late first-round pick. If you are selecting late in the first round and early in the second round of a traditional snake draft, this is a great opportunity to take a top-level wide receiver who will receive plenty of targets and pair him with an above-average running back near the top of Round 2.
Ja’Marr Chase—who dodged the injury bug this past week—Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Amon-Ra St. Brown are all worthy of first-round selections in my eyes.
Quarterbacks, while attractive, are not an immediate need. There are 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL, and the top 15 or so are all capable of producing solid fantasy football numbers.
There are not as many dual-threat quarterbacks anymore because teams are trying to protect their QBs from unnecessary hits. Even quarterbacks known for running—such as Lamar Jackson—have taken a step back in recent years in terms of rushing attempts.
Tight end is probably the most difficult position to draft. Solid fantasy football tight ends are about as rare as honest politicians. Sure, there are a few out there, but their situations can change at the drop of a hat.
Travis Kelce’s best days are behind him. George Kittle has dealt with injury issues over the past few years. Tucker Kraft is coming off a major knee injury, and the consensus top tight end, Trey McBride, is facing quarterback turmoil in Arizona. Even Brock Bowers faces quarterback uncertainty in Las Vegas.
For those reasons, tight end is a position I would stay away from until Rounds 8–10. Isaiah Likely and Chig Okonkwo are two sleeper options to keep an eye on.
Good luck in your drafts, everyone!
TOP SELECTIONS
SLEEPERS
BUYER BEWARE
COMING IN THE FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER
Over/under win totals for every team—along with Glenn’s MVP and playoff predictions!
