It’s amazing how quickly your fantasy football league’s in-draft rankings, be it a Yahoo or ESPN league, can cause you to tear up the draft cheat sheet, personal rankings and sleeper lists you’ve worked so hard to cultivate in the offseason.
Pro tip: Don’t do that. Sure, if you notice that one of your favorite players is ranked egregiously low by your league’s site, then you know you won’t have to reach quite as far to draft him, but keep in mind that you probably aren’t the only one thinking that. If you really like a player, go get him and ignore your site’s rankings.
Conversely, if you see a player you really like ranked way higher than expected, it could just be confirmation that you’re on to something big. Don’t be afraid to adjust your strategy to get him, as long as it’s not costing you value elsewhere.
MORE: Full fantasy experts draft results
I assumed I’d be choosing between David Johnson and, more likely, Odell Beckham Jr. at the No. 5 spot in our latest and final experts league draft on Yahoo. But when I saw OBJ ranked No. 2 in the draft tool and Todd Gurley at No. 5 instead, I thought I’d be walking away with a much better RB1 in this non-PPR format.
Thankfully I didn’t hinge my entire draft on getting Gurley or Beckham in Round 1. I still came away with a player I think could be the best overall fantasy RB this year. Let’s take a look at my full team from the No. 5 spot in this 12-team, non-PPR format (1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB/WR/TE, 1 D/ST, 1 K, 6 bench spots). You can see the full mock draft results here.
Round 1 (Pick 5) David Johnson, RB, Cardinals. The owner picking fourth actually made my DJ vs. OBJ decision for me, leaving me one of the most explosive backs in the league. I would have felt safer with Beckham, but I’m not mad about starting with an RB either.
2 (20) Alshon Jeffery, WR, Bears. I wanted a wideout after going RB first, and this was in the middle of a second-tier WR run. Great value if Jeffery can stay healthy.
3 (29) Mark Ingram, RB, Saints. Not excited about this pick, but Ingram’s TD potential is at least as high as his injury risk. Plus, I liked the receivers who might be available in Rounds 4-5 much better than the RBs who might be left over.
MORE: Ultimate fantasy draft cheat sheet
4 (44) Demaryius Thomas, WR, Broncos. Thomas’ QB situation is, um, “uncertain,” but how bad can it be? (I hope I don’t regret writing that.) He’s a WR2, at least.
5 (53) Michael Floyd, WR, Cardinals. Another under-ranked WR across most sites, Floyd emerged as the Cardinals No. 1 receiver in the second half last season. He should post WR2 stats and might even hit WR1 value. Side note, I regret taking a Cardinals RB and WR, but in my defense I totally forgot I took Johnson like 10 minutes earlier.
6 (68) LeGarrette Blount, RB, Patriots. Should see heavy workloads early with Tom Brady out and should have a somewhat consistent role while Dion Lewis is out. But…Bill Belichick.
2016 FANTASY RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
7 (77) Blake Bortles, QB, Jaguars. I almost always wait on QB, though it was tough to pass on Drew Brees in Round 4. It was between Bortles and Philip Rivers, who went two picks later, and I went with the younger QB's upside.
8 (92) Julius Thomas, TE, Jaguars. Obviously, I think the Jags will score some points this year, and I think Thomas could be a big(ger) part of the reason why. I took him over Antonio Gates, proving that I’m either ageist or anti-Chargers.
9 (101) Justin Forsett, RB, Ravens. A starting running back in Round 9? Sure, why not. Go sit on my bench, Justin.
MORE: Best fantasy sleeper from every team
10 (116) Dwayne Allen, TE, Colts. Not totally sure about Julius Thomas’ role, so I’m adding another TE sleeper in Allen, who could thrive in Indy without Coby Fleener around being a jock blocker.
11 (125) Denver Broncos D/ST. Defenses seem appropriately ranked over on Yahoo, so I had no problems being the second to draft a D/ST here, especially considering the Broncos have the best D. I wasn’t wild about the skill players ranked in this area anyway; plenty of sleepers would be left later.
12 (140) Mohamed Sanu, WR, Falcons. Is Sanu any good? We’ll find out quickly in Atlanta as the No. 2 option across from Julio Jones. Honestly, that role might not be much different from what he had in Cincy, but I at least like the Falcons’ QB and offense a little better.
MORE SLEEPERS: 14 RBs | 12 WRs | 7 QBs | 9 TEs
13 (149) Cameron Artis-Payne, RB, Panthers. Odds Jonathan Stewart stays healthy again aren’t very high. I expect trade offers for CAP by Week 6.
14 (164) Chris Johnson, RB, Cardinals. Cheap David Johnson insurance.
15 (173) Marcus Mariota, QB, Titans. Everyone was avoiding Mariota like he refused to stand for the national anthem, so I saved him.
16 (188) Chandler Catanzaro, K, Cardinals. Another Cardinals player … yay?