Thanks to our handy Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet, I was well prepared (over-prepared?) for our SN Experts' Fantasy Football Draft on Wednesday night. This was no mock draft; this was the real deal, so it was time to put our best fantasy football strategies to the test after months of preseason preparation.
Below are the draft strategies I used and my team picking from the No. 9 spot. For context, this is a 12-team, non-PPR league starting one quarterback, two running backs, three receivers, one tight end, one flex (RB/WR/TE), one defense and one kicker with six bench spots (16 rounds, 192 total picks). Feel free to use it as a blueprint (or a cautionary tale) as you head into your own fantasy football drafts.
MORE: Check out Rounds 1-2 | 2015 fantasy football rankings | Must-have sleepers
Yahoo fantasy football draft strategy (Pick 9)
Round 1: Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions. With the Elite 5 running backs (and Jeremy Hill) off the board as expected, I opted for our No. 1-ranked receiver, even though Yahoo has him ranked 15th. I knew Megatron wouldn't make it back to me in Round 2 with Lions fan Matt Lutovsky picking 10th, so I grabbed Calvin and hoped a good running back slipped.
Round 2 (No. 16). C.J. Anderson, RB, Broncos. Fortunately, the three owners after me focused more on pass-catchers than runners (4 WRs, 1 TE, 1 RB), letting Anderson fall. That was fortunate, but it might happen more frequently than expected in drafts as WR-crazy owners try to get their hands on one (or two) of the elite options.
Round 3 (33). Latavius Murray, RB, Raiders. It's no secret I like Murray as a breakout, and this is the type of "upside" back you can grab if you pass on RBs early. This is especially true for Yahoo leagues, where they have WR2-types ranked higher than most RB2s. Mark Ingram, Carlos Hyde and Frank Gore all went in the back half of Round 3.
Round 4 (40). Andre Johnson, WR, Colts. An oldy but a goody, I can't wait to see what Johnson can do with a real quarterback.
Round 5 (57). Todd Gurley, RB, Rams. This was a risky pick considering Gurley's knee injury and workload concerns, but I was willing to gamble on his upside as a flex option in such a deep league. Go big or go home.
MORE: 2015 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST
Round 6 (64). Brandon Marshall, WR, Jets. Obviously, I wasn't the only one totally ignoring Marshall, but I couldn't pass him up as a No. 3 receiver. I mean, the Jets QBs are going to accidentally throw a few TD passes, right??
Round 7 (81). Jordan Cameron, TE, Dolphins. Great fit in Miami and as good a chance as anyone to finish as the No.3 fantasy tight end behind Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham.
Round 8 (88). Tom Brady, QB, Patriots. This draft was the night before Tom Brady's Deflategate suspension was overturned, so I got him at a great value. Sorry, those days are over now.
Round 9 (105). Bishop Sankey, RB, Titans. With Todd Gurley iffy for Week 1, I needed someone, anyone to plug in as a flex. Unfortunately, Darren McFadden, Isaiah Crowell and Jonas Gray all went right before this pick, so I settled on Sankey over Alfred Blue. Ugh.
Round 10 (112). Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions. At the time I was excited about getting Stafford, who's very underrated by Yahoo, so late as Brady insurance. Now that Brady's back, it feels like I wasted a good pick that could have been used on an RB5.
MORE: Draft strategy from Pick 1 | Pick 8 | Pick 12
Round 11 (129). Brandon Coleman, WR, Saints. Love Coleman's big frame (6-6, 225) and big upside in a Saints offense looking to replace Jimmy Graham's presence in the red zone.
Round 12 (136). Ty Montgomery, WR, Packers. Decent flier as the Packers' No. 3 receiver, but I should have taken Ravens rookie Breshad Perriman here.
Round 13 (153). Cody Latimer, WR, Broncos. Also a nice flier if he climbs the Broncos depth chart, but Perriman was still available here.
Round 14 (160). Cameron Artis-Payne, RB, Panthers. It's not if, but when Jonathan Stewart will get hurt.
Round 15 (177). Indianapolis Colts D/ST. The Colts have a great early-season schedule against the Bills, Jets, Titans, Jags and Texans in Weeks 1-5.
Round 16 (184). Cody Parkey, K, Eagles. Yay kickers!
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