The quest to win your fantasy football league starts with the draft. Whether you have the first pick or the 12th, there is value to be had at every stage, and with the proper blueprint, you can walk away with championship hardware at the end of the season.
If you landed the 1.07 pick, don’t fret. You might feel like you’re missing out on the early, league-winning studs, but that’s not true. In this article, I’ll give you all the tools you need to feel good about your roster when you walk away from your fantasy football drafts.
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Fantasy Football Draft Strategy & Advice
How to Draft from the 1.07 Position in 2023 Fantasy Football Drafts
It might seem like you’re missing out on early value from the gate, but there is one clear advantage to having a pick in the middle of the pack. Managers drafting ahead of you in RD1 will have to wait as long as 22 slots to make their second pick. However, you won’t have to wait nearly as long, allowing you to stack quality players in the first 18 selections immediately.
First-Round Targets
In the first round, you set the tone for your draft and your entire fantasy football season. Holding the eighth pick means you’ll likely miss out on the top-tier fantasy RBs, but that’s fine. So, who will still be around at 1.07?
If you like to draft RBs early in drafts, you’ll have your choice of some quality ball carriers.
Josh Jacobs (RB – LV)
Josh Jacobs, the 2022 overall PPR RB3, has been falling to the back half of the first rounds of drafts as of late. Given the situation in Las Vegas with QB Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacobs could be in for a similar workload this season and has a shot again at being a top-tier RB.
Nick Chubb (RB – CLE)
Heading into his sixth NFL season, Nick Chubb has finished worse than PPR RB15 only once, in his rookie season. The team allowed fellow RB Kareem Hunt to leave in free agency, and it appears head coach Kevin Stefanski is content to let Chubb carry the load in 2023.
Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE)
In his first two seasons in the league, Rhamondre Stevenson was stellar despite sharing a backfield with Damien Harris. With Harris in Buffalo, Stevenson is the undisputed RB1 for the Patriots. The sky is the limit for the 2022 overall PPR RB7.
If you prefer to build out your receiving corps first, there’s a good chance you can snag one of these elite WRs at 1.07.
Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR)
After suffering a devastating knee injury nine weeks into the 2022 season, WR Cooper Kupp is back and ready to roll. QB Matt Stafford‘s primary target finished last season as the PPR WR23 despite missing the entire second half. His floor is a low-end WR2 with an overall PPR WR1 ceiling.
Stefon Diggs (WR – BUF)
Recent grumblings from Bills WR Stefon Diggs might concern fantasy managers. Diggs and the team will get things worked out, and it will be business as usual. In 2022, Diggs finished as the PPR WR5, and the team hasn’t added any players to challenge his WR1 status in Buffalo. Look for Diggs to put in a similar performance to last season.
Ja’Marr Chase (WR – CIN)
Despite missing four games last season, Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase finished 2022 as the overall PPR WR12. The Bengals’ offense was the fifth most pass-heavy attack in the league in 2022, and not much has changed. Chase is primed to be an overall WR1 candidate in 2023.
The Next Two Rounds
Now that you’ve landed your stud, it’s time to build out the core of your roster. Regardless of how you decide to approach RD1, your focus in the next four rounds should be to find talent, irrespective of position. My preference in RD1 would be Ja’Marr Chase, which leaves a need for a high-end RB. Najee Harris and Travis Etienne will likely remain available and are solid choices at 2.06. If you decide to go RB in RD1, snagging an elite receiver should be your priority here. A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown fit the bill and should be available to pick.
When it comes to RD3, this is a get-your-guy situation. This is a great time to grab a TE. Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews will be gone, but T.J. Hockenson, the 2023 TE2, and George Kittle will be ripe for the taking.
Building Depth
You should feel good about your fantasy football roster through three draft rounds. You’ve locked in a top-tier WR and RB and could have found a steal at TE. These first three picks will be the heart of your roster, but they can’t do it alone.
My best advice is to draft WRs early and often. While there is a fair amount of depth at the position, quality, reliable pass-catchers aren’t as plentiful. The receivers I’m targeting include Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and Christian Kirk.
Once I’ve locked down my receivers, filling out my RB room becomes the priority. Isiah Pacheco and A.J. Dillon are two players in situations that could lead to high-end RB2 production at a fraction of the cost.
When To Draft a QB
In non-Superflex formats, I wait on drafting a QB until the middle rounds. While you might miss out on top names like Justin Fields, Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes, you’ll still land a quality signal caller without sacrificing depth at other positions.
Daniel Jones, Tua Tagovailoa, and Kirk Cousins will likely be on the board in RD9 or later. Tua has the most upside of the group, and I’ve been snatching him up in almost every draft this offseason. If he stays healthy, he could easily be a top-5 QB in 2023.
Example Draft from the 1.07
In the name of science, I conducted a mock draft using the FantasyPros Draft Wizard from the 1.07 draft position. After all was said and done, I received a B-minus grade on my mock draft.
To see the results, check it out here.
More Draft Pick Slot Advice
- How to Draft from the 1.01
- How to Draft from the 1.02
- How to Draft from the 1.03
- How to Draft from the 1.04
- How to Draft from the 1.05
- How to Draft from the 1.06
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Nate Polvogt is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Nate, check out his archive and follow him @NatePolvogt.
