The quest to win your fantasy football league starts with the draft. Whether you have the first pick or the twelfth, 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 1.11 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: Drafting from 1.11 Pick (2023)
How to Draft from the 1.11 Position in 2023 Fantasy Football Drafts
Landing a draft pick in the back half of the first round can be daunting. Every fantasy football manager would prefer to pick in the first five to seven picks, but that’s simply impossible. However, there are advantages to having a selection in the back half of your drafts.
While the managers drafting early on will wait for a double-digit number of picks to select again, you will get to pick twice within three slots. This lets you stack value early on and set the tone for quality draft results.
First-Round Targets
With the 1.11 pick, it’s important to be fluid. With the volatility of drafts, you never know who will be gone and who will still be available.
If you lean towards drafting an RB to get things started, here are a few ball carriers likely to be available at the eleventh pick.
Heading into his sixth NFL season, Nick Chubb has finished worse than point per reception (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.
Tony Pollard had an incredible 2022 season, finishing as the PPR RB8 despite sharing a backfield with Ezekiel Elliot. However, Elliot was released in February, leaving Pollard as the team’s RB1. Unless the Cowboys make a play for one of the few remaining free-agent RBs on the market, Pollard could best his 2022 season results.
Nothing the Tennessee Titans did this offseason indicates their offensive scheme will differ from last season. Derrick Henry landed as the overall PPR RB4 behind Jacobs, Christian McCaffery and Austin Ekeler in 2022 in a run-heavy attack. With no competition in the backfield yet again in 2023, Henry will be the bell cow for the Titans and should slot in as a top-5 PPR RB this season.
If taking RBs early isn’t your jam, there’s a good chance you can snag one of these elite pass-catchers at 1.11.
Over the past few seasons, Ravens TE Mark Andrews has been the primary target for QB Lamar Jackson and company. While new offensive coordinator Todd Monken will look to spread the ball around a little more, the considerable uptick in passing volume will keep Andrews in the top tier of bookends in 2023.
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.
Just like the energizer bunny, Tyreek Hill never stops going. Hill, who finished 2022 as the overall PPR WR2, is primed to repeat that stellar performance as Tua Tagovailoa‘s primary target.
All signs point to the Philadelphia Eagles again having one of the most explosive offenses in the league in 2023. If last season was any indication, A.J. Brown will be a massive part of that explosiveness. The overall PPR WR4 last season, Brown could finish even higher in 2023.
The Next Two Rounds
You’ve laid the groundwork for building your fantasy squad in RD1, and now it’s time to set the core of your starting lineup in rounds two and three. No matter which direction you went with your first pick, this is where you set the tone for the rest of your draft and season.
If you decided to go RB with the 1.11, you’d be wise to grab an elite pass catcher with your RD2 selection. Many of the names mentioned above will still be available, and the best of the lot with this slot would be either Kupp or Brown.
If you went the pass-catcher route, there are a few ways to go here. If Mark Andrews or Kupp is still on the board, either would be an exceptional addition, but now you’re getting into Zero-RB territory. If that terrifies you, get your anchor at RB in Chubb, Derrick Henry or Najee Harris.
With your RD3 pick, have some fun! I always use this slot to get a guy I love with elite potential without regard to position. Players I would target here are Amon-Ra St. Brown, J.K. Dobbins or D.K. Metcalf. If you’re still without a TE, T.J. Hockenson is likely still available and can potentially be a league-winning addition to your team.
Building Depth
You should feel good about your fantasy football roster through three rounds of your draft. 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. 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 1.11
In the name of science, I conducted a mock draft using the FantasyPros draft wizard from the 1.11 draft position. After all was said and done, I received a C grade on my mock draft.
Here are the results:
- Pick 1.11 Tony Pollard (RB – DAL)
- Pick 2.02 Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR)
- Pick 3.11 T.J. Hockenson (TE – MIN)
- Pick 4.02 Jaylen Waddle (WR – MIA)
- Pick 5.11 Jerry Jeudy (WR – DEN)
- Pick 6.02 Terry McLaurin (WR – WAS)
- Pick 7.11 Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF)
- Pick 8.02 Daniel Jones (QB – NYG)
- Pick 9.11 Brian Robinson (RB – WAS)
- Pick 10.02 AJ Dillon (RB – GB)
- Pick 11.11 Adam Thielen
- Pick 12.02 Devin Singletary (RB – HOU)
- Pick 13.11 Alec Pierce (WR – IND)
- Pick 14.02 Mac Jones (QB – NE)
- Pick 15.11 Juwan Johnson (TE – NO)
- Pick 16.02 Mike Gesicki (TE – NE)
More Draft Pick Slot Advice
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Nate Polvogt is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Nate, check out his archive and follow him @NatePolvogt.
