Fantasy Football Draft Strategy & Advice: Drafting from 1.12 Pick (2023)

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.

The best way to prepare for your upcoming drafts is to get on board with the FREE FantasyPros Draft Simulator tool.

In this article, I will help you develop a master plan to take advantage of landing at the turn of your fantasy draft.

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Fantasy Football Draft Strategy & Advice

How to Draft from the 1.12 Position in 2023 Fantasy Football Drafts

There aren’t many situations where getting the last of anything is fortuitous. However, that’s exactly the case if you draw the 1.12 pick in your draft. You might be missing out on some elite talent, having waited 11 picks to make your first selection. However, instead of waiting for 18 picks to get your next guy, you go back-to-back with the 2.01. It’s an early advantage that could leave you loaded up for success.

Targets On The Turn

Landing the 1.12 pick puts you in the driver’s seat. With two consecutive picks, you can decide which direction you want to go without fear of being sniped right out of the gate. This is an opportunity to stack up on high-end, possibly league-winning talent.

Which players should you be looking at?

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.

Tony Pollard (RB – DAL)

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.

Mark Andrews (TE – BAL)

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.

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.

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.

Derrick Henry (RB – TEN)

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.

Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA)

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.

A.J. Brown (WR – PHI)

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 Turn: Part Two

With the 12th overall pick, you will always have two picks back-to-back. I prefer to land an elite WR and an elite RB and build from there. I took Cooper Kupp at 1.12 and Derrick Henry at 2.01 in this case. Now staring down the barrel of two more selections, there are decisions to be made.

Here are three players I’m targeting at the second turn.

T.J. Hockenson (TE – MIN)

Some managers are concerned that adding rookie WR Jordan Addison will hurt Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson’s volume in the passing game. However, WR Adam Thielen, who was second on the team in targets (107), is now a Carolina Panther. Hockenson was second in the league amongst TEs in targets in 2022, and there’s no sign his production will slow down in a dynamic Minnesota offense.

DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI)

The man who was supposed to be too small to succeed in the NFL is coming off a sophomore campaign where he finished as the PPR WR9 despite sharing the field with A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert. A lot has stayed the same in the Eagles’ offensive scheme, and Smith could easily be a WR1 tier asset in 2023.

D.K. Metcalf (WR – SEA)

The Seattle Seahawks WR corps is amongst the best in the league. The anchor of that corps, which includes rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett, is DK Metcalf. Metcalf hasn’t finished worse than WR16 in the past three seasons, and while his volume might take a slight ding, he is in for more high-quality targets in an offense that will be hard to contain.

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 1.12

In the name of science, I conducted a mock draft using the FantasyPros Draft Wizard from the 1.12 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.

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Nate Polvogt is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Nate, check out his archive and follow him @NatePolvogt.

Fantasy Draft Advice NFL Kareem Hunt Ezekiel Elliot Lamar Jackson Damien Harris Matt Stafford Christian McCaffery Austin Ekeler Tua Tagovailoa Jordan Addison Adam Thielen Dallas Goedert Jaxon Smith-Njigba Tyler Lockett DK Metcalf Amari Cooper Jerry Jeudy Christian Kirk Isiah Pacheco A.J. Dillon Justin Fields Josh Allen Patrick Mahomes Daniel Jones Kirk Cousins

About Author

Nate Polvogt

@NatePolvogt

I have been playing fantasy football since 1992. My first-ever pick was Randall Cunningham. I began writing about it in 2020 and haven't looked back. I am joined in this journey by my amazing wife Jen, and our four-year-old son. I am a co-founder, CEO & Senior Analyst for Optimus Fantasy Football.