Let’s dive into Andrew Erickson’s fantasy football draft strategy for the early rounds. He shares fantasy football draft tips and targets. And you can find his full perfect fantasy football draft strategy to dominate your competition.

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Fantasy Football Draft Strategy

Approach to Round 1

Step 1. Draft Breece Hall. Step 2. Auto draft with FantasyPros Draft Assistant. Of course, I am only half-kidding. You should be live and participating in your draft because that’s part of the fun of playing fantasy football.

But I’m not kidding about taking Hall as the 1^st overall pick.

Because I believe the golden standard approach of selecting a running back with your first or second-round pick has not changed. Yes, I understand how hip it is to draft WRs and go zero RB.

But RBs that see work as both receivers/rushers SCORE the most points. And when you get the chance to draft someone as talented as Hall, in a situation that is drastically improved compared to last season, that’s where I am going to push ALL my chips in.

Again, part of the reason why WRs have been better at the top was partially based on the player pool at the respective positions. The WRs were better than the RBs. But now we have Hall. We have Bijan Robinson. RBs in their uber-prime to unseat Christian McCaffrey as the RB1 in fantasy football.

One thing’s for certain – running backs are still the drivers behind fantasy-winning teams, so get your talented studs early in Rounds 1-3. Because we have a strong crop of diverse, hungry and young running backs entering the player pool, I’d bet we return to the glory days when the top RBs reign supreme as they have done over the last two seasons.

Draft RBs in the early rounds that you think can be league-winners and true difference-makers. You’re not looking for floor or value this early on. Shoot for the moon, or punt RB down the road.

Hall’s ADP ranges from 4-8. So, he should be easily attainable in most cases with a top 5 pick. If you can pick your draft slot, aim for 4^th or 5^th if not higher. Bijan Robinson would be next up with a similar ADP. So, if Hall and Ja’Marr Chase are gone, Robinson will be next in the queue for reasons similar to what I laid out.

And when you can snag one of these two (or Christian McCaffrey if you want to embrace the injury risk) this sets you up nicely for my favorite overall strategy in 2024 drafts: hero RB.

With a locked-and-loaded stud in your RB1 slot, you can snag in round two (or round one if you are a mid-to-late snake draft pick). You’ve got one spot dialed in, and the other spot can be filled by the rotating carousel of remaining RBs on your roster.

Solidifying a top RB dog early also helps you avoid reaching for running backs in the upcoming RB Dead Zone, where your primary focus should be drafting WRs poised for significant leaps in 2024. There’s a long tier of RBs drafted after the top guys, where you are much better off just waiting with such a gradual decline in projection. It’s important to identify RBs that CAN stand out from the crowd. If you are going to take an RB early, you can’t have any reservations about their upside. If you do, you are better off waiting for RBs with similar median projections at much better prices.

It’s not till the later rounds you take shots on RBs with potential red-zone roles and pass-catching chops. You’ll also want to hone in on impending 2025 free agents, proven running backs and RBs in ambiguous backfields. That’s where we’ll typically find the next breakout at the running back position.

It’s the exact balancing act of drafting up-and-coming running back breakouts with the elites/top talents, while also playing matchups and avoiding red flags, that will help you draft the perfect team.

Now if you miss out on any of these 3 RBs because you are picking at the backend of Round 1 (recommend avoiding picking toward the end of Round 1 if possible), you need a more strategic approach.

It would help if you were open to going WR first especially with panic ensuing with the likes of CeeDee Lamb (well formerly) Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. These guys fall to the back of Round 1 because there are concerns about contracts (Chase) and QB play (Jefferson).

I won’t get into the details about each situation, but I’m buying the dip on these ultra-talented and productive players. Again, this is a bad year for a late first-round pick. So, when a top 5 pick falls, I am taking advantage of it.

In my particular case, it’s Chase as my primary target as my WR1. It came to my attention in an article published by the Athletic that the Bengals extended A.J. Green during his 5^th-year option season. After Julio Jones signed his deal that same offseason. I understand the Chase situation continues to add layers (the latest being him called day-to-day) but I can’t help but think it gets resolved sooner rather than later.

first domino has fallen https://t.co/RNacsrZIhU

— Andrew Erickson™ (@AndrewErickson_) August 26, 2024

As for scenarios where these WRs don’t fall, it’s A.J. Brown, Jonathan Taylor and Garrett Wilson as my top 3 targets. Depending on the site’s ADP, I will try to mix and match to see if I can get one and then another at the top of Round 2.

Because even if you go WR first there are a plethora of strong RB options still available in Rounds 2+3 i.e. De’Von Achane or Travis Etienne Jr.

And it’s not as if these WRs are a bad option. Especially in PPR.

From 2018 to 2020, in PPR scoring, wide receivers have the highest percentage of top-12 finishes (55%). In 2021, seven of the top 12 overall finishers (58%) were WRs, with six finishing in the top eight. That was true in both PPR and half-PPR. However, the trend did not continue in 2022. Just six WRs finished inside the top 12, with five RBs and one tight end (Travis Kelce). Only four inside the top eight, and an even split between WRs/RBs inside the top six. In half-PPR, five running backs finished inside the top eight overall, with just three WRs.

In 2023, half-PPR scoring was evenly split between top-12 finishers between WR/RB. For three straight seasons, fewer WRs have finished inside the top 12. Four running backs finished inside the top seven compared to three WRs. In the last two seasons, only three WRs have finished inside the top eight of overall scoring. Current ADP has five WRs drafted inside the top eight, compared to 3 RBs.

There are WRs going early that will be outscored by running backs selected after them. Again, to be clear, it’s less likely in PPR than in half-PPR.

I’ve touched on only 1-QB leagues to this point, so I did want to shed some light on the 2-QB/Superflex strategy. In these formats, I am 100% drafting an elite quarterback if I own a top-four selection. I am drafting a quarterback most likely if I hold a top-seven pick. I want to leave my Superflex draft with at least one elite QB in the first round. Then I’ll play chicken with my QB2 slot.

In TE-premium formats, such as the FFPC, you won’t need to draft any tight end in the first round. Travis Kelce is entering his age-35 season and can’t be viewed as the same bulletproof tight end he has been looked at in past seasons. The chase for this year’s TE1 overall is as close as it’s ever been.

Again, if I get to pick my favorite slot I am 100% taking the 1.04. Because we are not drafting the players that won leagues last season. The typical 1-3: McCaffrey, Hill and Lamb were the best picks in Round 1 last year.

It’s a brand-new year, and I prefer Ja’Marr Chase, Breece Hall and Bijan Robinson as my favorite top three picks versus the consensus; the sample of the best first-round picks from 2023. Sure, they can fire, and for those that think they can…make them pay full price. I’ll happily choose atop my favorite guys from picks 1.04 through 1.06 between Hall/Chase/Robinson.

That’s how I am approaching the top of the first round. Give me Chase at the 1.05 as my bet on him being “the” WR1 in fantasy football. I love Chase to win the Offensive Player of the Year award. Just need to get that contract signed. Based on the Lamb deal that happened on Monday, I think it will happen sooner rather than later.

Early-Round Players to Target

• Breece Hall

Mid-Round Players to Target

• Ja’Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson, Amon-Ra St. Brown

Late-Round Players to Target

• A.J. Brown, Jonathan Taylor

Approach to Round 2

As outline your plan of attack, you should have some idea of what you’ll do in Round 2 based on who you selected in Round 1.

If you were rewarded with a top WR you have options at both RB/WR.

The potential non-first-round/second-round running backs – Jonathan Taylor, Saquon Barkley, De’Von Achane, Travis Etienne Jr. – provide more than enough production for a roster’s RB1 slot in my opinion.

Anytime you can build a team that a bystander would look and say, “How did you draft that team!?,” you pull the trigger. Especially in half-PPR scoring formats.

I’m also not opposed to double-dipping at RB with a Hall/Robinson start if I truly believe in the upside case with the Round 2 RB.

Not all hero RBs are created equal. It’s in the eye of the beholder whether you believe a certain RB can be a stalworth part of your RB1 slot. I’ve got seven RBs in my first two tiers of RB rankings who can fill the “hero” RB role. After that, it gets more risky and I am better off waiting to scoop up RB value.

If you want to stick to the hero-RB strategy, we’ve got plenty of WR options to gravitate toward. Mine is Jaylen Waddle, followed by Puka Nacua and Chris Olave. The WR tier is pretty flat in this range, so feel free to go with your personal WR de jour.

But for me it’s Waddle all the way anywhere at the end of Round 2 into the start of Round 3.

Through the first two rounds, my focus isn’t on the positions at RB and WR. It’s a focus on elite RBs and WRs. I want two elite players regardless of their position in my first two rounds. If the board dictates those are two WRs, one RB/WR etc., so be it.

In my opinion, the elite WRs are as follows: Chase, Jefferson, Lamb, Hill and St. Brown.

So if you find yourself in a draft room where the top-end RBs are flying off the board (where you are picking at the end of Round 1) don’t feel scared to continue to draft WR. Rather do the “WR double-tap” than overdraft a sub-optimal running back. The same goes for draft rooms where WRs are drafted aggressively.

I recommend blindly following a Hero RB or Zero RB approach rather than a Zero WR or Robust RB one. Every draft is different, so you should always remain fluid in your approach. But based on the data at our disposal, following the former should set your roster up for success in the early rounds.

Early-Round Players to Target

• Garrett Wilson, Saquon Barkley, Puka Nacua

Mid-Round Players to Target

• Travis Etienne Jr.

Late-Round Players to Target

• De’Von Achane, Jaylen Waddle

Approach to Round 3

Round 3 is where we have typically seen the elite quarterbacks come off the board. Don’t fall for it.

Being the first to draft a quarterback doesn’t always grant you the highest return on investment (ROI).

Value is still the name of QB, so I stress a pseudo-late-round “elite” quarterback strategy. Essentially getting the last or second-to-last quarterback with top-tier upside to capitalize on value. Of course, this will change based on where QBs fall in ADP, but Rounds 4-6 is the more appropriate range. Round 4 is the earliest I’d even consider an elite QB with either Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson. But unless they fall, I am almost 100% waiting longer at the quarterback position.

Back to the players we ACTUALLY want to draft.

Ideally, after Round 2, you have acquired at least one elite running back as your hero RB. This approach makes staying fluid and flexible for the next few rounds much easier. It’s essential to draft at least one running back in the first two rounds because the talent pool starts to fall off toward the end of Round 3 into Round 4. Essentially, you almost run out of reliable “hero-RB” targets.

Now this is more opinion than fact, as we sometimes see “heroes” emerge from the Dead Zone. But it doesn’t happen often.

Besides the middle rounds are chock-full of wide receiver talent, which should be the primary focus. All my recommended players in this round are WRs, aside from Rachaad White. I still think White can be a hero RB, but I don’t love clicking him over the WRs in this range very often especially if I already have a hero RB on my squad. Obviously, a WR-WR start changes that equation slightly.

If any stud RB falls into Round 3, scoop them up. Especially in half-PPR, where running backs are better versus WRs, with the format more dependent on touchdowns.

The RBs in this range come with more question marks, but there’s no denying they have some high ceilings if the deck is stacked in their favor.

Early-Round Players to Target

• Chris Olave, Deebo Samuel

Mid-Round Players to Target

• Michael Pittman Jr., Nico Collins

Late-Round Players to Target

• Brandon Aiyuk, Stefon Diggs, Rachaad White

Approach to Round 4

The wide receivers in Round 4 are almost just as good as those in Round 3, so continue to pound away at the position. The primary wide receiver targets include any of the receivers left that didn’t get drafted in Round 3 such as Michael Pittman Jr.or even Jaylen Waddle. There’s also a solid crop of WRs that will also trickle into Round 5 such as Amari Cooper, George Pickens and Zay Flowers.

I’d also say that the tail end of Round 4 or the start of Round 5 is where elite TE comes into play as an option.

If you have only one running back rostered (or none) don’t panic unless there’s an obvious RB faller available. Rachaad White (again) would be the name to watch.

Round 4 Players to Target:

• Rashee Rice, Malik Nabers, Mark Andrews, Trey McBride

Fantasy Football Draft Rankings

Check out the consensus 2024 fantasy football draft rankings from our experts.