In the world of fantasy football, the platform you draft on can significantly influence your strategy. Drafters tend to be anchored to a site’s player rankings. Each site-be it ESPN, Yahoo, CBS, NFL Fantasy, or Sleeper-has its own Average Draft Position (ADP) trends, impacting player values and positional priorities. For example, Best Ball formats often favor wide receivers, while traditional leagues lean more towards running backs in the earlier rounds.

To uncover these nuances, I conducted several 12-team mock drafts on each platform and through FantasyPros Draft Wizard Mock Draft Simulator. This article dives into the ADP variances across these popular sites, sharing insights and strategies to help you dominate your league, no matter where you draft.

Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: ADP Variance

Sleeper

FantasyPros didn’t previously offer a way to synchronize only Sleeper ADP pre-draft rankings into the Draft Wizard when I conducted this mock last week, so I just reviewed a generic Sleeper mock draft to get an idea of the landscape. I’m expecting this to be the “sharpest” of the mocks, given that Sleeper is a relatively newer platform for fantasy football compared to the others I’ve used.

But since that time, Sleeper ADP has been added to the Mock Draft Simulator, providing users (in my opinion) the best way to realistically project your league by drafting against that specific ADP.

Main Takeaways:

• The first round was split between WRs and RBs. Puka Nacua and Garrett Wilson fell outside Round 1 altogether.
• Kyren Williams and Travis Etienne Jr. were high-end second-round picks.
• Again, Joe Mixon fell into Round 5. Among the “dead-zone” RBs, Mixon seems like the most logical candidate to fall a bit farther than the remaining pack.
• Sleeper also has the most up-to-date rookie rankings, so the discount you get on the first-year players here is not nearly as great. This is due to their strong presence in dynasty fantasy football leagues.
• Even so, Jaylen Warren remains a strong value at 8.10. 2-plus rounds AFTER Najee Harris. Jaleel McLaughlin is also buried in ADP.
• Upon further review of the Sleeper ADP, here are the players who stood out the most based on price alone (specific to Sleeper). Note that many increased RB prices here are the same as the other platforms I analyzed.
  • Undervalued: Jaylen Waddle, Michael Pittman Jr., Chris Godwin, Brian Robinson
  • Overvalued: Kyren Williams
• Overall, I’d say that Sleeper strikes a nice balance of “accurate ADP” without being over the top in either direction. Captures a little more of the rookies while also considering the RB-heavy nature of more traditional home leagues.
• I will also say that while doing this exercise, it’s bewildering to see how rookie ADP varies so much by site. However, the one constant is Marvin Harrison Jr. being a staple at the top of Round 2. Even in home leagues, Harrison Jr. is not coming with a rookie discount anywhere. I think he’s being overvalued.
• As we move forward into the peak of the draft season from August to September, I will likely refer to Sleeper as my main ADP source, along with consensus to give the best proxy of what your 2024 fantasy football draft will look like in a vacuum. I’ll be sure to update specific articles in the FantasyPros Draft Kit with references to Sleeper’s ADP.
• Note that FantasyPros ADP has just added Sleeper ADP into the consensus ADP.
• But as I have discussed, you want to exploit any edge possible. And that firmly includes your league’s drafting platform.

• I was able to run quickly through a Sleeper ADP simulation (thanks to the Mock Draft Simulator), and the results aligned with the real mock draft. Other highlights and the draft board are below.
  • Nico Collins and Jaylen Waddle went in Round 4.
  • Malik Nabers went end of Round 4.
  • Raheem Mostert went Round 5.
  • Kyler Murray went super late (Round 10) after a QB drought post-Round 7.

Sleeper

• Balanced ADP: Provides a realistic ADP without extreme variances.
• RB and WR Values: Jaylen Warren and Jaleel McLaughlin are strong values, while rookies are priced higher.
• Consistent Rookie Valuation: Marvin Harrison Jr. remains an expensive pick across all drafts.

Understanding these platform-specific ADP trends can give you a strategic edge in your drafts. Based on each platform’s tendencies, adapt your strategy to exploit undervalued players and secure key positions.

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