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Draft 9th in a 12-team semi-PPR league
Although it changes from year to year, this year I prefer to draft at the very beginning or very end of drafts, hoping to avoid the 5-6-7-8 draft slots, which get you stuck in the middle. Here, you are likely to run at the “onesie” positions (QB and TE) and you can’t stray too far from your ranking. If you’re near the ends you can jump past where you have ranked players and get your guy and you can be the one to start the aforementioned position runs.
Today we are going to step in and review a
recent draft
I finished from 9th position. Compare that to how my draft went when I was
writing from 2nd place
in a PPR semi-league. If you only get your spot an hour before your draft, now is the time to finish
fake drafts
so you can see where players are drafted from last year and see how their
average draft position (ADP)
changes over the next month. With camp well underway, injuries will undoubtedly start to appear which will have a huge effect on some players’ ADP.
For purposes of the fictional draft, I based the picks on the following league starting requirements: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 Flex, and 1 TE. Kicker and defense won’t be discussed as they should be the last two picks in your draft. Let’s see how this draft turned out and review the rationale for my choices.
First Round (Pick 1.09): Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
With my first pick, I wanted to catch Najee Harris or Dalvin Cook, but catching Joe Mixon was a big consolation prize at 1.09. Mixon was the RB3 last season in the semi-PPR leagues and is now heading into the back of the first round with an ADP of 1.10. The team is fresh off of a Super Bowl appearance and should gel easier from Week 1. I consider him a very safe first round pick that is almost a guarantee of a top 8 finish as a floor if he stays healthy.
Second Round (Pick 2.04): CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
In the 2nd round, I debated between Alvin Kamara, who seems not to be suspended, Aaron Jones and CeeDee Lamb. Since there is a large selection of mid to late WRs that I like this year, I ended up with Lamb which would be my WR1 and then I would complete the depth later. Lamb is going to see a ton of targets in a high-scoring offense that doesn’t have many strengths at wide receiver. Amari Cooper left for the Browns and Michael Gallup is not 100% healthy. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lamb is a first-round pick next season because he has the chance to score over 1,200 yards and get double-digit touchdowns.
Third Round (Pick 3.09): JK Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens
After picking Lamb in the 2nd round, I wanted another running back who could potentially be an anchor for my team. I took a risk and went with JK Dobbins, a player who looks to be healthy to start the season. After Zeke and Conner were taken before my pick, Dobbins was the last RB of a level before a fall. Akers and Gibson were other RBs in that lineup, but they both have concerns about their respective workloads and injury issues. Dobbins also has injury issues, but I feel like he has a much higher ceiling considering the first offense.
Fourth Round (Pick 4.04): Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
In the fourth round, I skipped ADP a ton and picked Courtland Sutton because I knew he wouldn’t come back to me with the 5.09 pick, especially in my home league. Wilson has always been able to support one of the top 15 receivers in fantasy football and Sutton is taken too low. With Tim Patrick’s unfortunate injury, it only further solidifies the significant target share he will receive and I think he is the better of the two receivers between him and Jerry Jeudy at this point in their respective careers. Sutton’s ADP will undoubtedly increase throughout the pre-season and if you’re drafting soon, jump on him now!
Round 5 (Pick 5.09): Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
While JK Dobbins should be great this year, it would be foolish to say he’s 100% home injury-free. For that reason, I went with Breece Hall with the 5.09 to add depth to an often injury-prone position. Hall is ending the level of RB I would like to start on my team, and he is currently my flexible position. Hall has the draft capital and talent to become a bell cow for the Jets, and while the team may not win a ton of games, Hall should be on the field for his regular work between the 20s, goal lines and catch-ups. the backfield.
Round 6 (Pick 6.04): Allen Robinson, WR, Los Angeles Rams
In the 6th round, Allen Robinson fell on me who, like Courtland Sutton, is chosen too late in the repechages. He is also a candidate for a big ADP boost ahead of the start of the season. Many believe that Robinson has officially “lost his mind” and is no longer a great receiver. In his senior year in Chicago, he had 38 receptions, 410 yards and just 1 touchdown. Not ideal for a player who was drafted into fantasy football like the WR12 last season. In the offseason, Robinson joined the LA Rams who lost Robert Woods and needed a second receiver to go along with Cooper Kupp. Just a year ago, before his season-ending injury, Woods was the WR11 in the semi-PPR leagues after the first nine games of the season. Although Robinson probably isn’t at the peak of his career, he could easily post 1,000 yards and 6-10 touchdowns and we wouldn’t flinch. It’s in his range of results this year and as my team’s WR3, a flexible spot at worst, I’m glad about that.
Round 7 (Pick 7.09): Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
After Hurts, Stafford and Wilson were all picked after my Allen Robinson pick, I decided it was time to pick a QB. In the end, Prescott was the best remaining QB on my roster, which pairs well with my 2nd round pick in CeeDee Lamb. I don’t force the QB-WR stack, but if it happens naturally, I love it. You can also use it as a tiebreaker if you’re stuck between two similar QBs. While Prescott doesn’t have a ton of elite WR options, he’ll aerate the ball at Lamb a ton and he still has Dalton Schultz, Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard and rookie wide Jalen Tolbert. He has more than enough options, along with his running ability, to finish in the top 5 QB this season.
Round 8 (Pick 8.04): Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
Stevenson was added 8th deep behind Mixon, Dobbins and Hall. He has the chance to pass Damien Harris as RB1 in New England, but even if he doesn’t, the team is giving them both a healthy amount of volume each week. He is an excellent wide receiver who will look to fill the role of “James White”.
Round 9 (Pick 9.09): Allen Lazard, WR, Green Bay Packers
Allen Lazard was an easy choice for WR depth in my team as we know Davante Adams left to sign with the Raiders and there is no clear WR1. Lazard is the most established receiver on the team and should approach 80-90 catches at least on offense with a double-digit touchdown advantage. Rookie Romeo Doubs has been getting a lot of praise recently, but going into the year Lazard is expected to be the Packers’ main passer.
Round 10 (Pick 10.04): Kadarius Toney, WR, New York Giants
In the 10th I looked to add more depth at receiver with Kadarius Toney who is an underrated player heading into the 2022 season. Anytime he has the ball in his hand he can hold the distance. He showed his ability in what he can do against the Cowboys in October when he had 10 catches on 13 targets for 189 yards. Toney will now have 2 full offseasons with the Giants and a new head coach who thinks outside the box. Toney is going to get a ton of work and shouldn’t go in 10th.
Round 11 (Pick 11.09): Kenneth Gainwell RB, Philadelphia Eagles
In subsequent rounds, you want to add depth to your most vulnerable positions – running back and wide receiver. In the 11th, I picked Kenneth Gainwell as he should be a good pass-catching RB who could provide a decent floor in a bye week substitution. The Eagles are going to be heavier than last season and Gainwell is constantly being used as part of a running backs committee. He won’t win the RB job but should be able to contribute, especially in the PPR leagues.
Round 12 (Pick 12.04): Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears
I don’t tend to grab an early TE unless Kelce hits me on 2nd or Andrews on 3rd. Neither of those things happened so I “push” the position and selected Cole Kmet on the 12th round. Other than Darnell Mooney, there aren’t a ton of targets to go around as N’Keal Harry and Byron Pringle are both injured. If these injuries are long-term, Kmet should see his team’s second targets. That floor should provide him with enough value to be a weekly starter, even on a team that doesn’t project well in terms of wins this season.
Round 13 (Pick 13.09): D’Ernest Johnson, RB, Cleveland Browns
With the last positional player pick of my draft, I took a chance on D’Ernest Johnson. Backup running back Kareem Hunt wants to leave Cleveland, and Johnson would slip into his position if he granted his wish (or was released). Kareem Hunt was always off to a good start as a flexible player, as starter Nick Chubb would be overlooked as a receiver out of the backfield, giving Johnson some optimism moving forward on offense. In case Nick Chubb misses time through injury, as he often misses a few games a year, Johnson has shown he can do it himself on the pitch.
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