Many of us are in pursuit of perfection in one way or another. Most want the perfect family, car, job, etc.
I wish I could say I am not one of the masses when it comes to this endless voyage to the extremely minute island of perfection. Where I differ from most is that mine is not about the cars or houses or outfit (even though the right outfit makes me feel on point!) I focus for perfection on draft day.
I am in over 15 fantasy football leagues yearly plus do daily, weekly and monthly leagues. I don’t have to tell you how much I love it and that it is a passion of mine because the ridiculous number shows that. I spend hours finding average draft positions (ADP) and giving players the value I have for them and when I would want to target them. For example this year I love Andre Ellington, running back for Arizona Cardinals. I know he is being taken in the early third round, so I either have to except letting him go or making my move before that pick. Drafting is not a science, but a strategy is always a good thing to have.
The Perfect Fantasy Draft
For every position in the draft I have a couple of names aside for every round. It is a great way to keep to your plan and draft a solid team all the way through. I try never to share this information with anyone but this year and with LWOS being amazing, I think it’s time to share. So here you go: the perfect draft and how to make it your team. You are welcome of course and as always good luck. Feel free to ask me any questions and I promise I will answer them all!
I will do 5 rounds from each spot with the mindset this is a 12 team snake draft with 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 Kicker, 1 DEF, with 1 flex of RB/WR/TE. This should give you a map to plan your draft.
First Pick
Round 1: LeSean McCoy RB PHI
Round 2: Antonio Brown WR PIT or Alshon Jeffery WR CHI
Round 3: Andre Ellington RB ARI
Round 4: Michael Crabtree WR SF
Round 5: Andrew Luck QB IND
Outlook: You have a solid foundation to start from. You have a stud RB1 with a huge upside RB2. You have two mothers at WR positions and a top five QB in most all rankings. If you can put this together you have a great shot at forming a team to be feared. You still have work to do but this is the beginning to success and lots of trash talk!
Second Pick
Round 1: Adrian Peterson RB MIN
Round 2: Doug Martin RB TB
Round 3: Randell Cobb WR GB
Round 4: Andre Johnson WR HOU
Round 5: Michael Floyd WR ARI
Outlook: You went with a couple of combos to make you a dangerous opponent. You first went with the old one-two, RB1-RB2 and your RB2 is most people’s RB1. So you have the two sure things for those spots. Next three rounds you hit them with the three piece combo getting WR1-WR2-WR3. This leaves you with three interchangeable receivers and a flex when all are playing. You also opens up being able to trade without feeling it as much as others. You still got to find some depth and a QB but you are in great shape.
Third Pick
Round 1: Matt Forte RB CHI
Round 2: Jordy Nelson WR GB
Round 3: LeVeon Bell RB PIT
Round 4: Matthew Stafford QB DET
Round 5: Percy Harvin WR SEA
Outlook: Another team that really laid the blueprint for a successful season. Taking care of its RB1 & RB2, WR 1 & WR2, and QB all in the first 5 rounds of the draft. Good work, sir. It really leaves a lot of freedom to take some risks in the mid to later rounds on some depth and less important positions. This team will be in great shape as long as they don’t go seven shades of crazy from this point out.
Fourth Pick
Round 1: Jamaal Charles RB KC
Round 2: Arian Foster RB HOU
Round 3: Zac Stacy RB STL
Round 4: Pierre Garcon WR WSH
Round 5: Emmanuel Sanders WR DEN
Outlook: This team used the group combo like we saw with the second pick but he went RB heavy and finished up with his receiver tandem. This makes this team set at some major positions and also lets them be free of looking for RBs late because of the depth he got early. This is a great year for this strategy due to lack of depth at RB position. If you can get three big time fantasy rushers like this team did, be delighted you did. Sure you have got to find a QB and TE but that part is easy, while adding depth with every other pick.
Fifth Pick
Round 1: Calvin Johnson WR DET
Round 2: Aaron Rodgers QB GB
Round 3: Julius Thomas TE DEN
Round 4: Shane Vereen RB NE
Round 5: Ray Rice RB BAL
Outlook: This team is a top spot team. It went elite, elite, and elite no matter what the positions they played. They got the top WR and a top three QB and TE. Knowing they had to get some active running backs, they grabbed two to in the fourth and fifth to cover some ground on a glaring weakness. If you go this route you might want to keep attacking the RB position while getting your other WR. Have some real staples to you roster, but use the next round to get the supporting cast needed to win.
6th Pick
Round 1: Eddie Lacy RB GB
Round 2: Brandon Marshall WR CHI
Round 3: Rob Gronkowski TE NE
Round 4: Cordarrelle Patterson WR MIN
Round 5: Joique Bell RB DET
Outlook: Did a nice job while getting elite, but also a couple of options at some big positions. I love the receiving core even though it’s in the NFC North and not named Green Bay. The team went for the injury prone but explosive tight end in Gronk and wrapped it up with some secure backs. Didn’t form a killer team but gave itself lots of options moving forward to make itself one.
Seventh Pick
Round 1: Peyton Manning QB DEN
Round 2: Giovani Bernard RB CIN
Round 3: Keenan Allen WR SD
Round 4: Frank Gore RB SF
Round 5: Desean Jackson WR WSH
Outlook: Went top QB in the first round but still managed to grab a duo in both receiving and running. Maybe not clear studs but still good enough to hold down their value in fantasy. Play your cards right with this five and you can have a playoff team this year. Tight end is important but so are a flex and some depth. So make sure your next couple picks make sense with your gameplan and your roster in mind.
Eighth Pick
Round 1: Jimmy Graham TE NO
Round 2: Drew Brees QB NO
Round 3: Reggie Bush RB DET
Round 4: Larry Fitzgerald WR ARI
Round 5: Bishop Sankey RB TEN
Outlook: No matter what position you think Jimmy Graham should be paid like, he is a tight end and this team was lucky enough to get him and his QB, Drew Brees. That’s a great combo to have and can score some huge rewards. The next three rounds could never live up to those, and this team didn’t. But you can point out as many negatives as positives for this team. You don’t need to draft a backup QB or TE with these two on your team, so grab some depth just in case the third through fifth rounds risks do not pay off. This will enhance the chances for this team to make the playoffs.
Ninth Pick
Round 1: Demaryius Thomas WR DEN
Round 2: Julio Jones WR ATL
Round 3: Rashad Jennings RB NYG
Round 4: Toby Gerhart RB JAC
Round 5: Wes Welker WR DEN
Outlook: Getting two of the top five receivers in the NFL lets this team take the risk of Wes Welker in the fifth round. They have nothing to lose if he doesn’t stay healthy or on the field. They grabbed two starting running backs that should receive most of the carries for their teams and also be involved in the passing game. This might not be the home run you were hoping for but it’s definitely warning track power. Do not forget QB and depth in the next couple rounds and you should be fine.
Tenth Pick
Round 1: Marshawn Lynch RB SEA
Round 2: A.J. Green WR CIN
Round 3: Vincent Jackson WR TB
Round 4: Ryan Mathews RB SD
Round 5: Ben Tate RB CLE
Outlook: I don’t like to have risk early in my draft plan, but I also do not like being last. In this position I went for some guys that have red flags, but also a history of big things. A couple of these players find their way and I risked myself right into the playoffs. Sometimes you have to go for it and this is one of those times you go. This team has a lot of potential already, now you just have to take it home, nice and steady.
11th Pick:
Round 1: Dez Bryant WR DAL
Round 2: Demarco Murray RB DAL
Round 3: C.J.Spiller RB BUF
Round 4: Roddy White WR ATL
Round 5: Chris Johnson RB NYJ
Outlook: No this isn’t just the draft spot for the guy who loves the Dallas Cowboys. It’s a spot looking for great value, and this team found it early and often. I am not big on having a lot of teammates on my roster but two players that have stud potential do not bother me at all. I love Roddy White with a bounce back year and one of the other two running backs comes through for a great foundation to start a run for the championship. This is how you take the 11th pick and make people jealous you had it.
Twelfth Pick:
Round 1: Montee Ball RB DEN
Round 2: Alfred Morris RB WSH
Round 3: Victor Cruz WR NYG
Round 4: T.Y. Hilton WR IND
Round 5: Vernon Davis TE SF
Outlook: The last pick doesn’t mean the last team. Here is a perfect example of how you take the last and give it a run for the best. Two solid running backs capable of being the top 10 in fantasy this year mixed in with a top five tight end and two receivers that have seen big games in the recent past. This team with a couple little things in the next round or two can be one that everyone picks to run the table to a championship.
That’s a foundation on how to dominate your draft from any position. Good luck heading into draft weekend and see you next week when the regular “Believe it or Not” comes out.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @CoachMikeFX. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For the latest in sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for? GO!
