Fantasy football season is in full swing, and who has time to deep dive every player at every round? Instead of looking up Targets Per Route Run or offensive pace statistics, just use this ESPN fantasy football guide to crush your drafts.
Note: This guide is based on the live ADP as of August 24, 2023. ADP shifts rapidly this time of the year. All advice is based on ESPN’s PPR default settings.
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The Perfect ESPN Fantasy Football Guide
First Round
How ADP is shaping up right now, the first round is more about grabbing a premium player at a position that won’t be available later. As of now, 12 wide receivers come off the board in the first two rounds while only eight running backs, one tight end, and three quarterbacks do. Bottom line, don’t leave the first round without a top-flight wide receiver. The ADP is pretty spot on for the top five receivers, but if you miss out on them, consider reaching on Ceedee Lamb, A.J. Brown or Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Second Round
The wide receivers keep flying off the board with 21 in the first four rounds. The receivers sitting here are perfect targets. If any of the big-name first-round wide receivers fall, it’s an easy smash selection. If they don’t, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jaylen Waddle are all perfect WR2 options.
Third Round
This is where the real draft starts. For the sake of this ESPN fantasy football guide, let’s pretend your team has two wide receivers. Mark Andrews has a real chance to finish as the TE1 (he has before, and Todd Monken will bring an offense from the 21st Century) so he’s the clear target. If he is not available, it’s the shooter’s preference between another wide receiver or a running back. It’s too early to grab a quarterback with some solid options still floating around, so grab either Andrews, Najee Harris, Aaron Jones or a wide receiver not named Deebo Samuel.
Fourth Round
The running back dead zone has been an idea for years. This round is actually the wide receiver dead zone now that receivers are going earlier and earlier. Each of the names here could perform well, but it’s a better idea to take one of the quarterbacks and secure a top option before it gets ugly. Justin Herbert and Justin Fields are both extremely capable options with overall QB1 in their range of outcomes. If neither is available, consider Jahmyr Gibbs or Darren Waller if you missed out on Andrews.
Fifth Round
Ideally, now your roster has two wide receivers, a tight end, and a quarterback. If you’re still short a quarterback, the prince that was promised Trevor Lawrence is the last bastion of hope before the stream team at quarterback. Otherwise, James Conner has been a top 24 option even without Kyler Murray, Rachaad White inherits the bulk of the pass catching responsibilities in Tampa Bay and the market may have overcorrected on Breece Hall too far. It’s never been better to wait on running back.
Sixth Round
Time for a FLEX or a RB2. Diontae Johnson and Mike Williams both have top-18 upside and are going outside the top 24 at their position. Cam Akers has had another year to recover from his injury and is backed up by *checks notes* a sixth-round rookie. All three are better options than the names around them, specifically avoid James Cook. He’s a scat back on a great offense, but Josh Allen doesn’t target his RBs often and runs in more touchdowns than he’ll hand off.
Seventh Round
Didn’t take a Steelers player yet? Need a tight end? Take Pat Freiermuth. Need another wide receiver? Take George Pickens. This offense is set to take a huge step forward, and the ADP for the weapons in the offense hasn’t adjusted yet. If Johnson is already on your team, consider Brandon Aiyuk (the WR 15 last year why is he available?) or another swing at running back. J.K. Dobbins and D’Andre Swift are both more than serviceable RB2 options.
Eighth Round
At this point, your roster should now have a tight end, a quarterback, two wide receivers, two running backs and a FLEX. If you haven’t filled tight end or quarterback yet, wait until the last rounds of your draft. No point in reaching on one when the rest of your league likely already has one. No need for a defense or kicker yet, the difference between the top options at those positions and the rest of the field isn’t worth the opportunity cost. The top options to fill out your FLEX include A.J. Dillon (he’s a FLEX play if Jones is healthy and a league winner if Jones goes down), Khalil Herbert who is quietly the RB1 for his team and Courtland Sutton.
Ninth Round
It’s time for ADP to go out the window. There are so many landmines to avoid, it’s easier to just list the players that are worth a swing. The Commanders RB duo will eat at each other’s work, but could easily both beat their position. Jordan Addison is a must-draft rookie with where he’s going in drafts. Adam Thielen ran the second most routes in the league last year, and Addison gets to inherit that role off the bat.
Tenth Round
There are two wide receivers that could have a huge role in a high-flying offense staring at drafters. Quentin Johnston is another must-draft rookie on an offense that could lead the league in passing. Gabe Davis burned drafters last year, but in the tenth round, there are worse options than a boom-bust option. If both are gone, reach on Zach Charbonnet. Kenneth Walker is already dealing with a soft tissue injury and could miss time. The Seattle offense is potent, and Charbonnet’s strengths give him an every-down skillset.
Eleventh Round
Now that it’s getting late, consider a quarterback if you still don’t have one. If Anthony Richardson, Geno Smith or Daniel Jones fall they’re the best options left. If not, look for running backs with a clear path to relevance. It’s better to fill out a bench with handcuffs than wide receivers that won’t crack your lineup. Another important note, even if you love Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson or C.J. Stroud, the impact they have on their pass catchers should take the receivers off your board entirely.
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Twelfth Round Through End of Draft
Eventually, it will be time to grab a kicker and defense. Grab a kicker attached to a good offense (this feels self-explanatory) and a defense with a good week one matchup. Think Greg Zurlein (New York Jets) Jake Elliot (Philadelphia Eagles) or Tyler Bass (Buffalo Bills). The defenses with the best week-one matchups include the Vikings, Commanders, Ravens, Falcons and Jaguars. Fill out the rest of your bench with some sleepers, more of the handcuffs from the last round, or your favorite players, because at the end of the day, it’s fun to pull for your favorite players!
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