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Fantasy Football 2017: 1st-Round Mock Draft and Strategy for Later Rounds

Fantasy Football
August 28, 2017

The NFL preseason is winding down, which means it’s time for you to gear up for your fantasy football draft. 

Being fully prepared for your draft means a lot more than glancing at the latest fantasy football rankings and checking out the injury report. You need to make some decisions ahead of time and plan a strategy so that you don’t get caught frantically looking up information while you’re on the clock. 

To help prepare you for the draft, here’s a look at a first-round mock draft, followed by a few tips you should keep in mind to help you in the later rounds. Being prepared will make you more confident on draft day, and could be the first step towards taking home that championship trophy. 

             

First-Round Mock Draft

1. David Johnson, RB, Cardinals

2. Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers

3. Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers

4. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Giants

5. LeSean McCoy, RB, Bills

6. Julio Jones, WR, Falcons

7. Devonta Freeman, RB, Falcons

8. Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers

9. DeMarco Murray, RB, Titans

10. Jordy Nelson, WR. Packers

11. A.J. Green, WR, Bengals

12. Jay Ajayi, RB, Dolphins

             

First-Round Strategy

If you own the first or second pick, congratulations; your decision is easy. But after David Johnson and Le’Veon Bell are off the board, the first round becomes a bit of a mess. 

The safer first-round options are the wide receivers. You know what you’re getting from a player such as Julio Jones or Mike Evans. However, wide receiver is also a deeper position. There will be safe selections available in the second and third round as well. 

At running back, however, the depth is severely lacking, which means risky players start coming off the board early.

Take LeSean McCoy for example. As the feature back in the Buffalo Bills offense, he is going to get plenty of touches and will definitely come off the board in the first round. But the Bills are in full rebuilding mode now and the talent around him is lacking. If opposing teams aren’t scared of Tyrod Taylor and the Bills’ depleted receiving corps, the 29-year-old McCoy could see a drop in production. 

So do you want to be the one to gamble on McCoy due to the running back scarcity? Or do you want to take the safer route with an Evans or Jones, and worry about running back when the price isn’t as steep?

Those are decisions you should make before the draft so that you aren’t agonizing over your selection as the clock is winding down. 

         

When to draft Ezekiel Elliott?

Another decision you should make before the draft is whether or not you want to be aggressive in targeting Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. 

Elliott is suspended for the first six games of the season, which means he’ll miss almost half of your fantasy football regular season. However, when he returns he’ll be fresh and motivated, and his presence on your roster could dramatically alter your outlook down the stretch. 

To determine whether or not to gamble on Elliott, find out how many teams make the playoffs in your league. 

If you play with a deep playoff pool, where at least half the league makes it to the postseason, it might be worth snagging Elliott early. You might miss out on the No. 1 seed, but with Elliott on your roster you’ll be a force once the playoffs roll around.

If you play in a league where only four out of 12 teams make the postseason, however, gambling on Elliott might be too risky. You’ll miss out on early-season production from a high draft pick and potentially dig yourself a hole you can’t climb out of down the stretch. 

             

Make yourself a do-not draft list

Everyone has different criteria for their do-not draft list. Some people like to avoid players with a long injury history. Others use more personal reasons, such as avoiding their rival team. What’s important most important, however, is that you make these decisions ahead of time so that you aren’t rushing mid-draft decisions and potentially hurting yourself by being inconsistent with your strategy. 

A good example of a decision to make before the draft is whether or not you’re going to draft New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Gronk is a game-altering talent on the field and in your fantasy lineup, but only when he’s healthy. Over the past five seasons, he’s only played in 55 out of a possible 80 regular season games. 

If stays healthy you’ll get the No. 1 tight end a couple rounds later than he would go if not for the injury concerns. But there’s also a chance you’ll end up dropping him after another season-ending injury. 

There are good arguments for drafting and avoiding Gronk. But either way, you’ll feel more prepared and make more consistent decisions on draft day if you’ve already decided how to handle that potential dilemma ahead of time. 

Read more Fantasy Football news on NerdyFootball.com

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