A common mistake made in fantasy football drafts is putting together the best team possible for Week 1. While it is fun to start the season on a high note — winning your first matchup and scoring a boatload of points — the right strategy is crafting a team that will improve as the season goes on.
The way to do so is drafting players referred to as “league winners,” players who impact the roster at the end of the year significantly more than at the start. Before every draft, every analyst and expert (including me, as you’ll find out later) will identify players they think will fit into this category, but picking which ones will actually turn out that way is like finding a needle in a haystack.
However, the search isn’t as bad if you know where to look. I look for players that fit into these four categories to determine which players will help bring my team to glory.
Undervalued players
This category comes off as very broad, but let me explain. Last week, I talked about taking players above their average draft position (ADP) if they’re a must have on your roster. This is overvaluing a player.
Typically, every draft has a handful of players that get undervalued, meaning every expert or casual player knows their ADP and final ranking don’t match up. The main reasons for this are uncertainty with their fit in the offense or impact at the start of the season. These are targeted towards one group specifically.
Rookie running backs.
First-year players need time to get used to the pros, but a running back’s best years are his first. All it takes is an underperforming or injured starter for the head coach to turn towards a young guy, and if all goes well, their spot in the offense will be tough to lose.
While Bijan Robinson figures to be a first round pick in drafts, the talented class has plenty of backs looking to make the most of their situation. Jahmyr Gibbs has workhorse back potential after the Lions traded De’Andre Swift, and Devon Achane doesn’t have much competition for touches in the Dolphins backfield. The good news, they’ll be afterthoughts on most draft boards.
Players following an underwhelming year
The dreaded down year for a football player is followed with questions about their future. Are they too old? Is their prime over? Are they trusted by the head coach anymore? Basically the opposite of job security.
However, we’re talking about fantasy football, and in the fantasy world, a down year means an opportunity to steal a league winner.
Enough with the speculation, these guys always bounce back. More specifically, top draft picks from last season like Jonathan Taylor and Cooper Kupp might be available in the second round of drafts this season just one year after finishing with the most points at their position in 2021. This isn’t because they aren’t good enough to be first rounders, but rather everyone else is scared to look past one bad season. Don’t make the same mistake.
This also goes for players who will start the year on IR or suspended. DeAndre Hopkins completely solved my wide receiver issue last season after I drafted him — a top-10 wide receiver in terms of weekly average points — in the sixth round.
The player that fits this category this season is Calvin Ridley. A year-long suspension and a new team has many people — including experts — forgetting how good he is. Most rankings sites have him outside the top 20 wide receivers with a fifth-round ADP. He’ll be returning from a year off from football, joining an electric Jacksonville offense that made Christian Kirk the wide receiver 12 last season. I see top 10 potential in Ridley this year and a fifth round price tag is more than enough to convince me of taking him.
Players who play their role and do it well
This category goes out to the slot receivers, the third-down backs or the injury replacements. Despite their standing on the depth chart, they, too, can be league winners.
Just look at last year’s RB13, Jamaal Williams. Overshadowed by D’Andre Swift in the Lions backfield, I remember telling people to take him towards the end of the draft because of his upside as a goal-line monster and competence to be a workhorse if Swift got hurt. He did just that, as nearly half of his total points last year came from a league-leading 17 rushing touchdowns.
From a wide receiver standpoint, don’t overlook No. 2 or No. 3 options on a team because the top guy will get most of the target share. Oftentimes, it’s the next man up when teams face off against some of the best cornerbacks in the league.
It’s why Tee Higgins works so well as a fantasy option. Ja’Marr Chase has the potential to score the most points at the receiver position this year, but with that comes attention from opposing team’s top cornerbacks. With a schedule featuring some tough defenses, Joe Burrow will have to acknowledge Higgins when Chase is blanketed by coverage. It made him a top 20 receiver last season and it will happen again this year.
When all else fails, pick players on good offenses
This one’s a no brainer. Offenses that score points get everyone involved no matter where they are on the depth chart.
Believe it or not, this doesn’t normally produce top players. The top five teams in points per game only produced five total players that finished in the top 10 at the running back, wide receiver and tight end positions last year. But we’re not necessarily looking for top players, we’re looking for league winners.
In the back half of drafts, a player on the Chiefs or Bills makes more sense than someone on the Colts or Commanders because of the upside their offenses provide. Making those smart choices is the difference between winning and losing, and in the case that one of those guys becomes a standout player for their time, you’ve found yourself a league winner.
“Fantasy Fridays” is a column by Michael Fiumefreddo about fantasy football draft prep that runs every Friday.