Scott White, one of our Senior Fantasy Writers here at CBSSports.com, said during a recent mock draft that he prefers a middle pick as opposed to selecting at either end. He said he doesn't like to miss out or be at the tail end of runs waiting for his turn to draft.
Most Fantasy owners will tell you picking at the beginning or end is more desirable because you have more control over your strategy. If you pick early in Round 1 with the first three or four picks you know who you are getting, which should determine your plan for the next couple of rounds. If you pick at the end then you can go into Draft Day with an idea of your first two picks since you have an early selection in Round 2.
But picking in the middle, like this example at No. 6 overall, leaves you susceptible to taking best player available, which isn't ideal. You should still go into Draft Day with a plan, but it's almost impossible to predict what will happen after your first round pick.
We'll highlight some players who should be available with each pick, and hopefully this is a guide you can use on Draft Day in standard and PPR formats with a lineup of QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, TE, FLEX (RB/WR/TE), K, DST and five reserve spots.
Editor's note: The percentages listed are what position you should target based on that round for each pick.
| Round 1 |
| Standard | QB | 20% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 0% |
| PPR | QB | 20% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 0% |
As I've said throughout this series, I prefer to wait on quarterback because there's so much depth at the position. If you're inclined to draft a quarterback, this is the spot you'll do so. I would rather look at a running back or
Calvin Johnson, but he will likely be gone in PPR leagues by now. We'll stick to our plan of trying to lock up a workhorse running back, and
Chris Johnson should be available in both formats. Johnson is due for a bounce-back year after his disappointing 2011 campaign, and he's done well this offseason. Don't hesitate to draft him in Round 1 at this position.
Players you can get here: Aaron Rodgers,
Drew Brees,
Tom Brady,
Calvin Johnson,
Chris Johnson,
Maurice Jones-Drew My selection at No. 6 standard: Chris Johnson My selection at No. 6 PPR: Chris Johnson | Round 2 |
| Standard | QB | 30% | RB | 30% | WR | 30% | TE | 10% |
| PPR | QB | 20% | RB | 30% | WR | 40% | TE | 10% |
When you pick in the middle, you should aim for the best value picks when possible. What that means is if you draft a running back in Round 1 and plan to take a receiver in Round 2, don't pass up a player who falls too far. In this case, we'll go with
Cam Newton in this spot in the standard league. Newton could be a first-round selection in some leagues, and he presents tremendous value in the middle of Round 2. In the PPR league, we'll go with a receiver, which in this case is
Wes Welker. He was the fourth receiver drafted in this format behind
Calvin Johnson,
Larry Fitzgerald and
Andre Johnson, which is how most leagues will go.
Players you can get here: Cam Newton,
Matthew Stafford,
Fred Jackson,
Jamaal Charles,
Darren Sproles,
Ahmad Bradshaw,
Wes Welker, A.J. Green.
Brandon Marshall,
Julio Jones,
Rob Gronkowski My selection at No. 19 standard: Cam Newton My selection at No. 19 PPR: Wes Welker | Round 3 |
| Standard | QB | 0% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 20% |
| PPR | QB | 20% | RB | 30% | WR | 30% | TE | 20% |
Receiver is one of the deepest positions this year, so don't feel like you have to reach for one after the Top 5 or 10 players are drafted. You can still build a good receiving corps with players like
Miles Austin,
Dez Bryant,
Percy Harvin,
Marques Colston and
Jeremy Maclin, among others. In the standard league we'll draft for value, and
Marshawn Lynch is worth the gamble here. In the mock draft Dave and I did for this series, we made our picks just as Lynch was dealing with his off-field incident in mid-July. We're not sure what punishment Lynch will face, so he's either a steal at this spot if he avoids a lengthy suspension or a tremendous reach if he's out for a long time. In the PPR league, there's more of a premium on receivers, so we'll go with
Mike Wallace. Barring a holdout, Wallace is a No. 1 receiver that we took as our second option in this league.
Players you can get here: Ahmad Bradshaw,
Adrian Peterson,
Jamaal Charles,
Doug Martin,
Jordy Nelson,
Hakeem Nicks,
Brandon Marshall,
Mike Wallace My selection at No. 30 standard: Marshawn Lynch My selection at No. 30 PPR: Mike Wallace | Round 4 |
| Standard | QB | 0% | RB | 30% | WR | 50% | TE | 20% |
| PPR | QB | 20% | RB | 40% | WR | 20% | TE | 20% |
As we said in Round 3, you can wait on receiver at that point, but you don't want to go too long without getting a quality option. Austin should be available in Round 4 based on Average Draft Position, and I like him better than Bryant, especially in light of what happened to him off the field. He has been Tony Romo's best receiver the past three years, and he should remain the No. 1 option in 2012, including if Bryant faces any suspension. In the PPR league, you can look at running back here unless you want to lock up a quarterback or tight end, but running back is likely more of a priority.
Jamaal Charles is not someone I plan to target, but I would gamble on him here in Round 4. Hopefully he can rebound at 100 percent from last year's torn ACL and also keep
Peyton Hillis off the field.
Players you can get here: Michael Vick,
Jamaal Charles,
Doug Martin,
BenJarvus Green-Ellis,
Beanie Wells,
Miles Austin,
Jeremy Maclin, Stevie Johnson,
Aaron Hernandez My selection at No. 43 standard: Miles Austin My selection at No. 43 PPR: Jamaal Charles | Round 5 |
| Standard | QB | 0% | RB | 30% | WR | 40% | TE | 30% |
| PPR | QB | 30% | RB | 20% | WR | 30% | TE | 20% |
Wide receiver should remain a focal point in the standard league since you're set at quarterback, starting running back and one receiver. You could gamble on tight end here, but there is time to wait based on depth at the position. We'll get another starting receiver here to complete our lineup, and
Dwayne Bowe should be available based on ADP. Bowe will likely present excellent value on Draft Day since most owners tend to shy away from him, but he does have an average of 67 catches for 970 yards and eight touchdowns the past three years. The return of
Matt Cassel at 100 percent should help Bowe tremendously. In the PPR league, as we've told you throughout this series, quarterbacks will slip, and
Michael Vick could be available at this spot. If that happens, which it did in this draft, then take him. He should be in line for a tremendous rebound season.
Players you can get here: Michael Vick,
Eli Manning,
Frank Gore,
Reggie Bush,
Dwayne Bowe,
Vincent Jackson,
Brandon Lloyd,
DeSean Jackson My selection at No. 54 standard: Dwayne Bowe My selection at No. 54 PPR: Michael Vick | Round 6 |
| Standard | QB | 0% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 20% |
| PPR | QB | 0% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 20% |
We need to consider tight end here, but there are still so many talented options on the board, including
Fred Davis,
Jermaine Gresham and
Brent Celek, which means we can wait. In both leagues, it's a good idea to add depth at running back and receiver, especially since we use a flex option. In the standard league, we're covered at running back with Johnson and Lynch, but we can take another receiver after waiting to take Austin and Bowe. You can choose to fortify a position of strength at this spot, which in this case would be running back, or be more balanced with your roster and spread out your talent.
Kenny Britt has a lot of baggage and could be facing a suspension with his offseason arrest in July. We'll see what happens with him, but if he's healthy and active for the majority of the season he will produce like a Top 15 receiver. In the PPR league, we'll go with a running back in
Jonathan Stewart. He can either be our flex option or a starter if Charles isn't ready with his knee.
Players you can get here: Jonathan Stewart,
Donald Brown,
Stevan Ridley,
Kenny Britt,
Torrey Smith,
Eric Decker,
Reggie Wayne My selection at No. 67 standard: Kenny Britt My selection at No. 67 PPR: Jonathan Stewart | Round 7 |
| Standard | QB | 0% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 20% |
| PPR | QB | 0% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 20% |
Like in Round 6, you should gauge the talent at tight end if you continue to wait. It is an extremely deep position this year, so you should be able to gamble another round. Just know that you might get stuck with
Jacob Tamme,
Brandon Pettigrew or
Coby Fleener if you continue to pass on the position, but those are three solid fall-back options if your plan goes awry. In this round we'll add depth at running back with Stewart in the standard league and
James Starks in the PPR format. Stewart has more value in PPR leagues because even though he will lose carries to
DeAngelo Williams and
Mike Tolbert, he's still the best receiver of that trio. Starks was terrible as the starter for the Packers last year, but at least he should see an increase in touches this season with
Ryan Grant gone. He's a good upside selection here as a No. 4 running back.
Players you can get here: Stevan Ridley, C.J. Spiller,
Jonathan Stewart,
James Starks,
Denarius Moore,
Robert Meachem,
Pierre Garcon,
Anquan Boldin My selection at No. 78 standard: Jonathan Stewart My selection at No. 78 PPR: James Starks | Round 8 |
| Standard | QB | 10% | RB | 20% | WR | 20% | TE | 50% |
| PPR | QB | 10% | RB | 20% | WR | 20% | TE | 50% |
Tight end is a priority now to make sure you get the player you want. ADP tells us Davis should be available, and he's worth drafting here. He's motivated by a contract year and to prove that last year's four-game suspension for failing multiple drug tests is behind him. Prior to the suspension, Davis was having a career season in which he established single-season highs in receptions (59) and receiving yards (796) with three touchdowns. He should be rookie quarterback
Robert Griffin III's best receiving option.
Players you can get here: Toby Gerhart,
Pierre Thomas,
Ryan Williams,
David Wilson,
Denarius Moore,
Justin Blackmon,
Sidney Rice,
Malcom Floyd,
Fred Davis,
Jermaine Gresham,
Jacob Tamme My selection at No. 91 standard: Fred Davis My selection at No. 91 PPR: Fred Davis | Round 9 |
| Standard | QB | 20% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 0% |
| PPR | QB | 20% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 0% |
Both teams are starting to take shape here with good depth at running back and receiver and solid starting options at quarterback and tight end. Usually in a spot like this I'll gamble on a player who could be a starting option in the majority of leagues. In the standard format, consider
David Wilson a sleeper. He will be the No. 2 running back for the Giants behind
Ahmad Bradshaw, but Bradshaw has never been a featured option. Wilson is one foot injury from Bradshaw from being the starter for the Giants. In the PPR league, we'll go with Griffin as our No. 2 quarterback. This gives us great insurance if Vick goes down and also trade bait if Griffin plays as expected in his rookie year.
Players you can get here: Robert Griffin III,
David Wilson,
Shane Vereen,
Mike Goodson,
LeGarrette Blount,
Lance Moore,
Malcom Floyd,
Randy Moss,
Darrius Heyward-Bey My selection at No. 102 standard: David Wilson My selection at No. 102 PPR: Robert Griffin III | Round 10 |
| Standard | QB | 10% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 10% |
| PPR | QB | 0% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 10% |
This is the time to continue to strengthen your roster with depth at running back and receiver. In the standard league, taking another receiver is the smart move, especially with a sleeper like
Brandon LaFell on the board. He will be drafted as a No. 4 option, but he could emerge as a Top 20 receiver as the starter opposite
Steve Smith. This also gives you double points since Newton is your starter. In the PPR league, we'll keep our Redskins theme going with one of the most underrated players this year in
Santana Moss. I'll pass on
Pierre Garcon this season based on his ADP (Round 8) and settle for Moss in Round 10. Moss is more talented than Garcon and should post better stats.
Players you can get here: Bernard Scott,
Tim Hightower,
LeGarrette Blount,
Mark Ingram,
Greg Little,
Brandon LaFell,
Santana Moss,
Sidney Rice My selection at No. 115 standard: Brandon LaFell My selection at No. 115 PPR: Santana Moss | Round 11 |
| Standard | QB | 30% | RB | 40% | WR | 30% | TE | 0% |
| PPR | QB | 0% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 20% |
Backup quarterback should start to enter your radar here in the standard league. Even though Newton is an elite option, he only has one year for his sample size, so it's best to cover yourself with a second quarterback.
Andy Dalton is a good No. 2 passer because he played well as a rookie, has elite-level talent around him and should be throwing more with a marginal running game this year. He's a good backup for Newton, and he will face the Browns in Week 6 when Carolina is on a bye. In the PPR league, we'll take the best player available, which in this case is
Sidney Rice. If he returns at 100 percent after dealing with shoulder problems last year then he should return as a potential Top 20 Fantasy receiver. He will benefit greatly with the addition of quarterback
Matt Flynn in Seattle.
Players you can get here: Carson Palmer,
Andy Dalton,
Joe Flacco,
Ryan Fitzpatrick,
Daniel Thomas,
Isaiah Pead,
Rashad Jennings,
Kevin Smith,
Michael Crabtree,
Sidney Rice,
Brian Quick,
Danny Amendola My selection at No. 126 standard: Andy Dalton My selection at No. 126 PPR: Sidney Rice | Round 12 |
| Standard | QB | 0% | RB | 50% | WR | 40% | TE | 10% | K | 0% | DST | 0% |
| PPR | QB | 0% | RB | 40% | WR | 50% | TE | 10% | K | 0% | DST | 0% |
Owners in the standard league should be thinking handcuff option at this point, maybe somewhat literally after drafting Lynch. If he's suspended for a significant period of time then rookie
Robert Turbin will get the bulk of the carries. He's a great late-round pick even if you don't draft Lynch because the Seahawks will need someone to carry the ball if Lynch is out. In the PPR league we'll continue to draft for value, and
Michael Crabtree is another receiver who will fall on Draft Day. His current ADP is Round 10, which is three rounds after
Randy Moss. Don't be surprised if Crabtree posts better stats than Moss this year.
Players you can get here: Robert Turbin,
Kevin Smith,
Bernard Pierce,
Rashad Jennings,
Michael Crabtree,
Jerome Simpson,
Brian Quick,
Nate Washington My selection at No. 139 standard: Robert Turbin My selection at No. 139 PPR: Michael Crabtree | Round 13 |
| Standard | QB | 0% | RB | 0% | WR | 0% | TE | 0% | K | 0% | DST | 100% |
| PPR | QB | 0% | RB | 0% | WR | 0% | TE | 0% | K | 0% | DST | 100% |
When drafting a DST you should look for an aggressive unit, especially at rushing the passer. The Giants have one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL, and if their secondary holds up, they should be a great unit at forcing sacks and creating turnovers. If you miss out on the 49ers, Packers, Steelers, Ravens or Eagles then look at the Giants and hope there is not a Super Bowl hangover in 2012.
Players you can get here: Giants DST, Eagles DST, Texans DST, Bears DST
My selection at No. 150 standard: Giants DST
My selection at No. 150 PPR: Giants DST
| Round 14 |
| Standard | QB | 0% | RB | 0% | WR | 0% | TE | 0% | K | 100% | DST | 0% |
| PPR | QB | 0% | RB | 0% | WR | 0% | TE | 0% | K | 100% | DST | 0% |
Drafting a kicker should be simple. You want someone who plays in an explosive offense and kicks indoors, and
Dan Bailey fills both categories. The Cowboys offense should again feature plenty of firepower with Romo,
DeMarco Murray, Austin, Bryant and
Jason Witten. We like Bailey to be among the best Fantasy kickers this year.
Players you can get here: Garrett Hartley,
Robbie Gould,
Dan Bailey,
Alex Henery My selection at No. 163 standard: Dan Bailey My selection at No. 163 PPR: Dan Bailey Here is a look at what the teams look like following the draft:
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