Updated at 8.50am
IF YOU’VE ALREADY completed your NFL fantasy football draft, we’re really sorry but you’ve probably done it far too early.
There’s still three pre-season games left for most teams and any number of your picks could succumb to injury in those games.
Anyway, for those who have not drafted, we obviously have no idea what your draft position is so the aim of this guide is to pick a player who won’t be drafted with the first two or three picks of each round but who, if you were picking in those spots, would still offer decent value.
We’re only going through the first ten rounds — the rest is something of a crap shoot you’ll need to work out for yourself — and our picks are based on a 12 team, ESPN standard scoring league.
If you’d like advice on any other type of league, feel free to ask in the comments.
Round 1
Jamaal Charles, running back, Kansas City Chiefs – 14 ppg
Le’Veon Bell, Adrian Peterson and Eddie Lacy are virtually the consensus first three picks. You don’t want to get tricky here and draft someone like CJ Anderson who torched the league in the last five weeks of 2014. Instead, look for Charles who was the fantasy MVP in 2013 and who still averaged over 12 points per game last season despite being regarded as having a poor year.
Round 2
Jordy Nelson, wide receiver, Green Packers – 12 ppg
The temptation here is to go for a second running back but Nelson is coming off the back of a career-best season when he averaged nearly 14 fantasy points per game. Nelson is going as low as the third round in some cases — though her rarely gets out of the second — and there’s nothing from the Packers camp to suggest he won’t remain Aaron Rodgers’ number one target this season, especially in the redzone.
Round 3
Frank Gore, running back, Indianapolis Colts – 11 ppg
Depending on how good/bad your league is, there’s a chance that one of the top quarterbacks is available here and if an Andrew Luck or Russell Wilson is (Rodgers will be well gone), grab them. However, Gore has moved to a much better offence in Indianapolis — one of the highest scoring in the NFL — and will be used in both the run and passing game.
Round 4
Jonathan Stewart, running back, Carolina Panthers – 10 ppg
With DeAngelo Williams gone to Pittsburgh, Stewart should average 15-20 touches a game for the Panthers and build on the final five games of last season when he was the second highest scoring back in the league. Stewart comes with a massive injury caveat though, which is why he should be your RB3.
Round 5
Golden Tate, wide receiver, Detroit Lions - 8 ppg
Tate took full advantage of Calvin Johnson’s limited participation in a number of games last year but he still ranked first overall in yards after the catch which makes him a very solid shout for the back-up WR position.
Round 6
Matt Ryan, quarterback, Atlanta Falcons – 17 ppg
Matt Ryan used to get a lot of fantasy love but not so much any more. However, he is throwing the ball to Julio Jones and working in new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s scheme — which will feature a lot of deep passes — and that should help pad the stats for Ryan.
Round 7
Martavis Bryant, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers - 7 ppg
While Bryant won’t keep up his record of one touchdown every six receptions, he’s still obviously a massive target for Ben Roethlisberger in the endzone. Though he’s currently the Steelers’ WR3, he’ll have forced himself into the number two slot before the season is over.
Round 8
Jordan Cameron, tight end, Miami Dolphins - 8 ppg
If you don’t get Gronk, wait on your tight end. People will reach for Jimmy Graham but don’t be that person. Cameron, of course, also comes with injury concerns (so be sure to draft a back-up later) but you draft for ceiling and not for floor and the Dolphins man — if healthy — can easily be a top three tight end.
Round 9
Breshad Perriman, wide receiver, Baltimore Ravens – 7 ppg
He’s by no means a fantasy starter but we’re into the bench positions at this stage anyway. Perriman is one of the quickest rookies coming into the league this season and could well score 8-10 touchdowns on those close-your-eyes-and-hope-for-a-pass-interference-penalty long balls Joe Flacco is so fond of.
Round 10
Ryan Mathews, running back, Philadelphia Eagles – 8 ppg
The Eagles have made noises in pre-season to suggest they will use Mathews not for just one or two plays per drive but entire drives which significantly increases his upside. He’s also starting behind a running back who has only managed one full season in the NFL. What are the chances of Murray making it through two in a row?
What about you, who will you be drafting?
First published at 9pm on Friday, 21 August.
