Going into a draft with a strategy is the same as going into a boxing match with Muhammad Ali with a plan. What’s the adage? Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. The best strategy one can have is staying water and being well-versed in the risks and virtues of each player and the cost that the draft button holds. Leveraging value and balancing floors and ceilings is half the battle. The other half is all luck.
With all of that being said, the beginnings of a fantasy football draft plan can still be strung together. A shrewd observer of the fantasy football mindset can sit back and observe how the first round goes and pick up on potential patterns for the rest of the draft. I am happy to announce I was not successful at this at all. I had to figure it out on the fly.
Fortunately, a rock-solid foundation fell to me at pick 9 to begin the draft. I was able to nab two of the top six scoring RBs from last year at 1.09 and 2.04. From there, I could chase positional advantages and depth.
I still had to navigate some sniping and rapid adjustment of my plans, but I was able to find my bearings and navigate the treacherous waters that come from drafting with sharp fantasy minds!
For more Round-by-Round strategy, be sure to check out The Wolf’s 2024 Fantasy Guide! For just $10, you can support a small fantasy brand while getting the guide that pushes you over the edge!
The Roto Street Journal staff league has the following format: Half-PPR scoring (Start 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex, 1 K, 1 DEF; 6 Bench Slots; 1 IR slot)
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Check out our full 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Breakdown!
2024 Fantasy Football Draft Results
HOW TO DRAFT FROM PICK 9 IN 2024 FANTASY FOOTBALL
Early Round Draft Strategy for Pick 9
The fantasy industry has heavily shifted toward playing SuperFlex and I had to train my brain not to view quarterbacks as necessities but rather as luxuries.
Once Breece Hall fell to me at 1.09, I knew I could go one of two directions: pair a stud RB with a stud WR, or stack RBs and leverage positional advantages the rest of the way. Well, my path was decided for me. With four of the next six players being WRs after six went early in the first round, Kyren Williams, the RB2 in ppg last season, was sitting there begging to join my pond.
Knowing I would have to punt either tight end or quarterback after this pick, I sat back as 16 picks came and went, and eight more WRs passed me by. This told me two things. I needed to get a positional advantage and WR drafting would likely slow down so I could begin loading up with value.
So I nabbed the elite Konami code Jalen Hurts and knew I had a heavy positional advantage at two positions. I could also avoid the RB dead zone and chase the upside.
I added two WRs to my squad, Michael Pittman Jr. and George Pickens, who both dripped with untapped upside and possible improvements at the QB position. Last season, Pickens only saw eight total red-zone targets, including five inside the 10-yard line. Meanwhile, Pittman saw 19 total RZ targets but averaged -2.3 fantasy points over expectation due to subpar quarterback play.
Anthony Richardson is not renowned for his passing acumen, but he’s an overall improvement to the Colts offense and should present Pittman with at least similar TD opportunities. Meanwhile, either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields will be slinging the rock to Pickens, a downfield behemoth and monster in the play action. Some boom-bust games will still be a thing, but it’s well worth the potential league-winning juice that comes with it.
Mid-Round Draft Strategy for Pick 9
In the words of Anakin Skywalker:
I know I mentioned avoiding the RB dead zone, but I did stay on brand and, spoiler alert, drafted one of the backs I said could be targeted in the dead zone.
Rhamondre Stevenson could possibly be attached to a bland, vanilla offense that offers little touchdown equity. That’s fine. He is still the seventh-highest-paid RB (per season) in football as of this writing and is a vital receiving threat. Last season, despite being handicapped by the play of Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, Stevenson still scored 12.1 ppg and his role was worth 13.8 xFP/g. Jacoby Brissett is still more than capable of keeping the chains moving and providing more scoring opportunities in 2024.
Receivers continued to slip through my fingertips. Having missed out on Jayden Reed and not liking the remaining options at WR, I took more league-winning upside at the RB position with Raheem Mostert.
The remainder of my mid-rounds consisted of pairing roster needs with value, and I added David Njoku, Jameson Williams, Jerome Ford, and Jerry Jeudy to the roster.
Everything was starting to take shape.
Late-Round Draft Strategy for Pick 9
The remaining five rounds consisted of upside, upside, and more upside. Khalil Shakir could explode with Gabe Davis out of the picture in Buffalo and Josh Allen potentially slinging heat across the field.
Njoku showed what he was made of, coincidentally with Joe Flacco behind center and not Deshaun Watson, but I wanted another young, talented tight end. One attached to a young QB with a live arm leading a projected top-scoring offense in 2024. Luke Musgrave fit the bill.
Justin Herbert remains one of the top arms in the NFL and it wasn’t long ago that a Greg Roman offense trotted out a QB who threw for 36 TDs in a season. I believe the offense will be a little more of a run-pass marriage than a run-heavy cluster, like most analysts do. Adding him and Josh Palmer as a sneaky upside stack, should something happen to Hurts, made too much sense to me.
Finally, while I typically avoid drafting a kicker or a defense and I stream the position, I added Jake Elliott in the final round to tie a bow on my team.
MY TEAM FROM PICK 9 IN 2024 FANTASY FOOTBALL:
- 1.09: Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
- 2.04: Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
- 3.09: Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
- 4.04: Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts
- 5.09: George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 6.04: Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
- 7.09: Raheem Mostert, RB, Miami Dolphins
- 8.04: David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
- 9.09: Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
- 10.04: Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns
- 11.09: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Cleveland Browns
- 12.04: Khalil Shakir, WR, Buffalo Bills
- 13.09: Luke Musgrave, TE, Green Bay Packers
- 14.04: Joshua Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
- 15.09: Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
- 16.04: Jake Elliott, K, Philadelphia Eagles
IF I COULD GO BACK AND CHANGE ONE THING
I would probably have drafted Cooper Kupp in the third round and looked to add Anthony Richardson or Patrick Mahomes later in the draft. I would have a more solidified WR room and still drip in upside at the QB position.
My weekly scoring output would have been stabilized, and I’d still maintain strong positional advantages in the league.
It would have made my roster more championship-ready than it is. In my estimation, this team could win a ring as is, but some of my dart throws have to go my way.
FINAL TEAM THOUGHTS
I’m trotting out some stallions and could likely lead the league in rushing touchdowns scored. The thoroughbreds, including Hurts, pulling my team with elite horsepower, are more than enough to make me a force to be reckoned with each week.
While I feel I did a good job of adding a steady flow of PPR points and keeping my weekly floor higher, I make myself more vulnerable to Hero RB strategies supported by steady, good-to-elite WR production and strong TE play. I feel like a solid 87/100 B is a fair score for my team.
My depth is my strength.
Either way, I drafted my way and filled my team with players I enjoy rooting for and could hold some lucrative trade value late-season.
