The start of NFL training camp is here which means we start getting real-time training camp reports and get closer to some actual football being played. As we near the start of the fantasy football season we begin to see the fantasy football ADPs begin to shift as more and more news comes to light regarding players and their potential roles or even new teams like we saw with Julio Jones signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  With these shifting fantasy football ADPs, we also see fantasy football player rankings and fantasy football player projections start to be tweaked as well. It's at this time that we make a decision to either fade or follow the trends we are seeing in our draft rooms based on the clickbait news reports that get sent out to the masses on a day-to-day basis.  It's important to know your sources but also to trust your own research when it comes to your draft strategy whether it be in a fantasy football best ball draft like the one below or a fantasy football mock draft where you are perfecting your craft.

Each week I will be hosting Best Ball drafts over on BB10s which is a 12-team, 20-round draft to test out different draft strategies, get a feel for different draft slots and see how the public feels about certain players and see who the risers and fallers are in each draft. 

Check out last week's Best Ball Draft breakdown!

The Draft Strategy

For the first time this draft season, I pulled the first overall pick which provided me with the opportunity to select Jonathan Taylor.  Now, this wasn't my first time being on the clock and having Taylor on the board, in fact, I have passed on him every time to this point. That being said,  I wanted to get a share of Taylor and this could have been my only chance to do so.  This was also my first time drafting from a wrap-around position so I was going to go with the flow of the draft and see what the best players available on the board were going to be when I was on the clock. Ultimately, I landed on an anchor-RB approach, drafting three top-tier running backs before addressing my wide receiver position. The selection of Alvin Kamara carries some risk given the likely suspension but he isn't expected to miss the entire season and therefore can provide a big second-half boost. I was very happy with the wide receivers that were on the board in the middle rounds and was once again able to get “my guy” this season at QB in Jalen Hurts.  Overall, I was very happy with how this team played out, I felt the depth at each position was strong and provided enough upside to be a weekly top-scoring contender. 

 

Quarterbacks

 

Pick: 7.01 - Jalen Hurts PHI

The quarterback position was more of the same for me when it comes to my best ball drafts. I've been a big proponent of taking a mobile QB and often times that has landed me with Jalen Hurts at my QB1. Hurts ran for over 700 yards last season while adding double-digit rushing touchdowns.  His passing numbers were nothing to write home about but his mobility allowed him to finish among the top 10 scoring QB's in fantasy football last season. This offseason the Eagles made the big play and traded for Titans receiver A.J. Brown to bring Hurts a legitimate WR1 to help the team's passing offense. Brown joins last year's first-round pick DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert to form one of the league's better pass-catching trio. We should see Hurts take a nice leap this season in overall production that could have him contend with some of the elite fantasy scorers at the position. 

 

Pick: 12.12 - Jameis Winston, NO

My second QB selection was that of Jameis Winston. With the news that Winston was looking good in his return from a torn ACL and the fact that  Michael Thomas was ready for the start of training camp this was an appealing pick from a potential upside standpoint.  Winston wasn't the most efficient QB last season when it comes to completion percentage but he threw 14 touchdowns with just three interceptions in seven games last season before getting injured. He now has a receiving group that includes Thomas as well as Jarvis Landry and rookie first-round pick Chris Olave and there is a lot to like with Winston here. 

 

Pick: 17.1 - Davis Mills, HOU

In best ball you don't always have to draft a third QB but I felt there was a bit more injury risk with my first two selections and wanted the third QB here for security. Knowing Hurts is a mobile QB and that increases injury risk and the fact that Winston was coming off of a torn ACL it felt like the right play. With that third QB selection, I went with Texans QB Davis Mills. While Mac Jones looked like the best rookie QB from the 2021 class, there is certainly a case that Mills deserved to be right up there in the conversation. In the 11 games that he started last season Mills had a 68.8% completion percentage with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. For a late-round selection, Mills should have a nice floor with the Texans game script allowing him for plenty of garbage time yards late in games with targets like Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins for him to throw to this season.

Running Backs

 

Pick: 1.01 - Jonathan Taylor, IND

Plenty of reasons to go Jonathan Taylor here and after passing on him a few times in different drafts I figured now was the time to get that exposure. He lead the league in fantasy points and fantasy points per game last season at the running back position and was an absolute monster last season for an offense that largely struggled to do anything else other than run the football. In 2022 the Colts traded for Matt Ryan which may honestly help out Taylor more than an offense led by Carson Wentz could have last season by actually relying a bit less on Taylor but still putting him in high-volume scoring situations. The presence of Nyhiem Hines will always be a bit of a hindrance as it keeps Taylor from being the true fantasy football monster that he has the potential to be but Taylor still saw a decent amount of targets last season, finishing with 40 receptions on 50 targets. He should be in contention to repeat as one of the top scoring backs again this season.

 

Pick: 2.12 - Leonard Fournette, TB

I've taken Fournette more than any player so far this season and it comes down to the running back room and the offense in Tampa Bay. Behind Fournette on the current Buccaneers depth chart is Giovani Bernard, Ke'shaun Vaughn and rookie Rachaad White. Who exactly is cutting into Fournette's playing time in 2022? Fournette is more than just a power runner, proving the ability to be a great PPR back as well as he finished with 69 receptions on 84 targets over 14 games last season. 

 

Pick: 3.01 - Alvin Kamara, NO

Truth be told, Kamara here was an auto-pick. I made the selection of Fournette, the page froze and by the time it reloaded up Kamara was drafted. The perils of drafting on the wheel. That said, I'm not THAT upset about the pick, was it somebody I would have drafted on my own? No, but Kamara is an elite RB3 and though he is likely suspended for the first half of the season, he can provide a real nice boost when finally active. Last season Kamara saw a downtick in his usage in the passing game but was well on pace to set a new career high in rushing yards had he been able to play a full season.

Running Back Depth: Ronald Jones, KC(9.01), Gus Edwards, BAL (13.01)

Wide Receivers

 

Pick: 4.12 - Mike Williams, LAC

I try and get some exposure to this Chargers offense in each draft whether it be Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen or this selection in Mike Williams. We know the Chargers are going to have a high-volume offense and one that is pretty concentrated on the three players mentioned above. Williams set career highs in 2021with 76 receptions and 1,146 yards while pulling down nine touchdowns which was one shy of his career-best mark. I don't envision Justin Herbert throwing the football any less in 2022 and as long as Williams is able to stay healthy and on the field we could see yet another breakout season.

 

Pick: 5.01 - Courtland Sutton, DEN

Much like the Chargers offense, I try and find myself taking one of the Broncos receivers in drafts this year as well. I tend to favor Jerry Jeudy over Courtland Sutton but I know that Russell Wilson likes his big-play receivers and much in the way Wilson and DK Metcalf use to connect I can see Sutton playing a similar role in this Broncos new look offense this season.

 

Pick: 6.12 - JuJu Smith-Schuster, KC

Tyreek Hill is gone which means there are open targets in this high-volume Kansas City offense. Sure, Travis Kelce is still going to get his 100+ targets but there is really an open door for someone to be that next option and JuJu really fits the mold of a player that Mahomes could look to often. Patrick Mahomes ability to extend plays fits well with the style of receiver that JuJu is as he is not one to just run downfield but rather find open space in the middle of the field for Mahomes to hit. After a few down years in Pittsburgh, I think we get that career resurgence from Smith-Schuster in 2022 with a much better QB now throwing him the football.

 

Pick: 11.01 - DeVante Parker, NE

Parker was acquired by the Patriots via trade this offseason and immediately slots in to be their WR1, ahead of Jakobi Meyers on the depth chart. Parker and Mac Jones should be a perfect pairing with Jones' ability to throw into tight windows and Parker's ability to make the contested catch. When healthy, Parker has been a rather productive receiver which was put on full display in 2020 when he finished with 1,200 yards receiving. Getting a possible WR1 this late in a draft was appealing. 

Wide Receiver Depth: Jalen Tolbert, DAL (14.12), Alec Pierce, IND (15.01), Nico Collins, HOU (16.12)

Tight End

 

Pick: 8.12 - Zach Ertz, ARI

Ertz was one of the best tight ends in fantasy football last season following his trade to the Arizona Cardinals and with DeAndre Hopkins suspended to begin the season there should be a healthy target share going Ertz's way in 2022. If you are waiting on the tight end position, much like I did in this draft, then Ertz is a great mix-and-match tight end option for you this season.

 

Pick: 10.12 - Cole Kmet, CHI

Who could be Zach Ertz-lite in 2022? Why not Cole Kmet? He was second on the team in targets last season behind Darnell Mooney and doesn't have much target competition heading into this season after Mooney once again. He and Justin Fields have a working connection with one another and with better red zone efficiency from this new look Bears offense in 2022 we could very well see Kmet find himself putting forth a career year as he enters his third season in the league.

Defense

Pick: 18.12 - Baltimore Ravens

Pick: 19.01 - Minnesota Vikings

Pick: 20.12 - Carolina Panthers

 

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