I don’t think fantasy football gamers understand the opportunity that they have right now. There are so many large tournaments out there that have been going on for years. They’ve been deliberated over. The research is extensive. The experts are maxing them out. To some degree, they are solved. So why keep running into that brick wall?

The best advantage you can get is playing in a BRAND NEW contest. There aren’t results from last year to scour. There’s no proven strategy. Heck, it’s so new, we can’t even do “risers and fallers” in ADP because there’s no data from last week! ANYONE can win The Rabbit on FastDraft.

I’ve at least done a couple of these, and I can already tell there are huge advantages to be had. Based on early ADP, it’s clear to me that people aren’t even reading the rules for this contest. I’m going to share a couple of my favorite picks so that you can dominate once you get signed up with promo code ALARM. And make sure you tune in to Fantasy Alarm Show on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio tonight, 6-8 PM ET, when Jagger May joins us to talk more strategy!

The Rabbit Basics

The Rabbit is a 10-team, 15-round PPR best ball contest. In typical FastDraft fashion, it has a 20-second clock so things move quickly (you can also just do a Turbo Mode draft and submit your rankings on autopick). One of the keys to this contest that is different from the other is that it’s not weekly and there are no playoffs. It’s TOTAL POINTS. Your best season total with QB, two RBs, two wide receivers, one tight end, and two flexes is your final lineup. We are gunning for absolute upside here.

 

 

 

FastDraft Favorite Picks At ADP

Kenneth Walker, RB, Seattle Seahawks

When you look at the results of the FLEX 4 contest from last year (another contest with smaller lineups on FastDraft), it’s clear you need stars in your lineup. The guy who won that had four players who finished in the top 10 in PPR at the FLEX. This is likely to be no different. It’s not about spike weeks, it’s about nailing that final point total. One of the best ADP values last year that was part of that winning lineup was Josh Jacobs, who finished as FLEX player #9 overall. I did a full write-up on Kenneth Walker recently that explains exactly why Kenneth Walker can be this year’s Josh Jacobs at his ADP in Klint Kubiak’s system. 

Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots

It’s no secret that the path to ultimate upside is rushing ability. So it does make sense to draft someone like Jayden Daniels or Jalen Hurts if they are there at a good price. We like Kyler Murray, too. But, barring Anthony Richardson getting the starting job in Indy, Drake Maye is the cheapest path to mobile upside. He actually totaled about as many rushing yards as Bo Nix (421 vs. 430) on nearly half the carries (92 vs 54). And OC Alex Van Pelt told reporters they weren’t calling designed runs for Maye because they were 3-11. Only 9 of his runs were actually designed; the rest were all scrambles. Josh McDaniels not only ran an offense in New England where Cam Newton ran 137 times in 15 games, but he also used to call designed runs for guys like Derek Carr at times. With more designed runs on top of his scrambling ability, Maye could be a very cheap path to high-end upside.

Michael Pittman, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Naturally, the guys going earlier have the highest shot at upside. But this is a 15-round draft, meaning you have to take someone once we get outside the top 100 picks. There are very few WRs out there with true difference-making upside, but Michael Pittman stands out as one. He’s another player I’ve done a full write-up on already, but the short and sweet is that this guy was just coming off seasons with 140-150 targets when he got hurt last year. He actually played through a broken back and still led the team in targets. He’s still the starting split end and captain of this team - a potential QB upgrade to Daniel Jones could unlock the WR1 season we’ve been banking on for Pittman. He was WR13 the year before last with guys like Gardner Minshew throwing him the ball, so it’s not a crazy idea.
 

 

 

FastDraft Fades At ADP

Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Brandon Aiyuk having an ADP at all in this contest is proof that people are not reading the rules. I get taking him on other platforms that have playoffs - he could show up at the right time and help you. That’s not this contest. This is TOTAL points. Per Kyle Shanahan, Aiyuk is “not anywhere close” to having a concrete timeline. They literally can’t even say if/when he might be back. Guys that miss even a couple of games are at a HUGE disadvantage in a total points format. This player should be going completely undrafted in this contest. It’s great for us that some goofballs are drafting him.

You want to hear something even crazier? Rashee Rice (ADP 31) and Jordan Addison (75) go BEFORE Aiyuk even. These guys are getting suspended, no doubt in my mind. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills. That’s why everyone should be drafting right now on FastDraft. People don’t even understand the contest they are entering. 

Khalil Shakir, WR, Buffalo Bills

The question you need to ask yourself is this: Can this WR finish as a WR1? If not, don’t draft them. Simple as that. Khalil Shakir, unfortunately, is a part-time slot guy in the same role Cole Beasley operated in. Shakir’s season last year wasn’t even as good as 2020 Cole Beasley. A lot of these part-time slot guys are fine in other formats, especially full PPR redraft leagues where you have to set a lineup, but in this, they simply don’t have the upside to give us the difference-making season we need. People draft Shakir because he’s safe, not because he’s going to break out and be the WR7 overall. But those are the only guys who are going to actually help you win this contest. 

Isaac Guerendo, RB, San Francisco 49ers

This is a pick I’m making in a lot of other formats - but not this one. The idea in theory makes sense. If Christian McCaffrey gets hurt, Guerendo could have big upside. But this is a total points league. If McCaffrey even stays healthy for 3-4 weeks, Guerendo is going to have to essentially be the best running back in all of fantasy football to catch the elite starting RBs who are starting 17 games. This actually applies to all the handcuff players we like in other formats, like Zach Charbonnet, Ray Davis, Trey Benson, etc. They all have ADPs inside the top 150 in the contest when they probably should not be drafted at all. You are basically betting the starter gets badly hurt in camp or within the first month of the season, and that’s just not a great bet. A minor injury doesn’t help you.