Fantasy: Strategy for drafting at the end of the round

theScore's Justin Boone breaks down the best ways to approach your draft depending on where you're selecting in the order.

Draft position

• Top of the round
• Middle of the round
• End of the round

Here's a look at how to attack the draft if you've been assigned one of the final four picks in a 12-team half PPR scoring league. While the average draft positions (ADP) can vary from site to site, this will help guide you toward building a dominant roster in 2024.

Round 1

Picks: 1.09-1.12

At the end of the first round, you've sadly missed out on the top running backs and receivers. So don't be afraid to take big swings at players with elite ceilings, even if they have some risk associated with their profiles.

The two options I target the most in this range are Jonathan Taylor and Garrett Wilson. Earlier in the offseason, you were able to get both of them at the Round 1-2 turn, but the fantasy community has caught on to their value.

Once Taylor was healthy and back to full snaps last season, he averaged the third-most fantasy points among backs over the final 12 weeks. With Anthony Richardson returning and the Colts' offensive line back to form, Taylor will restore his fantasy reputation as one of the best RBs in the NFL.

Others to consider: Garrett Wilson, A.J. Brown, Puka Nacua

Round 2

Picks: 2.01-2.04

If Wilson or Nacua fall into this range, I'd gladly take them as my WR1. However, in competitive leagues, you're not likely to see that happen.

That's why we have to accept the risk of drafting a rookie receiver at the beginning of the second round. Fortunately, this isn't any first-year wideout.

Harrison Jr. is an elite prospect and the son of a Hall of Famer. He arrives in Arizona as a mature 22-year-old who's ready to give the Cardinals the No. 1 target they've been lacking since DeAndre Hopkins left.

This is a perfect combination of talent and projected volume, which is a recipe for fantasy success.

Others to consider: Garrett Wilson, Puka Nacua, Drake London

Round 3

Picks: 3.09-3.12

Like I said off the top, when you're drafting at the end of the first round, you need to take some chances. Thought it was risky drafting one rookie receiver in the early rounds? What about another?

Malik Nabers is also an elite prospect and would normally have been the talk of his draft class had he not been sharing it with Harrison Jr.

The good news is that both players landed in situations where they'll be the unquestioned top wideout in the passing attack. Similar to Harrison Jr. in Arizona, Nabers has impressed in camp and projects to be heavily targeted.

I expect them to both finish as top-20 fantasy WRs, and it wouldn't shock me if they're challenging for spots in the top 12 during their debut campaigns.

Others to consider: DK Metcalf, Jaylen Waddle, Josh Jacobs

Round 4

Picks: 4.01-4.04

Since we went with a running back in the first round and a pair of rookie receivers after that, it makes sense to continue building the WR corps and make that unit a strength.

D.J. Moore has increased target competition this season in the form of Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, but he's also getting a massive upgrade at quarterback in the form of Caleb Williams.

Coming off a career year with 96 catches, 1,364 yards, and eight touchdowns, Moore has firmly established himself as a strong fantasy asset with a high floor.

Others to consider: DeVonta Smith, James Cook, Lamar Jackson

Round 5

Picks: 5.09-5.12

With our anchor RB set and a trio of strong wideouts, we can use our fifth-round pick on one of the top seven tight ends.

Sometimes it's George Kittle who falls to this range, but according to ADP, Pitts is the last man remaining from that group.

With Kirk Cousins solving the quarterback issues in Atlanta and new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson bringing a more pass-friendly scheme, Pitts will have an excellent opportunity to get his career back on track.

Others to consider: George Kittle, George Pickens, Tee Higgins

Round 6

Picks: 6.01-6.04

Selecting a second running back in this round is certainly worth consideration, and James Conner is at the top of the available options at that position. However, we already did that in one of the previous articles in this series.

So, to give you a look at a different build, let's go with a quarterback.

Dak Prescott was the QB1 overall for the majority of last season (Week 6 to Week 18), but since we've already selected Harrison Jr. as our top wideout, Kyler Murray is even more enticing.

Murray doesn't get enough credit for being a consistent fantasy starter. He was a top-12 QB as a rookie, had a of couple years as a top-five QB, was QB8 before his injury in 2022, and was QB9 when he returned in the second half of last season. Now he gets Harrison Jr. as his new weapon.

Others to consider: James Conner, Terry McLaurin, Dak Prescott

Round 7

Picks: 7.09-7.12

With the heart of our lineup locked in, we can finally address our RB2 spot. Since the goal is to have the best team in the fantasy playoffs, we're making a pick with the second half of the season in mind.

Brooks is a promising rookie runner who boasts a three-down skill set. The problem is that he's coming off an ACL tear, and the Panthers will likely play it safe and keep him out for the first three or four weeks.

If you're drafting Brooks, you have to be patient and know the results will be there when you need them most. We'll also be looking to add his teammate Chuba Hubbard or someone like Jerome Ford, who both project to be early-season injury replacements.

Others to consider: Diontae Johnson, Raheem Mostert, Xavier Worthy

Round 8

Picks: 8.01-8.04

There are a lot of quality young receivers available in this area of the draft, so before we shift our focus to running backs, let's grab one more wideout to serve as our flex.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is drawing rave reviews from the Seahawks' new coaching staff. They plan to make better use of last year's first-round pick than the previous regime did.

Despite an injury and being miscast, JSN still posted double-digit fantasy points in half of his outings over his last 12 games as a rookie. His breakout is coming in new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's offense.

Others to consider: Christian Watson, Ladd McConkey, Tony Pollard

Round 9

Picks: 9.09-9.12

Our starting lineup is solidified, with running back being the lone weak spot. That's by design, though, since we're now going to use the rest of our picks on upside RBs.

Chase Brown showed flashes during his limited opportunities a year ago and is now engaged in a battle with Zack Moss to determine who will lead the Bengals' backfield in 2024.

The most likely outcome is some form of split, with Brown being the more explosive option. Based on the reports out of Cincy's practices and the quotes from teammates touting Brown's abilities, we'll take a shot on a dynamic runner in a top-tier offense.

Others to consider: Tyjae Spears, Devin Singletary, Nick Chubb

Round 10

Picks: 10.01-10.04

While I rarely double up picks in my draft strategy series, Brian Robinson is too perfect to pass up on with our current build.

After taking him as the 10th pick in my last column, Robinson finds his way onto yet another one of my rosters. His 11th-round ADP makes no sense considering the Commanders' coaches have made it clear Robinson is the No. 1 back in Washington.

Robinson was the RB13 in fantasy points per game through 12 weeks last year before injuries derailed his season.

Austin Ekeler, his new 29-year-old teammate, is not as much of a threat as people believe. The veteran will contribute, but his days of being a starting option are over, while Robinson's are just beginning.

Others to consider: Curtis Samuel, Gus Edwards, Brian Thomas Jr.

Later rounds

After the 10th round or so, you no longer need to pay close attention to ADPs. You should focus on stocking your bench with as many high-ceiling players as possible, setting your sights on running backs and receivers.

If you want to be extremely proactive, you can pass on taking a defense or kicker and use those last two bench spots on more RBs and WRs. Closer to the regular season, you can either make trades to free up a roster spot or drop the bench stashes that didn't pan out.

Draft position

• Top of the round
• Middle of the round
• End of the round

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