This is part of a series polling our fantastic team of writers for the Fantasy Footballers.
Each week leading up to Week 1’s kickoff, we will be discussing Fantasy Draft Prep tackling the biggest questions involving fantasy football strategy, the ADP landscape, and how to practically begin to piece together your drafts. While it is possible to over engineer and overthink fantasy football (trust us, we’ve all been there), having a clear vision and plan for your league draft starts right now. Spending time and mapping out a plan while working backwards from your league’s draft is a framework to start with.
Let’s find out some actionable advice from our writing staff about how to prepare for your drafts.
1. What piece of advice would you give mock drafters as we enter early August?
“Starting your draft prep and running mock drafts in early August is a smart move, but don’t get too locked into any one approach. As training camps heat up and preseason games begin, ADP can swing drastically based on injuries, depth chart shifts, and hype cycles. Mock drafts are a valuable way to test strategies and gauge player value, but the real edge comes from staying flexible. Follow camp reports and preseason buzz, but don’t let the noise dictate your moves. That’s how you’ll be ready to crush your draft when the time comes. – Joe Beldner (@JoeBeldner)
Get your leaguemates hyped up. Start some fantasy-related conversations in your league chat. Throw some banter at your rivals. Send them news (fake or not, that’s your call) about player moves and injuries. Discuss amenities and details for draft day. It’s the greatest time of the year. Make the most out of it. – Javier Manzanera (@elmantis)
If you know your draft position, mock draft from that spot and test different builds. Try a RB-RB-RB setup and see which WRs tend to be available for your mid-round picks. Test a Zero RB build and see how that shakes out. Try some mock drafts where you draft onesie positions early and some mock drafts where you draft them late. Familiarize yourself with different roster constructions so when it comes time for the real thing you’ll be prepared when the draft inevitably swings in a way you weren’t expecting. -Dan Lovi (@LoviSports)
Master the art of Tier-Based Drafting. Once all the trash-talking has quietened down, the draft has officially started, and that pick-timer is counting down, it’s real easy to start tilting and make some bad decisions you’re going to regret. Remember, you don’t win your league at the draft, but you can certainly lose it by making poor picks. Knowing just how many players at each position you place a similar value on really helps when you’re on the clock and stressing between two (or more) guys. The Fantasy Footballers Ultimate Draft Kit has fully customizable rankings, so you can input your league scoring format and get personalized tier-based ranks at each position, allowing you to make the best-value pick every time. -Paul Marnie (@paulmarnie)
2. How are you approaching the onesie positions in 2025?
At TE, the only players worth reaching on are Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, or George Kittle. If I miss out on those three, I am pretty much punting the position. They stand out as true difference-makers, while most options after them come with more question marks. At QB, I am either hoping a top-tier option slips in the draft or aiming for a high-upside late-round pick with rushing upside. The elite names still hold value, but this year’s depth at the position makes it easier to wait unless one falls into the ideal range. – Joe Beldner (@JoeBeldner)
The way I’m approaching these positions in 2025 is “go great or go late”. If you can get one of the four elite rushing QBs (Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts) some spots cheaper than ADP, don’t hesitate. Same with the top 3 TEs. If not, I’m willing to wait until the late rounds to grab a rushing QB with upside, such as Drake Maye, or a promising TE like Tyler Warren. – Javier Manzanera (@elmantis)
Last year I liked the value of Lamar Jackson as one of the QBs I believed could finish as the QB1 who was being drafted in Round 4 or later. This year I like Joe Burrow for the same reason. If Burrow is available late in the fourth or slides into the fifth, I like his value there. Otherwise I’m holding and choosing a QB late. In terms of the tight end position, I’m approaching it in the same manner as The Ballers. If you can grab one of the top three guys, go for it, otherwise I’d punt the position. I’m not against grabbing two TEs late, either, like Brenton Strange and dare I say it, Kyle Pitts with your last pick. -Dan Lovi (@LoviSports)
My commitment to QBs and TEs this draft season is almost totally dependent on who I am drafting in round one. If I end up taking Ja’Marr Chase or CeeDee Lamb with my first pick, I am actively stack-hunting and looking for Joe Burrow in the 4th or Dak Prescott around the 10th. Otherwise, I’m likely taking the onesie positions back-to-back between the 7th to 9th rounds, snagging Bo Nix or Kyler and pairing one of those guys with David Njoku or Evan Engram. I want to leave drafts ensuring I’ve either got a high-value QB-WR stack or a roster that is loaded at the skill positions with onesies who aren’t necessarily going to win me a week…but they certainly won’t lose me one. -Paul Marnie (@paulmarnie)
3. Name a player in the double-digit rounds you are targeting.
While there are plenty of high-upside QBs I like in the double-digit rounds, the player I want to highlight is RB Jordan Mason. He has flashed in the past when Christian McCaffrey missed time but was otherwise buried on the depth chart. Now in Minnesota, Mason is positioned for a near-even split with Aaron Jones. The Vikings should field a strong offense behind one of the league’s best offensive lines, and Mason is likely to handle early downs and goal-line work. He has David Montgomery-like potential this year with sneaky double-digit TD upside and could turn into a league-winner if Jones misses time. – Joe Beldner (@JoeBeldner)
I’ve been getting a lot Cedric Tillman shares. The Browns are the team with the most vacated targets. Most people seem to have forgotten how good he was last season before getting injured. It doesn’t matter who is throwing the ball; Tillman will fight for a decent volume, and he’s way cheaper than Jerry Jeudy. – Javier Manzanera (@elmantis)
The RB22 in PPR formats last season is currently being drafted at the end of Round 11 at RB42 on Sleeper – Rachaad White. While Bucky Irving exploded onto the scene last year, the two running backs shared a near split, with White getting the bulk of the passing work. In the double-digit rounds you are looking for players who still see work with tremendous upside, and I expect White to still be involved this year. Plus, if Irving were to miss time, White would leapfrog into weekly RB2 territory. -Dan Lovi (@LoviSports)
Once we hit the double-digit rounds, I’m usually swinging for the fences with high-upside rookie wideouts like Emeka Egbuka or Jayden Higgins, there’s also the voice in the back of my head screaming “QUGE, TAKE QUGE”, so partaking in the Quentin Johnston experiment is also a possibility – but this year, there’s a guy going at the back of the eleventh round that I feel has a great shot to be his team’s overall RB1…again. I am of course talking about Andy Holloway’s former My Guy – Tank Bigsby. Sure, he’s not overly involved in the passing game so in a full PPR league I may pass on Tank, but if I can grab a guy who is clearly the best rusher on a team now coached by the guy who helped Bucky Irving finish as a top-15 back for fantasy last year, I’m all in. -Paul Marnie (@paulmarnie)
from Fantasy Footballers Podcast https://ift.tt/zoQp6GW
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