On Sept. 6, the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons will kickoff the 2018-2019 NFL season. For some fans, this can only mean one thing: Fantasy Football is back the only time of the year when people root for teams besides their favorites. Everyone who plays is looking to claim the title of their league along with bragging rights.
Some people study the game like it’s their final exam, while others use auto-draft and ride that to success. This production-based game continues to grow as each year passes. This draft guide is for anyone wanting some pointers for success in their league. To maximize this guide, I put reasons where and why people should get these players – along with key players to be on the lookout for.
*In no particular order:
QB – Usually drafted after rounds five or six and are just as important as running backs and receivers, but since you only get one quarterback a week, you do not have to worry about this position as much. A good backup always helps; however, when your starter is out for their bye week.
- Aaron Rodgers (GB)
- Russell Wilson (SEA)
- Deshaun Watson (HOU)
- Tom Brady (NE)
- Kirk Cousins (MIN)
RB – The position that people probably worry about the most. People will try to build their team around the skill positions as a core, so you will definitely want to get a running back within your top two rounds. Running back is the position with the least amount of depth, so they will go quick. You don’t want to struggle searching through the waivers looking for someone to help you out every week.
- Todd Gurley II (LAR)
- Le’Veon Bell (PIT)
- Ezekiel Elliot (DAL)
- David Johnson (ARI)
- Alvin Kamara (NO)
WR – Along with running backs, wide receivers come off of draft boards left and right, so you want to be aware and cautious of your lineup while looking in this field. Better safe than sorry in this field group.
- Antonio Brown (PIT)
- DeAndre Hopkins (HOU)
- Michael Thomas (NO)
- Julio Jones (ATL)
- Odell Beckham Jr. (NYG)
TE – Tight ends sometimes get the short end of the stick because they can be overlooked compared to some of the other positions. People usually begin getting tight ends during or after they begin drafting quarterbacks.
- Travis Kelce (KC)
- Rob Gronkowski (NE)
- Jimmy Graham (GB)
- Zach Ertz (PHI)
- Greg Olsen (CAR)
FLEX – This position can be for a running back, wide receiver or tight end. Pick whoever you think will have the most productive week from your team that isn’t an immediate starter.
- Melvin Gordon (LAR, RB)
- Jordy Nelson (OAK, WR)
- Jarvis Landry (CLE, WR)
- Kelvin Benjamin (BUF, WR)
- Derrick Henry (TEN, RB)
D/ST – This is the hardest aspect to gauge, in my opinion, because some weeks they will do fantastic, other times they could give up lots of touchdowns. Just always be aware of the team your defense is facing and be prepared to switch them to the bench if needed.
- Jaguars
- Rams
- Eagles
- Vikings
- Chargers
K – Let the record show that all points matter, you could be down two; and your kicker makes a field goal, giving you the one point advantage. I draft a kicker based on the offense they are in. If they have a good offense who gets either in the red zone or in field goal range often, I like the odds.
- Greg Zuerlein (LAR)
- Stephen Gostkowski (NE)
- Justin Tucker (BAL)
- Robbie Gould (SF)
- Wil Lutz (NO)
SLEEPERS – These are players people tend to overlook that I expect to have a big impact this season:
- Christian McCaffrey (CAR, RB)
- Marcus Mariota (TEN, QB)
- Marshawn Lynch (OAK, RB)
- Sterling Shepard (NYG, WR)
- Adrian Peterson (WAS, RB)
- Marquise Goodwin (SF, WR)
- Vernon Davis (WAS, TE)
- Bears (D/ST)
- Jerrick McKinnon (SF, RB)
- Chris Hogan (NE, WR)
BENCH – It definitely helps to have a stacked bench. This is where the draft gets fun because there are so many players that could go off that you don’t expect, so you have to do a little research on the players available and put the rest into fate’s hands.
