The perfect draft.
It’s what we strive for in the world of fantasy football. Imagine a draft so impeccable that you barely need to make any roster moves all season, outside of dealing with injuries and bye weeks. It’s fantasy nirvana. And it’s within reach.
No really, it is.
How can I reach such fantasy perfection, you may ask?
Lucky for you, I’m about to take you on a wild ride to fantasy football glory with what I consider the perfect draft. Since 10- and 12-team leagues are the most popular, I’ll cover both in separate articles. First, let’s start off with a 10-teamer. The draft is based on PPR scoring and incorporates ADP (average draft position) to determine which players will (and won’t) realistically be available in a given round.
I’m going to build this team based on being somewhere in the middle to end of the first round, meaning that it will flip in even numbered rounds in a serpentine fashion. One thing you’ll notice is the heavy emphasis on wide receivers at the top, not to mention the fall of the running backs into the middle rounds.
All right folks, sit back in your chair, relax and enjoy fantasy draft perfection!
John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated (Burrow); Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated (Lamb); Brace Hemmelgarn/USA Today Sports (Mattison); Sarah Stier/Getty Images (Waller)
Round 1
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
Lamb finished fifth in fantasy points among wide receivers last season, and I think he still has some room left for improvement in the stat sheets in an explosive Cowboys offense. He’ll be picked in the middle to late first round in drafts.
Round 2
A.J. Brown, WR, Eagles
Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated
Brown and Lamb were neck and neck in points among wide receivers a season ago, so getting Lamb in the first and Brown in the second represents solid value. The veteran wideout is in the prime of his career and will remain the top option in the Eagles high-flying offense for superstar quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Round 3
Calvin Ridley, WR, Jaguars
Notice a trend? I’m all in on getting three top wide receivers in the first three rounds in a 10-team league, and I love Ridley’s potential in Jacksonville. A one-time top-five fantasy wideout, he should shine with Trevor Lawrence under center.
Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports
Round 4
Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
Yes, I’m taking a top-end quarterback before my first running back. It’s a bizarro world! Burrow isn’t in my top tier of quarterbacks, but he’s damn close. I love Joey B to produce a top-five season and push into that elite level of QBs.
Round 5
Alexander Mattison, RB, Vikings
Mattison is still hanging around in the fifth round in 10-team leagues. Unless the Vikings add a veteran running back before the season, Mattison has a clear path to workload in a great offense. If you can get a running back like Mattison in the fifth round, that backs up the idea of not taking a running back any earlier.
Round 6
Dameon Pierce, RB, Texans
I’m a little worried about Pierce losing work to Devin Singletary as a pass catcher, but he’ll remain close to a featured back in the Houston offense regardless. I can see him rushing for 1,000-plus yards and scoring around six touchdowns in 2023.
Round 7
Darren Waller, TE, Giants
Waller’s stock is on the rise, and he’s being picked in the sixth round more often in drafts. Still, his ADP shows he could still be available in the seventh, and Daniel Jones already seems to love Waller. If he avoids injuries, Waller will be a star again
Round 8
Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports
Rachaad White, RB, Buccaneers
Much like Mattison, White has a clear path to workload in Tampa Bay. He’s one of my favorite sleepers among running backs, and you can grab him in the middle rounds as a flex with the upside to become a No. 2 fantasy runner in drafts.
Round 9
Marquise Brown, WR, Cardinals
The release of DeAndre Hopkins makes Brown the de facto No. 1 wideout for a Cardinals offense that will be playing from behind a lot. He’s getting drafted as a low WR3 or high WR4. I'll take that all day long. He could finish as a WR2.
Round 10
Khalil Herbert, RB, Bears
The preseason has created buzz around Herbert, who is now being picked in the middle to late rounds as a fantasy flex starter. In fact, FF Calculator still has him on the board in Round 10. I love the value of Herbert, who should lead the Bears backfield committee in snaps, touches and points this season.
Round 11
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Eagles
Forget about D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny, Gainwell is the best value in the Eagles backfield from a fantasy standpoint. He’s being left on the board until the later rounds, so I'm going to take the discount as long as I can.
Round 12
Romeo Doubs, WR, Packers
Christian Watson gets most of the fantasy buzz in the land of cheese, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Doubs actually leads the Packers wide receivers in targets and catches this season. He’s a great bargain in most drafts, so get him late now.
Round 13
Charles LeClaire/USA Today Sports
Kenny Pickett, QB, Steelers
Pickett is my favorite sleeper quarterback this year. He’s been getting rave reviews in Steelers camp and has looked great in preseason work, so I'm expecting a major move upward in the stat sheets. He could finish as a top-12 fantasy quarterback.
Round 14
Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Titans
Let’s get Chiggy with it! Okonkwo was the best rookie tight end based on fantasy points last season, and I like him to be even better in his second year. He’s a strong late-round sleeper to target who could push for low TE1 value in his second year.
Round 15
Justin Tucker, K, Ravens
Tucker has been the best kicker in fantasy football for a while, and I never underestimate the value of a good booter. He's the safest bet at the kicker position.
Round 16
Check Out SI Fantasy’s 2023 Fantasy Draft Kit
