I’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and writing in preparation for the 2020 season since we first launched this site back on April 20. It’s time that I revealed who I’ve been drafting the most this summer when my own hard-earned cash is on the line.
I’m closing in on 75+ best-ball drafts since May so I have a pretty firm grasp on what players I’m targeting and at what position of the draft I’m taking them. I broke down my most-drafted players first by position and then by round ranges using BestBall10s ADP.
If you followed The Fantasy Free Agents last season, you’ll know that my most-drafted list included the likes of Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, Michael Gallup, Darren Waller, and Mark Andrews among others. This year’s list includes Joe Burrow, Ben Roethlisberger, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, James Conner, Zack Moss, Diontae Johnson, Will Fuller, Calvin Ridley, Hayden Hurst, and Chris Herndon.
My ownership percentages are for the best-ball teams I’ve drafted this summer, and you can bet I’m also targeting these players in my re-draft formats, as well. I’ve also included some of my general draft strategies and thoughts about each position for every range of the draft.
Quarterbacks and Tight Ends
ROUNDS 1-3
None of note.
I haven’t selected Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson in the first three rounds of the draft, but I do have a decent number of shares of George Kittle and Travis Kelce. I’m typically targeting these tight ends at the end of the second round if I’ve opened the draft with a top-four pick because I’m not too crazy about drafting Aaron Jones or Nick Chubb in that range.
ROUNDS 4-5
TEs: Mark Andrews (Bal, 26.2%)
Andrews is the first quarterback or tight end I’m actively targeting, and I’m usually in the go-zone to draft him starting in the middle of the fourth round after WRs like Adam Thielen, Calvin Ridley, and Robert Woods are off the board. Andrews ran just 19.5 routes per game last season, and he could easily run 5-10 more routes per game with Hayden Hurst gone and with Lamar Jackson likely to throw it more this season.
ROUNDS 6-7
QBs: Deshaun Watson (Hou, 14.8%)
Watson is the first quarterback I’ll consider drafting this year, and he needs to fall into at least the late seventh round for me to select him. I’m bullish about Watson and the Texans offense this year. I think there’s a good chance he’ll be airing it out downfield even more than in years past — which should create more scrambling opportunities — with one of the league’s fastest receiving corps under a new play-caller in Tim Kelly. I bet hard on the Cowboys offense to make a leap last year, and the Texans are one of the offenses that I’m buying low on this summer.
ROUNDS 8-9
QBs: Carson Wentz (Phi, 29.5%)
TEs: Hayden Hurst (Atl, 34.4%)
I was feeling much better about Wentz just a week ago, but he lost WR Jalen Reagor (shoulder) for at least a month and LT Andre Dillard (biceps) is out for the season. Wentz’s margin of error is much smaller now if the Eagles suffer another injury to their receiving corps and/or to their O-line. I had been drafting Wentz when he fell into the ninth round, but I’ll be looking later in the draft for QB help now that he has more downside than he did just a week ago before Dillard and Reagor’s injuries.
Hurst is getting pretty pricey as the summer has rolled along, but I still love his upside potential in the eighth round. Austin Hooper and Mohamed Sanu left behind a lot of production from last season, and Hurst could be a much more dangerous receiver down the seams and after the catch than Hooper has been in this offense.
Hurst is excited to work in an offense that better fits his skillset as he told the NFL Network on Sept. 1, “It’s kind of similar to what I did in college. It’s more pass-heavy, option routes. Like I said, getting synced up with Matt (Ryan). It’s a little bit more familiar for me and what I’m comfortable with. In Baltimore, everything went through Lamar obviously. It was more run-heavy. For me to be in a pass offense where I can use my size and my speed to get open and make plays with Matt — I think it’s a perfect fit.”
ROUNDS 10-12
QBs: Ben Roethlisberger (Pit, 23.0%)
TEs: Rob Gronkowski (TB, 21.3%), T.J. Hockenson (Det, 19.7%)
I start aggressively going after the one-player starting positions at this stage after I’ve loaded up on four or five WRs and three or four RBs to start the draft. Big Ben is feeling frisky in training camp after getting his throwing elbow repaired after playing through pain for the last 13 to 14 years. Roethlisberger could have an absolutely loaded cast of receivers with a receiving corps that could go six deep. My only concern outside of his age/health is that the Steelers’ defense could be too good and limit his passing attempts more than we’ve seen in the past.
I absolutely love Hockenson’s potential this season after a relatively quiet rookie season, and I’ve been actively stacking him with Matthew Stafford in this range when I can. Hockenson is one of the best TE prospects to come into the league over the last 10 years, and I’ll gladly bet on those types of players 120+ picks into drafts.
Gronk is one player I do like more for the best-ball format at tight end since he could be a little more dependent on touchdown production than ever before. I’m anticipating one of the best TE red-zone weapons in NFL history will still be a factor in the end zone with his pal Tom Brady. He’ll certainly face fewer double-teams in the red zone than ever before playing with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
ROUNDS 13+
QBs: Joe Burrow (Cin, 32.8%), Teddy Bridgewater (Car, 34.4%i), Gardner Minshew (Jax, 23.0%), Derek Carr (LV, 21.3%)
TEs: Chris Herndon (NYJ, 29.5%), Jace Sternberger (GB, 32.8%)
I don’t typically draft two quarterbacks in my one-starting QB leagues so I won’t have the likes of Bridgewater, Minshew, and Carr on many of my re-draft teams. I’ve been drafting Bridgewater and Minshew typically either as my QB2 or as my QB3 while Carr has been my QB3 when I grab a third QB deep in drafts.
Burrow has been my most-drafted QB2 this summer, but I have no problems drafting him as your starting QB in re-draft leagues. Burrow has more upside potential than Kyler Murray did last season because he has a much better offensive cast to go along with his underrated running ability. He’s also a much more polished prospect coming into the league, and yet he’s being selected three-to-four rounds later than Murray went in drafts last season.
Herndon is the closest player to a Darren Waller type at the end of drafts this season as a late-round TE who has a legitimate chance to lead his team in receiving this season. Like Waller last season, Herndon has been one of my most-drafted TEs. I’ve backed off Sternberger a bit since he’s fallen behind in training camp after missing more than two weeks with COVID-19. Sternberger has the talent and the opportunity in a thin receiving corps that I like to bet on, but it looks like he’ll be slow out of the gates.
Running Backs
ROUNDS 1-3
Clyde Edwards-Helaire (KC, 29.5%), James Conner (Pit, 27.9%), Melvin Gordon (Den, 21.3%), Joe Mixon (Cin, 18.0%), Alvin Kamara (NO, 16.4%)
If you can’t tell, I’m absolutely hammering running backs in the first three rounds of the draft. Edwards-Helaire was an automatic pick in the second round for me earlier this summer and I’ll start considering him at the sixth overall spot in the first round now. I have Kamara rated ahead of Ezekiel Elliott so I’m more overweight on Kamara and underweight on Zeke this season. I’m obviously a little worried about that decision now with Kamara holding out in training camp as he looks for a new deal. I still think Kamara and the Saints will figure out a deal before the season starts. Mixon got his deal done and now I'm hoping he’s featured a little more in the passing game to unlock his ceiling.
Conner and Gordon have been my go-to guys in the third round when I’m looking to get my second running back of the draft. They both have a history of performing at a high level and they have paths to do it again this season. They also have some potential potholes — Phillip Lindsay for Gordon and injuries for Conner — but that’s why they’re being drafted in the third round and not the first round.
ROUNDS 4-7
Cam Akers (LAR, 14.8%) and Ronald Jones (TB, 14.8%)
I figured I’ll just roll these mid-round RB picks into one section since I’m not spending many picks on running backs in this range. I’ve been attacking wide receivers starting in the middle of the third round since I’ve been hammering running backs early in drafts, and I’m usually on the offensive with some of my favorite WRs values in these round ranges.
I wish I had more Akers but I’m usually going so heavy at wide receiver in this range after typically drafting two RBs with my first three picks. If I don’t draft two RBs in the first three rounds, Akers is my go-to target in the middle to back end of the fourth round now. I’ve picked up my pace drafting Akers since he could be in store for a big role right out of the gates with Darrell Henderson nursing a hamstring injury.
I won’t draft Jones at his current borderline fifth-round ADP right now, but I did take my shots on RoJo back when he was an eighth-round back earlier in the summer. I don’t think RJII is particularly good, but I see him leading this backfield in touches in what could be one of the league’s best offenses, which is why I got my shares of him earlier this summer.
ROUNDS 8-12
Zack Moss (Buf, 31.1%), Tevin Coleman (SF, 32.8%), Damien Harris (NE, 18.0%), Latavius Murray (NO, 18.0%)
Moss and Coleman have been my favorite targets right around 100 picks into drafts since I think they have viable paths to be the top backs in good offenses. I’m feeling much better about Moss as August has gone along but so does the rest of the fantasy community. I’m now targeting Moss starting in the eighth round since he has the chance to have a big role next to Devin Singletary. I’ve cooled a bit on Coleman in August, but I’d still be willing to use a 10th-round pick on him, which has been happening more as the summer has progressed. HC Kyle Shanahan has never been shy about tinkering with his backfield rotations so Coleman isn’t dead yet.
I started warming up to Harris when it came out in mid-June that Sony Michel underwent foot surgery in May, which was just another red flag for a player who already has an ugly history with knee issues. I wish I had been more aggressive with that decision since it now looks like he has the inside path to leading this backfield in rushing this season. Honestly, I was a little scarred from my decision to bet against Michel and to bet on Harris last season. The third-round pick from Alabama finished with just four carries in two appearances last season, but I’ve learned many times that you have to have a short-term memory when it comes to fantasy and gambling on the NFL.
I think Alvin Kamara will get a new contract worked out soon, but I’m glad I got some shares of Murray just in case his holdout lasts into the season. Ty Montgomery has been generating some training camp buzz, but Murray was excellent in the bell-cow role when Kamara missed two games last season, combining for 62 touches and 68.7 FP in those contests.
ROUNDS 13+
Giovani Bernard (Cin, 42.6%), Ryquell Armstead (Jax, 22.9%), Malcolm Brown (LAR, 18.0%), DeAndre Washington (KC, 13.1%)
I admittedly have a soft spot for Gio because I think he’s legitimately one of the most underrated backs in the league. Bernard’s ADP has been way too low all summer long, and I see two paths to relevance this year. Gio has bell-cow potential if Mixon is out of the lineup as he’s played 80% of the snaps and averaged 19.4 FPG in his last four games without Mixon. Bernard should also get a healthy number of snaps in passing situations this season, and I think this offense has a chance to be sneaky great with first overall pick Joe Burrow leading it.
I honestly just started backing off Armstead in the last week because of his prolonged stay on the COVID-19 list and because Fournette was still on the roster. Well, Fournette is no longer on the roster, and I’m certainly glad I have plenty of Armstead late in drafts. He’s still not a slam-dunk to put up meaningful production in what could be one of the league’s worst rushing attacks. He’s going to need to wrestle some chances in passing situations away from Chris Thompson to get some useable fantasy performances.
I grabbed my Brown shares early in the summer just in case Cam Akers struggled with his transition to the NFL since the Rams coaching staff clearly has trust issues with Darrell Henderson. Brown could still be a minor factor in this offense and it wouldn’t be shocking if he’s their preferred goal-line option after converting five of his 10 carries inside the 10-yard line for touchdowns last season.
I have more Washington than Darrel Williams at this point, but I’ve been making sure I’m leaving every one of my best-ball drafts with either Washington or Williams on my teams. I want to get pieces of this Chiefs offense any chance that I can get, and this backfield offers cheap opportunities to do it behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Washington and/or Williams have huge upside if they’d get a chance to lead this backfield at any point this season. Unfortunately, Washington could be on the roster bubble because CEH has been playing so well in training camp.
Wide Receivers
ROUNDS 1-3
Allen Robinson (Chi, 24.6%), Tyreek Hill (KC, 14.8%)
I’ve started the vast majority of my drafts with an RB-RB start or an RB-TE start this summer, but I haven’t been afraid to take Hill in the middle of the second round if the likes of Josh Jacobs and Austin Ekeler are off the board and I’m not quite ready to take Travis Kelce or George Kittle. A-Rob has been a target of mine as my WR1 in the early to mid-third round if I’ve already drafted two RBs to start my draft. Robinson set career-highs in catches (98) and targets (154) last year, and I’m hoping some competent QB play could open up an even bigger ceiling.
ROUNDS 4-5
Calvin Ridley (Atl. 27.9%), Marquise Brown (21.3%), D.J. Chark (Jax, 19.7%), D.K. Metcalf (Sea, 19.7%), Terry McLaurin (Was, 14.8%), Adam Thielen (14.8%)
If you can’t tell, I’m all-in drafting wide receivers starting in the third round after starting my drafts with a running back heavy approach. I’ve been attacking this Falcons passing attack all summer with heavy ownership marks on Ridley and Hayden Hurst as they replace the production left behind by Austin Hooper and Mohamed Sanu. One or both of these talented first-round receivers is going to break out in a big way in their third seasons to totally blow out their ADP. I wouldn’t leave a draft this weekend without either Ridley or Hurst on my teams.
I’m with the rest of Fantasy Points staff in my love for Hollywood Brown. He’ll become a full-time player this season after running just 23.0 routes per game because of his Lisfranc injury last year. Lamar Jackson also figures to air it out a little more this season and Hollywood could unleash pain on opposing secondaries with his 4.27-speed finally on full display.
I’m actually disappointed I don’t have more Thielen and McLaurin heading into the season, but I’ve had to make tough decisions in the spots where they’re available. I’ve preferred A-Rob over Thielen early in the early to mid-third round, but I think both players have a great chance to top 150 targets with thin receiving corps behind them.
I’ve drafted Metcalf and Chark over McLaurin in the late fourth to the early fifth-round range. I love to target these three ascending young receivers like Metcalf, Chark, and McLaurin whose best football is still in front of them. I slightly prefer Metcalf and Chark over McLaurin because of their more stable quarterback play.
ROUNDS 6-8
Diontae Johnson (Pit, 45.9%), Will Fuller (Hou, 31.1%)
I’m in deep with my next two receivers as I’ve routinely drafted Fuller in the sixth round and Diontae in the seventh round this summer. Diontae and Fuller are going to end being my most-drafted WRs this year because I see paths to massive seasons as potential #1 WRs in top-10 caliber passing attacks.
Fuller has a clear runway to being the top option for Deshaun Watson after the Texans traded away DeAndre Hopkins. Fuller’s 2020 season will ultimately come down to his health, but he has tremendous upside with a potential usage bump playing with one of the league’s elite QBs. Fuller’s upside outweighs his injury risk at his current ADP.
Diontae has the more difficult path to being the #1 WR with JuJu Smith-Schuster manning the slot, but Johnson already paced the Steelers in receptions during his extremely underrated rookie campaign with terrible QB play. Johnson, who played last season through a sports hernia, should quickly become a Ben Roethlisberger favorite since the veteran QB has never been shy about throwing to his WRs when they’re in one-on-one situations on the perimeter.
ROUNDS 9-12
Breshad Perriman (NYJ, 27.9%), DeSean Jackson (Phi, 23.0%), Jalen Reagor (Phi, 23.0%)
I’m always looking for WRs with paths to the top of their respective passing games, but they’re obviously long shots when we get 100+ picks into drafts. I’ve been leaving most of my drafts with either Perriman or Chris Herndon since there’s major room for a break out in this Jets offense with just slot WR Jamison Crowder commanding targets. I’m obviously worried about Perriman’s knee swelling in training camp given his lengthy history of knee injuries. Perriman showed his huge upside playing with Jameis Winston at the end of last season, and he’ll play with Sam Darnold this season, who has been compared to Winston early in his career for his aggressive nature.
I’m obviously not feeling quite as bullish about Reagor after he partially tore the labrum in his shoulder, which could keep him out for at least the month of September. Reagor still has a lot of upside potential if he can get back on the field and establish himself as a go-to receiver relatively quickly, but he also has some downside since he’s more susceptible to another shoulder dislocation.
D-Jax’s outlook is even better for September with Reagor out of the lineup and with Alshon Jeffery expected to get out of the gate slowly. D-Jax can’t be expected to stay totally healthy at 33 years old, but he’s still a great fit for Carson Wentz’s aggressive playing style. D-Jax is basically Will Fuller Lite for me this season. Jackson and Fuller have similar passing game environments with similar upside and injury risk, but D-Jax comes in at half the price.
ROUNDS 13+
Michael Pittman (Ind, 26.2%), Russell Gage (Atl, 19.7%), Josh Reynolds (LAR, 18.0%), John Ross (Cin, 18.0%)
Pittman has had an up-and-down first training camp with some troublesome drops from Philip Rivers, but he’s also shown the ability to make contested catches as he did at USC last season. Pittman could be a factor in the red zone for Rivers because of his massive frame (6’4”, 220 pounds), and it’s not inconceivable he could be the team’s leading receiver if T.Y. Hilton struggles to stay healthy again as he enters his first full season in his 30s.
As I mentioned earlier, the Falcons have a ton of production to replace in one of the league’s pass-heaviest offenses this season. I’ve taken plenty of shots on Calvin Ridley and Hayden Hurst in drafts, and I’ve also bet on Gage as the team’s #3 WR in case either Ridley or Hurst flops this season. Gage replaced Mohamed Sanu in the slot for the final nine games last season, and he averaged 7.3 targets per contest with a generous 17% target share.
I’m a little worried rookie Van Jefferson could eat into Reynolds’ #3 WR spot this season after an impressive training camp, but I still think Reynolds is the best equipped to play the X receiver in Los Angeles. Reynolds is the best downfield replacement for Brandin Cooks and, at 6’3”, he’ll be targeted in the red zone after seeing a team-best 18 end-zone targets over the last two seasons.
I stacked Ross with Joe Burrow before training camp, but I’ve backed off from Ross with Auden Tate throwing his hat into the ring to make it a three-man rotation for the #3 WR spot with Tee Higgins also in the mix. I don’t mind having Ross as my WR6/7 since I still think he could pop for a couple of big games this season if he’s able to string together multiple healthy games.
