Fantasy Football Round-by-Round Draft Strategy for 10-Team Leagues (2024)

One of the best ways to succeed during your fantasy football draft is to go in with a strategy. Every fantasy football league is different, and there isn’t a universal blueprint for success. That said, preparing a basic game plan can go a long way to help you identify value throughout the draft.

Fortunately, I’ve done the hard work for you. Below, I’ve outlined my round-by-round strategy for a 10-team, half-PPR league. If you follow this roadmap, you’ll be primed for draft day dominance.

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Round 1

I usually go for a tailback in the first round, as it’s still the most scarce position in fantasy football. In fact, the first eight players on my draft board are running backs. If you’re picking in the top eight, get the best tailback available.

I’d only consider taking a receiver in the first round if I have the ninth or tenth overall pick. I have Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, and Stefon Diggs ranked from ninth to eleventh, respectively. If you have a late pick, I’d consider grabbing a top-end receiver and scooping up your first tailback in early Round 2.

Round 2

I’m definitely taking a running back or receiver in Round 2. Don’t be tempted by Travis Kelce, who is awesome but doesn’t deliver as much positional value. If I’ve already got a tailback, I generally subscribe to a best player available strategy in this round. If I went wide receiver in Round 1, I’m probably taking a tailback in Round 2. Some of my favorite players to target in Round 2 are Antonio Gibson, Joe Mixon, J.K. Dobbins, Calvin Ridley, DK Metcalf, A.J. Brown, and Justin Jefferson.

Round 3

I’m most likely taking my WR1 in Round 3 if I’ve got two tailbacks, as I’m fine with someone like Terry McLaurin, Allen Robinson, Keenan Allen, or CeeDee Lamb in the third round.

If I’ve only got one running back, the decision is harder and will be dependent on who’s still on the board. Knowing that receiver is deep, I’d be more willing to take a shot on someone like Darrell Henderson, even if it’s at the expense of missing out on someone like Chris Godwin or Robert Woods as a strong WR2. I know I can find receiving upside later on.

Round 4

My goal is to have at least two tailbacks on my roster after my first four picks. I’m not even opposed to taking three running backs early — that’s how ugly the position gets after this round.

I’d rather take a shot on someone like Chris Carson, Darrell Henderson, or Javonte Williams as my RB3 than someone like Mike Evans, Amari Cooper, or Robert Woods as my WR2. There are higher upside receivers available in Round 5 that I feel just as good about getting.

Round 5

This is where the draft starts to become a “Choose Your Own Adventure,” exercise. I typically aim to get one of these receivers in this round: D.J. Moore, Brandon Aiyuk, Diontae Johnson, or Tee Higgins. All of them are high-upside WR2’s.

I’m still not considering taking a quarterback or tight end in this round.

Round 6

If any of the aforementioned receivers are still available here, take them. If not, I don’t mind adding another running back, like Kareem Hunt. This is also a more appropriate time to consider a quarterback or tight end, as Mark Andrews, T.J. Hockenson, Kyle Pitts, Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers are all going around this range.

I’d still wait on taking a quarterback or tight end here, but if the running back and receiver options are unappealing for you, don’t feel guilty about it.

Round 7

This is typically where I really start thinking about landing a starting quarterback or tight end. I’m more willing to wait longer at tight end, but my quarterback target tends to be Justin Herbert in Round 7.

If you’d rather keep waiting (and I normally do), then players like Chase Claypool or Chase Edmonds — and even rookies Trey Sermon and Michael Carter — all interest me. Sermon is the player I’d be most likely to target as a depth tailback with serious upside.

Round 8

All of the players I mentioned in Round 7 are certainly options in Round 8. However, if quarterbacks are going fast, I’m happy to take Matthew Stafford or Ryan Tannehill here. I’m also interested in taking flyers on tailbacks such as Zack Moss or AJ Dillon, both of whom could have productive roles on their respective offenses.

Round 9

At this point, I’m likely to get my quarterback. Stafford, Tannehill, Tom Brady, and Joe Burrow are all guys I’m comfortable getting here. If not, I’ll keep loading up on running backs or receivers.

Round 10

Unless I’m blown away by a tailback or receiver who’s still on the board, I typically address tight end here. Noah Fant and Logan Thomas are my primary targets. I’m also high on Dallas Goedert’s talent, but I would prefer to see Zach Ertz leave Philadelphia before making him my starter.

Rounds 11 and on

With my starting lineup filled, I tend to go after my favorite lottery tickets starting in Round 11. I’m also willing to target higher-end running back handcuffs such as Alexander Mattison or Darrynton Evans at this point.

Don’t be afraid to reach a little bit in these later rounds for guys you like, as there’s no guarantee they’ll get back to you again. In fact, there’s no such thing as a “reach” this late in the game.

I’m excited about Laviska Shenault Jr., Michael Pittman, Darnell Mooney, Mecole Hardman, Cole Kmet, Elijah Moore, Rashod Bateman, Kenneth Gainwell, and Adam Trautman (pending news about his injury).

When to take kickers and defenses

If you’re a FantasyPros reader, I know that you’re a smart player who’s probably heard this before. But just in case, I’ll offer one more final reminder: wait until the final two rounds to take your kicker and defense. Both positions are incredibly hard to project each year, and there’s rarely any advantage to being the first to draft one of them.

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Fantasy Football Round-by-Round Draft Strategy for 10-Team Leagues (2024)

FAQs

What is the best spot to draft in the 10-team league? ›

In 10-Team Non-PPR, the best draft position is pick No. 2. Drafting optimally from the No. 2 spot in 10-team non-PPR drafts nets 311.3 3D Value points. That's a huge 18.1% increase over the 263.6 points by picking straight from ADP at the No. 2 spot.

What position to draft in each round of fantasy football? ›

If your favorite sleeper quarterback or tight end is available, it's OK to pick them, but I'd lean toward stocking up on even more running backs and wide receivers. I lean toward picking a running back and wide receiver at each of the next two pairs of picks, picking whichever players are at the top of the board.

Can you do fantasy football with 10 teams? ›

It's easier in a 10-team league for every manager to start out with a team he/she likes – especially if you only need to start 2 WRs and 2 RBs – than it is in a 12-team draft. So you can afford to go after a top QB and/or TE rather than stacking WRs and RBs basically whenever you think it makes sense.

What is the best strategy for fantasy football draft? ›

Perfect 2024 fantasy football draft strategy, round by round for 12-team leagues: Pick No. 7. A top-five wide receiver is likely to fall: With three running backs typically selected among the top six picks, at least two elite wide receivers should be available at Pick No. 7.

What is the best playoff format for a 10 team league? ›

With 10 teams, you either have four playoff teams for two weeks or six (with two teams getting byes). If you use six teams and byes, more than half the league makes the playoffs, and it ruins the regular-season value. So, with 12 teams, you can award the top two teams byes and have three rounds of playoffs.

When to draft a QB in 10 team league? ›

I will often advocate for a quarterback in the second round in 12-team leagues, but for 10-teamers, the top quarterbacks should fall to Round 3. This allows you to stick with the best running back or wide receiver available. Generally, there will be a little more value at running back, but it varies by pick.

What is statistically the best draft position in fantasy football? ›

What position should I draft first in fantasy football? Most managers should draft a WR with their first pick this season in fantasy football. Six of the top 12 players in our fantasy football rankings are WRs, 5 are RBs, and a single TE slipped into the top 12.

What position is best to draft in the first round? ›

The value at the end of the first round is at wide receiver. The running backs who are likely available include Jonathan Taylor, Jahmyr Gibbs and Saquon Barkley, but all three players have risk. Picking wide receivers has generally been safer, and there will still be quality running backs in later rounds.

How many teams is too many for a fantasy football league? ›

No league size is perfect, but 12 teams is the standard most leagues try to achieve. One con for 12 teams is the season-long head-to-head schedule will not align perfectly with typically 13-14 regular season weeks and 11 unique matchups for each team to play.

How many bench spots are in fantasy football 10 team? ›

In most leagues, you will have seven bench sports for your fantasy team. In terms of starters, you have nine players on your roster that can be in the starting lineup.

How many teams is good for fantasy football? ›

Ten teams is the traditional size of most leagues. The player pool is deep enough that each team has stars, but managers will still have the challenge of picking up free agents and players who are getting hot. For a greater challenge, try using 12 or 14 teams.

Which order should I draft in fantasy football? ›

Some fantasy leaguers try to form a pre-draft plan of how to construct their roster by position. For example, they might intend to start with a running back in the first round, then a wide receiver in the second, another wide receiver in the third, and a second running back in the fourth.

Who is the best first round pick in fantasy football? ›

Round 1 (Pick 1 overall): Christian McCaffrey is the consensus No. 1 pick. He led all of fantasy in points per game last season, scoring 100.8 more total points (and 3.2 points per game more) than any other running back did.

What is statistically the best spot to draft in fantasy football? ›

In 12-Team Half-PPR, the best draft position is pick No. 1 or 2. Drafting optimally from the No. 1 or 2 spot in 12-team half-PPR drafts lands you on the same team through six rounds -- and a whopping 328.6 3D Value points.

Where is the best spot to draft in a Superflex league? ›

In my opinion, there are two main strategies to consider when drafting in a Superflex league. One is prioritizing the quarterback position heavily and drafting two studs early on, and the other is selecting one high-end quarterback and filling out your roster before drafting a second.

How long does a 10 team draft take? ›

The NFL Draft takes place over three days (Thursday through Saturday) each spring. Only the first round is held on Thursday. It starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time, and each team has 10 minutes to make its pick. The second and third rounds are on Friday; rounds 4-7 are on Saturday.

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