Fantasy managers can get the most out of a mock draft simulator by tailoring these practice drafts in various ways. This variety includes positional draft strategies such as zero RB or hero RB or focusing on depth with a strong bench.
Let's dive into some of these various draft strategies. We will do this by draft round categories, as a manager will use different approaches to navigate the fantasy football cheat sheet in Rounds 1-4 vs how that process is managed in Rounds 5-8 or Rounds 9-12.
How Draft Rounds Shape Your Strategy
Veteran fantasy football managers know that draft position has a gargantuan impact on fantasy football strategy. This is why many fantasy managers analyze the varied values of draft slots to see which ones will dovetail best with their preferred draft strategies.
This strategy adjustment becomes more prevalent as league size increases. For example, a fantasy manager with the No. 5 pick in the first round in an 8-team snake draft will only have to wait until pick No. 12 to make a second selection. Get the No. 5 pick in a 12-team snake draft and the second selection doesn't arrive until pick No. 20. The shift from No. 12 to No. 20 makes a huge difference in how managers navigate fantasy football rankings.
Since draft position often isn't determined until an hour before draft time and is oftentimes locked into place in leagues that don't allow draft pick trading, wise fantasy managers use their draft kit to figure out a general strategy for every draft slot scenario.
Early Picks (1–4): Locking in Elite Talent
Every starting slot in a fantasy league provides 14 potential regular season start opportunities and 17 overall opportunities if we count the postseason. Every pick in these first four rounds has to be able to fill 16 of those starting roles (they can't start during their byes) and thus is of utmost importance.
In general, you should always end these first four rounds with two or three lockdown starters at running back or wide receiver. This will usually be two wide receivers in PPR or half-PPR leagues and two running backs in non-PPR leagues. The other pick in this quartet will generally either be a top-flight quarterback or tight end, although that can vary depending on your draft strategy. Since these picks are so important, it's a good idea to make them in conjunction with the RotoWire draft assistant.
Mid Picks (5–8): Building a Balanced Roster
The players picked in Rounds 5-8 will still fill many of those starting draft slots, but the general idea with these players is to build up powerful depth so that your team is still highly competitive during bye weeks or when any of the elite talents miss time due to injury.
One key strategy to build up this powerful depth is stacking wide receivers on the same team as your starting quarterback. Many fantasy managers will use these rounds to begin working on either piling up bye weeks to land in the same week (thus limiting their impact to a single week) or spreading them out as much as possible to limit their individual impact.
A third goal can be to get the second running back in a platoon setup (think acquiring David Montgomery in Round 5 after picking up Jahmyr Gibbs in Round 1 to give your team a double dose of that powerhouse Lions offense).
Late Picks (9–12): Capitalizing on Value and Upside
There are two main trains of thought when it comes to late-round picks. The first is loading up a roster with high floor backups. Doing this will help your team avoid low score or goose egg point totals that can crush your chances at victory. The second is to acquire somewhat riskier prospects who have high scoring ceilings if things go well.
One option for the first approach is looking for late-round wide receivers who are on track to receive 100 or more targets (Bills WR Khalil Shakir being a solid pick of this nature). Another is drafting backup running backs who have a high percentage chance of becoming platoon backs (think Browns RB Dylan Sampson).
For the riskier prospects, the idea is to pursue big upside. Rookie WRs in high-powered offenses, such as Matthew Golden (Packers) or Jayden Higgins (Texans), often fit this bill quite well.
How to Practice Each Slot with RotoWire's Mock Draft Simulator
The aforementioned scenarios show how many team building avenues are available to fantasy managers. You can try to drive these proverbial roads by winging it, but the better approach is to go in with a ton of practice under your belt.
That's where the simulator comes in. This cutting-edge tool has built-in AI that makes decisions based on how the experts are drafting. This assures that the practice time you get in mock drafts will sharpen your skills to the highest degree.
The simulator is very easy to use. Just sign into your RotoWire account and follow the prompts to sync your league settings. This ease of use delivers customization that will make your mock draft time even more valuable.
Remember: Preparation Equals Confidence
A common thread in fantasy leagues is that the best prepared fantasy managers win more often than those who are less prepared. The key to being one of those prepared managers is finding the most effective and efficient way to train for all of your drafts.
The RotoWire Mock Draft Simulator helps you achieve these goals. Once you have gone through practice drafts in this environment, you will have the confidence that you can only get with thorough preparation. It can be the difference between playoff success and sitting out the postseason, so be sure to make this incredibly invaluable time investment into your fantasy squads.
