Fantasy football drafts are all about collecting the best possible values, but it's also common for each of us to have certain players we like more than others, whom we badly want on our squad.
Whether it's the young, up-and-coming wide receiver on our favorite team, a sleeper running back no one is talking about or this year's big breakout at tight end, these players add an extra level of excitement to the roster construction process.
This round-by-round analysis will give you an idea of what's going through my head on draft day, headlined by those players I have circled on my cheat sheet.
Here it is -- my personal draft recipe for a 2020 fantasy football championship:
The core
Round 1: The best running back available
What does it all mean? It means that we can go heavy on RB early in our draft and still end up in excellent shape at WR thanks to tremendous values a few rounds later (more on WR paradise later).
As for specifics, if I land the first pick overall, I'm not getting cute. It's Christian McCaffrey, a man who could've scored 155 fewer fantasy points last season and still would've topped the position.
From there, I don't think we can go wrong with any of Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara or Dalvin Cook, though we need to keep a close eye on Cook's potential holdout. After the big five, it gets cloudier, as there are quite a few solid options at RB and WR. It's here that I'm willing to make an exception to an "RB-first" strategy and grab the great Michael Thomas, who outscored the next-closest WR by 99 fantasy points last season.
If I'm picking late in the first round, I'm going to be staring at several superstar wide receivers. I have no major qualms grabbing one of them and still landing a pretty good RB1 early in the second round (or vice versa). That said, there are 14 backs I feel pretty comfortable with this season, so if I don't take two RBs here, I'll likely be fading that second RB spot, instead focusing on gaining an edge at other positions and then taking RB fliers in the mid-to-late rounds (I'll dive into our best options later).
Round 2: RB Kenyan Drake (or Josh Jacobs ... or Aaron Jones ... or Austin Ekeler)
I just laid out why starting out RB-RB is more attractive than usual this season, but this is the one point in the draft where it's hard not to question the strategy. The likes of Drake, Jacobs, Jones and Ekeler are mid-to-back-end RB1 plays at best. At the other positions, however, we have clear top-five WR options in Tyreek Hill, Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins and Chris Godwin, as well as elite TE plays in Travis Kelce and George Kittle. I can't fault anyone for going away from RB here, but -- and I can't stress this enough -- this is likely the latest point in the draft in which you're not going to loathe your RB options. Again, if I shy away from RB here, I'm basically committed to punting that second starting slot (which, by the way, isn't an unreasonable strategy).
As for our best RB targets, my top-ranked option is Drake. Once suppressed by the Adam Gase offense, Drake exploded for the fourth-most fantasy points among backs once acquired by Arizona last season. He played 79% of the snaps and handled 15.4 carries and 4.4 targets per game. We should expect the same role in 2020 in what should be a better offense after Drake received the lucrative transition tag during the offseason.
Round 3: WR Mike Evans
The third round is when the value at wide receiver begins to stand out. If we want a star QB like Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson, this is where we'll usually need to take the plunge, but that's not for me. Our top RB options are the likes of seasoned veterans Melvin Gordon, Todd Gurley II, James Conner, Chris Carson and overvalued rookie Jonathan Taylor. Again, I'm not loving those names in this range.
On the other hand, Mike Evans, who is looking for his fourth finish of 10th or better in fantasy points per game over the past five seasons, jumps out as a tremendous value after the second round. If not Evans, Allen Robinson II, DJ Moore, Odell Beckham Jr., Amari Cooper and sometimes Kenny Golladay can be had in the third round and are also tremendous targets.
Round 4: WR Adam Thielen
Let's just be honest here: If we don't draft a wide receiver in the fourth round this year, we're doing it wrong. There are exceptions, of course (league size and perhaps a good RB or TE plummets in our draft), but for the most part, we should be attacking WR here. Why? Well, it's a damn bonanza. Adam Thielen, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Calvin Ridley, Cooper Kupp, A.J. Brown, Robert Woods, Courtland Sutton, occasionally Amari Cooper. Those are only some of our options at the position in an obvious hot spot to boost our lineup. It's also an excuse to pivot away from underwhelming and/or committee RB options such as Le'Veon Bell, David Johnson, Devin Singletary, David Montgomery and D'Andre Swift.
There are a lot of great WR options and we couldn't be faulted for any of them, but Thielen is atop my board in this round. The veteran wideout posted a pair of top-10 fantasy campaigns in 2017 and 2018, and he was ninth in points prior to his Week 7 injury last season. Especially with Stefon Diggs gone, Thielen is assured a massive target share.
Round 5: TE Zach Ertz or WR Tyler Lockett
Wide receiver remains rich with talent as we enter Round 5, so I don't have any qualms spending three consecutive picks on the position in this range. If any of the aforementioned receivers don't fall, Lockett is a player I have my eye on. Teammate DK Metcalf is getting the hype Lockett deserves, after the latter posted an 82-1,057-8 receiving line en route to finishing 16th or better at WR for the second straight season in 2019.
Wide receivers aside, Ertz's availability in the fifth and sixth rounds of 2020 drafts is one of the year's biggest head-scratchers. Operating in Doug Pederson's TE-friendly scheme, Ertz has finished no lower than fourth in targets, receptions, yards and fantasy points in each of the past four seasons. There are a lot of values at TE this season, but the 29-year-old Ertz stands out the most.
DJ Chark Jr., Terry "F1" McLaurin and Keenan Allen are also strong WR targets here, with Cam Akers and Kareem Hunt on my radar at RB.
The middle rounds
Round 6: WR T.Y. Hilton or TE Darren Waller
OK, so the core of my team is in place. It's time to start filling gaps and adding depth. I obviously want players with upside, but I also want guys I feel comfortable placing in my Week 1 lineup. This isn't the time to select high-ceiling backup RBs like Latavius Murray or Tony Pollard. We'll save the fliers for later.
If I already addressed tight end, I'll be looking for my third WR here. Hilton was already a solid fantasy starter and figures to be Philip Rivers' "Keenan Allen" in a lot of ways. Hilton is now 30 years old but remains super consistent, having never finished a season in which he's played at least 14 games worse than 27th in fantasy points. He sat 19th in 2019 during his 10 active weeks.
If I've yet to grab a tight end, Waller is an option since folks are down on Derek Carr's go-to target for some reason. During his breakout 2019 season, Waller finished no lower than fourth at the position in snaps, routes, targets, receptions, yardage and fantasy points. His targets might dip this season, but he's a strong touchdown regression-to-the-mean candidate after scoring only three in 2019.
Bengals teammates Tyler Boyd and A.J. Green, wild card Will Fuller V and Ronald Jones II are additional quality targets here.
Round 7: QB Kyler Murray
Let's talk quarterbacks. We know by now that there is a ton of depth at this position, so I rarely feel inclined to grab one prior to the double-digit rounds. However, as Patrick Mahomes taught us in 2018 and Lamar Jackson in 2019, a breakout QB can be a league winner. There aren't many strong candidates to make a leap like the aforementioned league MVPs, but Murray -- the 2019 first overall pick who finished as QB8 in fantasy as a rookie -- is the obvious best bet to pull it off. His rushing ability and massive ceiling, especially with WR DeAndre Hopkins in the fold, make him well worth the midround investment.
I'm also not majorly opposed to Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson in this range, and if I'm not looking to address QB, Tarik Cohen (in PPR), Jarvis Landry, Marvin Jones Jr. and Deebo Samuel (there's still so much value at WR!) jump out as savvy picks.
Round 8: WR Jamison Crowder
We're roughly midway through the draft, which means we're still considering options for our flex. In a round loaded with underwhelming committee running backs (e.g., Phillip Lindsay, Jordan Howard) and dart throws at WR (e.g., Darius Slayton, Mecole Hardman), Crowder jumps off the page. He's certainly not the most exciting pick, which is why he continues to come at a value in fantasy drafts. Even with Sam Darnold missing time, seeing ghosts and facing pressure at an absurd rate, Crowder posted a strong 78-833-6 receiving line and was WR26 in fantasy. New York's defense got much worse during the offseason, which will mean a lot of passing for the 2020 Jets.
Rounds 9 and 10: RBs Zack Moss and Darrell Henderson Jr.
I listed Moss and Henderson because they're my favorite targets, but I'm combining Rounds 9 and 10 here because A) wide receiver has finally dried up a bit, with the likes of John Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and rookies as our top options, and B) it's a feasting ground for zero-RB options.
In addition to Moss and Henderson, Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Matt Breida, Latavius Murray, Antonio Gibson, Alexander Mattison and Tony Pollard are among the other high-ceiling backs available in this range.
Moss has an elite elusiveness/tackle-breaking profile, and it wouldn't be surprising if he quickly proves to be more effective than Devin Singletary (who is pretty good in his own right). Henderson averaged 8.9 yards per carry (YPC) during his final two seasons at Memphis and will compete with Cam Akers for lead duties in Sean McVay's productive offense.
Gibson's stock is on the rise following the release of Derrius Guice. Vaughn took a hit when the Buccaneers signed LeSean McCoy, but he's another back with a good elusiveness profile and a Ronald Jones injury or benching away from a huge boost in value. Breida very well could be the lead back in Miami. Murray, Pollard and Mattison (who has added value with Dalvin Cook's contract situation in flux) are top insurance options.
Matt Ryan and Carson Wentz are in range at QB, with Sterling Shepard my favorite Round 10 target at WR. New York's No. 1 WR was one of six players who was targeted at least six times in 100% of his games last season and he was 17th in fantasy points during those weeks.
The late-round fliers
Round 11: TE Noah Fant or QB Tom Brady
I like the 11th round this year because it's where two of my favorite targets can be found. The only problem is, we might need to reach on one to get both.
If I've yet to pick a TE, Fant is my clear top choice here, and if I've waited at QB, Brady is the play. I'm in on a Year 2 breakout for Fant after the 2019 first-round pick was TE16 in fantasy as a rookie. Fant posted the fifth-best yards per target (YPT) by a first-year tight end since 2007 (this has correlated well with fantasy stardom).
I'm also buying on a big bounce-back campaign from Brady as he heads to the warmth of Tampa Bay, where he'll work in Bruce Arians' vertical offense with a much-improved supporting cast led by Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Rob Gronkowski. Considering all the hype surrounding the Buccaneers this season, most of the key pieces of their offense are fairly cheap in fantasy (think Brady, Evans, Gronkowski, Jones).
Perpetually underrated Matthew Stafford and late-round breakout candidate Daniel Jones are other quality options at QB.
Round 12: WR Preston Williams (among other WR fliers)
We've hit a new tier of attractive wide receivers, with Williams topping the board, but Robby Anderson, Curtis Samuel, Breshad Perriman, DeSean Jackson and Justin Jefferson are all quality targets in this range.
Williams is easily my favorite option here after he out-targeted DeVante Parker and sat 37th in fantasy points in a struggling Miami offense as an undrafted rookie prior to tearing an ACL. Meanwhile, Perriman and Jackson are likely to open Week 1 as the top perimeter targets on their teams. Anderson and Samuel both will be very busy in Matt Rhule's new-look Carolina offense.
Round 13: WR Parris Campbell or RB Damien Harris
We're in dart-throwing country at this point, so 2019 Day 2 draft picks Campbell and Harris stand out as strong plays. I recently suggested Campbell could be "this year's DJ Chark" and Harris "this year's Raheem Mostert." Campbell has the clearer path to fantasy relevance as the potential No. 2 WR in Indianapolis, but Sony Michel's leg injury could lead to a big role for Harris.
Cam Newton is a fine wild-card pick here if we waited at QB, and youngsters N'Keal Harry, Michael Pittman Jr., Brandon Aiyuk and, especially, Justin Jefferson are attractive fliers at WR.
Rounds 14-16: High-ceiling insurance and breakout candidates
We're assuming a 16-round draft here, so this is the point where league rules come into play. If we're drafting here at ESPN, we'll be forced to select both a defense and a kicker (I'll cover my favorite targets at those spots later).
However, if there's flexibility, this is a spot where we can gain a leg up on the competition. Most of our leaguemates are going to select at least one kicker and defense and let them rot on their roster until Week 1.
Why? I have no idea. Don't do that.
In lieu of those positions, I will gather up insurance policies at other positions (especially running back) and wait for injuries to strike during the preseason. If I have the Ravens defense rostered and Derrick Henry tears an ACL, I have the Ravens defense. If I have Darrynton Evans rostered and Henry tears an ACL, I have a solid RB2. Oh, and I can always drop two players and pick up a defense with a good matchup and a decent kicker just prior to Week 1. By the way, if your league is hosted here at ESPN (why wouldn't it be?), one way around the draft room restrictions is to cut your kicker and defense after the draft in favor of adding high-upside stashes.
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, here are the players I will be considering with my final few picks:
Quarterback fliers: I generally select one quarterback, especially since a lot of solid QB2 options will go undrafted in most formats. However, if I'm looking to throw a dart at a breakout candidate or sleeper available this late, Drew Lock and Gardner Minshew II stand out, as do rookies Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa.
Running back insurance: I won't go too in depth here as I already ranked the insurance situation for all 32 teams, but the headliners available this late include Darrynton Evans, Chase Edmonds, DeAndre Washington, Giovani Bernard, AJ Dillon, Carlos Hyde and Ryquell Armstead. Fliers like Anthony McFarland Jr. and the Chargers' Joshua Kelley/Justin Jackson also have my attention.
Wide receiver veterans: With teams using more wide receivers than ever before, there are always notable, high-floor veteran wideouts available late. Larry Fitzgerald, Alshon Jeffery (figures to miss Weeks 1-6), Russell Gage, Allen Lazard and Mohamed Sanu Sr. are among those on my radar. It's worth also mentioning Antonio Brown, who could be a factor come the fantasy playoffs if he signs with a team following his eight-game suspension. Only draft him if you have a very deep bench in your league.
Wide receiver rookie fliers: Despite the comfort of a safe veteran receiver, I'm typically aiming for more upside here. Denzel Mims, Tee Higgins, Chase Claypool, Devin Duvernay and Laviska Shenault Jr. are youngsters I'm happy to stash on the end of my bench.
Tight end options: There are a lot of intriguing breakout options at TE this season, and Chris Herndon is my favorite one in the very late rounds. I mentioned earlier that the rookie TE yards-per-target leaderboard from the past decade is loaded with fantasy stars, and Herndon happens to sit fourth on that list after an impressive 2018 showing. He missed nearly all of last season because of injury, making him a strong post-hype target in 2020. Eric Ebron and Irv Smith Jr. are also on my radar.
Defense/special teams
History has taught us over and over (and over) again that we should never reach at D/ST. In fact, the Jaguars were the hot "reach" in 2018 (they ended up ninth) and it was the Bears last season (they finished 15th). Be smart. Just don't do it.
The Steelers, Bills, 49ers, Ravens and Patriots top my D/ST rankings, but since I like to stream, I'll also be looking at the Eagles, Lions, Chargers and Bengals, since each has a relatively light Week 1 opponent.
Kicker
This is as simple as picking the top guy left on the board. Justin Tucker, Harrison Butker, Wil Lutz, Matt Prater and Greg Zuerlein are the best five options, but don't reach for any of them.
So there you have it. My game plan for a first step to a 2020 fantasy football championship. Remember, this piece should not serve as your only draft board. It's simply the players I've found myself targeting and, with ADP (average draft position) in mind, that I would love to have on my squad this year.