Fantasy fans are always looking for that elusive, yet attainable, perfect draft. You know, the one where all your favorite breakout and sleeper picks fall into your lap. I’m looking for that fantasy “nirvana” too, so I decided to create my perfect fantasy draft scenario based on the average draft position data (ADP) from my friends over at FantasyData.
In this exercise, I drafted from the No. 6 overall spot in both a 10- and 12-team league. The rule I drafted by is that I had to stay within two spots of ADP per round. So, if I’m at pick No. 20, for example, I couldn’t draft Drake London because his ADP is No. 17. On the flip side, I did allow myself to draft any player available beyond ADP. That means for the No. 20 pick, I could draft anyone as low as No. 18 and anyone with an ADP higher than 20.
Here's how my perfect drafts came out!
Other Perfect Drafts: First Overall Pick
Note: Each team finished with two quarterbacks, five running backs, five wide receivers, two tight ends, one kicker, and one defense.
10 Team – 1.06. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings: The fact that Jefferson won’t be catching passes from Kirk Cousins is the lone reason for his slight fall in Round 1. In fact, he’s still on the board with the eighth overall pick based on . I think that’s an overreaction that makes Jefferson a potential draft bargain.
12 Team – 1.06. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings: I can’t pass on Jefferson at this point in any league. If he’s there at No. 6, I’m taking him. Keep in mind, he averaged 18 fantasy points in games played without Cousins last season.
10 Team – 2.15. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Cardinals: I love me some Harrison Jr., so much so that I feel confident taking him at this point in the second round. The talented rookie will be the alpha wideout in Arizona’s offense, and we’ve seen first-year wideouts post big-time totals in the last decade. I’m all in.
12 Team – 2.19. Chris Olave, WR, Saints: Harrison Jr. isn’t available at this point, so I’ll pivot. Olave is a potential third-year breakout player who was the best wideout left on my board based on ADP. He’ll serve as this team’s No. 1 wideout, and I can see Olave posting career bests as the alpha in New Orleans.
10 Team – 3.26. Travis Etienne, RB, Jaguars: For fantasy managers who want to focus on wideouts in the first two rounds, Etienne is a great pick in the third. The RB3 from a season ago, he’s quite the draft value at this point. With no serious competition for touches in the backfield, Etienne should shine again.
12 Team – 3.30. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts: Etienne was out of reach based on my ADP rule, so I went with a third wide receiver in Pittman Jr. The WR13 from a season ago, he should remain the top option in the passing game for Anthony Richardson. He’s a fabulous No. 3 wideout pick in a 12-team league.
10 Team – 4.35. DJ Moore, WR, Bears: Moore has lost some of his luster after the Bears added Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze, but that’s baked into him being the No. 3 wideout on this fantasy team. Remember, Moore was the WR6 last season. I also think he’ll be the Bears' target leader again.
12 Team – 4.43. Rashaad White, RB, Buccaneers: How often can a fantasy manager land the previous season’s RB4 … in Round 4? It’s not like White is old (the opposite is true), or his team added serious competition (Bucky Irving, maybe?). He’s the perfect pick for a team that opens with three wideouts.
10 Team – 5.46. Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints: Talk about value! Kamara, whose ADP is No. 57 (at least at the time of this research), will be the RB2 for a fantasy team that started with three wideouts and Etienne. Kamara is a year older, but he was still third among backs in points per game average last season.
12 Team – 5.54. Kenneth Walker, RB, Seahawks: Walker has yet to truly “break out,” and it might not happen at an elite level with Zach Charbonnet on the roster. Still, he remained the lead back for the Seahawks last season and looks like a nice RB2 in 2024. Grabbing him in Round 5 seems like a perfect fit.
10 Team – 6.55. C.J. Stroud, QB, Texans: With three wideouts and two running backs in tow, it’s time to look for the best player available regardless of position. That player, in this case, is Stroud. While I usually don’t take a quarterback this soon, it’s tough to pass on him based on his amazingly high ceiling.
12 Team – 6.67. Jayden Reed, WR, Packers: Reed was a league winner in the second half of last season, and I loved getting him as a fourth wide receiver. In a best-case scenario, Reed could push for WR2 value as the top wideout in the Packers passing game. That makes him an attractive fantasy flex.
10 Team – 7.66. Zack Moss, RB, Bengals: My perfect 12-team fantasy roster started with three wide receivers and a runner in the first four rounds, and Moss is now the third back I’ve taken in the last three rounds. Now the lead runner in Cincinnati, I can envision Moss finishing as a top-20 fantasy back.
12 Team – 7.78. George Kittle, TE, 49ers: Kittle can definitely be inconsistent at times, but he always seems to finish in the top 10 (or higher) in fantasy points among tight ends. That includes last season, when he was the TE5 in the 49ers productive offense. He remains one of the more attractive tight ends.
10 Team – 8.75. Ladd McConkey, WR, Chargers: McConkey is one of my favorite sleepers among wideouts, as he could push for the lead in targets in the Chargers offense … even as a rookie. As fourth wide receiver on this fantasy roster, there’s no risk and plenty of reward with McConkey as an eighth rounder.
12 Team – 8.91. Raheem Mostert, RB, Dolphins: Regression is coming for Mostert, who scored 21 touchdowns last season. That’s more than he had in his first eight NFL seasons combined! However, that projected regression is baked into his ADP, and I’ll gladly grab him as a No. 3 fantasy back in drafts.
10 Team – 9.86. Jake Ferguson, TE, Cowboys: The Cowboys always seem to have a solid fantasy tight end, and Ferguson is the latest in the line. He finished last season as the TE9, recording an impressive 71 receptions for 761 yards while scoring five touchdowns. He’s a potential bargain as a ninth rounder.
12 Team – 9.102. Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers: The QB6 in fantasy leagues last year, Purdy continued the trend of a second-year quarterback having a breakout season. Playing in the offense of head coach Kyle Shanahan and with oodles of weapons, Purdy could again be a great value in a lot of 2024 drafts.
10 Team – 10.95. Austin Ekeler, RB, Commanders: Ekeler is coming off a disappointing season, but grabbing him as a fourth running back in a PPR league is a nice scenario. He should be good for 50-plus catches.
12 Team – 10.115. Kirk Cousins, QB, Falcons: I’m going back-to-back quarterbacks here, pairing Purdy with Cousins. Purdy was a top-10 quarterback last season, and Cousins was on that pace before getting injured.
10 Team – 11.106. Nick Chubb, RB, Browns: Chubb comes with risk of course, coming off a badly injured knee. But as the fifth runner on his roster and being taken in Round 11, I don’t mind taking the risk here.
12 Team – 11.126. Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seahawks: I often like to handcuff my top running backs, so taking Charbonnet as insurance for Walker makes sense here. He’ll be the fourth back on this team.
10 Team – 12.115. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks: Lockett’s stock is at its lowest point in recent seasons, as many (including myself) like Jaxon Smith-Njigba to emerge. Still, the veteran makes sense as a WR5.
12 Team – 12.139. Kimani Vidal, RB, Chargers: I’m on record as saying that I think Vidal will be the lead back in L.A. at some point during the course of his rookie season, so grabbing at this point in the drafts is solid value.
10 Team – 13.126. Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers: It’s crazy to think that Herbert is seen as a backup fantasy quarterback, but that’s the case heading into this season. He’ll be the QB2 behind Stroud on this roster.
12 Team – 13.150. Adam Thielen, WR, Panthers: Thielen won’t be the WR17 like he was a season ago, but he’ll still see his share of targets in Carolina. Also, grabbing him as a WR5 makes Thielen much less of a risk.
10 Team – 14.135. Cole Kmet, TE, Bears: Kmet has the same bye week as Ferguson (this team’s TE1), which isn’t ideal. However, he’s the best tight end on the board so I’ll run the risk. Kmet was the TE8 in 2023.
12 Team – 14.163. Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots: This fantasy team will be starting Kittle at the tight end position in most weeks, so Henry will be his backup or a matchup-based/bye week fantasy starter at best.
10 Team – 15.146. Justin Tucker, K, Ravens: Tucker is widely considered the best kicker in fantasy football, and he was still available here based on FantasyData’s ADP info. He will be a top-five option in 2024.
12 Team – 15.174. Jake Elliott, K, Eagles: Elliott quietly finished tied for fourth in fantasy points among kickers last year, and he’ll be an attractive option again behind what remains a strong Eagles offense.
10 Team – 16.155. Ravens defense: I’m looking for the best defense on the board at this point in the draft, and the Ravens were the cream of the crop. In standard scoring, no defense was better last season.
12 Team – 16.187. Dolphins defense: Again, I’m searching for the best defense I can find at this late stage of the draft, and the Dolphins were that defensive unit in this case. The Fins ranked as the DEF5 in 2023.
MICHAEL FABIANO
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Formerly of CBS Sports, NFL Network and SirusXM, Michael was the first fantasy analyst to appear on one of the four major TV networks. His work can now be found on SI, Westwood One Radio and the Bleav Podcast Network.
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