Fantasy football draft season is upon us, and The Washington Post is primed to help with answers to your pressing questions. From a detailed breakdown of the best possible picks for Rounds 1-3 at each draft position to regularly updated player rankings to the unassailable and utterly flawless* Perfect Draft, The Post’s fantasy football cheat sheet has all the insights you need to dominate draft day.<doc-sep>Adam Hunger/Associated Press By this point in August, you've probably read a number of mock drafts and done a few practice drafts yourself as you prep for fantasy football. You're immersed in the land of mock drafts. 'Tis the season. But for the following mock draft, I did things slightly differently. Using my top-50 rankings, I put together a five-round mock draft from all 10 starting slots in a 10-team, non-PPR league. While I didn't stick exclusively to the rankings—I didn't want to give a team two quarterbacks, for example—I mostly used a "best player available" philosophy for these teams. Below, you'll find the results of that mock in a neat and tidy package. Note that the number next to the player's name represents my overall value for the player, not the draft slot they were selected in. I'll also give my thoughts on each team. Let's dive in. Team 1 1. Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams Video Play Button Videos you might like 20. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings 40. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks 43. Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Browns This ended up being a team with a ton of potential upside. Evans is one of the most talented wide receivers in the league and could easily finish as a top-three receiver. Had Cook not been injured last season, he might have been a first-round pick this year. Keep in mind that he rushed for 354 yards and two touchdowns in four games last year, which projects to 1,416 yards and eight touchdowns over a full season. And then there's Gordon, who has elite potential but remains a mystery away from the Browns. I really like the shape of this team. Gurley and Wilson are safe options at their positions, Evans and Cook seem like safe bets to at least be solid contributors and Gordon is worth the gamble in the fifth round. It's a fine start to a draft. With this squad, you can probably just continue to pick the best player available as the draft continues, especially considering that the elite tight ends aren't available. Unless this team can get a guy like Evan Engram at tight end before the run on that position begins, I'd probably wait. Team 2 2. Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers 19. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts 22. Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons 38. Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings 41. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers It's a solid start for this squad. Bell and Newton are safe and productive options at their respective positions. Freeman is a steady RB2. Diggs just got an upgrade at quarterback in Kirk Cousins. And Hilton should have a major bounce-back year as Andrew Luck returns. I don't love this group as much as Team 1, but there is a strong foundation in place here. Like Team 1, this team can continue to seek out the top players or values on their board. Team 3 Charles Krupa/Associated Press 3. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys 17. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints 23. Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots 34. Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks 48. Kenyan Drake, RB, Miami Dolphins I really like the first four picks here. Elliott is as safe as they come at running back, while the wide receiver pairing of Michael Thomas and Doug Baldwin finished eighth and 13th, respectively, in non-PPR leagues last year. This team should get solid production from those two. Finally, a healthy Gronkowski provides incredible value at tight end, where at his best he puts numbers that would be elite for wideouts, let alone tight ends. That leaves Drake as this team's question mark. He looked good after Jay Ajayi was traded to Philadelphia last season, but Frank Gore's presence looms. Drake should still be the starter, but personally, I'd rather have a better RB2 in place by this point. If I picked this team, I would add at least two more running backs in my next three or four picks. And I'd probably wait on quarterback, where there's a ton of depth to be had well down the board. Team 4 4. David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals 16. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers 24. Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders 39. Jay Ajayi, RB, Philadelphia Eagles 42. Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston Texans There's lots of potential in this group. Johnson was fantasy's MVP in 2016, so his return to injury should be accompanied by another huge season. Adams having a full season of Aaron Rodgers should bolster his value. And Watson was fantasy's best player while he was healthy last year, making him a contender as a top-three quarterback and nice value in the fifth round. Cooper and Ajayi are slightly riskier, though not to the point that they aren't the right values for these picks. The hope for fantasy owners will be that Cooper shines as the clear top option in Oakland's passing game, while Ajayi's value doesn't get diluted in a committee situation in Philadelphia that will include Wendell Smallwood, Corey Clement and Darren Sproles. For this team, then, I'd be focused on adding wideout and running back depth before even worrying about tight end. Team 5 5. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants 15. A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals 25. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings 37. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans 44. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia Eagles From a philosophical standpoint, this is how I'll likely approach my draft this year. While my hope will be that the board falls in a way that allows me to grab two solid running backs in the first three rounds, I'm not going to reach on players, either. I love Barkley. He's the ultimate weapon at running back and an easy selection at No. 5. From there, Green has always been a steady option in fantasy, while Thielen has now posted consecutive seasons with 950 or more receiving yards. Henry has major breakthrough potential, even with Dion Lewis in town, and if Jeffery is your third receiver, you are in business. For this team, I'm now trying to grab the best values available at quarterback, running back and tight end in the next four rounds. There's no need to even consider a WR4 until Round 10. Team 6 Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press 6. Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers 18. Jordan Howard, RB, Chicago Bears 26. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals 36. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers 45. Jarvis Landry, WR, Cleveland Browns This team would be a killer in PPR, but even in non-PPR leagues, I like this group. Brown, Fitzgerald and Landry are safe and productive options. Howard isn't sexy, but he's super reliable at running back. McCaffrey's a nice RB2 who should see a slight uptick in his carries this year (though he brings enough value in the passing game to mitigate his limited workload in the run game). For this team, I definitely want to round out my running back depth, but again, this squad has the luxury of focusing on best values available at quarterback and tight as well in the next few rounds. Team 7 7. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints 14. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers 27. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs 35. Jerick McKinnon, RB, San Francisco 49ers 46. Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears Teams 5, 6 and 7 are going to really battle over quarterbacks and tight ends and likely determine where those runs begin, huh? There's a decent squad here. Kamara is a do-it-all weapon who could be justified as a top-five pick. Allen is an elite fantasy option when healthy. Hill may see some of his targets taken by Sammy Watkins—and much of his success will be reliant on the play of second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes—but he's an all-around weapon who should remain a major playmaker in Kansas City. McKinnon looks like the feature back in San Francisco, so he's a good RB2. And while Robinson's 2015 season (1,400 receiving yards, 14 touchdowns) may be an outlier, it's worth remembering that he's flashed major production in the past. A healthy Robinson has solid upside, especially if Mitchell Trubisky takes a step forward in his sophomore campaign. Team 8 8. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars 11. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons 28. LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills 33. Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles 47. Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos Coming away with Fournette and Jones in the first two rounds is about as good as you could hope for from the No. 8 position. McCoy remains a solid RB2 when he's on the field (obviously his legal situation is something to keep an eye on), while Ertz remains a great option at tight end. And Thomas should bounce back with a legitimate quarterback in Case Keenum now under center. For this squad, I'd be more focused on adding depth at running back and wideout than jumping on a quarterback right away. Team 9 Mike Roemer/Associated Press 9. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans 13. Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs 29. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs 32. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers 49. Alex Collins, RB, Baltimore Ravens This is an interesting group. From a value perspective, the top four picks make sense and give this fantasy team a top option at the four major positions. But from a philosophical perspective, I'm not sure I'd spring for both a tight end and quarterback in the first five rounds. If you take this approach, you'd better be ready to basically focus exclusively on wide receiver and running back for the next five to six rounds. This method will be useful if you feel confident you have some strong sleepers in your back pocket at either position. That's the issue with this sort of approach—yes, all four of those players are good, but it means you had better find excellent value at running back and wide receiver later. It's important to make sure you have safe options like the first four players taken here. Team 10 10. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants 12. Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Rams 30. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals 31. Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots 50. Chris Hogan, WR, New England Patriots There's some boom-or-bust potential here, with Brady and Hogan being on the same team, but Brady is about as safe as they come and Hogan should be the team's top option out wide this year. Beckham and Gordon are sound picks in the first two rounds, guaranteeing steady production. And Mixon should be the main back in Cincinnati this year, giving him a high ceiling and a pretty reliable floor as either an RB2 or flex. For this team I'm hitting wideout and running back hard in the upcoming rounds, keeping an eye out for the tight end run to see if I can nab an Engram, Greg Olsen or Jimmy Graham. But waiting a bit later and grabbing a boom-or-bust play like Trey Burton, Jordan Reed or David Njoku would make sense as well.<doc-sep>
You know you’re in trouble when the boss reaches out to you and says, “Hey, we are having a lot of success with this other writer’s article, so we’re going to need you to get one of those together.” This is odd to me, because I always like to think that I’ve thought of every article that fantasy enthusiasts want to read. I was wrong. Check out our Draft Kit for printable cheat sheets & sleeper picks >> My stud-muffin co-host on the FantasyPros podcast, Bobby Sylvester, decided to put together a “friends and family” article for those who were looking for a condensed version of everything he’s said this season, giving them the players he’s targeting and avoiding. Because in the end, it’s impossible for us to expect everyone to read the 100’s of articles we’ve published this offseason. Seriously, if you’d like to see everything I’ve done, click right here. I write. A lot. If you have an in-depth fantasy question, I’ve probably answered it. But if you’re looking for a quick-hitting, condensed version of what I’ve found in those articles, you’ve come to the right place. Keep in mind that when I say I’m avoiding a player, it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t draft him at all, but rather means that I’m avoiding him at his current cost, which is far too expensive. It also doesn’t mean that just because I like a player, it doesn’t mean that you need to draft him 30 spots ahead of his current cost. These notes are based on a half-PPR setting, which is a happy medium for those who are in standard or PPR leagues. Quarterbacks I’m targeting (at their current ADP) Alex Smith Mitch Trubisky Ben Roethlisberger Drew Brees Quarterbacks I’m Avoiding (at their current ADP) Deshaun Watson Baker Mayfield Derek Carr Matthew Stafford Starting Running Backs I’m Targeting (at their current ADP) As many of the top eight running backs as possible (Todd Gurley, Le’Veon Bell, Saquon Barkley, David Johnson, Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara, Leonard Fournette, and Melvin Gordon are the elite) Sony Michel (6th-7th round) Joe Mixon (2nd round) Lamar Miller (4th round) Carlos Hyde (7th round) Rex Burkhead (6th round) Starting Running Backs I’m Avoiding (at their current ADP) Isaiah Crowell Rashaad Penny Jay Ajayi Kareem Hunt Running Backs I Want on My Bench (at their current ADP) Aaron Jones (8th-9th round) Bilal Powell (9th round) James White (10th round) T.J. Yeldon (13th round) Rod Smith (16th round) Jordan Wilkins (15th round) John Kelly (16th round) Starting Wide Receivers I’m Targeting (at their current ADP) Julio Jones (1st round) Michael Thomas (early-2nd round) Doug Baldwin (3rd round) Chris Hogan (5th round) Amari Cooper (4th-5th round) Allen Robinson (5th round) Starting Wide Receivers I’m Avoiding (at their current ADP) Adam Thielen T.Y. Hilton Alshon Jeffery Will Fuller Devin Funchess Wide Receivers I Want on My Bench (at their current ADP) Devante Parker (9th round) Jamison Crowder (7th-8th round) Sterling Shepard (9th round) Mike Williams (10th round) Geronimo Allison (12th round) Ryan Grant (15th round) Taywan Taylor (16th round) Anthony Miller (11th-12th round) John Ross (12th round) James Washington (14th round) Tight Ends I’m Targeting (at their current cost) Rob Gronkowski (2nd-3rd round) Jordan Reed (7th-8th round) Trey Burton (7th-8th round) Tight Ends I’m Avoiding (at their current cost) Greg Olsen Jimmy Graham Evan Engram General Strategy -If you can get two of the top-eight running backs, do it. -Don’t leave your draft without at least one top-12 running back and one top-12 wide receiver. –Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson are the only quarterbacks who are worth drafting before the seventh-round. If you miss out on them, feel free to wait until the double-digit rounds to draft one (yes, I’m serious). -Get a top-10 tight end, it gets ugly after that. -The only defense that should be drafted before the 15th round is Jacksonville. Even then, maybe the 13th round. -Remain fluid in your draft. Just because you wanted to go RB-heavy, don’t pass up value at wide receiver. -There is no one strategy that works. -Draft players you want to put in your lineup, not boring ones who’ll “win” you fourth place. Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | TuneIn | RSS Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.