On July 25th, six members of the Footballguys Staff, along with four highly regarded writers in the fantasy football community, got together to complete a 12-team, 18-round, Best Ball draft using DRAFT format. Before the draft, each of the participants answered questions regarding strategies, players they coveted and how they plan to attack the draft. To top it off, Footballguys' Ryan Hester will provide an evaluation of each team's roster strengths and weaknesses, chronicling the strategies and decisions that were made by each participant.

The goal of this article is to give you a look into the minds of fantasy experts throughout the entire draft process. This includes preparation, decision making, and execution. What was their plan? Did they follow it? Why did they make the decisions they made? Some drafters had similar strategies and players of interest, but how they executed their plan and built their roster, varied from person to person.

We hope you will uncover or discover a strategy that might work for you in your draft(s) this year. Learn what players the experts are targeting and why. At Footballguys, when you win, we win! If we can help give you the tools and know-how to build a winning team, we've done our job.

LEAGUE PARAMETERS

Best Ball format - Each week, your top scoring players on your roster automatically start and will count toward your season total. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins. Top scores from the starting positions will count for your weekly score.

• 10 teams
• 18 roster spots
• Starting Lineup
  • 1 quarterback
  • 2 running backs
  • 3 wide receivers
  • 1 tight end
  • 1 flex (either a running back, wide receiver, or tight end)

LEAGUE SCORING

• Offensive Players Only
  • 4 points - Passing Touchdown
  • 6 points - Rushing/Receiving Touchdown
  • 0.04 points - Passing Yard
  • 0.1 points - Rushing/Receiving Yard
  • 0.5 point - Reception
  • -1 - Interception Thrown
  • -2 - Fumble Lost
  • 2 - Two-Point Conversion

draft participants

1. Dan Clasgens, Pro Football Focus
2. Devin Knotts, Footballguys
3. Heath Cummings, CBS Sports
4. Keith Roberts, Footballguys
5. Danny Tuccitto, Footballguys
6. Dan Hindery, Footballguys
7. Matt Schauf, DraftSharks
8. Will Grant, Footballguys
9. Josh Hornsby, FantasyInsiders
10. Ari Ingel, Footballguys

DRAFT GRID

DRAFT SLOT 1

Dan Clasgens

Dan is in his second season as a ranker/writer at Pro Football Focus. He is also currently in the seventh season as the host of Fantistics Insider Football on SiriusXM Fantasy. In addition, he talks NFL and fantasy football year-round on his podcast, The GetSportsInfo Podcast. His fantasy rankings have been published online since 2003 and he has been ranked among the top analysts in the industry by Fantasy Pros over the past few seasons for both weekly and season-long rankings.

Follow @DanClasgens

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

When you have less than 12 teams in a draft it is always easier to go after top players at each position as the depth will be there. I still will be mostly running back and wide receiver focused in the first third of the draft though mostly. In a 10-team league with just one starting quarterback, I will wait even longer than normal to grab my fantasy signal caller.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

I will remain flexible, but with this being a best-ball format and a deeper than average draft I could definitely see going with 2 QBs / 6 RBs / 7 WRs / 3 TEs base. Depending on which players I grab first at quarterback and tight end will likely decide which of those positions I add a third player at.

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

With this league having three wide receiver spots plus a flex in the starting lineup it will likely having me focusing on wideouts a bit more than normal in the early middle rounds of the draft. However, I will have all three running backs still locked up by Round 6 at the latest since it is a best-ball and it is easier to roster second- and third-level wide receivers. If the running backs I like are there I could have three by the end of Round 4.

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

In leagues where you start three wideouts plus a flex, Wide receivers will be a priority. The fact this is a best-ball though I can take my chances if necessary. My third wideout will likely come somewhere between Rounds 6-8.

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

I usually am one the last owners in the league to draft my first quarterback and one of the first owners to draft a second quarterback. In a 10-team, 1-quarterback setup like this there is no urgency given the depth at the position.

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

In this format, I may be more inclined to go after one of the Tier 1 guys – Gronk, Kelce, or Ertz if the price is right. If that doesn’t work out I’ll likely wait until outside the first seven or eight rounds before considering it too much.

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

With pick 1.1 I plan to grab Todd Gurley. I favor him slightly over LeVeon Bell based off the fact that I expect the Rams to continue to light up the scoreboard and trust Sean McVay to find new ways to get the ball into Gurley’s hands. After that, I would really like to see another RB and top WR to fall to me on the swing (2.12 / 3.1) and real in guys like A.J. Green and Jerick McKinnon.

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 1 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

The top spot is not a bad place to be, but the middle would’ve been my preference. It won’t impact my strategy much in the early rounds of the draft, but as things move on it does force you to reach for a player if you want them as there are just too many picks that go in between your turns.

9. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season? Are these types of players more or less appealing in a 10-man best-ball league?

The fact there are only 10 teams here means that 36 fewer players are going to be drafted which ultimately will keep some of these types of players from being drafted. In best ball formats though it’s alright to have a couple lottery tickets so I will deal with these players on a player-by-player and case-by-case basis.

10. Give us a few mid-round players (rounds 10-14) that you are targeting.

Robby Anderson and Kenny Golladay are two wide receivers that could fall into this range. They both offer the big-play ability I look for at the position in this format. At running back, Corey Clement and Aaron Jones are names I have circled in these rounds. Both have a decent chance to get double-digit touches in explosive offenses and offer great value here.

11. Give us a running back, wide receiver, and a tight end you would love to draft in the last three rounds.

At this point in the draft, it’s all about upside, even if comes with some risk. Players that fit the bill for me here are as follows: RB Kenneth Dixon, WR Anthony Miller, and TE Cameron Brate. Dixon is fighting for his spot this summer still, but Alex Collins is far from a given as the Ravens lead dog. Miller flashed a ton during his college career and the Bears’ depth chart at wide receiver is wide open. The Bucs paid Brate this offseason and clearly envision him remaining involved, especially near the goal line. Once Jameis Winston serves his suspension his value will go up even more.

draft selections

Ryan Hester's Evaluation

Strengths
Any team with the 1.01 should be strong at running back, and Dan has managed to accomplish that feat with his team. In support of Todd Gurley are Devonta Freeman and LeSean McCoy, who Dan landed as the RB20 in this draft. McCoy does have some doubts around him, but the further away we get from the incident earlier this offseason, the more it appears that it might go away and allow him to play a full season. Dan also drafted "stabilizers" in Chris Thompson and James White. That term is one that I use to describe volatile players who can put up multiple top-10 positional performances during the season, but we don't know when those are coming.

Another strength for Dan, at least in terms of positional ranking, is at tight end. Kyle Rudolph and George Kittle should be able to put together a top-10 weekly finish more often than not. The only slight problem for Dan here is that he only has two tight ends. If one player has a stinker week during the other's bye week, that could hurt Dan's chances.

Weaknesses
This is a well-balanced team with few weaknesses. There are two primary risks with this roster: the aforementioned lack of a third tight end; and the risky outlooks of McCoy and Josh Gordon. If both of those players miss time due to disciplinary reasons, this roster will lack depth and could struggle to keep up. A slight nitpick for Dan's roster is that I may have taken a running back or receiver at 6.10 instead of DeSean Watson and then taking a quarterback later at 9.01. The combo of Corey Davis/Kerryon Johnson + Tom Brady/Carson Wentz seems stronger than Watson + Thompson.

How He'll Win It All
McCoy plays all year and is the top-15 running back we're used to seeing. Gordon stays on the field and provides a WR3 floor with a WR1 ceiling in some weeks. Rudolph and Kittle alternate weeks well to ensure a top-12 tight end performance (at a minimum) each week.

DRAFT SLOT 2

Devin Knotts - Bio

Follow @ohiostate241

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

I de-prioritize the wide receiver and quarterback positions as they are the two positions with the most depth. I'll try to load up on the running back and get at least one elite tight end.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

Depending on the quality of tight ends, ideally, I'd like to take two quarterbacks, six running backs, eight wide receivers, and two top tight ends.

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

As soon as possible. Would not be surprised if I went running back the first three rounds.

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

By round eight I expect to have three wide receivers, I can wait a little longer due to the depth continuing to be there.

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

This is always an "it depends" question, if Aaron Rodgers falls late enough, I'll take him. Otherwise, I will wait until Round 9.

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

Round 4 and potentially another one in Round 6.

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

Zach Ertz and Evan Engram are guys that would be tremendous for me as it allows me to essentially guarantee myself with only two tight ends.

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 2 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

Drafting in the second position, the first pick is largely made up for you it is whatever running back you like. After that, I have found myself liking the running backs in the late second and early third more than the running backs in the early to mid second round. This leads me to a start with three straight running backs potentially.

9. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season? Are these types of players more or less appealing in a 10-man best-ball league?

Suspended players I love as they're guaranteed to be available at the start of bye weeks which is when things get tricky in best ball. I don't take injured players as the likelihood of injury or delay is unpredictable. Rookies, it just depends on the situation, I find myself targeting rookies if I believe they have a chance to win a starting job late in the draft.

10. Give us a few mid-round players (rounds 10-14) that you are targeting.

Allen Hurns, Marquise Goodwin, DeVante Parker, Jordy Nelson. Essentially I want wide receivers who are going to be in a position where they will be one of the top two targets in that offense as after round 14 you get some guys that need a lot to go right in order to have a big impact.

11. Give us a running back, wide receiver, and a tight end you would love to draft in the last three rounds.

If Paul Richardson Jr, fell to me I would be ecstatic as he's my favorite guy going late in drafts. Jordan Wilkins is a guy in Indianapolis at running back, that I have found myself getting a lot of shares of, as he has a lot of upside to win the job. I don't take late round tight ends as they are a waste of a pick, I'm a firm believer that you should take two tight ends early in Best Ball formats.

draft selections

Ryan Hester's evaluation

Strengths
Similar to Dan Glasgens above, drafters picking early in Round 1 should have a strength at running back. Devin fits that mold, not only because he selected Ezekiel Elliott at 1.02 but because he followed it up with two more backs in his next two picks. Christian McCaffrey should see more touches this season, while Jordan Howard is a player whose outlook is rosy with Chicago's new coaching staff, per our own B.J. VanderWoude.

From there, Devin took an interesting zig to the industry's zag by selecting quarterbacks in the fourth and sixth rounds (the first two quarterbacks off the board). This isn't the first time Devin has employed this strategy. There's something to be said for positional scarcity, but there's also a point where elite production falls too far. With Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Andrew Luck, Devin will have a top-four quarterback nearly every week.

Weaknesses
Strength at quarterback - particularly to the degree Devin has it - will naturally lead to weaknesses elsewhere. Devin's biggest weakness is at tight end, where he a) only drafted two players, and b) waited until TE23 to take his second. Evan Engram is an athletic marvel and had a great rookie season, but the Giants target outlook is clear as mud with the return of Odell Beckham Jrand the draft pick of Saquon Barkley. Devin is also weak at WR, but waiting until Round 7 will naturally give that appearance. Devin decided to play WR-by-committee by selecting six receivers in a seven-round stretch. While he has no clear WR1, he has seven players who can team up to provide three top-25 finishes each week.

How He'll Win It All
Devin will need his elite quarterbacks to provide virtuoso performances and be in the top half of QB1s each week. Any injuries to his top-three running backs could submarine the team, so he'll need to have good injury luck there. And his "boom" weeks at wide receiver and tight end will have to align well so he doesn't have too many weeks where the team bottoms out.

DRAFT SLOT 3

Heath Cummings

Heath Cummings is a Senior Fantasy Football Writer for CBS Sports and an analyst on Fantasy Football Today. Before joining CBS Sports he was a staff writer for Footballguys and hosted a Fantasy Football show with Jeff Haseley on ESPN 1510 in Kansas City. You can find Heath on Twitter @heathcummingssr.

Follow @heathcummingssr

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

I wouldn't say I make a huge adjustment but I'm definitely more interested in ceiling and less worried about floor. I'm also less concerned about positions early in the draft.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

• QB 2-3
• RB 5-8
• WR 5-8
• TE 2-3

It will really depend on the early rounds. If I end up with three top-20 receivers I'll be more likely to stockpile running backs late.

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

I don't really go in with a positional strategy, especially in a 10-team league. If the opportunity presents itself I could see myself starting with a combo like Elliott-Cook-Freeman, but at the same time, I could wait until the 10th round to take my third running back and settle for someone like Isaiah Crowell or Giovani Bernard as my third back.

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

Similar to what I said above, I don't have a definitive plan. I can tell you it won't happen before the 4th round because I know I'm taking a running back in the first. I can also say there's a tier around 120 in best ball ADP that includes Rishard Matthews, Kenny Stills, and Allen Hurns. That's probably the latest I'd want to wait to get my third receiver.

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

I won't take a quarterback in the first seven rounds unless Aaron Rodgers falls to the end of the sixth and I can't imagine he will. Drew Brees in the eighth is another possibility, but otherwise, it's very likely I won't take a quarterback in the first 9 rounds. I'd be thrilled to land two of Luck, Mahomes, Rivers, and Roethlisberger at the 10/11 turn.

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

If Gronk is there at pick 18 or Kelce is there at pick 23 I'll likely pounce. Otherwise, I'm going to hope I can get two of Delanie Walker, Trey Burton, and Kyle Rudolph at the 9/10 turn.

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

A perfect start would look something like: Ezekiel Elliott, Rob Gronkowski, TY Hilton. I'd love to get Brees in the 8th and I think both Mathews (10th) and Bernard (11th) are big values at their ADP.

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 3 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

The one nice thing about the third pick is I know I'm starting with a running back. I don't know which running back, but I'm guessing it will be Elliott.

9. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season? Are these types of players more or less appealing in a 10-man best-ball league?

Way more appealing, especially Mark Ingram. I'll have a hard time passing on him at the 4/5 turn. I can piece together RB2 production in the first four weeks and then unleash an Elliott/Ingram combo on the rest of the league.

10. Give us a few mid-round players (rounds 10-14) that you are targeting.

• Rishard Matthews
• Giovani Bernard
• Ben Roethlisberger

11. Give us a running back, wide receiver, and a tight end you would love to draft in the last three rounds.

• Matt Breida
• Tyrell Williams
• Hayden Hurst

draft selections

Ryan Hester's evaluation

Strengths
This isn't a full-PPR format, but with three wide receiver starters required plus a flex, that position is still among the most important. Heath obviously had that in mind with his draft, following up his Le'Veon Bell pick by taking four consecutive receivers. Heath managed a diverse portfolio among those four. He got a true stud in A.J. Green, a dynamic boom/bust player in T.Y. Hilton, and solid volume/floor players in Larry Fitzgerald and Demaryius Thomas.

Heath is also strong and diversified at quarterback. I love the idea of teaming up of a steady player like Drew Brees with more volatile players like Patrick Mahomes II II and Andy Dalton. At the risk of some shameless self-promotion, I think Heath got a player with top-six overall quarterback potential at QB15 in this draft. It's also not a bad thing in Best Ball to have a QB-WR combo from the same team, which Heath has in Dalton and Green.

Weaknesses
Heath eschewed selecting his second running back all the way until Round 7 (RB30). From there, he picked four in the next five rounds. The RB2-by-committee can be a dangerous game, but with the way starting roles can fluctuate due to performance and injuries, if there's any place to try this approach, it's probably here. The thing that could prove most difficult here is the Cleveland duo.

In general, drafting two backs from the same team in Best Ball can raise your floor, but it lowers your ceiling. And when the backs aren't a pure starter/handcuff situation, things can get muddy quickly. Both Carlos Hyde and Nick Chubb will play this year. Without an injury or a complete takeover of the role, will either be able to accumulate RB2 weeks?

Tight end could be a sore spot for Heath as well. Jimmy Graham seems to touchdown-dependent for my taste, and Hayden Hurst at TE17 seemed like a reach. He was selected in the first round by Baltimore, but he may not even be the best pass-catching tight end on his own team.

How He'll Win It All
First, Heath needs the RB2-by-committee to work out. Ideally, one Cleveland back emerges and/or Marlon Mack wins the lion's share of the Indianapolis touches. And Bell must be his typical self to give Heath some otherworldly RB1 weeks when the rest of the team might be slacking.

DRAFT SLOT 4

Keith Roberts - Bio

Follow @taker4862

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

A format of 10-man, of course, creates a bit more shallow of a player pool, which actually increases my focus on targeting running backs early since wide receiver is such a deep position. This also allows me to wait even longer on quarterbacks and take two solid options late in the draft.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

• 2 quarterbacks
• 3 tight ends
• 6 running backs
• 7 wide receivers

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

Round 4

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

Round 6

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

Round 10

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

Round 7

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

At pick #4, I will likely be landing on David Johnson with the first pick of 1.04. I would love to grab Dalvin Cook at 2.07, but I am doubtful he will be there--so I will target a WR1 such as Michael Thomas or Keenan Allen due to the drop-off after Cook at running back. I will be targeting a rookie running back within the next couple of rounds--ideally Derrius Guice / Rashad Penny in the 5th or Sony Michel in the 6th. Mid-to-late wide receivers I have an eye on will be DaVante Parker in the 9th or 10th round, Calvin Ridley near the 13th round, and a late round flyer on Jordan Matthews or Dede Westbrook for some upside. Evan Engram in the 7th or Delanie Walker in the 8th would be my tight end targets.

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 4 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

Drafting from #4 guarantees I will get a top-tier running back, which allows me to approach the draft much differently than if I was drafting in the back half of the order. It should open the door to get a solid RB2 with some upside in the second round or start strong with a top-level wide receiver.

9. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season? Are these types of players more or less appealing in a 10-man best-ball league?

In a best-ball format, I love targeting rookies with high upside--they are equally appealing to me in best ball and standard formats though. Players dealing with suspension or contract uncertainty scare me very little in best ball leagues, as I will have other options to make up the potential lost production in those early weeks. In best ball formats, I do like to try and avoid injury-prone players or guys dealing with ongoing issues to start the season. You can't sub these guys out when they are scratched or banged up, so taking a chance on an injury-prone guy within the first few rounds is something that definitely scares me more in best-ball than standard leagues.

10. Give us a few mid-round players (rounds 10-14) that you are targeting.

• DaVante Parker, D.J. Moore, Calvin Ridley, Cooper Kupp, Randall Cobb
• Ty Montgomery, Chris Thompson, Nick Chubb
• Jimmy Garoppolo, Patrick Mahomes II

11. Give us a running back, wide receiver, and a tight end you would love to draft in the last three rounds.

• RB - Nick Chubb
• WR - Jordan Matthews
• TE - Ricky Seals-Jones

draft selections

ryan hester's evaluation

Strengths
Keith's draft was an outstanding example of positional value and balance. His running backs are his strongest position, but he built that group without making his wide receivers weak. Keith clearly wanted to win the flex and will take his chances at the "onesie" positions.

Weaknesses
When you build around running backs and wide receivers, it's natural that quarterbacks and tight ends may leave something to be desired. But they are the most replaceable (quarterback) and least predictable (tight end) positions by nature, so an on-paper weakness could turn into a strength more easily than at running back or wide receiver.

One thing I may have considered if I were Keith would be taking one more tight end in Round 11 or in the Rounds 13-15 range. That's nitpicky, though, considering that all of the tight ends taken in that range have their warts.

How He'll Win It All
Keith will need some luck at tight end (Greg Olsen must stay healthy; Ricky Seals-Jones must realize his ceiling on multiple occasions). He'll also need his WR3-by-committee that he selected in Rounds 8-11 to work out. Lastly, the longer Tyrod Taylor keeps his job, the better floor Keith has at quarterback for when Kirk Cousins has a bad week.

DRAFT SLOT 5

Danny Tuccitto - Bio

Follow @IR_DannyT

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

Because the average roster is stronger, I tend to go even more for upside than usual. It's harder to stand out -- i.e., finish in those Top 3 spots -- when everyone's got an All-Pro team at their core.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

Three quarterbacks and three tight ends for sure. Between running back and wide receiver, it depends on how the draft proceeds. I'll almost certainly have either six of both or draft five running backs and seven wide receivers.

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

I won't have three running backs until the 9th round at the earliest.

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

I'll have three wide receivers by no later than the 5th round.

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

If I don't get either Russell Wilson or Cam Newton, then I'll wait until we start approaching the double-digit rounds.

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

If I don't take a tight end in the first four rounds, then I'll wait until we start approaching the double-digit rounds.

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

An ideal start for me would be either Antonio Brown or Odell Beckham, then Dalvin Cook, then Doug Baldwin. And if I get Baldwin, then I'll target Russell Wilson in Round 6 or 7.

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 5 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

Regardless of whether I get a running back or wide receiver at 1.05, this draft slot is highly conducive to using a wide receiver-heavy strategy. The other thing that's different from the five hole is more meta. Because my picks are spread out evenly, I don't have to do as much mental gymnastics with respect to figuring out next 15-20 picks, which is what would be necessary when drafting closer to the turns (i.e., the 1.01 or the 1.10).

9. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season? Are these types of players more or less appealing in a 10-man best-ball league?

Give me all of these players. They represent great value as their ADP is depressed. Furthermore, I think they're more appealing in a 10-man best-ball for the reason I mentioned in response to Question 1: You need value/upside to separate yourself from the pack.

10. Give us a few mid-round players (rounds 10-14) that you are targeting.

Marlon Mack, Kenny Golladay, Marcus Mariota, Pat Mahomes, Matt Ryan, George Kittle, to name a few.

11. Give us a running back, wide receiver, and a tight end you would love to draft in the last three rounds.

Justin Jackson, James Washington, and Stephen Anderson.

draft selections

ryan hester's evaluation

Strengths
If this were a full PPR format, this team would be my favorite. With Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, and Golden Tate, Danny should see at least 25-28 wide receiver targets in any given week. Add in Travis Kelce, who has been a target hog himself, and the opportunity via the air is plentiful on this team. The quarterbacks are also a nice group for Danny. He should see a top-8-10 performance each week.

Weaknesses
Waiting until Round 4 to draft your RB1 will always leave some doubt at the position, but the backs that Danny drafted all have a path to exceeding their draft position. Kenyan Drake will have the majority of touches in Miami; if draft capital is any indication, Rashaad Penny should be involved in Seattle; and Isaiah Crowell will be the main player at least on first and second downs for the Jets.

Drafting Jimmy Garoppolo in front of Tom Brady also appeared questionable, but with Kyle Shanahan at the helm and Brady getting up in age, it wouldn't be shocking to see the former understudy out-produce his older ex-teammate.

How He'll Win It All
Danny needs his running back group to emerge. Due to strengths elsewhere, he may not need a top-10 player every week. But if he can get two in the top 18 or so each week, that should be enough of a floor to support the ceiling he'll see at wide receiver and tight end. This is a well-built team and could end up being a case study for an Upside Down or contrarian drafting approach.

DRAFT SLOT 6

Dan Hindery - Bio

Follow @Hindery

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

Running back is still very important but there is a bit less urgency to lock up the second-tier backs compared to a 12-teamer where the scarcity is more extreme. Late-round quarterback becomes even easier to pull off successfully.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

• 3 quarterbacks
• 5 running backs
• 7 wide receivers
• 3 tight ends

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

By round 5.

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

By round 7.

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

Round 11

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

This is the biggest wild card position for me. Could be early, mid-rounds or late depending on how the board shakes out.

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

I’m expecting either Antonio Brown or Saquon Barkley to be the pick at 1.06. I love targeting the rookie running backs in the 4th-6th round range.

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 6 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

I almost always take a running back in the first round, but Antonio Brown is the one player I make an exception for. If he’s there at 1.06, I will take him and have to adjust my typical strategy. There is a decent chance that the board will push me towards a WR in round 2 as well. A WR-WR start is far from what I would typically do but the 1.06 may make it the optimal strategy.

9. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season? Are these types of players more or less appealing in a 10-man best-ball league?

These high-upside players are slightly more appealing in 10-man than 12-man leagues since your replacement options in the weeks they miss are of higher quality. I will be all over the rookie running backs and hope to draft two or three of the Top 8. I won’t hesitate to draft Mark Ingram or Julian Edelman if they slide further than they should.

10. Give us a few mid-round players (rounds 10-14) that you are targeting.

This is the range where I will target quarterbacks. Andrew Luck and Patrick Mahomes II are two favorites. I seem to be higher than average on Kelvin Benjamin and Kenny Golladay, which has led to both ending up on a high percentage of my rosters.

11. Give us a running back, wide receiver, and a tight end you would love to draft in the last three rounds.
At running back, I’ve been targeting Chris Ivory since the LeSean McCoy news broke. My reading of the tea leaves is that McCoy has a good chance of being suspended, which should make Ivory an RB2. Tyler Lockett may slide into the final few rounds in a 10-teamer and he is one of my favorite mid-late round wide receivers. Tyler Eifert will be one of my highest-owned players overall. His ADP has hovered in the 160 range, at which point the reward far outweighs the risk.

draft selections

ryan hester's evaluation

Strengths
Dan took an opposing view to what we discussed above with Keith, using early picks at both tight end (TE1) and quarterback (QB4 and QB8). Dan also selected a high-end TE2 in Tyler Eifert. If both he and Rob Gronkowski are healthy, Dan could end up with a tight end as his flex in multiple weeks. In a format that is not full PPR, touchdowns are even more important, and those players can score them in bunches.

Weaknesses
In a unique twist, Dan's tight ends are both a strength and a weakness. Only selecting two could leave Dan vulnerable if this duo has a bad week at the same time or if he sees an injury to either. And with the track record of these players, that's not a far-fetched scenario. Dan also put a lot of stock into young running backs. Joe Mixon - a player in his second year - is the elder statesman among Dan's first four running backs. He'll need Saquon Barkley to dominate touches for the Giants and Sony Michel and Kerryon Johnson to win significant roles for their teams to have a solid group of rushers.

How He'll Win It All
Dan has an edge at quarterback over almost every team in the league. He'll need his running backs to emerge and his elite tight ends to stay healthy. Finding a weekly WR3 will also be key.

DRAFT SLOT 7

Matt Schauf

Matt Schauf is a senior analyst with DraftSharks.com. He has been covering fantasy football since 2002, producing content for outlets such as Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon and Football Diehards before landing with DS. Draft Sharks has been online since 1999 and is a four-time winner in the FSTA’s annual fantasy football projections accuracy contests.

Follow @SchaufDS

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

My approach doesn’t change much in 10-team vs. 12-team. Quarterbacks get devalued a little further, with so much depth and relatively little separation between tiers. There are plenty to go around. But I’ll be a little more willing to take guys that reside in small tiers at their positions, such as Rob Gronkowski, knowing it’ll be easier to make up the value at running back and wide receiver than it is in drafts of 12 teams or more.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

I’m starting with the same alignment as the 12-team draft:

• 2 quarterbacks
• 3 tight ends
• 5 running backs
• 7 wide receivers

That leaves one swing spot that will depend on what’s available at the end of the draft and where I feel like I need one more piece (almost certainly a running back or a wide receiver).

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

I expect to have three running backs by the end of Round 7, likely a little earlier.

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

I expect to get my top three wide receivers in the same range as the top three running backs. Exactly when will depend on the flow of the draft and what arrives at my turns.

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

I doubt I’ll take a quarterback before Round 10 — unless the rest of the group does the same and I get a top option in, say, Round 8.

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

If I don’t take Gronkowski in the first two rounds, my first will probably come in about Round 9. The gap between Gronk and Travis Kelce (and then everyone else) only grows with fewer points per reception.

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

There’s a decent shot Joe Mixon gets to me in Round 3. I would like that. Dion Lewis has been among my most frequently drafted players across formats this year. I should be able to get him in Round 5, perhaps even Round 6 in a 10-teamer. I’m also strongly on board with Amari Cooper, who’d be a nice pickup in Round 4 of this format.

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 7 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

Drafting 7th increases the possibility that I’ll begin with a WR. At least the top 4 RBs will almost certainly be gone. If Antonio Brown gets to me, he’s definitely the pick. After that, I don’t think there’s a huge difference between picking anywhere through the middle. Drafting in the middle, though, means navigating position runs more than drafting on either end — where you can start/stop them more often.

9. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season? Are these types of players more or less appealing in a 10-man best-ball league?

My approach to rookies, injured guys, and suspended guys really comes down to a case-by-case consideration more than a blanket policy. I don’t think 10 teams vs. 12 teams changes much for me in best ball. Risk-reward picks get more appealing in a lineup-setting 10-team league (vs. 12-team), though, because it’s easier to fix issues off the waiver wire in season.

10. Give us a few mid-round players (rounds 10-14) that you are targeting.

I will gladly take some Ty Montgomery, a Dolphins receiver (either DeVante Parker or Kenny Stills), Josh Doctson and Michael Gallup in that range.

11. Give us a running back, wide receiver, and a tight end you would love to draft in the last three rounds.

Darren Sproles is my dude at running back late. I like taking John Ross late in a format where I won’t need to decide when to start him. And a largely quiet first two seasons leaves Austin Hooper’s touchdown upside overlooked at the bottom of TE2 range.

draft selections

ryan hester's evaluation

Strengths
Matt also went with a flex-first strategy here, selection exclusively running backs and wide receivers until Round 10. As a result, Matt selected three of the first 21 receivers off the board, giving him great talent at a very important position. Drafting the New England duo of Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan in back-to-back rounds was an interesting strategic move. It's a floor-booster but probably limits the team's overall ceiling.

Weaknesses
The first quarterback Matt selected was Alex Smith at QB18. Typically, when taking a first quarterback or tight end that late, it's sound strategy to end up with three, but Matt only has two (Smith and Blake Bortles). He'll be hoping that either Josh Doctson (his 15th pick) or Michael Gallup (16th) end up providing him with plenty of useful weeks, or else he could look back and wish he had taken his TE3 earlier or his QB3 there.

How He'll Win It All
Matt will need his quarterbacks to produce functional weeks while his backs and receivers perform to expectation. With both Mark Ingram and the aforementioned Edelman on this team, the first four weeks will be key. If Matt can have the rest of his roster step up, getting those two players back will be a shot in the arm. I don't mind selecting suspended players, though. With no bye weeks and each player entering the year healthy, the ability to fill in for suspended players is higher in the early weeks than later in the season.

DRAFT SLOT 8

Will Grant - Bio

Follow @FBGWILL

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

I am a big fan of waiting to take a quarterback this season because the total fantasy points between No. 1 and No. 6 are so slim for the year. In a 10 team league, I might be one of the last franchises to take a quarterback and in a best-ball format like this, some guys may have two quarterbacks before I consider taking my first.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

• 3 quarterbacks
• 6 running backs
• 6 wide receivers
• 3 tight ends

I might settle for two quarterbacks in this format since there are 10 teams and take an extra running back, wide receiver, or tight end.

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

As soon as possible. With only 0.5 PPR in a 10 team format, I could easily see myself going running back with my first three picks unless there is a huge value pick at wide receiver. Since I have pick 1.08, I will be really shocked if I don’t have my third running back by pick 4.03.

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

I’m going to pound the running back, wide receiver, or tight end positions hard with the first seven picks. I expect that by pick 7.08 or 8.03, I’ll have my third wide receiver on my roster.

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

As I mentioned above, I don't expect to take a quarterback until much later than most. I'll target the 9th round for my first quarterback and adjust my expectations based on what others are doing. If there is a quarterback run early, I might consider taking my first in the 8th round. If others fade the position like I do, I might wait until the 10th or 11th round before I take my first.

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

1.08 is an interesting pick. I’ll probably pass on Gronkowski and Kelce and if Ertz is there with my fifth-round pick, I’ll probably grab him. I expect that he’ll be gone by that point though (48 overall) which means I’m looking at my seventh or eighth pick before I take a tight end.

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

I’d love to open the draft with Dalvin Cook and Kareem Hunt. The problem is I think I’ll have to reach for one with my first pick and pray that the other is available with my second. If a running back flood happens in the first round, there could be solid value at wide receiver with my second pick, and if Hopkins or Beckham are there instead of my second running back, I might break from my plan and take a wide receiver. Building a QBBC around Roethlisberger and Kirk Cousins would be nice as well. I think both have that big game potential that could be nice in a best-ball format. I would like to get one of Graham, Engram or Olsen at tight end if I miss one of the Top 3 and will have to consider reaching for one of them if the draft shakes out against me.

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 8 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

In a 10-team league, draft slot is not as important, but just looking at a couple mock drafts, it’s going to be a bit of a challenge. You look to be reaching a little early to get players before their tier ends, or risk missing out on the end of a tier if a couple guys go at the end of an even round and the top of the odd round. Best ball format makes this a little more interesting because, in a normal 10-team draft, I wouldn’t care if I swung for the fence and missed because the waiver wire would be full of good value. Not having a kicker or defense to draft just means I’ll take a few more shots like that and hope it works out.

9. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season? Are these types of players more or less appealing in a 10-man best-ball league?

Suspended players I wouldn’t mind picking up because my roster is going to be pretty deep and you’ll have the space to surround those people with immediate starters until they come back. I think their value increases in a best-ball format where you auto start players until they are ready. Same with rookies. I might take a few more because of a guy has a big jump like Watson did last year, you’ll auto-start them and get the points. Injured players always make me nervous because if they are injured now, the pressure only increases as camps and pre-season roll around. Guys coming off major injuries like Wentz will be people I shy away from unless they present value because the risk of relapse could ding you for the entire season.

10. Give us a few mid-round players (rounds 10-14) that you are targeting.

I’ll look to land my second and maybe third quarterback in this space. As I mentioned above Cousins would be good and I think Rivers would be a good addition as well. Tarik Cohen is going to get plenty of time in Chicago this year and he’s a big play kind of guy. He may not last until 10, but I’ll be looking for him in that range as well. I think Nyheim Hines has some high upside and he should be available in this range as well. Marqise Lee is undervalued and if he’s available in 12, I might consider taking him.

11. Give us a running back, wide receiver, and a tight end you would love to draft in the last three rounds.

Everyone’s all hot and heavy for Alex Collins, but if I can get Javorius Allen late, I’m going to be happy. In a best-ball format, even with a little bump for PPR, Allen is going to have some decent numbers at times this year and I think he’s good value late in the draft. The Cowboy fan in my will be pushing me hard to take Tavon Austin or Michael Gallup flyer. Someone has to catch the ball in Dallas, and I have a feeling it’s going to be a hot-hand type of thing. I’d also consider Chris Godwin in Tampa as a ‘what the heck’ kind of pick. If you believe the hype about Andrew Luck coming back. Eric Ebron could be a great value late. I don’t know if I’ll be targeting a tight end in the last round or two, but I could grab him if he’s there and I need a third.

draft selections

ryan hester's evaluations

Strengths
Will built a well-balanced team here. Few positions jump off the page as strengths, but nothing jumps out as a weakness either. Getting Tom Brady as QB7 and Ben Roethlisberger as QB13 in the 10th and 12th rounds, respectively, was the payoff for having the discipline to wait on a quarterback.

Weaknesses
It's nitpicky, but wide receiver could be better. If this were my draft, I would have left Ertz on the board and taken Doug Baldwin or Tyreek Hill at 4.03. Other TE1s, such as Trey Burton or Delanie Walker, could've been had in Round 9 where Will eventually ended up with Randall Cobb. Baldwin/Hill + Burton has more positional value than Ertz + Cobb, but that's purely an eye-of-the-beholder claim. Ertz could easily be this year's Travis Kelce and finish as the overall TE1.

How He'll Win It All
Dalvin Cook's return from injury will be key to Will's success. He'll also need a solid receiving corps to produce over their heads a bit. Where it appears that Will has three WR3 types, getting a weekly WR11-15 performance would be something that could separate this team. Overall, though, I like how this draft was executed and think this team can be in the mix at the end.

DRAFT SLOT 9

Josh Hornsby

Josh Hornsby leads engineering research & development teams in the oil & gas industry. His background is in new product development, combined with nearly 20 years of data-driven fantasy experience, compels him to think outside the box. Josh loves to challenge popular thinking and typically does so with numbers and visualizations in hand. You can find him on Twitter @FantasyADHD.

Follow @FantasyADHD

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

I tend to devalue tight end and quarterback more so than a normal 12-team draft, particularly in leagues like this that require only one starter. Conversely, highly productive wide receivers and running backs receive a small bump in value since it's slightly easier to combine elite players onto a single roster.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

My typical splits will be this:

• 2-3 quarterbacks
• 5-7 running backs
• 6-8 wide receivers
• 2-3 tight ends

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

This depends on draft position and players available when I pick. I will normally have my third running back by the seventh round in this format.

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

I expect I'll draft my third wide receiver in the fifth or sixth round.

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

Unless the right player falls a round or two below ADP, I won't draft a quarterback until the 11th round at the earliest.

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

Similar to quarterback, I normally will look to select my first tight end in the 9th/10th round unless the right player falls well below ADP.

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

• RB Jordan Howard (3rd)
• RB Alex Collins (4th)
• WR Julio Jones (2nd)
• WR Michael Thomas (2nd)
• WR Emmanuel Sanders (9th)
• TE Delanie Walker (9th)

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 9 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

Drafting 9th of 10 spots presents two opposing issues... first, I have to be cognizant of position runs and insulate myself from missing player tiers that I'm interested in; second, I have the opportunity to take two position players in near-succession and attempt to drive a position run that will push other positions toward me at better value.

9. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season? Are these types of players more or less appealing in a 10-man best-ball league?

I expect these players to fall slightly relative to 12-team leagues due to the smaller field vying for a title. Fewer competitors for the pie should equate to each taking less risk. Personally, I like using this thinking to my advantage to draft riskier players for the FLEX position ahead of when other drafters expect them to be picked.

10. Give us a few mid-round players (rounds 10-14) that you are targeting.

• QB Matt Ryan (12th)
• QB Marcus Mariota (12th)
• QB Mitchell Trubisky (14th)
• WR Rishard Matthews (11th)
• TE Jared Cook (14th)

11. Give us a running back, wide receiver, and a tight end you would love to draft in the last three rounds.

• RB Jeremy Hill (18th)
• WR Mike Wallace (17th)
• TE Jake Butt (18th)

draft selections

ryan hester's evaluation

Strengths
Like Heath earlier, Josh grabbed his RB1 in the first round and then selected four straight wide receivers. Josh ended up with four of the first 19 receivers off the board and also selected the 27th receiver. Unlike Heath, though, Josh's group (primarily the first four) aren't as diverse in their floor/ceiling profile. Josh's group skews towards ceiling, which I like in a Best Ball format.

Weaknesses
Josh's running backs group requires some "what-if's" to come to fruition in order to reach its ceiling. Can Ronald Jones II II become the workhorse in Tampa Bay? Will a Devonta Freeman injury allow Tevin Coleman a free path to some RB1 weeks? Can Aaron Jones wrestle away the Green Bay job from two other candidates?

Josh is also taking a risk by only deploying two quarterbacks - especially because one of them is suspended for three weeks to begin the year.

How He'll Win It All
The questions in the section above all need to be answered with a "yes." And having multiple wide receivers with WR1 weeks a few times throughout the year certainly wouldn't hurt.

DRAFT SLOT 10

Ari Ingel - Bio

Follow @FFesq

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

I’m about getting my guys, but in 10-man drafts, you don’t have to reach for your players as often since the pool is bigger. I’m also waiting on a quarterback even longer since I’m just trying to get two solid options.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

• 2 quarterbacks
• 6 running backs
• 7 wide receivers
• 3 tight ends

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

Within the first five or six picks, depending on the flow of the draft

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

Within the first seven to eight picks, depending on the flow of the draft

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

Round 11

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

Round 7

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

Two running backs in the first two rounds most likely, guys like Fournette and Hunt, or Gordon and also Delanie Walker in Round 7.

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 10 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

I love drafting at the turn, it allows me to take two running backs in Rounds 1 and 2 and to take back-to-back quarterbacks in Rounds 11 and 12. If I do end up waiting on a tight end, I’ll probably grab two at the 9 and 10 turn.

9. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season? Are these types of players more or less appealing in a 10-man best-ball league?

I stay away from suspended and injured players for the most part. As for rookies, I’m usually not grabbing any rookie receivers or tight ends beyond maybe James Washington or Hayden Hurst in the late rounds. As for running backs, there are a few I will target like Barkley and Guice, but I’m sticking to what I know for the most part. Lots of value in 10-team drafts.

10. Give us a few mid-round players (rounds 10-14) that you are targeting.

Usually grabbing my two quarterbacks here, guys like Mariota and Matt Ryan.

11. Give us a running back, wide receiver, and a tight end you would love to draft in the last three rounds.

• Matt Breida/Kenneth Dixon
• Taywan Taylor/John Brown
• Ricky Seals-Jones/Hayden Hurst

draft selections

ryan hester's evaluation

Strengths
Ari went the opposite way of Josh and Heath, selecting five running backs in the first six rounds, making that a position of strength on his squad. Rex Burkhead, in particular, is a great Best Ball asset. As the goal line back in New England, he has multiple-touchdown upside each time he takes the field.

The tight end turn at 9.10 and 10.01 gave Ari two starters at a late stage in the draft. Austin Hooper as his TE3 helps to insulate the position against bye weeks and stinkers.

Weaknesses
While wide receiver may be the weakest on-paper group for Ari, I like the way he built the position. Ari's last two picks (Ted Ginn Jr Jr and DeSean Jackson are starters on their respective teams, and they are prototypical Best Ball players, capable of double-digit fantasy points in one play.

That said, three wide receiver starters are required each week, and there may be a few weeks during the year where Ari doesn't like whoever ends up as his WR3. It's still a group with a nice mix of target-insulated floors (Emmanuel Sanders, Jarvis Landry) and big-play ceilings (Tyler Lockett, Ginn, and Jackson).

How He'll Win It All
Ari will need steady WR3 production and a bit of luck in when Matthew Stafford and Marcus Mariota contribute their QB1 weeks (both will do so; it's just a matter of when). Ari's team here is among my favorites, and he built it from the last position in the draft. That's a good lesson to fantasy players everywhere. You don't need to be in the top three or four slots to have a well-rounded team that's capable of winning it all.

Entire draft (grid)

Questions, suggestions, and comments are always welcome to haseley@footballguys.com

Follow @JeffHaseley