It’s Draft Day and you’ve got the third overall pick. Your buddy Jimmy has taken Justin Jefferson with the first pick and Bob is late so he’s been auto-drafted Christian McCaffrey. You’ve got the third pick, what do you do? Who do you draft?
- Take Travis Kelce and lock in the premier tight end
- Draft Austin Ekeler because you know there won’t be elite running backs available at your next pick
- Select Cooper Kupp, relying on his heavy volume
- Take a punt on Ja’Marr Chase and shoot for his league-winning upside
If you selected ANY of the above answers, YOU ARE WRONG! There is no way to answer that question without more information. What is the league size? How many flex spots are there? Is it point per reception (PPR)? Are there two or three wide receiver slots? What’s the bench size? Do you get points for first downs and per carry? How big is the bench? Is there a tight end premium? Without this information, you can’t make smart positional decisions in your drafts.
But what about all those overall rankings flooding the internet? The sad reality is that they are set up for very specific league settings and won’t apply to most leagues. Let me give you an example:
If players perform in 2023 as they did in 2022, the ideal draft position for Travis Kelce is:
3rd overall in a 2RB, 2WR, 1Flex league
5th overall in a 2RB, 3WR, 1Flex league
7-9th overall in a 2RB, 3WR, 2Flex league
Your league settings make a massive difference to when each position should be drafted. In the first of those leagues, there will only be about 30 wide receivers and 30 running backs starting each week, so benches will have far more quality on them and the waiver wire will be flush with talent. In the third league, about 50 wide receivers and 34 running backs will be started each week, so benches and the waiver wire will be far barer. On the other hand, the same tight ends will be available on benches and waivers. As a result, Kelce is far more valuable in the first league than in the third.
Likewise, you also need to consider whether your league has PPR and whether there are random bonus point settings or points for other stats. These will all affect positional value and the value of each individual player. And you need to make these decisions for every player, with every pick.
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, that’s totally understandable. Fortunately, we have a solution for you!
The Personalised Ranker will create rankings specific to your league settings, with your scoring settings, roster construction, and league size all incorporated. Your personalized rankings will tell you not only what position to draft but who to draft, based on my rankings, which finished top five overall in the Fantasypros accuracy competition. We utilize VOLS (value over last starter), VORP (value over replacement player), injury risk coefficients, and upside coefficients and incorporate your personal draft preferences and risk tolerance to create rankings that maximize your chances of winning your league.
To help you win your league, as a valued Razzball reader, we’re offering you a special discounted price for our Personalised Rankings package. Just drop the codeword RAZZBALL and we’ll create personalized rankings for your league for only $8.
*Please note that complicated league settings may incur a small additional cost.
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