Alright, so I decided to run a little experiment today with a 12-team snake draft. I’ve done a few of these before, but this time I really wanted to document the whole process and see what kind of team I could build from different draft positions.
First off, I grabbed my laptop and jumped into a bunch of mock drafts. I’m talking thousands of them. Seriously, I was on there for hours, just drafting, drafting, and drafting some more. I mainly focused on PPR/Flex leagues because that’s what I usually play.
Now, picking your spot in a snake draft can be a big deal. Some folks love those early picks to grab the top players. Others like hanging back and seeing how the board falls. Me? I went all over the place, trying out every position from 1 to 12.
After grinding through all those mock drafts, I started to see some patterns. It seemed like positions 1, 2, and 3 were usually the best spots to be in. You’re almost guaranteed to get a top-tier player right off the bat. On the flip side, positions 10, 11, and 12 were pretty tough. You’re waiting a while for your first pick, and sometimes the good players are gone by then.
Drafting from the 12th Spot
But you know what? I actually kind of liked the challenge of drafting from the 12th spot. It forces you to be strategic. I figured out a little game plan: grab a solid RB and a WR with my first two picks. Then, with the next four picks, snag a QB, a TE, and then mix in some more RBs and WRs. This way, I felt like I could get a decent QB and TE, even from that late spot.
- Round 1 & 2: Start with a RB and a WR.
- Rounds 3-6: Grab a QB, a TE, and two more players.
For example, on my last mock draft from the 12th spot, I started with a stud RB and then grabbed a top WR. Then, in the third round, I went with a solid quarterback, and later I added a good tight end. Then I finished up by filling out my roster with the best available RB/WR with the other two picks. I noticed some good wide receivers were still there in the later rounds, like A.J. Brown, Puka Nacua, Garrett Wilson, and Davante Adams. They could be real steals if you play it right.
I gotta say, doing all these mock drafts really helped me get a feel for player values. You start to see who’s going early, who’s sliding, and where you can find some bargains. It’s all about knowing your league mates and how they draft.
At the end of the day, I ended up with some pretty decent teams, even from those later draft slots. It’s all about being flexible, knowing when to reach for a guy, and when to let the draft come to you. It was a fun little experiment, and I feel a lot more prepared for my real draft now.
