Alright, folks, gather ’round. Today, I’m gonna share my little adventure diving into a 10-team PPR draft. It wasn’t pretty, but hey, that’s why we learn, right?
So, I started by digging through a ton of recent mock drafts. Just trying to get a feel for the landscape, you know? What I found was pretty interesting. Being the first to pick seemed like the golden ticket, mostly ’cause you could snag Christian McCaffrey right off the bat. That guy’s a beast. From there, the path seemed pretty flexible. You could go for a tight end like Travis Kelce or Darren Waller and then see who’s left for your third pick, maybe a solid running back or wide receiver. I was eyeing Joe Mixon or Michael Thomas for that slot.
The general strategy that kept popping up was to kick things off with a running back and a wide receiver. Then, with the next four picks, mix it up: grab a quarterback, a tight end, and a couple more running backs or wide receivers, depending on how the draft unfolds. This way, you’re almost guaranteed a top-tier tight end and a pretty darn good quarterback.
- First Pick: Christian McCaffrey
- Second Pick: Travis Kelce or Darren Waller
- Third Pick: Best available RB or WR (Joe Mixon or Michael Thomas were on my radar)
Now, here’s where I kinda went off the rails. I got a bit too cute with my picks and didn’t exactly follow this blueprint. Let’s just say I got burned a little. But it’s all good. It’s a learning experience. The numbers don’t lie, though. They say that starting with the first overall pick gives you a statistical edge. The drop-off in value from the first pick to the second is significant, so you’re really getting the best bang for your buck.
And if you’re not first, it looked like the smart move was to go running back, tight end; tight end, running back; or even running back, running back. These combos seemed to give folks a leg up. Going running back, wide receiver; wide receiver, tight end; or tight end, anything just didn’t have the same oomph.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t fully stick to this. I experimented, I deviated, and I paid the price. But that’s how you learn, right? By making mistakes and seeing what works and what doesn’t.
So, what’s the takeaway? Well, in a 10-team PPR draft, grabbing that first pick is sweet. If you can’t get it, aim for a strong start with running backs and tight ends. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to stick to a strategy, even if you feel like mixing it up.
Next time, I’ll be more disciplined. Or at least, I’ll try to be. We’ll see how that goes. Until then, keep drafting, keep learning, and hopefully, you’ll fare better than I did!
