Fantasy Draft Strategy and Advice

Getting ready for your fantasy draft? Here, you’ll find the top pieces of PFF Fantasy advice from the whole offseason. Bookmark this page, and it’ll be updated with new advice right up until the season starts.

Start here: Jeff Ratcliffe's essential fantasy draft board

Fantasy football rankings

Rankings can take on several forms, and they can change over the course of an offseason. Here are how some of our staff has seen things this summer, and then how to exploit those rankings

• PFF Fantasy rankings landing page
• May 2: Ranking the top 2017 fantasy rookies, by Jeff Ratcliffe
• May 2: Dynasty league rookie draft strategy, by Jeff Ratcliffe
• May 16: Top 50 PPR rankings, by Scott Barrett
• July 12: PFF’s consensus top 200 for PPR leagues
  • Mike Castiglione explains his strategy disagreements
  • Dan Schneier explains why he alone had David Johnson over Le’Veon Bell
  • Brandon Marianne Lee was low on most of the big-name Patriots
  • Daniel Kelley is nervous about a returning Marshawn Lynch
  • Tyler Buecher explains where he deviates from the group opinion
• Ranking the positions by tiers, by Jeff Ratcliffe
  • Aug. 14: Quarterbacks
  • Aug. 15: Running backs
  • Aug. 16: Wide receivers
  • Aug. 17: Tight ends
• Aug. 16: Jeff Ratcliffe's top 200 rankings for PPR leagues
• Aug. 29: Where do the PFF rankers agree?

• May 28: 5 potential fantasy starters with sneaky-low ADPs, by Dan Clasgens
• June 2: 5 late-round QBs who could be fantasy dynamite, by Dan Schneier
• June 15: 8 mid-rounders who could offer big fantasy numbers, by Brandon Marianne Lee
• June 18: 5 mid-round draft picks who should offer fantasy value, by Curtis Patrick
• June 20: 9 late-round picks who could be your fantasy starters, by Brandon Marianne Lee
• June 26: Dial down the Leonard Fournette love in fantasy, by Tyler Loechner
• June 27: This, or that – Applying some specific fantasy draft strategies, by Brandon Marianne Lee
• June 30: Stop drafting backup fantasy quarterbacks, by Tyler Buecher
• July 2: 4 ‘boring’ choices who can be big fantasy helps, by Tyler Loechner

Fantasy football mock drafts

Our fantasy team has been conducting mock drafts all offseason. Check the results and analysis to learn more about strategy, plans, and player values, from predraft to the regular season. All the drafts are for 12-team leagues unless otherwise noted.

• March 24: 10-team PPR
• April 12: Pre-draft PPR
• April 24: Pre-draft rookie
• May 5: Post-draft rookie
• May 8: Post-draft rookie IDP
• May 10: Standard
• May 22: Dynasty startup
• June 5: 16-team PPR
• June 19: 10-team standard
• July 3: Superflex
• July 17: Standard
• Aug. 22: 0.5 PPR
• Aug. 28: Auction
• Aug. 30: IDP

Deeper dives

• Tyler Buecher looked at breakout candidates:
  • June 6: Running backs
  • June 8: Wide receivers
  • June 13: Quarterbacks
  • June 15: Tight ends
• Coaching changes
  • Effect of coaching changes on offense, by Tyler Buecher
  • Effect of coaching changes on defense, by Walton Spurlin
• Biggest offseason moves
  • The 6 most helpful offseason moves
  • The 6 least helpful offseason moves
• Fantasy production on the team level
  • 5 teams that should put up more production in 2017
  • 5 teams that should put up less production in 2017
• Overvalued and undervalued
  • Mike Castiglione's take on the most overvalued and undervalued players at each position
  • Tyler Loechner looks at overvalued and undervalued players by round
• Upside plays up and down the ADP list, by Dan Clasgens
  • Quarterback
  • Running back
  • Wide receiver
  • Tight end
• Dan Clasgens looks at super-deep sleepers on every roster, AFC and NFC
•  Does it matter when your fantasy player has his bye week?
• Touch Opportunity Volatility: Who sees the most consistent touches?
• Expected Production: Gauging fantasy regression
• The bell-cow report: Which running backs do it all?
• Fantasy comeback player of the year candidates for 2017
• 2017 rookies who could offer sleeper fantasy value
• Second-year receivers to watch in fantasy
• Fantasy football keeper value: A primer

Offseason series

Some of our writers have made a series of things this offseason. Follow along with that analysis here.

• Scott Barrett’s Metrics that Matter
• Daniel Kelley’s Crazy Fantasy Stats of the Day
• Tyler Loechner’s Narrative Street
• Michael Moore’s Player Showdowns
• Pat Thorman’s 32 Questions
• Dan Schneier’s Players to Watch in Training Camp

Team previews

Jeff Ratcliffe is previewing every team from a fantasy perspective. Team links will be added as they are available.