X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Draft Strategy and Sleepers for PPR Leagues

By Mike Morris (Flickr) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

In our first 2014 Fantasy Football Draft Strategy article we looked at standard league drafts. In this article we will break down draft strategy for point per reception (PPR) leagues. In a PPR league, strategy can be radically different as receivers can see a huge bump in value, while some running backs can be far less effective.

 

Early Rounds Strategy (1-4)

In standard drafts running backs will dominate round one. Players like Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch will continue to hold value, but running backs that catch the ball could see a bump in their value. LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles and Matt Forte are all viable top 5 picks as they not only get a huge rushing load but also a ton of receptions. Unlike standard drafts, top receiving options such as Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green, Jimmy Graham and Brandon Marshall are all in the conversation late in round one. As you move into rounds 2 and 3, 100+ reception options like Julian Edelman, Antonio Brown, and Andre Johnson also see huge spikes in value because of the big number of points they will rack up just in receptions. It is still a good idea to come out of the early rounds with at least one if not two running backs, but if you can get a stud wide receiver and tight end you can quickly have a nice advantage over your opponent each week.

 

Middle Rounds Strategy (5-10)

RotoBaller-NFL-News-Fantasy-Football-Bill-Belichick

In contrast to standard drafts where rounds 5-10 can provide great value with receiving options that have fallen, in PPR leagues it is generally running backs and quarterbacks who will fall into these rounds. With receptions being counted heavily, most teams will focus on getting a ton of receiving depth which means players like Fred Jackson, Le’Veon Bell and Ryan Mathews could fall into these rounds as they do not provide nearly the receiving threat as many others. However, running backs are still a scarce commodity meaning building depth in these rounds is critical. Quarterbacks should also go in bunches here as the second tier of stud options should be available. Players such as Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, and Robert Griffin III all figure to be available here and can be great fantasy game changers late. Some receiving options to look at here are Brian Hartline, Cecil Shorts, and Michael Floyd who were all in the top 30 in targets last year with 134, 125 and 112 respectively.

Editor’s Note: If you’re looking for a new, awesome, very customizable and free option for year-round commissioner & dynasty leagues, play free fantasy football with our friends at FleaFlicker.

 

RotoBaller-NFL-News-Fantasy-Football-Vince-LombardiLate Round Strategy

The late rounds of a PPR draft are times to target players who are on high volume passing teams. Third options on teams such as Denver, New Orleans, Detroit and Philadelphia all provide a ton of upside as injury or bye week plugins. A player like Riley Cooper provides a great example as he rose to prominence in Philadelphia and put up big numbers, including 3+ receptions in 10 of the teams last 11 games. Another receiver to keep an eye on is Doug Baldwin who had 4 games last year with 8+ targets and should see an uptick with Golden Tate now in Detroit. Also, be sure to keep your eye on receiving tight ends such as Timothy Wright who ended last year with 25 targets in his last three games and could fly under the radar with Tampa Bay’s new pickups. With points given per reception, it is smart to wait on taking a defense until much later as outside of the top tier, most team defenses will be outscored by even average receivers and running backs. If you miss out on Seattle or San Francisco, taking a defense in the second to last round could provide your team with a ton of skill depth which should be more helpful as the season wears on.

 

Top Late Round Sleepers

Top Sleeper RB: Pierre Thomas: It is no secret that the Saints like to throw the ball. With targets like Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston and new Eagle Darren Sproles it is easy to see why. However, it would surprise most to know that Thomas actually had 84 targets and hauled in 77 of them for receptions. With Sproles gone, that should only open up more opportunities for Thomas. Although he is not an outstanding rushing option, in a PPR league he can have huge value out of the backfield.

Top Sleeper WR: Jericho Cotchery: Last year Cotchery had a nice revival in Pittsburgh as he had 46 receptions on 76 targets while also gaining 602 yards. Those numbers should see a steady bump this year as he has moved on to a Carolina team that only brings back one of its top four targets from last year in Greg Olsen. Rookie Kelvin Benjamin is a talented player but could struggle early which means Cam Newton will be looking Cotchery’s way a ton.

Top Sleeper TE: Charles Clay: Only 46 players had 100 targets last year; not many would guess that Charles Clay was in that group. The Dolphins tight end finished 2013 with 103 targets along with 69 receptions, 759 yards and an impressive 6 receiving touchdowns. Clay is clearly a favorite of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who should only get better in his third full season under center. Along with getting a ton of targets, Clay is a solid redzone option which makes him a consistent player you can pick up late in drafts.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jordan Kyrou25 mins ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins28 mins ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers
Cale Makar37 mins ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
Dmitry Kulikov43 mins ago

Injured On Sunday
NASCAR3 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecked at Las Vegas, but Showed Promising Speed
Alex Bowman3 hours ago

Recovered From Loose Wheel to Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric3 hours ago

Won Stage 1, but Loose Wheel Foiled Victory Bid
William Byron3 hours ago

Lost Las Vegas Race on Strategy, but Still Expanded Points Lead
Ryan Preece3 hours ago

Earned Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish at Las Vegas
Mookie Betts8 hours ago

Won't Play In Tokyo Series Against Cubs
Tee Higgins8 hours ago

Becomes Highest-Paid WR2 In NFL History
Ja'Marr Chase8 hours ago

Bengals Make Ja'Marr Chase The Highest-Paid Non-QB In NFL History
Brandin Podziemski8 hours ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Christian Braun9 hours ago

Tagged As Probable On Injury Report
Aaron Gordon9 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Jamal Murray9 hours ago

Iffy For Monday
Nikola Jokić9 hours ago

Nikola Jokic May Sit Out Meeting With Warriors
Quinten Post9 hours ago

Uncertain For Monday
Stephen Curry9 hours ago

Questionable To Play On Monday
Vince Williams Jr.11 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Coby White11 hours ago

Tagged As Probable For Monday
Josh Giddey11 hours ago

Doubtful For Monday
Gary Trent Jr.11 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
Scotty Pippen Jr.11 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Ja Morant11 hours ago

Won't Play Monday
Aaron Nesmith11 hours ago

Questionable Versus Minnesota
Tyrese Haliburton11 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Monday Night
Michael Tonkin11 hours ago

Will Open Season On Injured List
Aaron Wiggins12 hours ago

Returns To Action Against Bucks
Michel Otañez12 hours ago

Michel Otanez Shut Down From Throwing
Myles Turner12 hours ago

Questionable Against Minnesota
Kyle Kuzma12 hours ago

Ready To Play Sunday
Pascal Siakam12 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
Damian Lillard12 hours ago

Good To Go Sunday
Giannis Antetokounmpo12 hours ago

Available Against OKC
Brandon Marsh12 hours ago

Exits Early Sunday
Royce Lewis12 hours ago

Expected To Begin 2025 On Injured List
Miami Dolphins12 hours ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold12 hours ago

Could Opt Out After One Season
Mark Andrews13 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Igor Shesterkin13 hours ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson14 hours ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad14 hours ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Filip Chytil14 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Jiri Kulich14 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Adam Pelech14 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Zach Hyman14 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Bailey Falter14 hours ago

Ready To Go For Monday
Yu Darvish15 hours ago

Dealing With Fatigue
Clarke Schmidt15 hours ago

Won't Start On Monday
Mark Leiter Jr.15 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Opening Day
David Bednar15 hours ago

Not Officially Named Closer
Yoán Moncada15 hours ago

Yoan Moncada Could Land On Injured List
Atlanta Falcons16 hours ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
Atlanta Falcons16 hours ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers16 hours ago

Re-Ups With Rams
Mason Adams17 hours ago

Diagnosed With Flexor Strain
Joey Gallo17 hours ago

White Sox Release Joey Gallo
Sean Burke17 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Jung Hoo Lee17 hours ago

Expected To Remain Sidelined For A Few Days
Max Kepler17 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday After Collision
Eiberson Castellano17 hours ago

Could Win Bullpen Job
Kyle Freeland18 hours ago

Rockies Name Kyle Freeland Their Starter For Opening Day
Royce Lewis18 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Ramón Urías18 hours ago

Ramon Urias Expected To Return On Thursday
Emmanuel Rivera18 hours ago

Dealing With Sore Shoulder
New York Jets19 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders19 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush19 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Baltimore Ravens22 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks22 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.22 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Christopher Bell23 hours ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson23 hours ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney23 hours ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain23 hours ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher23 hours ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Quinton Byfield24 hours ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott1 day ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov1 day ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron1 day ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli1 day ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin1 day ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin1 day ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar1 day ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski1 day ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones1 day ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez1 day ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar1 day ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece1 day ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano1 day ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Jordan Mason1 day ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
Dee Eskridge1 day ago

Sticking With Dolphins
JuJu Smith-Schuster2 days ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Parris Campbell2 days ago

Headed To Dallas
Jiri Kulich2 days ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers2 days ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov2 days ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov2 days ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Philadelphia Eagles2 days ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson3 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA3 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos3 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman5 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips5 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith5 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter5 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim5 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy5 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF