Perfect Draft: 12th in a 12-Team Yahoo! Half-PPR League

Aug 13, 2021

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On the backside turn of a draft, I’m most likely going to target an elite wide receiver or pass-catching back in the first round, unless one of the top tight ends happens to fall. One disadvantage of being on the turn is the chance to get stuck on the wrong side of a positional run, so evaluating opportunity cost is paramount in these first few rounds.

In this edition of the series, I'll be walking through a perfect draft from the 12th slot in a 12-team Yahoo half-PPR league. Each pick was optimized using projections and value-based rankings from the 4for4 Draft Hero tool.

For a comprehensive tutorial on setting up Draft Hero for your league, read our Draft Hero Walkthrough.

Jump to Pick: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Draft Recap

Draft Hero Settings

Roster Settings: 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 1K, 1DEF, (no flex) 6 bench spots
No restrictions on when to draft QB: I’m usually one to wait until at least the seventh round for my quarterback because I’ll miss out on potential points from position players that are difficult to make up if they are skipped in those beginning rounds. However, it is beneficial to know if one of the top guys is falling, as my strategy is always fluid.
No tight ends between rounds six and nine: I may use an early pick on one of the elite tight ends, Travis Kelce, Darren Waller or George Kittle, or if either Mark Andrews or T.J. Hockenson fall to the fifth round, so I want to keep them open for recommendations. However, I’ll pass on that next tier and wait until at least the ninth round to consider drafting a tight end.
No Kickers or Defenses until the last two rounds: I prefer to stream both positions and would rather draft depth for my bench than select either a kicker or team defense before the last two rounds.

Round 1, Pick 12 (12) - WR Davante Adams, Packers

When the top receiver is still on the board at the 1.12, this pick is a no-brainer. Davante Adams is a fantasy machine, finishing as either the WR1 or WR5 in each of the past four seasons in half-PPR points per contest. He and his quarterback are both playing with mountain-sized chips on their shoulders this season, which may translate to high production, as angry players can make great fantasy assets.

This next pick will be a tad more difficult for me as I see a few players I have my eye on as I make the turn. I could go for a pass-catching back which is an advantage for any format that awards points for receptions or one of the elite tight ends since only Travis Kelce is off the board.

Each round, Draft Hero suggests the top available suggestion along with four alternatives, as shown at the top of this section. Throughout the rest of the article, I will note those suggestions as well as my top alternative to the player I actually selected.

My Top Alternative: Aaron Jones