Perfect Draft: 5th in a 10-Team Yahoo! Half-PPR League

Aug 12, 2021

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How you attack your fantasy draft is based on so many different factors. The scoring no doubt comes into play. In PPR leagues, wide receivers are immensely more valuable. In standard scoring, that shifts entirely to the running backs. Another factor that impacts draft strategy is the number of teams in your league. In this Perfect Draft series article, I'll be looking at what a perfect draft might look like from the fifth overall spot in a half-PPR, 10-team league.

The strategy is undoubtedly a bit different. In 12-team leagues, fantasy managers will sometimes focus on adding running backs early, afraid of the position shortage. That doesn't come into play as much in a 10-team league. Positional value doesn't mean quite as much because every team is going to have ample opportunities to add quality and upper-tier talent at every position, except tight end. My philosophy in a 10-team league is always best player available. That seems simple, but that's not always the case in a 12-team format where you might reach for a tight end or running back because of positional shortages.

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.

Draft Hero Settings

Roster Settings: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 Kicker, 1 Defense, 6 bench spots
Roster Restrictions: Only 1 QB, TE, Kicker and Defense will be selected by every team. This will ensure a more realistic draft approach as very few managers draft two at these positions. This is especially true in a 10-team format.
Last Two Rounds: This is true for every league, but especially in a 10-team league: kickers and defenses should be selected in the last two rounds of your draft.
Draft Goals: I want to be able to secure two top-15 running backs and a top-five tight end. I believe with the depth at wide receiver and there only being 10 teams, my wide receiver position will be solid regardless, and the same goes for quarterback. This puts an added emphasis on securing running back and tight end, but I still have no intentions of reaching in a 10-team league because the waiver wire is often littered with quality players who can be used in a pinch.

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Round 1, Pick 5 (5) - RB Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys

I am all-in on the Cowboys' offense this season. The offensive line is healthy and Dak Prescott is back. Dallas is going to be a top-five unit this year in points scored and yards accrued. Ezekiel Elliott is going to be a massive part of that. Prior to Prescott's injury, he recorded an 88% snap count, so any concerns about Tony Pollard eating into his workload seem entirely overblown. He checks off all of the boxes for elite fantasy production from the running back position.