Perfect Draft: 2nd in a 12-Team Yahoo Half-PPR League

Aug 07, 2019

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This season the first handful of picks are locked in as a top RB, unless you’re playing in a league with funky scoring or unique parameters. For this regular redraft, my first pick will stick with targeting a premier back with very little hesitation. With ADP running very RB-heavy so far in the first few rounds in 2019, I am confident that I won’t miss out on any other positional runs, at least at the next turn.

Editor’s Note: Click here to all our Perfect Draft series entries:

In this edition of the Perfect Draft Series, I'll be walking through a perfect draft from the 2nd slot in a 12-team Yahoo .5 PPR league. Each pick was optimized using projections and value-based rankings from the 4for4 Draft Hero tool.

Draft Hero Settings:

Roster Settings: 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 1 Kicker, 1 D/ST, six bench spots (No Flex).
No restrictions on when to draft positional players: I tend to be one of the last to draft a QB or TE, but I still like to be aware if players are falling in a specific draft. This feature sets Draft Hero apart so I keep no limits on recommendations.
No K or DST 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.
1 QB, TE, K, D/ST: For this mock, I want to simulate a league that has a more advanced approach to roster construction, so I’m switching the maximum number of the “onesie” positions to just one. This can be done by going to League Settings from the Home page and selecting the Rosters Tab. With only 15 rounds, this creates a more realistic approach to the modern draft.
ADP Settings: For this particular draft, I changed the ADP from the default to a custom one that favors .5 PPR. Once we move a bit farther into draft season, choosing the hosting site, in this case, Yahoo should provide your optimal draft strategy.

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

Round 1, Pick 2 – Christian McCaffrey, Panthers

I’d be lying if I said that Ezekiel Elliott’s current hold out didn’t have some effect on this pick, however minor. No one wants a repeat of last year’s LeVeon Bell situation where he sunk teams before the season even began by not even taking the field. Getting a stud RB is a priority in the first few picks, and I am pleased to be able to grab McCaffrey, especially in any type of PPR format.

The third-year back’s versatility and speed are incredibly appealing and he gets the volume needed for a top pick. He was one of three RBs to see 325+ touches and could see more in 2019 after adding muscle this offseason. McCaffrey is a beast and I’m content building my roster around him.

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 that I actually selected.

My Top Alternative: Alvin Kamara

Round 2, Pick 11 – George Kittle, 49ers

Grabbing a TE this early is not the norm for me, but my only consistent draft strategy is to not have one. While there are some great options at other positions here, I feel that the player in the one-hole will probably grab Kittle and there are only certain drafts and spots where he makes the most sense.

Kittle’s VBD or “value” score is a +98, which means that he is projected to score 98 more points than the lowest starting TE. His value score is higher than any player left on the board and securing my TE now at such a top-heavy position leaves me free to grab positional players through the bulk of the draft. Kittle was TE3 last season and with Jimmy Garoppolo back on the field, he should best last season’s 1,377 yards and five touchdowns.

Suggested Alternatives: Damien Williams, Keenan Allen, Aaron Jones, Marlon Mack

My Top Alternative: Damien Williams

Round 3, Pick 2 – Tyreek Hill, Chiefs

Full disclosure, I will not be taking Hill on my personal redraft teams this season, but this is not about me and my morality. His value in the third-round is undeniable and I have to click that select button for this Perfect Draft. By grabbing an elite WR here it gives my team balance to start which is a good thing.

Hill was WR1 in overall .5 PPR points last season, and third behind Davante Adams and Antonio Brown in .5 PPR points per game with 17.8. At the moment there is nothing stopping him from playing all 16 games but drafting him does come with some off-field risk. John Paulsen has Hill as WR7 in his rankings and I grabbed him as the 11^th wideout off the board, presenting solid value this early in the draft.

Suggested Alternatives: Amari Cooper, Damien Williams, Keenan Allen, Julian Edelman

My Top Alternative: Amari Cooper