The Perfect Fantasy Football Draft Needs the Perfect Game Plan

You want to win your league in 2023, right?

Of course, you do.

We’re here to help you identify the best values at every pick of your draft and zero in on those ever-important breakouts and sleepers.

Round-by-Round Draft Strategy: 12-Team Non-PPR

The draft guide below will take you through every pick of a 12-team Non-PPR draft.

It all starts with our award-winning fantasy football rankings, but it doesn’t stop there.

We’re using our Dynamic Most Valuable Player values and recent ADP to pinpoint the top targets in each round.

Note: Each strategy guide assumes 16-round drafts and starting lineups of 1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 Flex, 1 K, and 1 DST. The Draft War Room will help you adjust your strategy if your league settings differ.

  

Round-by-Round Draft Guide For Pick 1, 2 or 3

Round 1

QB: 

RB: Derrick Henry, Nick Chubb

WR: Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill, Ja’Marr Chase

TE:

In non-PPR, you want to go after big yardage earners early.

Since both players became starters in 2018, Henry and Chubb rank first and third, respectively, in rushing yards per game among RBs. They’re about as safe as you can get in this format.

Same goes for WR. Jefferson, Chase, and Hill are high-volume, big-play monsters worthy of being picked in the top-3.

No need to overthink things here. You set the tone for your draft at this stage.

Rounds 2 & 3

QB: Lamar Jackson

RB: Josh Jacobs, Joe Mixon, Travis Etienne, Najee Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson

WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Garrett Wilson, Jaylen Waddle

TE: Mark Andrews

A manager's highest-value move is taking a RB at this point in drafts.

Whether or not you go RB with your first pick, you want to hammer home those grinder backs. If you took Jefferson or Hill to open the draft, you’d definitely want to scoop at least one runner here.

Managers should heavily consider players like St. Brown, Wilson, or Waddle in this range.

Be mindful of roster build. WR dries up quickly after this point.

Planting your flag with a high-end positional advantage player like Mark Andrews at TE or Lamar Jackson at QB is also viable.

There will be good opportunities for QB value after this, however.

Rounds 4 & 5

QB: Justin Herbert

RB: J.K. Dobbins, David Montgomery, Javonte Williams

WR: Mike Williams, Tyler Lockett

TE:

This is a prime spot to consider QB. Herbert is the last player in a tier before a production drop-off occurs in our projections.

Herbert is your guy if you’re looking to roster a high-end QB.

We also see a dip in higher-end RB value after this point, so if you haven’t loaded up with multiple guys at the position by now, this is a decent spot to do so.

Hopefully, managers have at least one WR at this point. Passing on taking your WR2 here is acceptable, though Tyler Lockett is a player we like to have a significant impact this season.

Rounds 6 & 7

QB: Deshaun Watson

RB: Brian Robinson, A.J. Dillon, Khalil Herbert

WR: Jerry Jeudy, Drake London, Chris Godwin

TE: Kyle Pitts

RB isn’t looking so pretty at this point.

A couple of these guys are projected to be have quality touch shares of their backfields and should provide decent value.

Khalil Herbert should lead Bears RBs in carries, though QB Justin Fields will cut into his upside given how much he likes to keep the ball and run himself. 

Each wideout listed here is a little risky, but could provide some upside on a weekly basis.

Jerry Jeudy would probably otherwise be drafted higher if not for the hamstring issue he's dealt with lately. He's worth a look here even if he starts the season missing time.

TE is also in consideration here with Pitts.

Rounds 8 & 9

QB: Tua Tagovailoa, Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson

RB: Raheem Mostert

WR: Gabe Davis, Treylon Burks, Quentin Johnston

TE: David Njoku, Pat Freiermuth

This range of the draft is where things get a little ugly if you don't go QB.

RB is not a good position to attack at this point. You could consider Raheem Mostert now that he's the last healthy man standing in Miami, but it's not an optimal move.

It is not a good place to look for WRs either. Davis and Burks are acceptable WR3s if you really need one, though.

TE David Njoku and Pat Freiermuth present what’ll likely be managers’ last shot at a high-end scorer at the position (especially if QB Deshaun Watson bounces back this year and the Browns’ offense ascends). 

Don’t be afraid to take some swings here.

Rounds 10 & 11

QB: Anthony Richardson, Russell Wilson

RB: Raheem Mostert, Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell

WR: Elijah Moore, Quentin Johnston, Zay Flowers, Skyy Moore

TE:

A QB with a high ceiling like Richardson is also intriguing in this range. Even if Richardson doesn't perform consistently as a passer, his rushing ability may carry him to a top-12 finish by the end of 2023.

Beyond him, Russell Wilson is a solid starting candidate in lineups.

Taking advantage of unknowns and high-upside opportunities is vital in this range.

Warren is garnering some attention as a potential change-of-pace option in tandem with Najee Harris in Pittsburgh. There's a good enough chance that he'll bring some flex value in good matchups.

Kenneth Gainwell is another RB with some buzz. There's growing sentiment out of Philly that he could be the early-down back for this incredible run-heavy Eagles offense.

There's plenty of upside here with these players.

Rounds 12 & 13

QB: Kyler Murray

RB: Kenneth Gainwell, Jerick McKinnon, Kendre Miller

WR: Nico Collins, Jonathan Mingo

TE: Dalton Kincaid

By this point, the youth movement continues, and the smartest bet is to gamble on the upside of these players.

Kincaid, in particular, might be a quality asset playing in the Bills’ high-powered offense.

Rounds 14, 15 & 16

QB: Kyler Murray

RB: Kendre Miller, Ty Chandler, Roschon Johnson

WR: Jonathan Mingo, Darius Slayton, Marvin Mims, Jayden Reed

TE: Dalton Kincaid

Target one more upside flier, then use your last two picks on a K and DST.

Washington stands out as an excellent Week 1 streamer vs. Arizona. For more, check out:

2023’s Best Fantasy Kickers

2023’s Best Fantasy Defenses

 

Round-by-Round Draft Guide For Pick 4, 5 or 6

Round 1

QB:

RB: Derrick Henry, Nick Chubb, Bijan Robinson

WR: Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb

TE:

This is similar to the group of players managers will want to target toward the top of the draft.

High-volume, big yardage earners are the bread and butter of this format.

If Hill is gone, Diggs and Lamb are excellent WR1s for any team.

Round 2

QB: Josh Allen

RB: Travis Etienne, Joe Mixon, Jonathan Taylor

WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Garrett Wilson

TE:

Continuing to pile up workhorse RBs is a sound move here, but don’t overlook the positional advantage gained by taking QB Josh Allen.

His DMVP is roughly equivalent to a mid-RB2 with the added points he brings to the table with his rushing.

St. Brown and Wilson are excellent looks at WR for those worried about the position drying up.

Round 3

QB: Lamar Jackson

RB: Joe Mixon, Kenneth Walker, Cam Akers, J.K. Dobbins

WR: Tee Higgins, Deebo Samuel, Chris Olave

TE: Mark Andrews

Smashing RB here is the highest-value move.

But if you missed on WR earlier, you’ll want to consider anchoring your lineup with someone like Higgins, Samuel, or Olave. They’re not ideal WR1s, but in non-PPR, they’re passable. It gets messier at wideout after this round.

Lamar Jackson brings significant upside with rushing, but you don’t have to go QB this early if you don’t want to.

Andrews is also a sweet choice for managers looking to gain an edge at a ‘start-one’ position like TE.

Round 4

QB: 

RB: J.K. Dobbins, Miles Sanders, Alexander Mattison

WR: Calvin Ridley, Mike Williams, Christian Watson

TE: 

You’ll get some safe production from plodders like Dobbins, Sanders, and Mattison. RBs who’ll lead their backfields have inherent value no matter what.

Dobbins stands chief among them in terms of our DMVP values.

WRs like Ridley, Williams, and Watson are also intriguing. They bring a big-play element to get significant points in their spike weeks.

Round 5

QB: Justin Herbert

RB: Alexander Mattison, Javonte Williams, David Montgomery

WR: Mike Williams, Christian Watson, Terry McLaurin

TE:

The RBs in this round are solid bets but aren’t the most exciting picks. They each carry question marks based on team situation or lack of track record.

Taking Herbert here is a higher-value move if we’re looking at this through the lens of positional advantage. He's someone we've identified as an incredible positional advantage and tremendous value this season.

If that's not your thing, we like these WRs, too.

But don’t forget the significant tier drop at QB after Herbert. We feel strongly about the value he'll bring to managers in this spot.

Round 6

QB:

RB: David Montgomery, James Cook

WR: Mike Williams, Tyler Lockett, Jerry Jeudy

TE: Kyle Pitts

If you’ve waited on adding WRs till this point, each of these guys are quality target earners who can help round out an RB-heavy build.

Montgomery and Cook are quality backs who should receive a solid amount of volume in their respective backfields.

This range of the draft brings value out the wazoo. Each of these players are tremendous core pieces for lineups.

Of them, Williams and Lockett are our favorite picks.

Round 7

QB: Deshaun Watson

RB: Khalil Herbert, A.J. Dillon

WR: Tyler Lockett, Christian Kirk, Brandon Aiyuk

TE: 

Not much different going on here in Round 7.

This is an excellent spot to fill out the core of your starting lineup just as Round 6 was.

Take whatever you need here and keep building.

Round 8

QB:

RB: Antonio Gibson, Samaje Perine, Raheem Mostert

WR: Treylon Burks, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jordan Addison

TE: David Njoku, Pat Freiermuth

The RBs here have fun upside, but from a roster-building perspective, locking down TE here is an excellent value move.

Both Njoku and Freiermuth have steady roles in their offenses, and the position gets murky after them.

This is an incredible value pocket for this start-one position.

Round 9

QB: Anthony Richardson

RB: Samaje Perine, Damien Harris

WR: Quentin Johnston, Elijah Moore, Treylon Burks

TE: Dalton Kincaid

As we discussed before, Richardson's "Konami Code" upside is tremendous. Consider him here if you don't have a QB.

Taking a shot on one of the veteran RBs in this range can add good depth, but the WRs here are a couple of our big sleeper picks this year.

Landing either Moore or Addison at this draft stage would be tremendous. We like them both as sleeper picks.

Round 10

QB: Anthony Richardson, Russell Wilson

RB: Damien Harris, Raheem Mostert

WR: Elijah Moore, Quentin Johnston, Zay Flowers, Jordan Addison

TE: Dalton Kincaid, Chig Okonkwo

You'll recognize the names of these RBs from the last couple of sections. They may fall a little bit in certain drafts, but they're solid anywhere within these late rounds.

This is a great spot for high-upside rookies WRs like Johnston, Flowers, and Addison if they're still around.

And here's another reminder that Richardson may struggle with passing in year one, but his rushing ability is undeniable.

If he's gone, we like Russell Wilson as a 10th round pick.

Round 11

QB: Kyler Murray

RB: Kenneth Gainwell, Tank Bigsby

WR: Quentin Johnston, Rashod Bateman, Odell Beckham Jr.

TE: Dalton Kincaid, Greg Dulcich

Murray is still recovering from a torn ACL, but you could consider pairing him with a player like Richardson or ride the waiver wire at QB to open the season if you’re feeling bold.

Otherwise, dive into these younger guys and bet on their ceilings.

Rounds 12 & 13

QB: Kyler Murray

RB: Jerick McKinnon, Kendre Miller, Ty Chandler

WR: Rashod Bateman, Nico Collins, Jonathan Mingo

TE: Dalton Kincaid

Pretty much the same approach as before.

Prioritize players with difference-making upside at this point of your draft.

Rounds 14, 15 & 16

QB: Kyler Murray

RB: Kendre Miller, Roschon Johnson, Ty Chandler

WR: Jonathan Mingo, Darius Slayton, Michael Gallup

TE: 

Target one more upside flier, then use your last two picks on a K and DST.

Washington stands out as an excellent Week 1 streamer vs. Arizona. For more, check out:

2023’s Best Fantasy Kickers

2023’s Best Fantasy Defenses

 

Round-by-Round Draft Guide For Pick 7, 8 or 9

Round 1

QB:

RB: Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley

WR: Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb

TE:

The top WRs aren’t likely to be around in late-Round 1.

Snagging a bruising RB with a high carry volume is the smartest choice in this range.

If a wideout like Hill or Diggs is around, you could take a shot and see which RBs fall back to you on the turnaround.

Round 2

QB: Josh Allen

RB: Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard

WR: CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Davante Adams

TE:

Managers can consider going the opposite of whatever they did before (RB-WR start, WR-RB start) and come away with good value.

Allen is a standout with his rushing floor at QB if you want to get a little different with your roster build.

Round 3

QB: Lamar Jackson

RB: Joe Mixon, Rhamondre Stevenson, J.K. Dobbins, Cam Akers

WR: Tee Higgins, Calvin Ridley, D.K. Metcalf

TE: Mark Andrews

Thinking about taking Jackson for your QB here is worthwhile. Like Allen, he’ll often run the ball and be a difference-maker at a ‘start-one’ position.

However, this is the wisest place to invest in WR, especially if you started RB-RB or took Allen in Round 2.

Round 4

QB: 

RB: J.K. Dobbins, Miles Sanders, Breece Hall

WR: Calvin Ridley, Amari Cooper, Christian Watson

TE:

Like in Round 3, the WRs are too good to pass up.

Anchoring your lineup with veteran pass-catchers like Ridley and Cooper would be wise.

Otherwise, if you passed on RB to this point, we like Dobbins a ton in this range.

Round 5

QB: 

RB: David Montgomery, Javonte Williams, Rachaad White

WR: Mike Williams, Christian Watson, Tyler Lockett

TE:

The RBs here make good sense as backfield leaders who can accompany the big-time workhorses taken either in Round 1 or Round 2.

If not RB, big-play guys like Williams, Watson, and Lockett at WR are solid bets for production.

Round 6

QB:

RB: James Cook, Alvin Kamara, Brian Robinson

WR: Tyler Lockett, Drake London, Mike Evans, Jerry Jeudy

TE: Darren Waller

Those who took Herbert in Round 5 can feel good about the RB value that falls back to them here.

If you’ve taken your foot off the gas at WR, players like Lockett, London, and Evans can bring stability and balance to your roster as WR2s.

Jeudy will bring value in time as he gets healthy.

Darren Waller is likely to lead the Giants in receiving, so he's a great anchor TE option here, too.

Round 7

QB: Deshaun Watson

RB: Antonio Gibson, Raheem Mostert

WR: Gabriel Davis, Christian Kirk

TE: Dallas Goedert, David Njoku

You could snag eithe Njoku or Freiermuth here and forget about TE for the rest of your draft.

Otherwise, this is a good time to refuel your WRs if a RB-heavy approach has been taken. However, these guys aren’t as stable as the players found in Round 6.

At this point, whatever significant roster construction moves you made earlier will determine what makes sense here.

Round 8

QB: Deshaun Watson

RB: Antonio Gibson

WR: Gabriel Davis, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, George Pickens

TE: David Njoku, Pat Freiermuth

Round 8 brings a similar proposition as the one managers just went through.

It’s all about what you need and ensuring your roster is well-rounded.

Round 9

QB: Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones

RB: 

WR: Jordan Addison, Elijah Moore, Treylon Burks

TE:

We’ve reached the point of the draft where picking your favorite young WR makes a ton of sense.

Either that or scooping Richardson at QB are sound moves.

RB is pretty dry at this point, but you can wait until next round to pounce on that position.

Round 10

QB: Anthony Richardson

RB: Kenneth Gainwell, Tank Bigsby

WR: Elijah Moore, Zay Flowers, Jordan Addison, Skyy Moore

TE:

This stage is a great time to remind you how many great WRs there are with big ceilings in this range.

The time is now to stock up on players in offenses we believe can boost their outputs.

Round 11

QB: Kyler Murray

RB: Kenneth Gainwell, Tank Bigsby, Jerick McKinnon

WR: Skyy Moore, Quentin Johnston, Nico Collins

TE: Dalton Kincaid

We’re taking swings for the fences around this point.

Upside and youth are the name of the game here.

If you’re looking for WR, we really like Collins this season. He’s our favorite late-round WR pick, with a chance to lead an improved Texans passing game in targets.

Round 12 & 13

QB: Kyler Murray

RB: Kenneth Gainwell, Tank Bigsby, Jerick McKinnon

WR: Nico Collins, Jonathan Mingo

TE: Dalton Kincaid

Keep the good times rolling and scoop whoever you missed before.

Also, if you took a shot on Anthony Richardson at QB earlier, pairing him with Murray might not be a bad idea.

It’ll take time for Murray to return from his torn ACL, but he’ll bail you out if Richardson is a bust for whatever reason.

Rounds 14, 15 & 16

QB: Kyler Murray

RB: Kendre Miller, Roschon Johnson

WR: Nico Collins, Jonathan Mingo, Michael Gallup

TE: Dalton Kincaid

Target one more upside flier, then use your last two picks on a K and DST.

Washington stands out as an excellent Week 1 streamer vs. Arizona. For more, check out:

2023’s Best Fantasy Kickers

2023’s Best Fantasy Defenses

 

Round-by-Round Draft Guide For Pick 10, 11 or 12

Rounds 1 & 2

QB: Josh Allen

RB: Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard

WR: Stefon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown

TE: 

Any pair of these players is a great start to your team.

Because your picks are very close together, the wait until you’re back on the clock in Round 3 will be quite some time.

What’s done here will set the tone for what players are deemed valuable later. Our DMVP values say taking at least one RB is the smart bet.

Those who want to get spicy could consider an Allen/Diggs stack, and get a nice QB advantage. It’s not the highest-value move, though.

Rounds 3 & 4

QB: Lamar Jackson

RB: J.K. Dobbins, Cam Akers, Breece Hall

WR: Deebo Samuel, Calvin Ridley, D.K. Metcalf

TE: Mark Andrews

Managers who start RB-RB would be wise to leave this range with at least one WR. Skipping out will put you at serious risk of starting lower-end players as the WR1 in your starting lineup.

Andrews at TE gives you a onesie edge, and the RBs in this range are all reliable supplementary guys to run in tandem with the elite RB you presumably took earlier.

Lamar is one of our favorite QB targets this year -- and a nice value at a start-one position.

Taking him is a bit bold, but he won't come back to you by the time the Round 5 rolls around.

Rounds 5 & 6

QB: Deshaun Watson

RB: David Montgomery, Rachaad White, James Conner

WR: Mike Williams, Tyler Lockett, Jerry Jeudy

TE: 

RBs in this range are considerably more valuable per DMVP than the WRs.

If you listened before and didn’t skip those WRs in Rounds 3-4, you’re having a fabulous time with drafting right about now.

If you're looking for QB, Watson is a solid player.

Rounds 7 & 8

QB: Deshaun Watson

RB: Raheem Mostert, Antonio Gibson, Rashaad Penny

WR: Gabriel Davis, Jahan Dotson, George Pickens, Treylon Burks, Jaxon Smith-Njigba

TE: David Njoku, Pat Freiermuth

Supplementing WR value here makes a considerable amount of sense.

Take another RB with your following pick or perhaps take the ‘start one’ value with Njoku or Freiermuth.

TE gets pretty hairy after this point.

Rounds 9 & 10

QB: Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones

RB: Jaylen Warren, Tank Bigsby, Kenneth Gainwell

WR: Jordan Addison, Treylon Burks, Elijah Moore, Quentin Johnston, Zay Flowers

TE: 

You know the drill if you’ve read this far.

These young WRs are incredible picks in the late rounds and could yield a massive ROI.

This is also where quality depth RBs exist. Each of them carry nice value here.

Rounds 11 & 12

QB: Jared Goff, Kyler Murray

RB: Tank Bigsby, Jerick McKinnon, De'von Achane

WR: Skyy Moore, Nico Collins, Rashod Bateman

TE: Dalton Kincaid, Chig Okonkwo

Fill up whatever position you need here.

Take some shots and shoot for upside.

Rounds 13 & 14

QB: Kyler Murray

RB: Kendre Miller, Tyjae Spears, Ty Chandler

WR: Jonathan Mingo, Michael Gallup, Darius Slayton

TE: Dalton Kincaid

Prioritize players with difference-making upside at this point of your draft.

Rounds 15 & 16

Use your last two picks on a K and DST.

Washington stands out as an excellent Week 1 streamer vs. Arizona. For more, check out:

2023’s Best Fantasy Kickers

2023’s Best Fantasy Defenses

 

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