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Perfect Draft: 14-Team PPR (Updated Aug. 31)

By Kevin English | Updated on Wed, 10 Jan 2024 . 6:01 PM EST

The Perfect Fantasy Football Draft Needs the Perfect Game Plan

You should enter every fantasy draft with a game plan.

How can you devise the best one?

Start with a set of accurate rankings. Then, mix in ADP to help find league-winning players throughout your draft.

14-Team PPR Game Plan

The round-by-round game plan below will take you through every pick of a 14-team PPR draft. We’ll hit on players to target, and strategy points to keep in mind.

Now, we understand not all 14 team PPR drafts are created equally.

For this exercise, we’re assuming 16-round drafts and starting lineups of: 

1 QB

2 RBs

2 WRs

1 TE

1 Flex

1 K 

1 DST. 

If your setup differs, simply head to the Draft War Room to get a customized cheat sheet. 

14-Team Perfect Draft For Picks 1-4

Round 1

QB:

RB: Austin Ekeler

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

TE:

Ekeler sits atop our RB rankings. But he’s sixth overall in this format, making WR the position to target here.

Rounds 2 & 3

QB: Josh Allen

RB: Tony Pollard, Joe Mixon, Rhamondre Stevenson, Jahmyr Gibbs

WR: Tee Higgins, Calvin Ridley, Chris Olave, Keenan Allen, D.K. Metcalf

TE: Mark Andrews

We’re aiming for at least one RB around the turn here. 

Pollard remains without a legit RB2 challenger. Stevenson received one in free agency with Zeke Elliott. While past his prime, Zeke should factor in near the goal line. Stevenson, whose numbers dipped a bit post-signing, should remain the clear receiving back.

Only a few DMVP points separate the six WRs.

Allen pops in our projections given his placement in a tier of his own. We forecast 416 fantasy points – well ahead of QB2 Patrick Mahomes at 385.

Rounds 4 & 5

QB: Justin Herbert

RB: J.K. Dobbins, Rachaad White, Alexander Mattison, Cam Akers, James Conner

WR: Mike Williams, Christian Watson

TE: Darren Waller

Dobbins, who's back at practice, used to come at a steeper discount. We hope you bought the dip on him -- but he's still a strong pick in this range. 

The other RBs project well volume-wise, with Conner set up for a monster workload in Arizona and White poised for a volume boost with little backfield competition.

QB and TE enter the conversation. We love Herbert’s breakthrough potential alongside new OC Kellen Moore. And Waller has been among the most talked about players league-wide for his training camp dominance.

Rounds 6 & 7

QB: 

RB: Alvin Kamara, James Cook

WR: Tyler Lockett, Jordan Addison, Jahan Dotson, Gabe Davis

TE:

Kamara will miss three games on suspension. When he returns, though, don’t be surprised if he rebounds from a down 2022.

Everything out of Bills camp suggests Cook is poised for a sizable jump in production. He’s coming at a fair cost in drafts, with an Underdog Fantasy ADP of RB23.

Lockett will pop on just about everyone’s Draft War Room. At WR21, he’s ranked 12 spots ahead of his Underdog Fantasy ADP. 

Despite the addition of Jaxon Smith-Njigba (who's coming off a fractured wrist), we’re looking for Lockett's yearly consistency to remain in place. And for the price of a WR3, the cost is relatively low.

Rounds 8 & 9

QB: Geno Smith, Daniel Jones

RB: Samaje Perine, Jerick McKinnon, Jaylen Warren, Tank Bigsby

WR: Elijah Moore, Zay Flowers, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Nico Collins, Zay Jones, Skyy Moore

TE: David Njoku

By this time, you could have a roster that looks something like this:

Justin Herbert

Ja’Marr Chase

Rhamondre Stevenson

Joe Mixon

Darren Waller

Tyler Lockett

Jordan Addison

We’ll find more RB values later, as WR is the strength of this turn. Skyy Moore, Elijah Moore, and Flowers have been among the buzziest WRs league-wide. We’re ultimately happy to land any of the names above as WR3s/4s.

Drafters haven’t respected Collins all summer, giving him a place on our list of 2023 fantasy football sleepers.

We’re also optimistic on Njoku, who should benefit from improved playmaking at QB.

Rounds 10 & 11

QB: Anthony Richardson

RB: Jaylen Warren, Tank Bigsby

WR: Zay Jones, Tyler Boyd, Rondale Moore, Allen Lazard, Adam Thielen, Michael Gallup

TE: Tyler Higbee, Hayden Hurst, Sam LaPorta, Irv Smith

Early in draft season, it wasn’t clear whether Richardson would draw the Week 1 start.

Now, he appears on track to start the opener vs. Jacksonville. He gets Houston in Week 2, supplying a decent opening stretch. 

We’re selling Richardson as a weekly fantasy option this year. But he should have a place as a matchup option.

We see spot-start value on Hurst. More on him below, but don’t be surprised if he slips a bit past this part (or if your Draft War Room suggests you to snag him ASAP.)

TE is intriguing elsewhere, with Higbee locked into a sizable role, LaPorta turning heads at camp, and Smith entering an environment that just produced Hurst’s career-high in catches per game.

Rounds 12 & 13

QB: Bryce Young, Kenny Pickett, Jordan Love

RB: Tyjae Spears, Zamir White, Kyren Williams, Evan Hull

WR: Isaiah Hodgins, Marvin Mims, Van Jefferson, Jayden Reed, DeVante Parker

TE: Hayden Hurst, Hunter Henry

Whether you’re drafting for best ball or not, we’re looking to chase upside in the later rounds. That general approach includes stashing upside handcuffs like White and Spears, one of our favorite ‘23 RB prospects.

Don't worry about drafting a QB2 if you locked in a stud like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Justin Herbert. But we can see the upside case on all three names above, with Pickett surrounded by the most receiving talent.

(Now... will the Steelers let Pickett throw it around?) 

On the other end of the spectrum, there’s our favorite TE value in Hayden Hurst. We don’t see a massive ceiling here. But he could deliver top-12 totals alongside Bryce Young for a minimal investment.

He’s currently the TE25 on Underdog; TE16 in our TE rankings. 

Rounds 14, 15 & 16

QB:

RB:  Kyren Williams, Sean Tucker

WR: Alec Pierce, Chase Claypool, Parris Campbell, John Metchie

TE:

Target one more upside flyer and then use your last two picks on a kicker 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

14-Team Perfect Draft For Picks 5-10

Round 1

QB:

RB: Austin Ekeler, Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson

WR: Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown

TE: Travis Kelce

Chase is the easy pick if he falls (hey, it’s the Perfect Draft). Just don’t bank on it…

Round 2

QB:

RB: Tony Pollard, Derrick Henry

WR: Garrett Wilson, Tee Higgins, Chris Olave, Jaylen Waddle

TE:

The RBs will pop on your board here, especially if you went WR in Round 1.

Roughly one DMVP point separates Henry and Pollard, with the Cowboy ultimately holding the edge. We’ll keep an eye on Dallas’ potential to add a veteran RB (although both Dalvin Cook and Zeke Elliott are off the market).

No concern here over Wilson's prior ankle trouble. We've seen no reason to discredit his top-5 ceiling this summer.

Round 3

QB: 

RB: Joe Mixon, Rhamondre Stevenson

WR: Calvin Ridley, Keenan Allen, Deebo Samuel

TE:

Allen, our 2023 Comeback Pick, looks poised to rebound following an injury-shortened 2022. A more aggressive approach from new OC Kellen Moore should open up space for Allen underneath.

Mixon projects as a useful RB2 once again. The Bengals haven’t added backfield depth following the departure of Samaje Perine, so it’s easy to see why current projections have Mixon for nearly 19 touches per game.

Round 4

QB: Justin Herbert

RB: J.K. Dobbins, Rachaad White

WR: Mike Williams, Christian Watson

TE:

Here’s where QB enters the discussion.

We already mentioned new optimism under OC Kellen Moore. Mix in the arrival of Quentin Johnston, and we see a top-3 ceiling on Herbert.

This round turns up Watson, our honorable mention Breakout Pick (with Round 5 featuring the Breakout Pick). 

Jeudy used to occupy a spot here, but we'll have to monitor his status following an August 24 hamstring injury.

Round 5

QB: Trevor Lawrence

RB: J.K. Dobbins, Rachaad White, Alexander Mattison, Cam Akers, James Conner

WR: Chris Godwin, Christian Kirk

TE: Kyle Pitts, Darren Waller, Dallas Goedert

Dobbins recently returned to practice. We hope you bought the dip on him -- but he's still a strong pick in this range. 

The other RBs project well volume-wise, with Conner set up for a monster workload in Arizona and White poised for a volume boost with little backfield competition. The Vikings might add competition for Mattison, but for now, he’s the undisputed RB1.

If you didn’t land Travis Kelce, here’s your next chance to address the position at a reasonable price. Pitts has been eased into Falcons camp after last year’s MCL tear. Waller’s starred at Giants camp, while Goedert profiles as a reliable weekly option.

Round 6

QB: 

RB: Alvin Kamara, James Cook

WR: Tyler Lockett, Mike Evans, Diontae Johnson

TE:

Kamara will miss three games on suspension. When he returns, though, don’t be surprised if he rebounds from a down 2022.

Consider Lockett one of the top values across positions. Even if Jaxon Smith-Njigba (who's coming off a wrist fracture) hurts the ceiling, note that Lockett topped D.K. Metcalf in PPR and non-PPR points per game in 2022.

Round 7

QB: 

RB: Khalil Herbert, Brian Robinson, Antonio Gibson, Raheem Mostert

WR: Jordan Addison, Jahan Dotson, Gabe Davis, Courtland Sutton

TE: 

We’re not seeing any major QB or TE values here. So continue bolstering your RB/WR corps. Dotson pops after an impressive offseason -- and because of Terry McLaurin's turf toe.

Round 8

QB:

RB: Samaje Perine, Jerick McKinnon

WR: Elijah Moore, Zay Flowers, JuJu Smith-Schuster

TE: David Njoku

Moore and Flowers are coming at WR4 prices, but their WR3 upside is clear. They fit one of our core tenets of chasing upside in the later rounds. 

Perine profiled as a major value pick earlier in the summer. But now that Javonte Williams appears on track for Week 1, it’s hard to get excited about Perine as anything more than a FLEX + handcuff.

Moore and Flowers profile similarly as complimentary pieces with twitched-up skill sets. Don't be surprised if they pop for a few WR1 lines this season.

Round 9

QB: Geno Smith, Daniel Jones

RB: Jerick McKinnon

WR: Nico Collins, Zay Jones, Skyy Moore

TE: 

Smith finished QB7 in PPG last year – then saw his team add Round 1 WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba. (Now we wait to see how much time he'll miss with a fractured wrist.) Still, we’re buyers at his QB15 ADP on Underdog Fantasy.

The WRs stand out here, with Collins making our 2023 Sleepers list. While the Chiefs have rotated WRs at camp, it’s been Moore soaking up the most reps with the 1s. He’ll certainly benefit if Kadarius Toney misses regular season games.

Dulcich used to occupy a spot here. But we'll have to see how early-season snaps snake out between the second-year man and former Saint Adam Trautman.

Round 10

QB: Anthony Richardson

RB: Jaylen Warren, Tank Bigsby

WR: Nico Collins, Zay Jones, Tyler Boyd, Allen Lazard

TE: Tyler Higbee

Richardon’s ADP will only rise from here, as he's slated to start Week 1.

As for us: We’re forecasting spot-start QB1 value for the rookie, whose rushing could make him a signfiigant asset. (NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah left Colts camp expecting Indy to really lean into Richardson’s legs.)

Warren and Bigbsy profile as potential league-winners. We can’t rule out standalone FLEX value – primarily for Bigsby – but both guys can pay off for patient owners.

Round 11

QB:

RB: Tyjae Spears

WR: Michael Gallup, Van Jefferson, Jonathan Mingo, Marvin Mims

TE: Hayden Hurst, Sam LaPorta, Irv Smith

By this time, you likely have 1 QB, 3-5 RBs, 3-5 WRs, and 1 TE

With your starting lineup filled, we’re shooting for more upside. Mingo’s physical traits could help him supplant Adam Thielen, now 33, as the team’s WR1. It's possible we get above average play from Bryce Young early in Year 1.

Mims should be a fixture in 3-WR sets with Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler out. We loved his downfield ability coming out of Oklahoma.

If you held out at TE, we’re happy to land any of the three names above. Hurst sits just outside TE1 range alongside HC Frank Reich, whose history (and own words) suggest Hurst will be busy. 

Note: Carolina signed him to a three-year deal with $13 million guaranteed.

Round 12

QB: Kenny Pickett, Bryce Young, Sam Howell, Jordan Love

RB: Tyjae Spears, Zamir White

WR: Isaiah Hodgins, Marvin Mims

TE: Hayden Hurst, Hunter Henry

Fill in where you’re thin, and continue shooting for upside when possible.

Pass on any of the QBs above if you landed a top-8 option. If you went cheaper at the position, it’s worth adding another young passer with weekly upside.

Round 13

QB: Kenny Pickett, Sam Howell

RB: Zamir White, Kyren Williams

WR: Van Jefferson, Jayden Reed, DeVante Parker

TE: 

White and Williams profile as clear-cut RB2s. While Josh Jacobs ended his holdout, White remains one of our favorite late-round stashes.

WR isn’t thrilling at this point. But Reed pops as a dynamic talent in an offense seeking prominent pass catchers, while Jefferson could reach WR3 status if Cooper Kupp’s injury woes stick around.

Rounds 14, 15 & 16

QB:

RB: Kyren Williams, Sean Tucker

WR: Alec Pierce, Chase Claypool, Parris Campbell, John Metchie

TE: Noah Fant

Target one more upside flyer and then use your last two picks on a kicker 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

14-Team Perfect Draft For Picks 11-14

Rounds 1 & 2

QB:

RB: Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, Nick Chubb, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard

WR: Stefon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, Garrett Wilson, Tee Higgins, Chris Olave

TE: Travis Kelce

We’re not going into Round 1 locked into any draft position. We’re taking value as it falls, whether at RB, WR, or TE.

Based on ADP, you’re likely looking at Diggs, Lamb, Barkley, St. Brown, or Kelce in Round 1.

Chubb looks excellent if he makes it to Round 2. Top backup Jerome Ford went down with a recent hamstring injury, although he returned in late August.

Regardless – Chubb’s a strong pick if available.

Rounds 3 & 4

QB: Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert

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

WR: Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Mike Williams

TE: 

Mixon might make it back for Round 3. He’s a strong pick there if he does. If not, we’re holding firm to Dobbins as a solid RB2. 

Allen, our Comeback Pick for 2023, should remain available at this point. He ranked third among WRs in PPR points over the second half of 2022.

Jackson enters the picture in Round 3, with Herbert more likely to slide into Round 4.

Rounds 5 & 6

QB: Trevor Lawrence

RB: Javonte Williams, David Montgomery, Alvin Kamara, James Cook

WR: Tyler Lockett, Christian Watson, Christian Kirk, Brandon Aiyuk

TE: Darren Waller, Dallas Goedert

Williams beat the odds by seeing a full load in training camp and even some preseason touches. If his rehab continues on this track, he should outperform his Underdog Fantasy ADP of RB25.

Lockett will pop on just about everyone’s Draft War Room. At WR21, he’s 12 spots ahead of his Underdog Fantasy ADP. 

Despite the addition of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, we’re looking for the yearly consistency of Lockett to remain in place. And for the price of a WR3, his cost is relatively low.

We’re buying a late-career bounce back for Waller, who should push for 100+ targets alongside Daniel Jones. A healthy Waller could crack the top-3 fantasy TEs.

Rounds 7 & 8

QB: Geno Smith, Daniel Jones

RB: Khalil Herbert, Brian Robinson, Antonio Gibson, Raheem Mostert

WR: Jordan Addison, Jahan Dotson, Elijah Moore, Zay Flowers

TE: David Njoku, Pat Freiermuth

We’re buying the QBs and TEs anywhere from Round 8 on.

If you’re set there, circle the WRs, with all three names presenting WR3+ upside.

Rounds 9 & 10

QB: Anthony Richardson

RB: Jaylen Warren, Tank Bigsby

WR: Elijah Moore, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Nico Collins, Zay Jones, Skyy Moore

TE: Tyler Higbee, Hayden Hurst, Sam LaPorta, Irv Smith

Richardon’s ADP will only rise from here, now that he's locked into a starting gig.

As for us: We’re forecasting spot-start QB1 value for the rookie, whose rushing could make him a signfiigant asset. (NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah left Colts camp expecting Indy to really lean into Richardson’s legs.)

Warren and Bigbsy profile as potential league-winners. We can’t rule out standalone FLEX value – primarily for Bigsby – but both guys can pay off for patient owners.

Rounds 11 & 12

QB: Kenny Pickett, Bryce Young

RB: Tyjae Spears, Zamir White, Kyren Williams, Evan Hull

WR: Adam Thielen, Michael Gallup, Jonathan Mingo, Marvin Mims, Isaiah Hodgins

TE: Hayden Hurst, Hunter Henry, Jelani Woods

Fill in where you’re thin, and continue shooting for upside when possible.

Pass on any of the QBs above if you landed a top-8 option. If you went cheaper at the position, it’s worth adding another young passer with weekly upside.

This is also likely your last chance to add Hurst, our favorite late-round TE.

Rounds 13, 14, 15 & 16

QB: Sam Howell, Jordan Love

RB: Kyren Williams, Sean Tucker

WR: Alec Pierce, Van Jefferson, Chase Claypool, Parris Campbell, John Metchie

TE: Noah Fant

Target more upside fliers and then use your last two picks on a kicker 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

Get Your Perfect Fantasy Draft By Using A Custom Cheat Sheet

See how our Draft War Room factors in 17 value indicators to give you the optimal fantasy pick in each round. 

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