Fantasy Football: How to Draft From the 12th Spot

We've all been there before.

Beaming with excitement for the start of another Fantasy Football season, anxiously waiting to find out what position you'll be drafting from.

Your commissioner posts the list, and that excitement turns to horror, you've been allotted the dreaded 12th spot -- the last pick in the draft.

Don't panic! Once you've made your way through the five stages of fantasy football grief and accepted your fate, it's time to come up with a plan.

You can win your fantasy football league from any draft spot.

Let's tackle this house of horrors together. Here is what you should be thinking about during your fantasy football drafts if you've been granted the 12th overall pick.

Fantasy Football 12th Pick Strategy

Rounds 1 and Round 2

The first step to winning your league with the 12th pick is accepting that you will be behind several of your league mates out of the gate.

Accepting that you're starting from this position helps you formulate a draft strategy that can ultimately overcome it. You may have to take some risks. Not taking any risks, and simply trying to outscore the teams that started their drafts with Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, or Christian McCaffrey by matching them position for position is a difficult task.

Remember, the goal is to win your league, not play it safe and sneak into a first-round exit in the playoffs.

To that end, with your first pick, if Travis Kelce is available, take him. He most likely won't be, but if your league lets him fall due to concerns over his age, graciously accept their gift. The advantage Kelce provides at the TE position is nearly impossible for your leaguemates who had an early pick to match. He is a perfect fit for our plan.

If Kelce isn't available, it's time to look at wide receiver. Consider taking two of CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Garrett Wilson, and Davante Adams.

There is a tier drop-off at the position that will most likely occur before the end of the second round, allowing you to get a leg up on the competition with a second elite wideout.

Safer Selections: Lamb, Brown, St. Brown

• Elite talents that operate as the focal point of good to great offenses. What's not to love?

Shoot for the Stars: Wilson

• Less experienced but has the potential to ascend to the top of the wide receiver position after an impressive rookie season. The sky is the limit.

Round 3 and Round 4

By the time you're on the clock again, around 5 QBs, 15 WRs, 13 RBs, and 2 TEs will have come off the board.

Regardless of if you selected Kelce in the first round or went with a WR/WR start, the path at 3 and 4 remains similar. If Kelce didn't fall to you and you are set on grabbing a tight end, T.J. Hockenson should be available here but selecting him requires passing on several higher-ceiling options. I prefer to wait.

If Lamar Jackson is still available, he is worth considering here. With a new contract, a new offense, and new weapons, Jackson has the best odds of the remaining signal callers to provide fantasy production equal to the trio of quarterbacks taken before him. Based on current ADPs, this may be your final chance to grab a top-eight player at the position.

If you prefer to wait on quarterback, there are plenty of options at wide receiver and running back that fit the plan. At wide receiver, Deebo Samuel, Keenan Allen, and Calvin Ridley all come with some potential pitfalls but offer upside as key parts of offenses that are expected to be extremely productive this season.

The real potential gems in this section of the draft are the running backs. Specifically, Breece Hall and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs. Each comes with risk, but from a talent and upside perspective, they are head and shoulders above the running backs left at this point. This duo represents the final chance to select a running back that could challenge for the top of the position if everything goes their way this season.

Hall is recovering from an ACL injury, but everything he showed during his rookie season points toward a player with overall RB1 potential. Yes, Hall may start slow, potentially missing the first three to four weeks of the season, but by the time the playoffs roll around, he can provide fantasy production on par with players your league mates took a round and a half earlier. If the potential for compensatory injuries concerns you, that's fair. It is a risk I'm willing to take drafting from the 12th spot.

Looking for a generational prospect with top-15 draft capital that is expected to be a feature part of their offense as a rookie? You can take Bijan Robinson in the first round, or you can take Gibbs at the end of the third. Yes, Gibbs with share touches with David Montgomery, but there is room for both of them to succeed. The Lions are an ascending offense, and Gibbs has the talent to take control of this backfield by the end of the season. If he does, he should project as a weekly RB1 for the fantasy playoffs. Gibbs' upside can help us make up the ground we lost by landing the 12 spot.

Safer Selections: Jackson, Samuel, Allen

• Established talents that feature heavily in great offenses

Shoot for the Stars: Ridley, Hall, and Gibbs

• Some red flags but the talent and situation to finish the season top seven at their positions if things go their way

Round 5 and Round 6

As your fifth and sixth selections approach, there will be around 8 QBs, 4 TEs, and 24 WRs/RBs that have come off the board.

If you don't have a quarterback yet and Trevor Lawrence is still available, he is an excellent selection here before a tier drop to Dak Prescott. Lawrence made huge strides last season, and all of the pieces are in place for a year-three jump in the Jaguars' offense. Buy into an ascending talent in an ascending offense.

If you don't have a tight end yet, there are three different paths available in Kyle Pitts, Dallas Goedert, and Darren Waller. Pitts has the most talent but injury and quarterback concerns. Goedert is in the best offense but has the most target competition. Waller is the focal point of his offense but is the oldest and has a troubling injury history. For overall upside, I prefer Waller.

If you don't have an RB yet, there are several available in this range with projectable roles, including Alexander Mattison, James Conner, and Cam Akers. I much prefer the wide receivers in this range and would rather take a running back at the previous turn instead and go QB/WR, TE/WR, or WR/WR in this range.

Of the wide receivers potentially available, Brandon Aiyuk, Christian Watson, Christian Kirk, and George Pickens are solid choices. Aiyuk, Watson, and Pickens all offer significant upside as downfield threats. They come with some volume/quarterback concerns, but they have the talent to outperform their draft position if things break their way.

Ridley's arrival has overshadowed Kirk, but he has an established connection with Lawrence and is being knocked too far down draft boards. He finished as the WR11 last season and plays a central role in an ascending Jaguars' offense. Lawrence can support both Kirk and Ridley.

Safer Selections: Lawrence, Kirk, Goedert

• Best offenses in this area and worthwhile roles inside of them

Shoot for the Stars: Waller, Pitts, Aiyuk, Watson, and Pickens

• Pitfalls aplenty, but the talent is there to exceed their draft position

Takeaways

The biggest benefit of drafting from the 1.12 is that you are free to take some risks. It is a chance to draft for upside, shoot for the stars, and take a chance on unproven talents.

After all, all the players we now view as "safe" were once unproven themselves. It wasn't that long ago that drafters had concerns over A.J. Brown's landing spot on the Titans, Amon-Ra St. Brown's ability to replicate his rookie season as a 4th round-slot wide receiver, or Ja'Marr Chase's drops in training camp. Just look at those stars now.

Don't throw caution completely to the wind, but don't be afraid to mix in some less proven players with upside.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• If you can start by drafting Travis Kelce, do it. If this is the season his age finally catches up to him, so be it. It's a risk you should be looking to take drafting from the back half of the draft.
• If you have a chance to draft Hall or Gibbs at the 3-4 turn, do it. They provide a pathway to first-round running back production -- even if that path comes with some legitimate concerns.
• Try to select a top-eight quarterback. The upside they provide is crucial to keeping up at the position. Find the right signal-caller at the right draft pick for you.
• In redraft, the later you get in your drafts, the more you should prioritize upside. You want a bench full of players that have the potential to force their way into your starting lineup that is weaker than others in your league.

While you wait for Week 1's daily fantasy football slates to lock, you can get in on some best-ball fantasy football drafts on FanDuel. Just draft your team and watch the points pile up throughout the season.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.