Fantasy Football: How to Draft From the 1st Pick

The 2024 NFL season is less than a month away, which means fantasy football drafts will be taking place at an alarming rate in the coming weeks. Waiting to see what pick you receive in your league can drastically alter how you approach a draft.

For those who land the coveted No. 1 overall pick, the beginning of the draft is entirely in your hands. Selecting a player who has a legitimate path to scoring the most fantasy points is crucial when trying to decide who to select with the number-one pick.

While there are plenty of different routes to go when you possess the first-overall pick, a few of them stand out among the rest. Before making your first selection, here is how you should handle the first six rounds of your draft with the No. 1 pick -- assuming there are 12 people in the league.

Fantasy Football 1st Pick Strategy

Round 1 and Round 2

When discussing who to take with the number-one pick, the conversation begins with Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers. McCaffrey is coming off a 2023 campaign in which he outscored the RB2 (Raheem Mostert) in half-PPR formats by 102.6 fantasy points.

Despite McCaffrey currently dealing with a calf strain, there aren't any indications that he's in danger of missing San Francisco's season opener versus the New York Jets, making him the clear-cut choice at No. 1.

Besides McCaffrey, there can be cases made for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, and Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. Lamb is amidst a contract dispute with the Cowboys, but his overall WR1 potential is certainly present in a Dallas offense that lacks other receiving threats.

If you're playing in a full-point PPR league, then Lamb and Hill are much more enticing options given their defined roles in productive passing attacks.

Betting on Robinson to begin your draft is taking the stance that he has a legitimate chance to dethrone McCaffrey as the highest-scoring running back in 2024.

At the 2.12 selection, you could add another running back -- assuming you took McCaffrey or Robinson -- with Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco and Dolphins running back De'Von Achane standing out if they are still on the board. Taking one of the elite tight end options between Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce is also on the table to try to separate at a volatile position.

Round 3 and Round 4

Upon getting the No. 1 overall pick, you'll also have a chance to make back-to-back selections throughout the draft, beginning at the round 2/3 turn. Along with considering LaPorta and Kelce, you can begin to think about adding one of the top-tier quarterbacks between Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson.

Even though Mahomes doesn't have the dual-threat upside of Hurts and Jackson, he is expected to throw more touchdowns as the Chiefs improved at receiver in the offseason.

The interesting dilemma many will face early in the draft is how they want to approach the Brandon Aiyuk situation. Aiyuk has requested a trade from the 49ers, but there is ongoing talks from both sides to either find a new home for the talented wideout or hammer out a new contract.

If you believe Aiyuk remains with the 49ers or joins another offense that can maintain his status as a WR1 in fantasy, then he becomes an interesting choice in the third round. On the other hand, Deebo Samuel could see his value skyrocket if Aiyuk is dealt to another team before the season kicks off.

In the fourth round at the 4.12 selection, Anthony Richardson is an enticing player to consider if you didn't already take one of Hurts, Mahomes, or Jackson. Additionally, DeVonta Smith, Malik Nabers, Amari Cooper, Tee Higgins, and George Pickens all possess ceiling outcomes at the receiver spot.

Once again, wide receivers who have definitive roles should be prioritized in this area of the draft in full PPR formats. Stacking pass-catchers with their quarterbacks could also be an advantageous strategy in this portion of the draft.

Round 5 and Round 6

Aside from the receivers listed above, James Conner and Rhamondre Stevenson are two clear-cut starting backs who should be considered if you avoided the running back position early. Conner has finished as RB10 or better in fantasy points per game in each of his first three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals while Stevenson has only Antonio Gibson competing for backfield touches in a new-look New England Patriots offense.

At this point of the draft, your selections should be based on how your leaguemates are drafting. Finding value at running back, wide receiver, or tight end could be made easier if you have already addressed the quarterback spot by the fifth round.

That being said, waiting for a quarterback isn't the worst idea if you can get either Dak Prescott or Jordan Love to fall to you in the sixth round. Love and Prescott both finished as QB5 and QB6, respectively, in half-PPR leagues a season ago, and they both should be leaned on plenty in 2024.

Chris Godwin is a veteran receiver who I believe will bounce back this season as he's primed to receive more slot snaps again for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Given the other receiver options in the 6.12 range, Godwin stands out among the pack if you need to improve at the position.

Of the running backs who could be available, Raheem Mostert, Zack Moss, and Tony Pollard all come with question marks. While Mostert averaged the third-most fantasy points per game among running backs last season, Achane figures to carve out a larger role, and Mostert turned 32 years old earlier this year.

Takeaways

There are a few viable options with the No. 1 pick in your fantasy football draft entering the 2024 season. Once making your decision to begin the draft, here are some takeaways to keep in mind in the following rounds.

• Selecting one of the elite quarterbacks early has its perks. At the same time, don't feel like you are forced to select one even if your leaguemates go on a quarterback run as there will then be value at running back and receiver.
• Feel free to reach a few picks in average draft position (ADP) -- especially if you're able to stack your quarterback with one of their pass-catchers. There will be 22 picks made between your 1.01 and 2.12 and 3.01 and 4.12 selections -- and so forth -- so missing out on your targeted players just because their ADP suggests they shouldn't be taken yet isn't ideal.
• Deploying a 'Hero RB' strategy if you select McCaffrey or Robinson at 1.01 is viable with the value you can get at other positions. In this scenario, you'll want to then take running backs with upside later in the draft to pair alongside the potential RB1.

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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.