Fantasy Football: How to Draft From the 7th Spot

The NFL season is right around the corner, which means fantasy football drafts are kicking into gear each weekend.

What that means is that it's time for preparation so that you can do the best you can come draft day.

When you're in the middle of a draft, it forces you to do more homework than maybe anyone else because part of the game is knowing who you're going to take first -- let alone the rest of the draft. When you're stuck in the middle, you have to wait as countless picks go between each turn, meaning your list of options has to be long and wide.

Preparation from the seventh spot involves you flowing with the draft. Don't go in with one plan; go in with many plans.

Here's what you should be looking at from the No. 7 spot with the goal of having a successful season from one of the tougher spots in a 12-man league.

Fantasy Football 7th Pick Strategy

Round 1 and Round 2

The seventh pick is a good spot for the first round, but you need to have an idea which way you want to commit in the second as soon as you do decide. That's the beauty of being in the middle.

Thinking ahead, even when things can be unpredictable, will set you up well. So it all starts in the first round and it shouldn't come as a surprise that there are plenty of great options to choose from.

Due to an injured hamstring, Cooper Kupp has dropped outside the top five in most leagues. Now, it's for good reason for a player coming off a season-ending injury and now dealing with a new one, but take a moment to remember what Kupp is capable of -- 18.2 points per game in 2022. There are concerns though so the likes of Bijan Robinson and Tyreek Hill do pique some interest. The sure bet of the two star receivers would be the safer, more trusting option which is what you want with your first pick.

Now looking ahead to the second round, it's filled with wide receivers. You'll likely have your pick from Davante Adams, Garrett Wilson, CeeDee Lamb, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Rather than forcing it for a running back here, give yourself one of the best 1-2 punches in the league at wideout with any of these four along with the first pick of Hill or Kupp.

Limiting risk -- especially in Round 1 and Round 2 -- is most important, and all four of these guys should have standout years in them.

Round 3 and Round 4

Jumping into the third round, you're now locked and loaded with two studs at wide receiver who should be able to give you a great floor each and every week. Now is the time you look for the right pieces to make you a championship-caliber team.

There is likely to be one of the top three quarterbacks -- Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts -- available at this spot. Getting one of the elite three who sit in their own tier above the rest would not only be a difference maker for your team but would give a third star player to count on to get the majority of your points. With the likelihood that it's Hurts you end up with, it's definitely worth selecting in this spot.

Looking ahead to Round 4, you've accepted your running back spot isn't probably going got be all too great -- and that's okay. There are a handful of options here to choose from but don't begin reaching for a running back. That'll only hurt your team. Instead, process the board and all possibilities.

Seeing that the quarterback position is covered, we can look at just the running back, FLEX, and tight-end options.

The two running backs likely to be on the board here are Miles Sanders and Kenneth Walker III. If those don't intrigue you, and you want to solidify your receivers all the more with a third for the FLEX, consider Deebo Samuel, Jerry Jeudy, or Terry McLaurin.

Seeing that the first three rounds we've gone WR/WR/QB, it wouldn't be all too daring to go with tight end here as T.J. Hockenson should be on the board and would provide one more positional advantage in your lineup.

There are plenty of options.

Round 5 and Round 6

By this point, you'll want to start going for a running back with the idea we went with Hockenson or a FLEX.

This is really where the better late options line up as Alexander Mattison, Dameon Pierce, James Conner, and Rachaad White are all set to be the starters for their teams and likely to get the ball a good amount at that. Unless a wide receiver falls for that FLEX spot, this is the way to go.

In the sixth round, it'll come down to what you already have. If you're looking for that second running back then guys like David Montgomery and Javonte Williams line up really well; both have an opportunity to be far better than where they're currently valued.

You should be taking as many running backs as possible because after going with the "No RB" strategy, you want to find an option -- or two -- that sticks for the season.

Takeaways

The beauty of the No. 7 pick is that despite missing out on the first half of the draft, you can still walk away with a pick like Kupp or Hill that could arguably be top-five values when the season ends. It's where you go from there that it gets interesting, but that's the beauty of the middle pick -- excluding everything else.

It's pretty rare that many first-round and second-round picks turn into a double running back stack, and it's because of how many teams are picking wideouts early and often. You don't want to miss out on the studs.

The goal was to give you an idea of what to expect from seventh in a 12-man league. While all drafts are different, this should be a good guiding light to keep you on track. Never go in with a complete plan. There are so many different factors at play that it makes it unfair for you to do that because players will fall that aren't expected to and so on. Always be willing to move as the draft goes. That way, you can dominate and (hopefully) win.

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.