Fantasy Football: How to Draft From the 9th Pick

The 2024 NFL season is less than a month away, meaning this is peak fantasy football draft season. While there's no one-size-fits-all approach to drafting a fantasy football team, your strategy in snake drafts can differ greatly based on which pick you have.

If you have the ninth pick, you may miss out on some of the truly elite names. But that doesn't mean you don't have a chance at a top player -- just ask those who rostered CeeDee Lamb last season. And you'll swing around for an early Round 2 pick, giving you two impact players right off the bat.

From there, things get muddier. You won't know for sure who will be available with the rest of your picks until draft day, but FantasyPros' average draft position (ADP) data can help us build a rough outline of who to target and when.

Mock drafts can help with that, too, so I partook in one using the ninth pick strategy detailed below. The round-by-round results from that mock are below each round analysis.

Let's break down how to draft from the 9th pick in 2024 fantasy football drafts.

Fantasy Football 9th Pick Strategy

Round 1 and Round 2

Based on current ADP numbers, there seems to be a consensus top eight picks in one-QB, half-PPR scoring formats. Eight players have an ADP of 7.3 or less, followed by A.J. Brown (ADP 9.3), Jonathan Taylor 11.0), Saquon Barkley (11.3), and Jahmyr Gibbs (11.3).

It's up to your personal preference whether you want to start with a wide receiver or running back, but from a game-theory perspective, Brown is my preferred choice.

According to our fantasy football projections, Brown is projected to average 14.3 fantasy points per game this season. The next-closest wide receiver by ADP -- Puka Nacua (ADP 12.7) -- is projected to average 13.7 points per game. After that, Garrett Wilson (ADP 13.0) is projected for 13.3 and Marvin Harrison Jr. comes in at 12.6.

Compare that to running back, where Taylor, Barkley, and Gibbs are all projected between 14.7 and 14.9 points per game. Kyren Williams (ADP 16.3) is projected for 13.8 points per game and Travis Etienne (ADP 18.0) is at 13.9.

The fall-off between Brown and the next few wideouts is just bigger than that trio of backs and the rushers who follow. That's especially important to keep in mind considering just six picks separate your first two selections.

Mock: WR A.J. Brown (1.09)

Round 2 is where your choice is a little less obvious.

You could certainly start WR-WR. Nacua and Wilson would be strong values at the 2.04, and this is likely your only chance to secure Harrison or Davante Adams (ADP 17.7).

But if I started with a receiver in the first round, this is where I'm targeting a running back. Obviously, Taylor, Barkley, or Gibbs would be smash selections here. But Williams, Etienne, or Derrick Henry (ADP 20.0) all have enough upside to be your team's RB1.

Mock: RB Kyren Williams (2.04)

Round 3 and Round 4

After you go in the second round, 16 picks separate your second and third selections, so you're going to be playing the field a lot more than in Rounds 1 and 2.

But part of the reason I like securing a running back with one of the first two picks from the No. 9 slot is how many intriguing the receivers are who are typically available in the late third and early fourth rounds.

Looking at ADP, Deebo Samuel (ADP 28.3), Nico Collins 29.7), Mike Evans (30.7), and Brandon Aiyuk (31.3) would all be stellar WR2s for your squad. Even if those four don't last to pick 33, I'm more than fine reaching for someone like Michael Pittman Jr. (36.3), Jaylen Waddle (36.3), or Cooper Kupp (38.0).

The running backs in this range are less inspiring, although I can see the logic in grabbing Josh Jacobs (25.0), Rachaad White (34.7), or James Cook (38.7), especially if you started WR-WR.

This is also where you can begin to consider a quarterback or tight end. There's an argument for taking any of the top four passers -- Josh Allen (21.7), Jalen Hurts (32.3), Patrick Mahomes (33.0), and Lamar Jackson (38.0) as well as either of the top two tight ends: Sam LaPorta (26.0) and Travis Kelce (27.0).

Hurts -- a potential league-winner at quarterback -- is someone I'm particularly eyeing if I selected Brown in the first round. Those two form arguably the top stack heading into 2024.

Mock: QB Jalen Hurts (3.09)

When you swing back around for your Round 4 pick, a similar strategy applies.

If you didn't address QB or TE in the third, consider an elite option at quarterback or tight end. I wouldn't reach for a quarterback outside the top four, but you can expand your tight end search to Trey McBride (47.3), Mark Andrews (47.7), or Dalton Kincaid (51.7) if LaPorta and Kelce are gone. Those three likely won't make it back to your Round 5 pick.

Again, I'm not in love with the running backs in this range, but if any of those we considered in Round 3 are still available, they're solid values at this point. Otherwise, you're reaching for guys like Joe Mixon (42.3), Kenneth Walker III (46.3), or Alvin Kamara (46.7). It's worth mentioning that we project Kamara as the RB7 (14.7 points per game) over a full 17-game season. That's noticeably higher than his RB17 ADP.

This is another good spot to bolster your receiver room. See if any of the suggested names from Round 3 are still around, but also consider D.J. Moore (39.0) and D.K. Metcalf (ADP 39.3).

Mock: RB Alvin Kamara (4.04)

Round 5 and Round 6

Rounds 5 and 6 are where things really start to open up. In general, I'm looking to secure as much value as possible in these middle rounds. You still want to keep roster construction in line, but don't sweat if you don't have every starting slot filled before you start adding to your depth.

If you haven't grabbed a quarterback yet, this isn't a bad spot to do so. There's a chance C.J. Stroud (ADP 46.3) or Anthony Richardson (50.0) are still on the board, and either would be a rock-solid addition to your team. Joe Burrow (61.0) and Kyler Murray (67.0) are strong sixth-round targets.

See if any of the tight ends we previously mentioned fell to the fifth round. If they're gone, I'd hold off until taking a chance on George Kittle (61.7) or Kyle Pitts (62.0).

I'm typically still looking for my second running back at this point, and Round 5 is where we can start diving back into the position. Any of Aaron Jones (55.7), James Conner (58.7), Rhamondre Stevenson (59.3), or David Montgomery (61.0) would be fine RB2s. In RB-heavy drafts, I'd be willing to reach a bit for D'Andre Swift (65.0), Zamir White (68.7), or Najee Harris (69.0).

Again, building wide receiver depth is never a bad idea. This is where you could see some upside names fall through the cracks. I'd feel very comfortable with any of Malik Nabers (52.0), Amari Cooper (55.0), Tee Higgins (57.7), Zay Flowers (58.7), or George Pickens (58.7) as my team's WR3.

If you still have only one wideout at this point, I'd be looking to double-tap the position in Rounds 5 and 6. That puts guys like Tank Dell (65.0), Keenan Allen (69.0), Terry McLaurin (71.3), and Christian Kirk (72.3) in range, too.

Mock: WR Malik Nabers (5.09)

Mock: WR Tee Higgins (6.04)

Takeaways

The ninth pick doesn't offer as much upside at the top, but it does allow you to start with two top-16 players. Here are some key takeaways to keep in mind.

• The middle rounds are all about wide receiver depth. Unless you're leaning into a full Zero-RB build, it's really hard to walk away from your first two picks without a rusher and still feel good about the position.
• Pay close attention to the rosters of those with the 10th, 11th, and 12th picks. They'll all pick twice in between the rest of your selections in a snake draft, and you can use that to your advantage. For example: If you're interested in a quarterback with one of your odd-round picks, see if those three already have one. If they do, you're free to grab a player at another position before drafting that QB around the turn. By that same logic, if none of them have a quarterback and the position is drying up, know that they'll have two cracks at one before your next pick.
• If you ignored quarterback and/or tight end early, lean into it. After the top seven or eight at each position, there's a pretty sizable tier of good-not-great options you can wait on. Don't be in a rush to grab someone from the top of that tier. You want to be drafting players at the bottom of tiers.

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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.