One of the most famous sayings in sports is that you can not have enough depth. We have seen plenty of teams both rise and fall due to the depth of their rosters. Fantasy football is no different. The guys you select in the late rounds of your draft will play a pivotal role in lengthening your lineup. Whether it’s filling in for your starters when they’re on bye, or becoming a starter when your regular starter gets injured, a strong closeout to the draft can win you your league. Here is how the final rounds of your draft should go.
Round 10: Lock Up Your Backup Tight End
Out of all the positions in fantasy, tight end is by far the thinnest. Once you get past the top five or six, there is no guarantee that these guys can be every-week starters. Sure, they’ll have upside, but they also come with questions that could derail them. That’s why you try to grab a guy like Brock Bowers or Colston Loveland early. Then once you start focusing on your bench, it’s the first position you should attack.
There are two guys who will make great backup tight ends on your fantasy roster. The first is Isiash Likely, who has received a lot of hype this draft cycle. He is set to be the Giants’ No. 1 tight end, the first time in his career he has held that position. But he is also going to be the second receiving option behind Malik Nabers, giving him plenty of volume. Hunter Henry is also someone to consider. He and Drake Maye have great chemistry, plus Henry has been New England’s main red zone target for years.
Round 11: A High Floor Backup Quarterback
When getting a backup quarterback in fantasy, you want to aim for someone with a high floor. Sure, taking a high-upside quarterback is smart in theory. But unless you’re playing in a superflex, your starter comes out only for injury or a bye week. Ideally, you will only need to rely on this guy for one week. Because you only need him for one week, it does not make sense to take a guy who is boom-or-bust. You want a guy you can plug into your lineup and know he will put up solid numbers.
The best quarterback to take for this role is Jared Goff. He may not be the flashiest player, but few QBs have been as consistent as he is. He has been a top-15 fantasy quarterback for the past three seasons. With the offense he’s in and his weapons, he’s a lock to get close to 4,000 yards and over 20 touchdowns. Sam Darnold is another quarterback that fits this role. Sure, there are questions with Klint Kubiak now in Vegas, but Darnold still should be able to put in a decent season.
Round 12-13: A High Floor Running Back/Wide Receiver
Just like with quarterback, you are going to want at least one running back and wide receiver who will be consistent. Guys who may not be the flashiest names, but are big play machines. But will consistently deliver decent performances week in, week out. This will make the bye-week stress go away. You will not have to worry about taking your starter out, because there is someone you can rely on. With these positions being so late, you can wait until later in your fantasy draft and get a good player.
Josh Downs is a player to look at in this spot. He constantly gets around five or six targets per game, and this number will increase with Michael Pittman Jr in Pittsburgh. The volume is there for him to put up solid fantasy production over the entire season. RJ Harvey should also be a consistent producer at the running back spot. Sure, he’s the running back two, but he should get heavy usage in the passing game. This will make up for whatever touches JK Dobbins steals for him.
Round 14: Best Upside Player Available
Now that you have a solid foundation on your bench, you can start making more risky moves. Every winning fantasy team has at least one player who is not talked about during the draft process and puts in a good season. It’s someone you took a flyer on that ultimately turns out to be a star. This late in the draft is the perfect spot to do so. If they work out, you seem like a genius and got tremendous value. If they fail, it’s much easier to cut them early, since they’re such a late pick.
Romeo Doubs is someone to consider in this spot. Sure, he has never been a wide receiver, and will be overshadowed in the Patriots’ offense by AJ Brown. But he has averaged over 13 yards per catch in the past two seasons. He could be the big play option, especially now that Kayshon Boutte is in Houston. Emmett Johnson is another one to consider. Sure, he is stuck behind Kenneth Walker on the depth chart. But with Walker’s injury history, he could be the running back one sooner than expected.
Round 15/16: Best Defense/Kicker Available
Lots of people will make an argument that you can get an advantage by drafting a defense or a kicker early in the draft. While you can get more consistent fantasy production from these spots by doing so, you are hurting the depth of other positions. The best move is to streamline these positions and pick who you are going to start based on matchups. Because of that, it is best to sit and wait until your final few selections to take them. Odds are, by the time the bye weeks roll around, you’ll already be starting different players than who you drafted.
