When it comes to fantasy football drafts, knowing what players you want to target is only half the battle. Knowing the draft – when specific players are coming off the board and which positions to target early – is arguably just as important. If you can build a strategy around targeting the correct players in the correct spots based on ADP trends, you’re laying a strong foundation that can lead to a fantasy championship.
The draft is often the best part of playing fantasy football. You still need to nail all the in-season aspects – working the waiver wire, making trades, and starting the right players – but all of that is moot if you don’t start the year with a decent roster. A good draft can overcome subpar in-season management, but it’s hard to come back from a bad draft.
Which site you’re drafting on also plays a huge part in your strategy, as player ADPs and positional values vary across different platforms.
This piece is going to cover everything you need to know about Yahoo. Which positions and players are on the rise, and who is falling? If you can successfully navigate your draft, you’re going to put the rest of your league behind the eight ball. Let’s dive in.
QBs continue to slide
Waiting on QB has long been a preferred strategy in 1QB formats. In a standard 12-team league, only 12 QBs are going to start at the position. That’s far fewer than the number of RBs and WRs, especially given that most leagues now start at least one flex spot, so loading up on RBs and WRs over taking a QB early often makes the most sense.
Nothing has changed heading into the 2024 season.
Don’t get me wrong, there are still QBs being drafted early.Josh Allen is being selected in the late second round in mostYahoo drafts (ADP of pick No. 21.3 overall), whilePatrick MahomesandJalen Hurts have an ADP of around 30 overall. Lamar Jackson(35.6),C.J. Stroud (41.6), andAnthony Richardson (43.0) will also garner early-round consideration.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) evades Los Angeles Rams safety Russ Yeast (2) during game action against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, in Indianapolis. Photo Credit: Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
However, these QBs have all seen their respective ADPs fall over the past seven days, and I would expect that trend to continue as we near September. QB is simply too deep of a position to justify a premium pick on in the early rounds in 1QB leagues.
Let’s frame it another way. In standard 12-team 1QB formats,Jared Goff(107.6),Jayden Daniels (117.3),Caleb Williams (118.3),Justin Herbert (120.7), and other QBs are all being drafted outside the top 12 at the position. These names and others still have a fair chance to provide top-10 fantasy QB production, and they’re available in the middle to late rounds. While it’s still possible to find a top-10 RB or WR in those later rounds, the chances of such a breakout are much more slim.
With that in mind, it’s not surprising that the top QBs have seen their ADPs slide. I’m not saying you absolutely can’t take an elite QB in the early rounds, but I would only really consider doing so if you can get one who's slid past his ADP. Otherwise, as long as you take your starter before most of your league starts drafting their backup QB, you’re going to be perfectly fine at the position in 1QB formats with spending an early-round pick on one.
Youth reigns supreme at WR
For years, we’ve had a host of fantasy superstars available at the WR position. There have been plenty of guys you would've felt comfortable drafting as your WR1 or WR2 over that span, like Davante Adams,Stefon Diggs, andMike Evans just to name a few.
However, 2024 feels a bit like a changing of the guard. Some of those previously established superstar WRs are getting a bit long in the tooth. At the same time, some exciting young WR prospects are joining the fray.
Ultimately, drafters are making a clear statement with their preferences thus far in 2024 drafts: we want the young guys. Adams, Diggs, and Evans have all seen their respective ADPs slide over the past seven days, and instead, a few of their younger counterparts have been rising up draft boards.
Let’s start withDrake London. His ADP early in the offseason was approximately pick No. 30.0 overall on Yahoo, but it’s crept up to 25.7 over the past seven days. That still feels low when compared to ourFantasy Life rankings, which have him at pick No. 15.8 overall.
Oct 1, 2023; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell (32) defends against Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) in the first half during an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
No WR projects for a bigger QB upgrade from last year than London. He caught passes from the most uninspiring group of QBs in the league in 2023, so a (hopefully) healthyKirk Cousins will be a welcome sight. Cousins has already propelled guys like Diggs andJustin Jefferson to fantasy superstardom, and London could be next.
And London isn’t the only youngster moving up draft boards.Jaylen Waddle (34.7),Tank Dell (67.9), andMalik Nabers (71.8) are three other young WRs who've seen their respective ADPs increase by at least a couple of spots over the past week.
In general,targeting young WRs is a good process. As long as their price tags don’t get too out of control, it’s a strategy you should be embracing in your upcoming 2024 drafts.
All hail King Henry?
Speaking of aging veterans,Derrick Henrywill turn 31 years old in a few months and is coming off his worst campaign in years. By all accounts, this is a player who most drafters should be hesitant to draft in 2024.
Instead, Henry is still commanding massive respect.
He’s currently coming off the board as the No. 7 RB in Yahoo leagues, and his price tag continues to get more expensive. His ADP has hovered around pick No. 17.3 overall thus far, but it’s moved up to 14.9 over the past seven days.
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) is tackled by Houston Texans linebacker Christian Harris (48) during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023. Photo Credit: Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
The case for Henry is pretty simple. He’s an all-time great who has transitioned to one of the mostrun-heavy offenses in football. The Ravens ran the ball at the highest frequency in the league last season, and they had anegative DBOE in 10 of 17 regular season contests. If Henry can carve out a bell-cow role in Baltimore, he could potentially see immense volume this coming year.
Playing alongside Lamar Jackson should also help create running lanes for Henry. Because opposing defenders have to respect Jackson in the run game, so they can’t swarm Henry like they did in Tennessee. If opposing defenses don't maintain gap integrity, Jackson could keep the ball and make them pay.
So, should you pay the increased price tag for Henry? Most of our rankers say no. He checks in with an average ranking of 25.0 in 0.5 PPR formats. If his ADP price tag continues to increase, Henry won't end up on most of my teams.
