Fantasy: Strategy for drafting in the middle of the round

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2016 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.

In this three-part series, theScore's fantasy editors break down the best ways to approach your draft depending on where you're selecting in the round.

Draft Position

• Picks 1-4
• Picks 5-8
• Picks 9-12

Here's a look at how you can attack your draft if you've been assigned one of the middle-four picks in a 12-team standard scoring league.

Average draft position (ADP) data courtesy of FantasyFootballCalculator.

Round 1

Picks: 1.05-1.08

You can make an argument for starting with a running back in the middle of the first round, since the top five backs might all be available. However, I still prefer using my top pick on an elite receiver, since they tend to bring a more consistent return on investment, in part because they get injured less often.

DeAndre Hopkins or A.J. Green are the ideal players to target in this range, with both being set up for monster seasons as the unchallenged No. 1 options on their respective teams.

For some reason, many fantasy owners are overlooking Green, who sometimes slides to the back end of the first round. His situation screams career year, with the Bengals lacking options in the receiving corps, and with tight end Tyler Eifert expected to miss a portion of the season after ankle surgery.

Round 2

Picks: 2.05-2.08

In the early rounds, you want to avoid taking risks that could blow up your team before you even have an opportunity to compete for a playoff spot.

Brandon Marshall was undervalued all offseason during the Ryan Fitzpatrick contract saga. With his starting quarterback in the lineup, there's no reason to think Marshall won't be a top-10 receiver in 2016. For anyone who forgot, Marshall finished third among fantasy wideouts a year ago, behind only Antonio Brown and Julio Jones.

Round 3

Picks: 3.05-3.08

There's one running back left before a big drop at the position. C.J. Anderson has yet to put together a full season of quality fantasy production, but when healthy over the last two years he has delivered RB1 numbers. The Broncos' passing game carries some doubts into the season due to their QB situation, which will force them to lean on Anderson and their defense to win each week.

With two superstar pass-catchers on our roster already, we could round out the receiving corps with a high-upside pick like Sammy Watkins, but that would limit our flexibility moving forward.

Round 4

Picks: 4.05-4.08

Normally, you should wait on a tight end, but there are a couple of players at the position worth considering at the right price.

Jordan Reed averaged more fantasy points per game than Rob Gronkowski last season, but didn't play a full slate, so Gronk stayed on the tight end throne. That's not to suggest Reed should be going off the board in the late first or early second round, but merely to point out his value in the fourth.

Having Reed on your roster is like having another starting receiver.

Round 5

Picks: 5.05-5.08

Donte Moncrief and Michael Floyd are two of my favorite players to draft in 2016, as both prepare for massive breakout campaigns and are still waiting to hear their names called in the middle of the fifth round.

Andrew Luck has looked like his old self in the preseason, and that means the entire Indy offense will be fantasy relevant once again. Moncrief has the size and skill to become the Colts' top receiver, or at worst be a 1B to T.Y. Hilton's 1A.

Moncrief is the type of high-ceiling selection you should be looking to as your WR3.

Round 6

Picks: 6.05-6.08

Speaking of the Colts' offense, we're going to double dip by scooping up Frank Gore one round later.

With Luck sidelined most of the year and the offense struggling, Gore still managed 1,200 total yards and seven touchdowns in 2015. His age, 33, is keeping his draft stock down, but he could easily be a top-15 fantasy back again this season.

Round 7

Picks: 7.05-7.08

This is the earliest I'm willing to take a quarterback, unless Cam Newton or Aaron Rodgers slip into the sixth round somehow.

Carson Palmer is a step below the Newtons and Rodgers of the fantasy world, but he's coming off a top-five fantasy finish last season and there's little reason to think he won't repeat that mark.

Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians loves to throw the ball, and Palmer has one of the deepest receiving corps in the league, including an excellent pass-catching back in sophomore star David Johnson.

Round 8

Picks: 8.05-8.08

Fantasy owners often try to come off like the smartest guy in the room by selecting the player they think will be the next up-and-coming star. If you're looking for receivers in the eighth round, this could lead you to Sterling Shepard or Kevin White, both of whom have the potential to make instant impacts.

This can lead to veterans like DeSean Jackson being devalued. In what essentially amounted to half a season's work, D-Jax posted more than 500 yards and four touchdowns last season.

The long-term threat of rookie Josh Doctson becoming the Redskins' top wideout is real, but Doctson has yet to get on the field due to injury and may miss the start of the year. Don't always chase "the next big thing" if a solid veteran is right in front of you.

Round 9

Picks: 9.05-9.08

As we continue to fill out our bench, there's an obvious need for depth at running back. Charles Sims offers a nice balance of Flex potential (he finished as a low-end RB2 in standard leagues last season), with RB1 upside if Doug Martin were to go down with an injury.

Round 10

Picks: 10.05-10.08

Like Sims, Christine Michael could see weekly touches playing behind Thomas Rawls, while being a lottery ticket option if the Seahawks starter got hurt.

Michael has played so well in training camp and the preseason that it's possible he could even turn Seattle's backfield into a timeshare if Rawls struggles to get back to his 2015 form.

Late Rounds

With reliable starters at QB and TE, the focus in the later rounds should be on upside running backs who could be league winners if they hit. Broncos rookie Devontae Booker should be at the top of that list, to handcuff our RB1 C.J. Anderson.