Fantasy: Strategy for drafting at the top of the round

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

For most fantasy owners, draft day is drawing near. It's an exciting time, but one that can be extremely stressful if you're not prepared.

Owners in leagues that hold a lottery for draft order likely already know where they're picking. If your commissioner hasn't held the lottery yet, it's time for a friendly email or a trip to their office to push the process forward.

Over the next few days, we're going to break the draft into three parts, figuring out the best way to attack your draft from the position you've been assigned.

Out of the three sections we will be covering, picking early seems to produce the least impressive teams. This doesn't mean you can't draft a dominant squad with an early selection, but you may need to reach for the players on the verge of breakout seasons.

Here's a look at our plan for drafting with one of the first four picks.

Average draft position (ADP) data courtesy of FantasyFootballCalculator and based on 12-team leagues with standard scoring.

Round 1

Picks: 1.01-1.04

In standard formats, you're almost forced to go with an elite running back at the top of the first round. Running back gets ugly fast this year, but you can't go wrong with the top five: Le'Veon Bell, Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, Eddie Lacy and Jamaal Charles.

I'm open to an argument for Rob Gronkowski with one of the first four picks, simply for the massive fantasy advantage he holds over the rest of the league's tight ends. However, when you weigh a tandem of Gronk and Doug Martin (fifth round) against Peterson and Travis Kelce (fifth round), the choice is obviously the latter.

RB1 - Adrian Peterson (1st)

Round 2

Picks: 2.09-2.12

Waiting for the draft to come back to you can feel like an eternity, but during that time you should be tracking who your opponents are selecting and staying focused on whether the players you're targeting are still available. After taking a running back in the first round, you definitely want at least one receiver at the two-three turn.

Jordy Nelson being lost for the year may cause Randall Cobb's ADP to spike over the next week or so, but he should still be available at the end of the second round. He would have been worth the pick even with Nelson healthy. Now that he's the No. 1 option, he's that much more valuable.

If Cobb is off the board, A.J. Green, Alshon Jeffery, and Mike Evans are also fine picks at the end of the second round.

RB1 - Adrian Peterson (1st)
WR1 - Randall Cobb (2nd)

Round 3

Picks: 3.01-3.04

This is where the debate over which position to address really begins. While I've had success in recent seasons going with two receivers in my first three picks, searching for a starting fantasy back in the late fourth or beyond is extremely risky this year.

Lamar Miller is playing in an uptempo offense, with a quarterback on the rise and a slew of new receiving weapons who can help take the focus off the run game. Miller's offensive line leaves something to be desired, but he did well running behind less a year ago.

Other running back options at this pick include Frank Gore and Mark Ingram.

RB1 - Adrian Peterson (1st)
RB2 - Lamar Miller (3rd)
WR1 - Randall Cobb (2nd)

Round 4

Picks: 4.09-4.12

For some reason, the late fourth round is a dead zone this year. The running backs and receivers in that range are decent, but no one jumps off the page as a difference maker. Hopefully someone with an ADP in the early fourth falls to you, but since we don't have that luxury here we'll take the best wideout available.

In this case, we'll go with the youth and upside of Keenan Allen. Brandon Marshall has been a top fantasy player for years, but his quarterback situation is uncertain. Martavis Bryant is full of potential, but the Steelers haven't committed to giving him starter's snaps yet.

Allen is primed for a bounce-back year in the Chargers offense, after working hard in the offseason to get back into top shape. With Antonio Gates suspended for the first four games, expect Allen to get off to a fast start as Philip Rivers' top target.

RB1 - Adrian Peterson (1st)
RB2 - Lamar Miller (3rd)
WR1 - Randall Cobb (2nd)
WR2 - Keenan Allen (4th)

Round 5

Picks: 5.01-5.04

My brain is programmed to either pounce on an elite tight end early or wait until the later rounds for a high-upside player. If you waited last year, you may have ended up with Travis Kelce, who finished eighth at his position.

Kelce is finally healthy and his snaps are about to increase with Anthony Fasano no longer in Kansas City. He has a chance to settle in as the second-best tight end in fantasy, and warrants a fifth-round pick.

With Kelvin Benjamin and Kevin White sidelined for the year, Greg Olsen and Martellus Bennett could also be set up for big seasons. You'll have to gauge when the run on this group of tight ends will happen, but they are all worth breaking the early-elite or lottery-ticket-late rule.

RB1 - Adrian Peterson (1st)
RB2 - Lamar Miller (3rd)
WR1 - Randall Cobb (2nd)
WR2 - Keenan Allen (4th)
TE1 - Travis Kelce (5th)

Round 6

Picks: 6.09-6.12

Once we receive some concrete news on his health, this is the area I would begin to consider Arian Foster, if he's still on the board. Instead, we turn our attention to shoring up our third receiver slot.

At least one member of the following trio of rising stars should last until the late sixth round; Allen Robinson, John Brown, and Charles Johnson. All three are young wideouts who can far exceed their ADPs. Robinson has WR1 talent, and while his touchdown total may be a concern, he faces less competition for targets than the other two.

RB1 - Adrian Peterson (1st)
RB2 - Lamar Miller (3rd)
WR1 - Randall Cobb (2nd)
WR2 - Keenan Allen (4th)
WR3 - Allen Robinson (6th)
TE1 - Travis Kelce (5th)

Round 7

Picks: 7.01-7.04

Quarterback is unbelievably deep this year, so don't worry about the lack of a QB1 at this point in the draft. Instead, let's back up some of our riskier plays at receiver with a reliable veteran.

Vincent Jackson and Larry Fitzgerald fit the bill perfectly. Their high floors come with low ceilings, but they are stabilizing players who can step into your lineup if one of the younger starters falters. Fitzgerald put up great numbers when Carson Palmer was healthy last season. Palmer is back and Fitzgerald is ready to recapture his fantasy relevance.

RB1 - Adrian Peterson (1st)
RB2 - Lamar Miller (3rd)
WR1 - Randall Cobb (2nd)
WR2 - Keenan Allen (4th)
WR3 - Allen Robinson (6th)
TE1 - Travis Kelce (5th)
Bench - Larry Fitzgerald (7th)

Round 8

Picks: 8.09-8.12

We may have waited a little long to add depth at the position most affected by injuries, but a savvy fantasy owner can always find serviceable running backs off the waiver wire in-season.

Two backs are being seriously undervalued at the moment due to the nature of their roles. Shane Vereen and Danny Woodhead may not hammer the ball up the middle, but both are dynamic weapons who will see significant snaps in their offenses.

Both players are capable of totaling over 1,000 yards and six to eight touchdowns. The Giants defense has been hit hard by injuries, meaning their offense is going to need to throw often, so let's lean towards Vereen with our pick.

Round 9

Picks: 9.01-9.04

The time has finally come to settle on a quarterback. Far too many people have been sleeping on Ryan Tannehill as a fantasy starter. Unfortunately, his play in the preseason is waking them up. You may still be able to get him in the ninth, but he's been going as early as the seventh round in some mock drafts.

Eli Manning is also playing in a fast-paced offense that will produce a plethora of fantasy points. Manning's fantasy numbers blew up down the stretch last year, after the emergence of Odell Beckham Jr.

Most teams will have drafted their QB1 by now, so you can wait and scoop up whoever is still on the board between Tannehill or Manning. If both players have surprisingly been taken, Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater could join the QB1 conversation this season.

QB1 - Eli Manning (9th)
RB1 - Adrian Peterson (1st)
RB2 - Lamar Miller (3rd)
WR1 - Randall Cobb (2nd)
WR2 - Keenan Allen (4th)
WR3 - Allen Robinson (6th)
TE1 - Travis Kelce (5th)
Bench - Larry Fitzgerald (7th)
Bench - Shane Vereen (8th)

Late Rounds

After the ninth round, ADPs are kind of out the window. Our starting lineup is set and we have a backup at both running back and receiver.

Depending on the size of the benches in your league, your late picks will be dedicated to filling out your depth with as many high-upside players as possible. If they don't work out, you can always drop them in favor of early-season waiver wire stars.