• Bijan Robinson is the ideal first-round pick: It’s possible to land an elite wide receiver in the second round and harder to find an elite running back option in that round, making Robinson the best option in the first round for 10-team leagues.
• Wait at quarterback and tight end: On Sleeper, there are too many values in this pick range during the early rounds that it makes sense to wait at both positions in order to dominate at running back and wide receiver.
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Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

This perfect draft strategy for 12-team, single quarterback, redraft, PPR fantasy football leagues uses current average draft positions (ADPs) specifically from Sleeper to deliver a round-by-round guide for managers picking at the early middle of the draft — specifically from Picks 4, 5 or 6. To find more information about any player mentioned in this article, click on the player’s name to find their fantasy football player profile.

Last updated: Thursday, August 7

Round 1, Picks 4-6: Draft a running back or wide receiver

Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs are the clear top five players by ADP, but there is significantly less consensus on who should be the sixth pick. While Robinson is typically second or third on that list, depending on the site, he is fourth on Sleeper behind Chase, Barkley and Jefferson. Those picking fourth on Sleeper have a unique opportunity for a great team. Gibbs is the best option for those picking fifth, if the draft goes by ADP. For anyone picking sixth, it’s best to take the top available wide receiver.

Top Target: Bijan Robinson

Bijan Robinson was a rare top-10 NFL draft pick at running back, leading to hefty expectations. He began meeting those expectations over the second half of 2024, consistently playing over 70% of the Falcons’ offensive snaps and running at least 17 times in all but one game. This led to 22.4 fantasy points per game over the last nine weeks. He didn’t see as many 15-plus-yard carries as other great running backs, even though he’s got the talent and speed to have those runs. It’s possible some positive regression could greatly help his fantasy production this season. He lost Drew Dalman at center and still has an elite backup in Tyler Allgeier, so there is also some room to lose fantasy value.

Possible Targets: Jahmyr Gibbs, Brian Thomas Jr., Puka Nacua, Nico Collins, CeeDee Lamb

Round 2, Picks 19-21: Draft a wide receiver or running back

The goal of this round is to have one running back and one wide receiver after this pick. There are specific positions that are valuable in each of the next few rounds, and the best way to have a balanced team is to start balanced with the first two picks. Since we went with Bijan Robinson in the first round, Ladd McConkey is the top target here, but a wide receiver in the first round would lead to Bucky Irving being the top option here.