2024 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Strategy and Cheatsheet for Opening Rounds

You can't win a fantasy football league title with your first few draft picks.

You can definitely lose it in that draft range, though.

That's when the NFL's best of the best are selected, meaning if you aren't stacking up elites in those spots, then you're getting left behind.

We don't want that to happen, obviously, so we'll try to guide your early selections by laying out a three-round mock draft, a few strategic tips and finally our top-10 point-per-reception rankings at the four skill positions.

3-Round, 12-Team Mock Draft

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 03: Bijan Robinson #7 of the Atlanta Falcons runs during the second quarter of the game against the New York Jets on December 3, 2023 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Round 1

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, SF

2. CeeDee Lamb, WR, DAL

3. Tyreek Hill, WR, MIA

4. Bijan Robinson, RB, ATL

5. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, CIN

6. Justin Jefferson, WR, MIN

7. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, DET

8. Breece Hall, RB, NYJ

9. A.J. Brown, WR, PHI

10. Garrett Wilson, WR, NYJ

11. Jonathan Taylor, RB, IND

12. Saquon Barkley, RB, PHI

Round 2

13. Jahmy Gibbs, RB, DET

14. Puka Nacua, WR, LAR

15. DJ Moore, WR, CHI

16. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, ARI

17. Kyren Williams, RB, LAR

18. Davante Adams, WR, LV

19. Derrick Henry, RB, BAL

20. Drake London, WR, ATL

21. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, IND

22. Cooper Kupp, WR, LAR

23. Chris Olave, WR, NO

24. Travis Etienne Jr., RB, JAX

Round 3

25. Travis Kelce, TE, KC

26. Josh Allen, QB, BUF

27. Trey McBride, TE, ARI

28. De'Von Achane, RB, MIA

29. Sam LaPorta, TE, DET

30. Isiah Pacheco, RB, KC

31. Rachaad White, RB, TB

32. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, SF

33. Alvin Kamara, RB, NO

34. Joe Mixon, RB, HOU

35. Jaylen Waddle, WR, MIA

36. Deebo Samuel Sr., WR, SF

Early Round Strategy

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ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 10: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills looks to pass against the Chicago Bears during the first half of a preseason game at Highmark Stadium on August 10, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)

The best player available is probably the best pick.

There will come a point during your draft in which it's advisable to think about things like roster construction and positional value. The first few rounds are not that time.

When you're making your first three or four picks, the best player on your draft board is probably your best option. Maybe you'd like to open with one running back and one wide receiver, but you should let the draft determine whether that's doable or not. If you wind up heavier at one spot than another, that's always something you can correct over the course of your draft or even during the season.

Let someone else set a position's market.

Many folks in the fantasy community have trended toward tiered systems rather than traditional rankings with the idea being that the gaps between one spot in the rankings and the next will significantly vary. Because the perceived value within a tier is mostly the same, the thinking is your better off grabbing someone from near the end of the tier's run rather than leading it off.

It's never easy to say for certain when the first quarterback or tight end should be taken. Both spots will be addressed within the first three or four rounds, but there's a big difference between that happening in the second round than the fourth. Feel free to let others make that call and set the market, then you can get a feel for when you'll need to take a player at the position you'd be comfortable starting.

Lean toward safety over risk.

Some degree of risk-taking is necessary to help you find players who can produce above their draft cost. What you shouldn't do, though, is spend many (if any) early picks on boom-or-bust players.

You need these picks to pan out, because you're probably looking at a losing season if they don't. An injury-prone player with a slightly higher upside probably isn't worth the risk. And if you want to add an unproven rookie, make sure you also pick up some reliable veterans in case the newbies face a longer learning curve than expected.

2024 PPR Rankings

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 17: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks for an open receiver during the first quarter of a preseason game against the Detroit Lions at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on August 17, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Quarterback

1. Josh Allen, BUF

2. Jalen Hurts, PHI

3. Lamar Jackson, BAL

4. Patrick Mahomes, KC

5. Anthony Richardson, IND

6. C.J. Stroud, HOU

7. Joe Burrow, CIN

8. Kyler Murray, ARI

9. Dak Prescott, DAL

10. Tua Tagovailoa, MIA

Running back

1. Christian McCaffrey, SF

2. Breece Hall, NYJ

3. Bijan Robinson, ATL

4. Jonathan Taylor, IND

5. Saquon Barkley, PHI

6. Jahmyr Gibbs, DET

7. Kyren Williams, LAR

8. Travis Etienne Jr., JAX

9. Isiah Pacheco, KC

10. De'Von Achane, MIA

Wide receiver

1. CeeDee Lamb, DAL

2. Ja'Marr Chase, CIN

3. Tyreek Hill, MIA

4. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET

5. Justin Jefferson, MIN

6. Garrett Wilson, NYJ

7. A.J. Brown, PHI

8. Davante Adams, LV

9. Puka Nacua, LAR

10. Drake London, ATL

Tight end

1. Travis Kelce, KC

2. Sam LaPorta, DET

3. Mark Andrews, BAL

4. Dalton Kincaid, BUF

5. Trey McBride, ARI

6. George Kittle, SF

7. Kyle Pitts, ATL

8. Evan Engram, JAX

9. Brock Bowers, LV

10. Jake Ferguson, DAL