Fantasy Football 2015: Team-Building Strategy and 1st-Round Mock Draft

There will be plenty of adjustments throughout any fantasy football season, but a team's success or failure is often decided at the draft.  

No matter what style of league you are in, a good showing in your draft can set you up for the rest of the year. You can get a deep enough roster to overcome injuries and poor performances while also leaving room for the high-upside picks who will come through at the end of the year.

This doesn't mean you won't have to still make changes each week, but if you aren't prepared, you will be left behind.

With this in mind, here is a look at a simple guide of what you need to know heading into your fantasy draft.

Strategy

Don't Focus on Filling Specific Positions

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

The first thing you need to know about drafting strategy is there is no one way that is better than all others. Sounds backward, doesn't it?

Some people like to load up on running backs first before they run out. In fact, you almost always wanted as many as possible in your lineup because they were the most consistent. At least, that was until Antonio Brown showed off his consistency from a different position:

There are others who like to ensure they get a stud quarterback. Unfortunately, those who drafted Peyton Manning in the first round last year probably regretted it, as he finished just fourth at the position in fantasy points. 

The reality is there are flaws in every approach that requires you to be too firm during the draft. It is better to keep an open mind while you are selecting players, grabbing those who you think are best-available.

Are you someone who never drafts tight ends until a later round? Well, what happens when No. 1 option Rob Gronkowski is available much later than anticipated? You have to be able to adjust on the fly.

Running backs still hold a lot of value early in drafts because of the quick drop in production, but reaching for an inconsistent option over a certainty like quarterback Aaron Rodgers would be ludicrous.

Finally, don't be afraid to load up on depth at key positions before completely filling your starting lineup. There are often dozens of running backs who are better options than the next best tight end, so add useful options when you can.

Balance Security and Risk

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Similar to buying stocks, a few high-upside options create a lot of intrigue, but too much risk could lead to a lot of problems.

For example, there are a lot of question marks at the top of the first round this year, but many believe Adrian Peterson is the best option, such as ESPN's Matthew Berry and Field Yates:

However, the 30-year-old running back missed almost all of last season because of legal troubles and is no guarantee to be productive this season. If you do pick him in the first round, though, you better follow up with a safer pick in the second. This could be a stud quarterback such as Rodgers or Andrew Luck or a consistent receiver such as Randall Cobb or Julio Jones.

You can't control injuries, but you can do your best to make sure some of your picks have value.

The same strategy should be used in the later rounds as well. You might want to bet on a rookie like Breshad Perriman or Nelson Agholor to be productive (and those are good bets), but these players often flop in their first seasons. Grabbing a veteran like Anquan Boldin might not be considered as sexy of a choice, but you will be happy you have him as the bye weeks start thinning out your roster.

Don't Be Afraid to Reach

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

While you should come into the draft with an open mind about positions, there is no problem with being certain about players.

Do you think Charles Sims will take over at running back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and become a viable fantasy starter? Then you shouldn't care that he is only going in the 12th round of average drafts on ESPN.

One thing you have to remember is that this is your team. You can blame the advice you received all you want, but you are the one who makes the final decisions and therefore gets the glory at the end of the year.

Make all of your moves with confidence.

First-Round Breakdown

Pick	Player	Pos.	Team
1	Le'Veon Bell	RB	Pittsburgh Steelers
2	Eddie Lacy	RB	Green Bay Packers
3	Jamaal Charles	RB	Kansas City Chiefs
4	Marshawn Lynch	RB	Seattle Seahawks
5	Antonio Brown	WR	Pittsburgh Steelers
6	Adrian Peterson	RB	Minnesota Vikings
7	Matt Forte	RB	Chicago Bears
8	Rob Gronkowski	TE	New England Patriots
9	LeSean McCoy	RB	Buffalo Bills
10	DeMarco Murray	RB	Philadelphia Eagles
11	C.J. Anderson	RB	Denver Broncos
12	Demaryius Thomas	WR	Denver Broncos

There is more uncertainty surrounding the first overall pick this season than usual.

Peterson comes with the obvious questions of how the Minnesota Vikings will use him within the offense after the year off, while those selecting Le'Veon Bell will have to deal with a two-game suspension to start the year.

Still, in the first round you have to go with what you truly know. Going into this season, we know Bell is the best option to put up great points when he is in the lineup.

The third-year running back finished last season with 2,215 yards from scrimmage, which trailed only DeMarco Murray and was well ahead of Matt Forte in third place. While Murray is in a worse situation than last season, Bell is right at home in Pittsburgh and shouldn't have much competition for carries.

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

If you can handle replacing him in the first couple of games, your fantasy team should be in good shape the rest of the year.

The next few picks feature safer options, and you shouldn't second-guess them. Eddie Lacy frustrated fans earlier in the year but totaled 929 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns in the final eight games after just 637 and four scores in the first half.

As for Jamaal Charles, he is still one of the more consistent runners in the league no matter who is blocking for him, as noted by Evan Silva of Rotoworld:

Backup Knile Davis will cut into some of his production, but it won't be enough to keep Charles from remaining a top fantasy option.

Marshawn Lynch and Matt Forte are also a bit higher in this draft than others because of the consistency they have provided every season. Sure, they are both aging (both 29), but they will remain focal points of their respective offenses.

Adrian Peterson is finally off the board with the No. 6 pick here, although he is likely to go earlier in most drafts around the country. He is a risky selection, but there is always a point where a player represents too much upside to pass up.

One quality bounce-back candidate to take in the first round is LeSean McCoy, despite the fact he is no longer with the high-power Philadelphia Eagles. As former star running back LaDainian Tomlinson noted, the move to Rex Ryan's offense could be beneficial, per John Murphy of Buffalo Bills.com:

"

We just talked about the difference Rex brings to a team. He’s excited about the things Rex implemented in this offense and the team. He understands that it’s going to be all about the run game. It’s going to be ground-and-pound, they’re going to play great defense, and the quarterback is going to manage the team.

"

McCoy will get a lot of carries, and he has the ability to make them worth it. 

The man who replaced him could have a big year as well, although fans shouldn't expect DeMarco Murray to have quite the year he did in 2014. Not only will he likely split carries along with Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles, but fatigue could be a major issue:

He is still worthy of a first-round pick, but don't use last year's numbers as a baseline.

For those scared about taking Rob Gronkowski in the first round, just note he finished with 30 more fantasy points than any other tight end last season, and that was after coming off an injury. With Jimmy Graham moving to a more conservative offense, Gronk is by far the best option at the position.

His value makes him worthy of an early pick, especially compared to the riskier running back options left on the board.

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