Fantasy Football Draft Strategy 2021: Latest Mock Draft and Cheatsheet Tips

The start of the 2021 NFL season is approaching on September 9. So if your fantasy football league hasn't had its draft yet, it's coming up soon. And you've probably already participated in a bunch of mock drafts and done a ton of preparation.

But it can never hurt to do a little last-minute research. You may find a strategy you hadn't considered or discover some tips that can help you assemble the best possible team. After all, it's important to have a successful draft and build a core for your roster that lays the foundation for a possible championship season.

If you have a bad draft and a lot of your players end up being busts, it doesn't necessarily mean you won't make the playoffs and won't have a strong season. But you're going to have to put in a lot more work on the waiver wire. By drafting the right players, you'll have better depth and more options later on.

With fantasy draft season in full swing, here's a look at a two-round mock for how things could unfold, along with some tips to consider.

2-Round Mock Draft

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Round 1

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

2. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

3. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

4. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

5. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

6. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

7. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

8. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

9. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

10. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

11. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

12. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

Round 2

13. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

14. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

15. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

16. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals

17. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

18. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

19. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons

20. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team

21. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

22. A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans

23. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

24. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Make Sure You Have 2 Reliable Running Backs

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A ton of running backs get taken during the first two rounds of fantasy football drafts, and there are numerous reasons for that. One of them is that it's the position that can be the hardest to address with waiver-wire pickups later in the season.

Many NFL teams no longer rely on just one running back to handle a large percentage of carries, instead splitting up touches between numerous players. It can be efficient for those teams, but it can make it difficult on fantasy managers to know which back to start. And sometimes, it takes all of those players out of fantasy consideration.

So you need to make sure you have two strong, reliable running backs on your roster. It may take drafting an RB in each of the first two rounds, and you have to take two by at least the end of the third round. Otherwise, other managers will scoop up all the bell-cow backs who will be guaranteed a high number of touches.

There will be plenty of strong running backs in the first round. But there are some solid ones who will likely go in the second, too, such as Najee Harris, Joe Mixon and Antonio Gibson. So don't be afraid to double down on running backs to start the draft. It could pay off big time later on.

Don't Force Yourself into a Run on QBs Early

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We've all seen it happen in fantasy drafts before. One or two managers reach for quarterbacks, triggering a chain reaction of QBs coming off the board as others are worried they'll miss out on the player they wanted. But don't feel like you have to jump in when that happens.

Sure, the top seven or eight projected quarterbacks may be off the board by the time you're ready to take a QB with this strategy. But that's OK, considering the talented quarterbacks who should still be available around the eighth round or so.

Tennessee's Ryan Tannehill is a sleeper option who could allow you to build up other positions on your roster before addressing quarterback. He ranked seventh among QB fantasy points in 2020 (per FantasyPros), and he may put up even bigger numbers with Julio Jones joining the Titans' offense.

Other quarterbacks available at that point in the draft will likely include Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts and Cincinnati's Joe Burrow, a pair of second-year QBs who could be poised to break out. They're riskier picks, but they both have high ceilings. If the one you pick doesn't work out, there will always be a breakout quarterback or two you can target on the waiver wire down the line.

Wait to Take a Tight End Late

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The top three tight ends (Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Darren Waller) are going to come off the board early. It's possible they'll put up numbers way bigger than every other player at the position, but it's a gamble that requires fantasy managers to miss out on top RBs and WRs in order to draft one.

Don't risk it, because it's fine to stream the tight end position throughout the season. And with some of the options who will be available later in the draft, you may even find a sleeper or breakout player who will actually provide stability for you and keep you from having to stream.

Per Fantasy Football Calculator, the following tight ends are among those with an average draft position in the ninth round or later in points-per-reception leagues: the Rams' Tyler Higbee (ninth), the Vikings' Irv Smith Jr. (10th), the Dolphins' Mike Gesicki (11th) and the Chargers' Jared Cook (14th).

Those are all potential sleepers to keep an eye on, which will allow you to acquire depth at other positions before taking a tight end. And if none of them pan out, you can always work the waiver wire later on.