We’re back with more draft-order-spot-specific fantasy advice here at DraftKings Network. Because—feel that on the wind? The most popular drafting weekend of the year is approaching. Fantasy football is so back.
Right now, as you read this, someone in your league is getting cute and thinking the No. 6 spot in a 12-team PPR league is best to draft from in 2024. It’s smack-dab in the middle!, they’ll say. It’s comfortable. An evenly-paced draft experience. It is the prudent choice, and prudence pays.
And then there’s the league-mate with the total opposite sensibility: hates the six-slot with a passion, sees the pacing as soporific and boring and, in fact, a hindrance to gaining any round-by-round advantage in a draft that should be cutthroat.
Which is to say, I think the No. 6 spot might be one of the more polarizing in the 12-team draft order.
As far as personal preference, I tend to lean a bit more toward the second camp. However, I’ll admit: after doing dozens of mock drafts from the six-slot, I don’t think it’s by any means the worst in the 2024 draft order. I was actually able to put plenty of teams together that I quite liked.
I’ll take you round-by-round for the first ten rounds with pick-specific analysis. Then, I’ll give you some quick hits on how I fleshed out my bench. All names listed below I was able to get in multiple drafts from this slot. They’re available most of the time.
Round 1, Pick 6: Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
I was surprised Bijan dropped to me as much as he did here. His ADP is, however, technically a shade below 5.0 in PPR leagues, so it’s not beyond reasonable expectation that he could fall to you, too. If he does, he’s the certain pick here.
I’m a firm believer, like so many are, that Bijan’s somewhat deflated rookie season in 2023 was a result of a bamboozling lack of goal line work under Arthur Smith. Even still, Robinson finished the year second among running backs in targets. That’s the money stat right there, in my opinion.
His goal line and passing game work should both see upticks in volume and efficiency from 2023. You’re drafting him at his ceiling, for his ceiling, here. And you should be thrilled about it.
In the event Bijan is not here for you, CeeDee Lamb almost certainly will be. That would be who I’d have snagged if Bijan hadn’t fallen to 1.06.
Round 2, Pick 7: Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
We don’t love to draft based on situational opportunity, but sometimes it’s hard to ignore Kansas City’s offense when a skill player is just sitting there on the board for you. Enter our second-round pick: Isiah Pacheco.
Most importantly: the Chiefs didn’t resign Jerick McKinnon this offseason. Pacheco fans—rejoice! Even though I did sure love me the occasional bye-week fill-in explosion from McKinnon, it really should be a monumental relief for Pacheco-hopefuls that McKinnon no longer is a threat for touches.
Consider the following: in the four games he started with McKinnon out of the Chief’s starting lineup, Pacheco had an average of 22.1 FPG (second-highest) and a 14.9% target share (fifth-highest).
I like Pacheco to return RB2 value no matter what this year. But his situational upside is as monstrous as his running style. No one on the draft board will run harder for you than Pacheco, and that’s worth a second-round pick for me, here.
Round 3, Pick 6: Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This is really when the higher-order strategy of my six-slot drafts started to take shape. White was falling to me here a lot. So we decided to go full-on stable build. Three workhorses as the core of our roster.
You’re telling me that I can get the running back who finished fourth at his position in receptions and second in carries in 2023 here in the third? Even if you’re not a big fan of year-over-year projections, it is remarkable and worthy of note that the Bucs retained 100% of their offensive skill players from last season.
Given how well White performed last season, I doubt his role is going to change much in a situation with this degree of continuity. He’s a true workhorse, and a set-it-and-forget-it FLEX at a shallow position.
Round 4, Pick 7: DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
We were drafting Smith as a WR1 last year, and—call me crazy—I don’t value him any less in 2024 than I did in 2023. Which is to say, he’s a wonderful choice to lead your fantasy receiving corps.
He actually sort of was the WR1 last year for the Eagles, seeing as he led the team in snap share. He eclipsed 1,000 yards and 7 TDs in a dysfunctional Philadelphia offense last year. As a collective, we expect them to take a leap forward.
I don’t see Smith being anything short of the beneficiary of that. Folks in your league will fade him because he’s considered the 1B or the WR2. But the opportunity metrics don’t agree with them.
Neither should you. Smith to the stars.
Round 5, Pick 6: Diontae Johnson, WR, Carolina Panthers
Every now and then, Zay Flowers dropped to me here. He’d be who I take here if I get my druthers (for reasons I detail in my 12-team PPR Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Picking from the No. 12 spot column). But I picked Johnson more frequently, and am just fine with it.
I actually really like my colleague Matt De Lima’s take on Diontae Johnson, which I’ll quote here. You can find it in full in his 5 Best PPR players to consider for Fantasy Football 2024 article:
He’s a better PPR receiver than Thielen and is the automatic go-to option in the Carolina Panthers offense. Think back to his 2021 season in Pittsburgh, where he collected 107 receptions on 169 targets for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns.
Look for Bryce Young and Johnson to collect often because the Panthers are sure to be one of the worst teams in the NFL. That translates to lots of garbage time football where the offense will be forced to pass a ton in the fourth quarter.
I agree with Matt, here, that Johnson is in position to return to his 2021 form should he stay healthy. Everyone gets injured, anyways, and I tire of drafting with medical history in mind.
Johnson’s upside is just too good in the middle rounds.
Round 6, Pick 7: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills
I just don’t really have much analysis for this one. The pick doesn’t need it. Even with a full receiver room in the 2023 season, Kincaid led his team in receptions, and finished with the fourth-most receptions ever by a rookie tight end.
Gone are Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Kincaid’s pathway to a season with north of 120 targets is all but paved for him.
And, here’s the scary part: we still don’t know his ceiling.
Round 7, Pick 6: C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
Some think buying Stroud at his current ADP is bad management of draft capital. He can’t rush, so why not wait for a Jayden Daniels, a Caleb Williams, or even a Trevor Lawrence? I don’t begrudge you that strategy. Employ it if you wish.
I will say, I was sometimes able to get Kyler Murray here, who would be my preferred QB target. But I love Stroud’s story, and think he’s a fine investment at his current ADP. I wanted some safety at the position, and the three names I mentioned above still scare me just a little too much.
So, in terms of safety, I like Stroud and his high-flying offense down there in Houston. The organization is doing all they can to put him in a position to hang huge numbers on opponents. I’ll back him, too.
Round 8, Pick 7: Marquise Brown, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Readers of my Fantasy football strategy: Drafting value wide receivers column will know how all-in I am on Hollywood Brown.
Since the writing of that piece, news broke that Rashee Rice isn’t expected to miss any time re. his legal troubles in Dallas. I still like Hollywood Brown at this price:
Hollywood Brown, despite missing time with injury last year, finished third-worst overall among wide receivers in RecYOE, with a figure of -192. Granted, he still did command an impressive 23.5% target share in his woebegone 2023 Cardinals offense, so the inflated RecYOE stat might be a result of forced volume.
But—we love that, right? Brown had a frustrating and not-altogether-healthy year, bad quarterback play, still commanded a healthy target share, and managed to be a decent fantasy producer.
Brown had a paltry separation rate of 2.5, same as Garrett Wilson (NYJ). So, again, we can deduce that bad quarterback play led to tighter coverage on brown, smaller windows for him to catch the ball, and thus a down season in terms of actual production.
Hollywood’s going to win folks some championships this year.
Round 9, Pick 6: Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Again, I think my colleague Matt De Lima summed up Warren’s upside quite eloquently in his 5 Best PPR players to consider for Fantasy Football 2024 column:
(Warren) had an insane 15.3% target share, sixth-best at his position and gained 1.58 yards per route run (ninth). He gained 4.9 True Yards Per Carry (sixth) and 5.5 Yards Per Touch (seventh). His 31.9 Juke Rate was tops among running backs.
If, by chance, (new OC Arthur) Smith gives Warren more touches than Harris, the former could easily finish among fantasy football’s best at running back. Warren’s ADP 85 puts him at the top of Round 8. What an incredible player to have available first off your bench or as a flex play.
As for how out-of-his-shoes this kid plays, here’s one more stat for you: Warren finished third-overall in NFL Next Gen Stats’ Rush Yards Over Expectation per Attempts (RushYOC/a).
Round 10, Pick 7: Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
I just think the Raiders have big plans for Bowers, and think the ceiling is incredibly high for how strong a fantasy producer he can be.
In ten games last year at the University of Georgia, he led the team with 56 catches for 714 yards and six receiving touchdowns. Bowers also finished second in the nation among eligible tight ends in rec. yards (714) and sixth in receiving TDs.
There will be people who will tilt their noses at the idea of drafting two TEs in the first ten rounds of a draft. But Bowers is slated to be a reception machine, and could be a suitable flex if he returns TE1 value. At the very least, he’ll be wonderful trade capital for the rest of the season, and I have other big positional plans for the rest of my bench.
He is a little banged up, but we’re thrilled to hear he’s playing in Week 1, which I reported on for DKN here.
The rest of my bench
Here’s how I filled out the rest of my bench with skill players, listed in the order I drafted them.
And, as far as defenses and kickers go: I’m almost always waiting until the sixteenth round to get the Colts D (I have high hopes for that unit), and target Brandon Aubrey as my kicker.
- Brian Thomas, Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: Let’s see how real the hype is, shall we? I don’t think Trevor Lawrence is as washed as everyone thinks.
- Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams: I talk about how high I am on the Rams offense in my NFL Best Bets: Los Angeles Rams Predictions on DraftKings Sportsbook column; Corum will get his touches, and is a fantastic insurance policy.
- Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers: Also covered in my value wide receivers article!
- Ray Davis, RB, Buffalo Bills: James Cook’s clear backup in an offense that showed a commitment to the run and stripped the receiver room bare.
Happy drafting! And be sure to check out some futures bets for all of these players on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is thegreatdansby9) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
