The early rounds of your draft
are obviously critical for your fantasy team’s success. If
you end up selecting a couple of busts in the first five rounds
or so, you are in serious trouble. However, even if you are able
to efficiently navigate through the early rounds, you need to also
have a good showing in the mid-to-late rounds of your draft as well.
Making strong value selections in rounds seven and beyond is often
a key component in a title contender’s success. You should
focus largely on filling out your roster with quality depth and
big upside players with these picks if you want to bring home the
gold in your league.
Below, I have provided average draft position (ADP) information
from Fantasy Football Calculator for rounds 7-12 (12-team mock drafts
with standard scoring, taking place 8/13/12 to 8/14/12). Along with
this data I am sharing my selections for gold, silver and bronze
medal value picks. A player earning any of these designations provides
a fantasy team with good value, in my view, but obviously the gold
medalists are the best of the best.
| |
= Gold Medal Value |
| |
= Silver Medal Value |
| |
= Bronze Medal Value |
|
| ADP |
Player |
Pos |
Tm |
| 7.01 |
Beanie Wells |
RB |
ARI |
| 7.02 |
Jason Witten |
TE |
DAL |
| 7.03 |
Philip Rivers |
QB |
SD |
| 7.04 |
Torrey Smith |
WR |
BAL |
| 7.05 |
Reggie Wayne |
WR |
IND |
| 7.06 |
Ben Tate |
RB |
HOU |
| 7.07 |
Kevin Smith |
RB |
DET |
| 7.08 |
Mark Ingram |
RB |
NO |
| 7.09 |
Roy Helu |
RB |
WAS |
| 7.10 |
Jonathan Stewart |
RB |
CAR |
| 7.11 |
Kenny Britt |
WR |
TEN |
| 7.12 |
C.J. Spiller |
RB |
BUF |
|
|
| ADP |
Player |
Pos |
Tm |
| 8.01 |
Robert Meachem |
WR |
SD |
| 8.02 |
Jacob Tamme |
TE |
DEN |
| 8.03 |
Denarius Moore |
WR |
OAK |
| 8.04 |
Robert Griffin
III |
QB |
WAS |
| 8.05 |
Malcom Floyd |
WR |
SD |
| 8.06 |
Fred Davis |
TE |
WAS |
| 8.07 |
Titus Young |
WR |
DET |
| 8.08 |
San Francisco
Defense |
DEF |
SF |
| 8.09 |
Jay Cutler |
QB |
CHI |
| 8.10 |
David Wilson |
RB |
NYG |
| 8.11 |
Brandon Pettigrew |
TE |
DET |
| 8.12 |
Randy Moss |
WR |
SF |
|
|
7.02 Jason
Witten: Before his recent spleen injury, I liked Witten’s
value quite a bit at 7.02. While his situation is a bit shaky currently,
there is a possibility that he could become an even greater value
in upcoming drafts. If his injury causes his ADP to trend downward
in the next week or two and he ends up missing little-to-no time
in the regular season, then he could fall into the Gold Medal Value
category. However, before drafting Witten, make sure to read any
injury updates when they become available.
Potentially similar producers being taken earlier - Jermichael
Finley at 6.04 and Vernon
Davis at 6.08.
7.03 Philip
Rivers: With Ryan Matthews already hurt, SD could focus
more heavily on the passing attack in the interim. Gates is reportedly
looking great and is healthier this year than he has been in some
time. Rivers will need his WRs to play well, but he has mid-level
QB1 upside if things break right for him in 2012.
Potentially similar producers being taken earlier - Tony
Romo at 5.07, Matt
Ryan at 6.04 and Eli
Manning at 6.05.
7.07 Kevin
Smith: Not even close to the most talented RB on Detroit’s
roster, but he is healthy and capable. Jahvid
Best is apparently not fully past his concussion issues and
Mikel
Leshoure is coming back from a major Achilles injury and will
be serving a 2-game suspension to start off the season. I like Smith’s
odds of leading the Lions RBs in touches during the first half of
the schedule at a minimum.
Potentially similar producers being taken earlier - Stevan
Ridley at 6.06 and Ben
Tate 7.06.
8.03 Denarius
Moore: NFL analysts, his coaches and his QB have all
spoken very highly of Moore. He has incredible talent and the situation
is ripe for him to take over as the top WR in Oakland. While his
nagging hamstring issue is a small concern, the ceiling for this
second-year WR is too high for me to give him anything less than
a Gold Medal Value at his current ADP.
Potentially similar producers being taken earlier - Eric
Decker at 5.08, Jeremy
Maclin at 5.09 and Robert
Meachem at 8.01.
8.05 Malcom
Floyd: It seems probable that one of Floyd or Meachem
will put up at least 1,000 receiving yards this year. Right now,
I'm leaning toward Floyd, assuming he can stay relatively healthy.
I'd pass on Meachem in the late 7th or early 8th round and look
for Floyd soon thereafter. Things are shaping up for this veteran
to have a very nice season.
Potentially similar producers being taken earlier - Pierre
Garcon at 6.09 and Torrey
Smith at 7.02.
| ADP |
Player |
Pos |
Tm |
| 9.01 |
James Starks |
RB |
GB |
| 9.02 |
Toby Gerhart |
RB |
MIN |
| 9.03 |
LeGarrette Blount |
RB |
TB |
| 9.04 |
Darrius Heyward-Bey |
WR |
OAK |
| 9.05 |
Ryan Williams |
RB |
ARI |
| 9.06 |
Anquan Boldin |
WR |
BAL |
| 9.07 |
Michael Bush |
RB |
CHI |
| 9.08 |
DeAngelo Williams |
RB |
CAR |
| 9.09 |
Ben Roethlisberger |
QB |
PIT |
| 9.10 |
Santonio Holmes |
WR |
NYJ |
| 9.11 |
Cedric Benson |
RB |
GB |
| 9.12 |
Tony Gonzalez |
TE |
ATL |
|
|
| ADP |
Player |
Pos |
Tm |
| 10.01 |
Nate Washington |
WR |
TEN |
| 10.02 |
Matt Schaub |
QB |
HOU |
| 10.03 |
Lance Moore |
WR |
NO |
| 10.04 |
Houston Defense |
DEF |
HOU |
| 10.05 |
Justin Blackmon |
WR |
JAC |
| 10.06 |
Jacquizz Rodgers |
RB |
ATL |
| 10.07 |
Jahvid Best |
RB |
DET |
| 10.08 |
Randall Cobb |
WR |
GB |
| 10.09 |
Baltimore Defense |
DEF |
BAL |
| 10.10 |
Greg Little |
WR |
CLE |
| 10.11 |
Mikel Leshoure |
RB |
DET |
| 10.12 |
Mike Williams |
WR |
TB |
|
|
9.04 Darrius
Heyward-Bey: Denarius
Moore is the WR that I am primarily targeting in Oakland, but
Darrius Heyward-Bey proved last year that he can make plays. Someone
is likely to put up significant receiving numbers for the Raiders
this year, and if it's not Moore, it will likely be Hewyard-Bey.
Potentially similar producers being taken earlier - Torrey
Smith at 7.04 and Robert
Meachem at 8.01.
9:08 DeAngelo
Williams: In the 9th round, the available RBs are mostly
#2 options in RBBC’s or clear backups. Williams is a guy that I
see as an option 1A or 1B along with Jonathan
Stewart. Being able to grab Williams nearly two rounds later
than his counterpart in Carolina makes him the more appealing option
of the duo, particularly in non-PPR formats. It’s surprising to
me that guys such as James
Starks and LeGarrette
Blount are coming off the board before Williams.
Potentially similar producers being taken earlier - Beanie
Wells at 7.01 and Mark
Ingram at 7.08.
10.01 Nate
Washington: He really stepped up his game last year while
Britt was out and quietly put up over 1,000 receiving yards. If
Britt’s off-field shenanigans continues, then Washington will likely
have another shot to post some big numbers. Nice value in the 10th
round.
Potentially similar producers being taken earlier - Robert Meachem
at 8.01, Anquan
Boldin at 9.06 and at Santonio
Holmes at 9.10.
| ADP |
Player |
Pos |
Tm |
| 11.01 |
Rashad Jennings |
RB |
JAC |
| 11.02 |
Sidney Rice |
WR |
SEA |
| 11.03 |
Jermaine Gresham |
TE |
CIN |
| 11.04 |
Andrew Luck |
QB |
IND |
| 11.05 |
Philadelphia
Defense |
DEF |
PHI |
| 11.06 |
Carson Palmer |
QB |
OAK |
| 11.07 |
Kendall Wright |
WR |
TEN |
| 11.08 |
Evan Royster |
RB |
WAS |
| 11.09 |
Rashard Mendenhall |
RB |
PIT |
| 11.10 |
Pittsburgh Defense |
DEF |
PIT |
| 11.11 |
Michael Crabtree |
WR |
SF |
| 11.12 |
Jon Baldwin |
WR |
KC |
|
|
| ADP |
Player |
Pos |
Tm |
| 12.01 |
Chicago Defense |
DEF |
CHI |
| 12.02 |
Vincent Brown |
WR |
SD |
| 12.03 |
Terrell Owens |
WR |
SEA |
| 12.04 |
Josh Freeman |
QB |
TB |
| 12.05 |
Ronnie Hillman |
RB |
DEN |
| 12.06 |
Green Bay Defense |
DEF |
GB |
| 12.07 |
Andy Dalton |
QB |
CIN |
| 12.08 |
Santana Moss |
WR |
WAS |
| 12.09 |
Austin Collie |
WR |
IND |
| 12.10 |
Daniel Thomas |
RB |
MIA |
| 12.11 |
Brandon LaFell |
WR |
CAR |
| 12.12 |
Jared Cook |
TE |
TEN |
|
|
11.02 Sidney
Rice: If not for the Seahawks recent acquisition of Terrell
Owens, I'd have Sidney Rice as a Gold Medal Value. His upside
is crazy-high and I believe that it is unparalleled in the 11th
round of a 12-team draft. Seattle desperately needs this guy to
be the playmaker he proved capable of being in Minnesota and I think
he'll be afforded every opportunity to make that happen.
Potentially similar producers being taken earlier - Kenny
Britt at 7.11, Darrius
Heyward-Bey at 9.04 and Mike
Williams at 10.12.
11.06 Carson
Palmer: Using FFToday scoring, Carson Palmer was the
12th ranked QB in points per game for the 2011 season. He was very
effective as a fantasy QB behind center for Oakland. Taking him
in the middle of the 11th round could be a great way to land one
of the pieces of your bargain bin quarterback-by-committee approach.
Tremendous value at this point in the draft.
Potentially similar producers being taken earlier - Jay
Cutler at 8.09 and Ben
Roethlisberger at 9.09.
11.12 Jonathan
Baldwin: Supposedly he has looked great in recent weeks.
Bowes absence during the off-season and first part of camp has allowed
Baldwin to make his mark in Kansas City. The physical tools are
there and it is looking more and more like he’ll get a real opportunity
to produce in 2012. Don’t sleep on Baldwin’s upside.
Potentially similar producers being taken earlier - Mike Williams
at 10.12 at Kendall
Wright at 11.07.
12.12 Jared
Cook: He finished the 2011 season with an impressive
3-game run. I like his value at this point in the draft even if
Britt plays a full season. Of course, I like him even more if Britt
misses some real time.
Potentially similar producers being taken earlier - Tony
Gonzalez at 9.12 and Jermaine
Gresham at 11.03.
|
