I’d make a lot of changes if I was King of the fantasy football world. But my No. 1 priority would be eliminating the default rankings from the online draft applets.
These default rankings are the enemy of hard work and preparation. If the defaults are efficient, owners can just show up the day of the draft, use the site’s rankings as their “research”, and emerge with a reasonable team.
At a minimum, we know our opponents use the default rankings as a crutch. That means they may be afraid to pull the trigger on X guy in the second round because he’s listed as a fourth-rounder in the applet. Or maybe they take Y guy earlier than they should because his name is on top of the applet. Even auto-drafters can have success if the draft applet rankings are solid.
The good news for us is that these default rankings are not particularly efficient. So there are edges for us to exploit against opponents who are relying on them. The best process for us is to draft off of our own personal rankings, but also be aware of and adjust to what’s going on in the applet.
Below is what you should be aware of heading into drafts on ESPN. Do NOT rely on these rankings; use our ETR rankings as your cheat sheet:
* These rankings were found within the ESPN draft applet as of Tuesday, Aug. 22.
PLAYERS LISTED HIGHER THAN EXPECTED
3. Austin Ekeler
10. Derrick Henry
22. DK Metcalf
36. Aaron Jones
53. Rachaad White
55. Alvin Kamara
111. Cole Kmet
143. Zach Ertz
ADJUSTMENTS: Right at the top, the defaults have Austin Ekeler (3) ahead of Christian McCaffrey. If you have the No. 3 pick, don’t be afraid to go CMC. … We’re not getting Derrick Henry on ESPN; he’ll go too high. That’s fine. … The same can be said for DK Metcalf, who I like but would never take in Round 2. … The RB defaults aren’t as egregious as Yahoo’s, but there are a few. We should be happy to let our enemies reach for Aaron Jones, Rachaad White, and Alvin Kamara. We aren’t going to get great bargains at RB on ESPN, but we’ll get a bunch of chances to get guys at the proper cost. The key is to not reach. … Overall, ESPN’s defaults don’t skew high on players we like, which is good. There’s far more to chew on for value (see next section).
PLAYERS LISTED LOWER THAN EXPECTED
We've created the best Draft Kit on the internet.
Our fantasy football Draft Kit was created to prepare you with the highest-quality resources to help you win your league.
Our team of analysts, led by Evan Silva and Adam Levitan, create unmatched content and rankings to make sure you’re ready for draft day. While our Draft Kit is built for competitive fantasy players, we’ve made it fun and easy to consume.
If you aren’t satisfied with our Draft Kit for any reason, just email us within 48 hours of purchase and we’ll provide a full refund.
Full Draft Kit Overview » Already a subscriber? Log In
