I’d make a lot of changes if I was King of the season-long 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 solidly 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 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 rankings, but also be aware of and adjust to what’s going on the applet.
Below is what you should be aware of heading into drafts on SLEEPER. Do NOT rely on these rankings, use our ETR rankings as your cheatsheet:
* These rankings were found within Sleeper draft applets as of Tuesday, August 24.
PLAYERS LISTED HIGHER THAN EXPECTED
5. Saquon Barkley
6. Nick Chubb
15. Patrick Mahomes
25. D’Andre Swift
35. Josh Allen
36. Josh Jacobs
45. Kareem Hunt
62. Aaron Rodgers
66. Melvin Gordon
73. Ronald Jones
86. David Johnson
106. Rob Gronkowski
ADJUSTMENTS: I can’t really fathom a better setup for us than Sleeper’s default ranks. They have pushed up fragile running backs and quarterbacks far too high, handing us a massive edge. Do not be tempted to go RB-heavy or QB in Round 2-3-4 just because that’s what the default ranks say. Nick Chubb , Patrick Mahomes , Josh Jacobs , Kareem Hunt , Aaron Rodgers , David Johnson and Gronk stand out as particularly egregious rankings. Someone will take them too high, therefore printing money for us.
PLAYERS LISTED LOWER THAN EXPECTED
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