Levitan: My Perfect Fantasy Draft 2024

Last Updated: August 22nd at 4:15 pm ET

Our fantasy draft is not going to go perfectly. We’re going to get sniped, we’re going to panic when on the clock, and our best-laid plans will go awry.

But we can still dream. These are my favorite players in each round, while taking roster construction into account, as of Aug. 20. Note that I am using the Yahoo Average Draft Position (ADP) we have on our site in an effort to more closely replicate a “home league” setting. However, I’m also being realistic — Rashee Rice has an ADP of 92.6 on Yahoo, but I know he’ll go much higher in most of your leagues.

For more help with your draft:

* Levitan’s Favorite Fliers (beyond ADP of 120)
* Levitan’s 2024 Draft Strategy
* Our rankings
* Exploiting the Default Ranks: Yahoo, ESPN, Sleeper
* Silva’s Shy Away 30

Note: Our Bundle Package is on sale for a limited time. Combine Draft Kit Pro with our In-Season product to get an edge all season. Head here for details. 

ROUND 1

Ideal: Get one of the top three RBs — In a normal redraft league, I expect to find some insane WR values in the middle and middle/late portions of the draft. So my top three in these pure home league formats includes Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, and Breece Hall. In a vacuum, I do prefer Tyreek Hill and CeeDee Lamb to Bijan and Breece. But given the way home leagues set up this year, I want the RB first. For more on that, check out this, this, or this. The big advantage of getting a top-three or top-five pick this season is accentuated by how flat the Round 2/3 players are in projection.

Runner-up: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions or A.J. Brown, WR, Eagles — If I can’t land one of the five above, I am fine settling for ARSB or AJB. I prefer them to the Saquon Barkley and Jonathan Taylor Round 1 plays, even though my strategy this year is to be RB-heavy early. If I do go WR in Round 1, I will be taking a RB in Round 2.

ROUND 2

Ideal: Kyren Williams, RB, Rams — Yes, Blake Corum was drafted to back up Kyren Williams. But that doesn’t mean he’s suddenly going from 90-100% of the RB touches to 50%. I still expect Kyren to be a massive workhorse, as Sean McVay annually tries to ride one back. That’s not just Todd Gurley or Kyren; that applied at various times to Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, and other dusty backs. Note that if Jahmyr Gibbs does slip to Round 2, I would take him over Kyren.

Runner-up: Isiah Pacheco, RB, Chiefs — The setup for Pacheco can’t get much better. Most notably, Jerick McKinnon remains on the street. McKinnon played 20.8 snaps per game last season, including 10.8 on third downs. He also played a ton in the red zone, getting three targets inside the 10-yard line. Pacheco showed he can soak up that role in the playoffs, and is boosted by Brandon Thorn’s No. 4 offensive line.

ROUND 3

Ideal: Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles – Josh Allen’s Yahoo ADP is eight spots ahead of Hurts’. And while I don’t think Hurts is any kind of bargain here in Round 3, the quarterbacks will all go far too high. Hurts, at least, is going roughly where he should.