Photo: USA Today Sports

On July 25th, six members of the Footballguys Staff, along with four highly regarded writers in the fantasy football community, got together to complete a 12-team, 18-round, Best Ball draft using DRAFT format. Before the draft, each of the participants answered questions regarding strategies, players they coveted and how they plan to attack the draft. To top it off, Footballguys' Ryan Hester will provide an evaluation of each team's roster strengths and weaknesses, chronicling the strategies and decisions that were made by each participant.

The goal of this article is to give you a look into the minds of fantasy experts throughout the entire draft process. This includes preparation, decision making, and execution. What was their plan? Did they follow it? Why did they make the decisions they made? Some drafters had similar strategies and players of interest, but how they executed their plan and built their roster, varied from person to person.

We hope you will uncover or discover a strategy that might work for you in your draft(s) this year. Learn what players the experts are targeting and why. At Footballguys, when you win, we win! If we can help give you the tools and know-how to build a winning team, we've done our job.

LEAGUE PARAMETERS

Best Ball format - Each week, your top scoring players on your roster automatically start and will count toward your season total. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins. Top scores from the starting positions will count for your weekly score.

• 10 teams
• 18 roster spots
• Starting Lineup
  • 1 quarterback
  • 2 running backs
  • 3 wide receivers
  • 1 tight end
  • 1 flex (either a running back, wide receiver, or tight end)

LEAGUE SCORING

• Offensive Players Only
  • 4 points - Passing Touchdown
  • 6 points - Rushing/Receiving Touchdown
  • 0.04 points - Passing Yard
  • 0.1 points - Rushing/Receiving Yard
  • 0.5 point - Reception
  • -1 - Interception Thrown
  • -2 - Fumble Lost
  • 2 - Two-Point Conversion

draft participants

1. Dan Clasgens, Pro Football Focus
2. Devin Knotts, Footballguys
3. Heath Cummings, CBS Sports
4. Keith Roberts, Footballguys
5. Danny Tuccitto, Footballguys
6. Dan Hindery, Footballguys
7. Matt Schauf, DraftSharks
8. Will Grant, Footballguys
9. Josh Hornsby, FantasyInsiders
10. Ari Ingel, Footballguys

DRAFT GRID

DRAFT SLOT 1

Dan Clasgens

Dan is in his second season as a ranker/writer at Pro Football Focus. He is also currently in the seventh season as the host of Fantistics Insider Football on SiriusXM Fantasy. In addition, he talks NFL and fantasy football year-round on his podcast, The GetSportsInfo Podcast. His fantasy rankings have been published online since 2003 and he has been ranked among the top analysts in the industry by Fantasy Pros over the past few seasons for both weekly and season-long rankings.

Follow @DanClasgens

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

When you have less than 12 teams in a draft it is always easier to go after top players at each position as the depth will be there. I still will be mostly running back and wide receiver focused in the first third of the draft though mostly. In a 10-team league with just one starting quarterback, I will wait even longer than normal to grab my fantasy signal caller.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

I will remain flexible, but with this being a best-ball format and a deeper than average draft I could definitely see going with 2 QBs / 6 RBs / 7 WRs / 3 TEs base. Depending on which players I grab first at quarterback and tight end will likely decide which of those positions I add a third player at.

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

With this league having three wide receiver spots plus a flex in the starting lineup it will likely having me focusing on wideouts a bit more than normal in the early middle rounds of the draft. However, I will have all three running backs still locked up by Round 6 at the latest since it is a best-ball and it is easier to roster second- and third-level wide receivers. If the running backs I like are there I could have three by the end of Round 4.

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

In leagues where you start three wideouts plus a flex, Wide receivers will be a priority. The fact this is a best-ball though I can take my chances if necessary. My third wideout will likely come somewhere between Rounds 6-8.

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

I usually am one the last owners in the league to draft my first quarterback and one of the first owners to draft a second quarterback. In a 10-team, 1-quarterback setup like this there is no urgency given the depth at the position.

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

In this format, I may be more inclined to go after one of the Tier 1 guys – Gronk, Kelce, or Ertz if the price is right. If that doesn’t work out I’ll likely wait until outside the first seven or eight rounds before considering it too much.

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

With pick 1.1 I plan to grab Todd Gurley. I favor him slightly over LeVeon Bell based off the fact that I expect the Rams to continue to light up the scoreboard and trust Sean McVay to find new ways to get the ball into Gurley’s hands. After that, I would really like to see another RB and top WR to fall to me on the swing (2.12 / 3.1) and real in guys like A.J. Green and Jerick McKinnon.

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 1 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

The top spot is not a bad place to be, but the middle would’ve been my preference. It won’t impact my strategy much in the early rounds of the draft, but as things move on it does force you to reach for a player if you want them as there are just too many picks that go in between your turns.

9. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season? Are these types of players more or less appealing in a 10-man best-ball league?

The fact there are only 10 teams here means that 36 fewer players are going to be drafted which ultimately will keep some of these types of players from being drafted. In best ball formats though it’s alright to have a couple lottery tickets so I will deal with these players on a player-by-player and case-by-case basis.

10. Give us a few mid-round players (rounds 10-14) that you are targeting.

Robby Anderson and Kenny Golladay are two wide receivers that could fall into this range. They both offer the big-play ability I look for at the position in this format. At running back, Corey Clement and Aaron Jones are names I have circled in these rounds. Both have a decent chance to get double-digit touches in explosive offenses and offer great value here.

11. Give us a running back, wide receiver, and a tight end you would love to draft in the last three rounds.

At this point in the draft, it’s all about upside, even if comes with some risk. Players that fit the bill for me here are as follows: RB Kenneth Dixon, WR Anthony Miller, and TE Cameron Brate. Dixon is fighting for his spot this summer still, but Alex Collins is far from a given as the Ravens lead dog. Miller flashed a ton during his college career and the Bears’ depth chart at wide receiver is wide open. The Bucs paid Brate this offseason and clearly envision him remaining involved, especially near the goal line. Once Jameis Winston serves his suspension his value will go up even more.

draft selections

Ryan Hester's Evaluation

Strengths
Any team with the 1.01 should be strong at running back, and Dan has managed to accomplish that feat with his team. In support of Todd Gurley are Devonta Freeman and LeSean McCoy, who Dan landed as the RB20 in this draft. McCoy does have some doubts around him, but the further away we get from the incident earlier this offseason, the more it appears that it might go away and allow him to play a full season. Dan also drafted "stabilizers" in Chris Thompson and James White. That term is one that I use to describe volatile players who can put up multiple top-10 positional performances during the season, but we don't know when those are coming.

Another strength for Dan, at least in terms of positional ranking, is at tight end. Kyle Rudolph and George Kittle should be able to put together a top-10 weekly finish more often than not. The only slight problem for Dan here is that he only has two tight ends. If one player has a stinker week during the other's bye week, that could hurt Dan's chances.

Weaknesses
This is a well-balanced team with few weaknesses. There are two primary risks with this roster: the aforementioned lack of a third tight end; and the risky outlooks of McCoy and Josh Gordon. If both of those players miss time due to disciplinary reasons, this roster will lack depth and could struggle to keep up. A slight nitpick for Dan's roster is that I may have taken a running back or receiver at 6.10 instead of DeSean Watson and then taking a quarterback later at 9.01. The combo of Corey Davis/Kerryon Johnson + Tom Brady/Carson Wentz seems stronger than Watson + Thompson.

How He'll Win It All
McCoy plays all year and is the top-15 running back we're used to seeing. Gordon stays on the field and provides a WR3 floor with a WR1 ceiling in some weeks. Rudolph and Kittle alternate weeks well to ensure a top-12 tight end performance (at a minimum) each week.

DRAFT SLOT 2

Devin Knotts - Bio

Follow @ohiostate241

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

I de-prioritize the wide receiver and quarterback positions as they are the two positions with the most depth. I'll try to load up on the running back and get at least one elite tight end.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

Depending on the quality of tight ends, ideally, I'd like to take two quarterbacks, six running backs, eight wide receivers, and two top tight ends.

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

As soon as possible. Would not be surprised if I went running back the first three rounds.

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

By round eight I expect to have three wide receivers, I can wait a little longer due to the depth continuing to be there.

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

This is always an "it depends" question, if Aaron Rodgers falls late enough, I'll take him. Otherwise, I will wait until Round 9.

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

Round 4 and potentially another one in Round 6.

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

Zach Ertz and Evan Engram are guys that would be tremendous for me as it allows me to essentially guarantee myself with only two tight ends.

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 2 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

Drafting in the second position, the first pick is largely made up for you it is whatever running back you like. After that, I have found myself liking the running backs in the late second and early third more than the running backs in the early to mid second round. This leads me to a start with three straight running backs potentially.

9. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season? Are these types of players more or less appealing in a 10-man best-ball league?

Suspended players I love as they're guaranteed to be available at the start of bye weeks which is when things get tricky in best ball. I don't take injured players as the likelihood of injury or delay is unpredictable. Rookies, it just depends on the situation, I find myself targeting rookies if I believe they have a chance to win a starting job late in the draft.

10. Give us a few mid-round players (rounds 10-14) that you are targeting.

Allen Hurns, Marquise Goodwin, DeVante Parker, Jordy Nelson. Essentially I want wide receivers who are going to be in a position where they will be one of the top two targets in that offense as after round 14 you get some guys that need a lot to go right in order to have a big impact.

11. Give us a running back, wide receiver, and a tight end you would love to draft in the last three rounds.

If Paul Richardson Jr, fell to me I would be ecstatic as he's my favorite guy going late in drafts. Jordan Wilkins is a guy in Indianapolis at running back, that I have found myself getting a lot of shares of, as he has a lot of upside to win the job. I don't take late round tight ends as they are a waste of a pick, I'm a firm believer that you should take two tight ends early in Best Ball formats.

draft selections

Ryan Hester's evaluation

Strengths
Similar to Dan Glasgens above, drafters picking early in Round 1 should have a strength at running back. Devin fits that mold, not only because he selected Ezekiel Elliott at 1.02 but because he followed it up with two more backs in his next two picks. Christian McCaffrey should see more touches this season, while Jordan Howard is a player whose outlook is rosy with Chicago's new coaching staff, per our own B.J. VanderWoude.

From there, Devin took an interesting zig to the industry's zag by selecting quarterbacks in the fourth and sixth rounds (the first two quarterbacks off the board). This isn't the first time Devin has employed this strategy. There's something to be said for positional scarcity, but there's also a point where elite production falls too far. With Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Andrew Luck, Devin will have a top-four quarterback nearly every week.

Weaknesses
Strength at quarterback - particularly to the degree Devin has it - will naturally lead to weaknesses elsewhere. Devin's biggest weakness is at tight end, where he a) only drafted two players, and b) waited until TE23 to take his second. Evan Engram is an athletic marvel and had a great rookie season, but the Giants target outlook is clear as mud with the return of Odell Beckham Jrand the draft pick of Saquon Barkley. Devin is also weak at WR, but waiting until Round 7 will naturally give that appearance. Devin decided to play WR-by-committee by selecting six receivers in a seven-round stretch. While he has no clear WR1, he has seven players who can team up to provide three top-25 finishes each week.

How He'll Win It All
Devin will need his elite quarterbacks to provide virtuoso performances and be in the top half of QB1s each week. Any injuries to his top-three running backs could submarine the team, so he'll need to have good injury luck there. And his "boom" weeks at wide receiver and tight end will have to align well so he doesn't have too many weeks where the team bottoms out.

DRAFT SLOT 3

Heath Cummings

Heath Cummings is a Senior Fantasy Football Writer for CBS Sports and an analyst on Fantasy Football Today. Before joining CBS Sports he was a staff writer for Footballguys and hosted a Fantasy Football show with Jeff Haseley on ESPN 1510 in Kansas City. You can find Heath on Twitter @heathcummingssr.

Follow @heathcummingssr

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

I wouldn't say I make a huge adjustment but I'm definitely more interested in ceiling and less worried about floor. I'm also less concerned about positions early in the draft.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

• QB 2-3
• RB 5-8
• WR 5-8
• TE 2-3

It will really depend on the early rounds. If I end up with three top-20 receivers I'll be more likely to stockpile running backs late.

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

I don't really go in with a positional strategy, especially in a 10-team league. If the opportunity presents itself I could see myself starting with a combo like Elliott-Cook-Freeman, but at the same time, I could wait until the 10th round to take my third running back and settle for someone like Isaiah Crowell or Giovani Bernard as my third back.

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

Similar to what I said above, I don't have a definitive plan. I can tell you it won't happen before the 4th round because I know I'm taking a running back in the first. I can also say there's a tier around 120 in best ball ADP that includes Rishard Matthews, Kenny Stills, and Allen Hurns. That's probably the latest I'd want to wait to get my third receiver.

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

I won't take a quarterback in the first seven rounds unless Aaron Rodgers falls to the end of the sixth and I can't imagine he will. Drew Brees in the eighth is another possibility, but otherwise, it's very likely I won't take a quarterback in the first 9 rounds. I'd be thrilled to land two of Luck, Mahomes, Rivers, and Roethlisberger at the 10/11 turn.

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

If Gronk is there at pick 18 or Kelce is there at pick 23 I'll likely pounce. Otherwise, I'm going to hope I can get two of Delanie Walker, Trey Burton, and Kyle Rudolph at the 9/10 turn.

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

A perfect start would look something like: Ezekiel Elliott, Rob Gronkowski, TY Hilton. I'd love to get Brees in the 8th and I think both Mathews (10th) and Bernard (11th) are big values at their ADP.

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 3 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

The one nice thing about the third pick is I know I'm starting with a running back. I don't know which running back, but I'm guessing it will be Elliott.

9. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season? Are these types of players more or less appealing in a 10-man best-ball league?

Way more appealing, especially Mark Ingram. I'll have a hard time passing on him at the 4/5 turn. I can piece together RB2 production in the first four weeks and then unleash an Elliott/Ingram combo on the rest of the league.

10. Give us a few mid-round players (rounds 10-14) that you are targeting.

• Rishard Matthews
• Giovani Bernard
• Ben Roethlisberger

11. Give us a running back, wide receiver, and a tight end you would love to draft in the last three rounds.

• Matt Breida
• Tyrell Williams
• Hayden Hurst

draft selections

Ryan Hester's evaluation

Strengths
This isn't a full-PPR format, but with three wide receiver starters required plus a flex, that position is still among the most important. Heath obviously had that in mind with his draft, following up his Le'Veon Bell pick by taking four consecutive receivers. Heath managed a diverse portfolio among those four. He got a true stud in A.J. Green, a dynamic boom/bust player in T.Y. Hilton, and solid volume/floor players in Larry Fitzgerald and Demaryius Thomas.

Heath is also strong and diversified at quarterback. I love the idea of teaming up of a steady player like Drew Brees with more volatile players like Patrick Mahomes II II and Andy Dalton. At the risk of some shameless self-promotion, I think Heath got a player with top-six overall quarterback potential at QB15 in this draft. It's also not a bad thing in Best Ball to have a QB-WR combo from the same team, which Heath has in Dalton and Green.

Weaknesses
Heath eschewed selecting his second running back all the way until Round 7 (RB30). From there, he picked four in the next five rounds. The RB2-by-committee can be a dangerous game, but with the way starting roles can fluctuate due to performance and injuries, if there's any place to try this approach, it's probably here. The thing that could prove most difficult here is the Cleveland duo.

In general, drafting two backs from the same team in Best Ball can raise your floor, but it lowers your ceiling. And when the backs aren't a pure starter/handcuff situation, things can get muddy quickly. Both Carlos Hyde and Nick Chubb will play this year. Without an injury or a complete takeover of the role, will either be able to accumulate RB2 weeks?

Tight end could be a sore spot for Heath as well. Jimmy Graham seems to touchdown-dependent for my taste, and Hayden Hurst at TE17 seemed like a reach. He was selected in the first round by Baltimore, but he may not even be the best pass-catching tight end on his own team.

How He'll Win It All
First, Heath needs the RB2-by-committee to work out. Ideally, one Cleveland back emerges and/or Marlon Mack wins the lion's share of the Indianapolis touches. And Bell must be his typical self to give Heath some otherworldly RB1 weeks when the rest of the team might be slacking.

DRAFT SLOT 4

Keith Roberts - Bio

Follow @taker4862

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

A format of 10-man, of course, creates a bit more shallow of a player pool, which actually increases my focus on targeting running backs early since wide receiver is such a deep position. This also allows me to wait even longer on quarterbacks and take two solid options late in the draft.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

• 2 quarterbacks
• 3 tight ends
• 6 running backs
• 7 wide receivers

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

Round 4

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

Round 6

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

Round 10

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

Round 7

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

At pick #4, I will likely be landing on David Johnson with the first pick of 1.04. I would love to grab Dalvin Cook at 2.07, but I am doubtful he will be there--so I will target a WR1 such as Michael Thomas or Keenan Allen due to the drop-off after Cook at running back. I will be targeting a rookie running back within the next couple of rounds--ideally Derrius Guice / Rashad Penny in the 5th or Sony Michel in the 6th. Mid-to-late wide receivers I have an eye on will be DaVante Parker in the 9th or 10th round, Calvin Ridley near the 13th round, and a late round flyer on Jordan Matthews or Dede Westbrook for some upside. Evan Engram in the 7th or Delanie Walker in the 8th would be my tight end targets.

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 4 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

Drafting from #4 guarantees I will get a top-tier running back, which allows me to approach the draft much differently than if I was drafting in the back half of the order. It should open the door to get a solid RB2 with some upside in the second round or start strong with a top-level wide receiver.

9. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season? Are these types of players more or less appealing in a 10-man best-ball league?

In a best-ball format, I love targeting rookies with high upside--they are equally appealing to me in best ball and standard formats though. Players dealing with suspension or contract uncertainty scare me very little in best ball leagues, as I will have other options to make up the potential lost production in those early weeks. In best ball formats, I do like to try and avoid injury-prone players or guys dealing with ongoing issues to start the season. You can't sub these guys out when they are scratched or banged up, so taking a chance on an injury-prone guy within the first few rounds is something that definitely scares me more in best-ball than standard leagues.

10. Give us a few mid-round players (rounds 10-14) that you are targeting.

• DaVante Parker, D.J. Moore, Calvin Ridley, Cooper Kupp, Randall Cobb
• Ty Montgomery, Chris Thompson, Nick Chubb
• Jimmy Garoppolo, Patrick Mahomes II

11. Give us a running back, wide receiver, and a tight end you would love to draft in the last three rounds.

• RB - Nick Chubb
• WR - Jordan Matthews
• TE - Ricky Seals-Jones

draft selections

ryan hester's evaluation

Strengths
Keith's draft was an outstanding example of positional value and balance. His running backs are his strongest position, but he built that group without making his wide receivers weak. Keith clearly wanted to win the flex and will take his chances at the "onesie" positions.

Weaknesses
When you build around running backs and wide receivers, it's natural that quarterbacks and tight ends may leave something to be desired. But they are the most replaceable (quarterback) and least predictable (tight end) positions by nature, so an on-paper weakness could turn into a strength more easily than at running back or wide receiver.

One thing I may have considered if I were Keith would be taking one more tight end in Round 11 or in the Rounds 13-15 range. That's nitpicky, though, considering that all of the tight ends taken in that range have their warts.

How He'll Win It All
Keith will need some luck at tight end (Greg Olsen must stay healthy; Ricky Seals-Jones must realize his ceiling on multiple occasions). He'll also need his WR3-by-committee that he selected in Rounds 8-11 to work out. Lastly, the longer Tyrod Taylor keeps his job, the better floor Keith has at quarterback for when Kirk Cousins has a bad week.

DRAFT SLOT 5

Danny Tuccitto - Bio

Follow @IR_DannyT

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. What do you do differently in a 10-man draft?

Because the average roster is stronger, I tend to go even more for upside than usual. It's harder to stand out -- i.e., finish in those Top 3 spots -- when everyone's got an All-Pro team at their core.

2. How many of each position do you plan to take?

Three quarterbacks and three tight ends for sure. Between running back and wide receiver, it depends on how the draft proceeds. I'll almost certainly have either six of both or draft five running backs and seven wide receivers.

3. How soon do you plan on having three running backs?

I won't have three running backs until the 9th round at the earliest.

4. How soon do you plan on having three wide receivers?

I'll have three wide receivers by no later than the 5th round.

5. When do you plan to select your first quarterback?

If I don't get either Russell Wilson or Cam Newton, then I'll wait until we start approaching the double-digit rounds.

6. When do you plan to select your first tight end?

If I don't take a tight end in the first four rounds, then I'll wait until we start approaching the double-digit rounds.

7. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

An ideal start for me would be either Antonio Brown or Odell Beckham, then Dalvin Cook, then Doug Baldwin. And if I get Baldwin, then I'll target Russell Wilson in Round 6 or 7.

8. Discuss drafting from the No. 5 hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

Regardless of whether I get a running back or wide receiver at 1.05, this draft slot is highly conducive to using a wide receiver-heavy strategy. The other thing that's different from the five hole is more meta. Because my picks are spread out evenly, I don't have to do as much mental gymnastics with respect to figuring out next 15-20 picks, which is what would be necessary when drafting closer to the turns (i.e., the 1.01 or the 1.10).

9. What'