2012 Fantasy Football Draft Analysis: Players to Target

Derick E. Hingle/US PRESSWIRE

So your turn on the clock is coming up and you have to decide quickly who to draft.  You list tells you who is the top ranked player, you see the top available player according to ESPN or Yahoo, and the time is ticking down.  You pull the trigger on a player, then second guess your choice, but it's too late since you hit the draft button.


There can be a lot of pressure while drafting.  I like to go after players I want on my team even if they are not the best available player according to all my lists.  It's much better to have a team of players you want then a list of the best available players you were stuck with.  It's by far better for you to control your draft rather than have the draft control you.

Let's take a look at players to draft in each round of a standard 12 team draft, I will assume you get the fourth pick overall.  I will use player names of each player I am targeting in each round.  I will do my best to assume what players would be available at each round.

You must always take reliability into account.  Although you may have a high ranking player available you have to think if they will play every game during the season.

Round 1:

Reliable QB:  Aaron Rodgers
Reliable RB:  LeSean McCoy
Reliable WR:  Calvin Johnson
Reliable TE:  Rob Gronkowski

Round 2:

Reliable QB:  Tom Brady
Reliable RB:  Adrian Peterson
Reliable WR:  Roddy White
Reliable TE: Jimmy Graham

Round 3:

Reliable QB:  Tony Romo
Reliable RB:  Marshawn Lynch
Reliable  WR:  Jordy Nelson
Reliable TE:  Jermichael Finley

Round 4:

Reliable QB:  Eli Manning
Reliable RB:  Ahmad Bradshaw
Reliable WR:  Jordy Nelson
Reliable TE: Jason Witten

Round 5:

Reliable QB:  Phillip Rivers
Reliable RB:  BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Reliable WR: Demaryius Thomas
Reliable TE:  Tony Gonzalez

Round 6:

Reliable QB:  Ben Roethlisberger
Reliable RB:  Shonn Greene
Reliable WR:  Jeremy Maclin
Reliable TE:  Aaron Hernandez

Round 7:

Reliable QB:  Matt Ryan
Reliable RB:   James Starks
Reliable WR:  Michael Crabtree
Reliable TE:  Jacob Tamme

Round 8:

Reliable QB:  Robert Griffen III
Reliable RB: Mark Ingram
Reliable  WR:  Torrey Smith
Reliable TE:  Brent Celek

Round 9:

Reliable QB:  Jay Cutler
Reliable RB:  Jonathan Stewart
Reliable WR:  Darrius Heyward-Bey
Reliable TE:  Dustin Keller

Round 10:

Reliable QB:  Joe Flacco
Reliable RB:  Ben Tate
Reliable WR:  Nate Washington
Reliable TE: Jermaine Gresham

I will stop after ten rounds for this article, but be sure to keep up with the site for some deep sleeper recommendations for later round picks.

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