In almost every draft, there is that fantasy owner that will reach and grab a quarterback early. You know who I’m talking about. That owner that drafted Lamar Jackson with his first pick last year. Then another owner probably grabbed Patrick Mahomes not too far behind. Great players, sure, but they shouldn’t be your first pick. You shouldn’t draft a QB before at least the 5th round and here is why.

Early Draft Picks Are Crucial

In the later draft rounds, there is some wiggle room and you can take chances, but in early rounds, you can’t miss. Let’s be clear. Patrick Mahomes isn’t a miss, but if you pass on an elite RB1 or WR1, you are most likely going to show up late to the party and will miss out. Take my advice and use those crucial early-round picks to take elite running backs and wide receivers instead.

Quality RBs and WRs Are Hard to Come By

Unless you have a top 7 pick, you’re probably not getting a truly elite RB. They just go too fast. Midway through the 2nd round, elite WRs will start to be hard to come by. These positions are so crucial, especially in PPR (points per reception) leagues. These are the players that should be drafted when they are available or else owners will be stuck without those “set it and forget it” players and struggle to fill those roster spots week to week.

Quality QBs Are a Dime a Dozen

Is it great to have a “plug and play” QB like Patrick Mahomes on your roster? Without a doubt! Is it worth reaching for in the early rounds? Doubtful. Sure, maybe he’ll lead the league in fantasy points scored. Or maybe he’ll end up like Lamar Jackson last year who got drafted in the first round in a ton of drafts and ended up 10th in fantasy points for QBs. Do you know who was 9th? Justin Herbert, who was most likely undrafted in your league. Do you know who was 1st? Josh Allen, who I drafted late in several leagues. In one league, I drafted him in the 10th round after taking Dak Prescott a few rounds earlier.

Not only is it easy to find a quality QB in later rounds, but it’s often not hard to get a solid QB off of the waivers during the year too. I added Ryan Tannehill from the waivers in week 11 last season and he ended up 7th in fantasy scoring for QBs. Chances are you’re not picking up a top 10 WR or RB off the waivers that late in the season. If push comes to shove, you can usually grab a one-week QB rental off the waivers week to week and always have a decent streaming option.

There Can Only be One Highlander

Okay, so maybe you’re in a two QB league or have a super flex spot on your roster, but in most leagues, you can only play one QB week to week. RBs and WRs, on the other hand, you’re playing at least two or three – maybe even four every week. I’d rather have a strong core of wide receivers and running backs on my roster that I was able to draft than a stud QB with boom or bust players around him because I reached for a QB too early.

If You Build it, They Will Come

There are countless ways to build your fantasy team. Owners can also utilize the waiver wire and trades to improve their team throughout the season or capitalize on an injury to grab a league winner. However, the teams with a strong draft end up with the title more often than not.

I’m happy to draft a stud QB, but I’m not giving up an elite RB1 or WR1 to grab him. I’d rather end up with a Russell Wilson/Dalvin Cook combo than Patrick Mahomes with Kenyan Drake. Give me Davante Adams and Tom Brady over Lamar Jackson and Melvin Gordon all day. I’ll build around stud RBs and WRs over taking a QB early and missing out.

The Right Way to Draft

There may be more than one way to skin a cat, but in my opinion, there’s only one way to win a draft. Go for an elite RB1 like Dalvin Cook, CMC, or Derrick Henry. Simply put, they are league winners.

I recommend taking an RB1 with the first pick. If there is still a stud RB on the board when pick two comes around, grab him. Otherwise, draft a WR1. Picks 3-5 should be another RB and WR or a TE. Then maybe consider a QB, but honestly, I would wait. I would grab another RB or two to supplement instead. My only exception to the rule is Travis Kelce. I will take Kelce with my third of fourth pick because he’s too good to pass up even in the early rounds. He is basically a WR1.

In the later rounds, look to add depth at the WR and RB positions. It never hurts to have an extra QB and TE as a backup. These are solid choices in the later rounds as well. Don’t bother with a kicker or defense until the last rounds. The defense and kicker rankings change too much from week to week making them prime streaming positions and the point differential between defenses and kickers is just too small to justify taking them any earlier.

Stick with this draft strategy and don’t draft a QB before the 5th round and you should end up with a pretty solid team. Follow @belly-up-fantasy-sports and @InGold_We-Trust for all of your fantasy football needs. We will be breaking down the draft, every team, and every player at every position to get you ready for fantasy football season.