Fantasy Football 2020 Draft Strategy: 5th-8th Picks

Ron Jenkins / Associated Press

Welcome to a three-part article series on building a team from each part of the draft. This article covers picking in the middle of fantasy football drafts.

Part One:Picks 1st-4th

Part Three: Picks 9th-12th

Drafting in the middle of fantasy football drafts this year allows owners to employ a multitude of strategies. You can still pick up a solid RB1 in these middle picks, or you could go after a top tier WR in the middle picks of the first round. The flexibility offered by picking in the 5th through 8th may be appealing to some owners.

Let's examine what your team could look like by the end of round 3 when picking in the middle of snake drafts (Picks 5-8). For the sake of this article, we'll assume it's a 12-man, standard scoring league (1QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 FLEX).

Round 1:

After the Big 4 RBs are off the board, you are left with two avenues to take when it comes to picking your team. If you feel like you can scoop up quality wide receivers (WRs) in the later rounds, taking a running back (RB) in this pick range would be your go to strategy. You would be choosing from Ezekiel Elliot, Josh Jacobs and Derrick Henry.

One RB I recommend staying away from in the first round is Aaron Jones. His TD efficiency was off the charts last year, and a regression to the mean is more likely than a repeat of his gaudy 2019 stats. He is a fine pick at the end of the first round, beginning of second round, but in picks 5-8, you can do better.

Aaron Jones celebrating first downIt will be tough for Aaron Jones to replicate his 2019 season.Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

You will also most likely have your first choice of WRs on the board in this area of the draft. Michael Thomas is this year's obvious WR1 and would be a solid choice in this area. DeAndre Hopkins and Tyreek Hill are in this conversation as well, but are better values at the end of the first round than here.

You should be looking at Ezekiel Elliot, Michael Thomas, Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs, in that order.

Round 2:

At this stage you can build your team multiple ways. Let's explore a few different scenarios below:

  • RB-RB: If you have one of Elliot, Henry or Jacobs on your team, you are still in a good range in the middle of the second round to nab another quality RB. You would need to hit on a few lower tier WRs with upside, but your strength at the RB position will put you ahead of the curve over teams who did not take a RB in round one or a second RB in round two. Running backs to target here would include: Miles Sanders, Chris Carson, Melvin Gordon III and James Connor.
  • RB-WR:Being in the middle of round two still allows you to nab a top tier WR1 to pair with your RB1 as well. Depending on league settings, this might be a more appealing strategy, especially if points per reception are awarded. Wide receivers most likely available would include: Julio Jones, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Kenny Galloday. All would be fine additions as a WR 1 in the second round.
  • RB/WR-TE: Whether you took a WR or a RB in round one wouldn't matter in this strategy because your goal would be to lock up one of the elite tight end (TE) prospects in round two. There are only two players worthy in the second round: Travis Kelce and George Kittle. Kittle is borderline second round-worthy, but Kelce is good value here if you want to pull the trigger. Kittle may not make it to your pick in the third round, so if you want to lock up your TE position and Kelce has been chosen, Kittle should be your next choice. No other TE is worth the sacrifice in other positions' value here in the second round.
  • RB/WR-QB: This strategy is the same as the TE strategy above, but your goal is to look up one of the best quarterbacks(QB) in your league. Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are the only two quarterbacks worth a second round pick this year. Any other QB is not worth the value you would have to give up at other positions.

Round 3:

With the plethora of ways to build your team in the first two rounds, round 3 brings along the ability to pick the best player available. Here are players from each of the four positions that you'll have to choose from in round three:

QB: Deshaun Watson - the only QB that is worth taking in the third round.

RB: Austin Ekeler, Kenyan Drake, Melvin Gordon III, Devin Singletary, Le'Veon Bell - All of these RBs are worthy of a third round selection, and most will be a solid RB2 for your team. A quick note, if you went RB-RB in the first two rounds, then drafting a third may put your team at a disadvantage. It's suggested you go WR or QB in round three instead.

Kenyan Drake running with football.Kenyan Drake could be a league winner this year.Photo by Arizona Cardinals

WR: Amari Cooper, Cooper Kupp, Adam Thielen, DK Metcalf - Excellent value at WR is still on the board in the third round. All four of these players can slide in as a borderline WR1/above average WR2 on your team.

TE: Mark Andrews- Taking Andrews in the 3rd is a bit of a reach, but if your league puts premium settings on TE scoring, this would not be a bad play. In standard scoring, Andrews would be a good pick late in the third round, but is better value in the fourth and later rounds.

Your goal for the next few rounds is to acquire high-scoring talent and fill in the holes with high ceiling players in the last few rounds of the draft. Remember that a backup QB or TE that you only plan on starting for one week to fill in for your starter can be snagged on the waiver wire throughout the season. Use your draft capital on RBs and WRs who have high scoring potential but also big bust potential–those are the players that will win your league for you in 2020.

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Find Out How FanDuel Keeps The Fun Going As We Head Into The Summer

With Football and March Madness in our rear-view window, you must think that there is nothing good to bet on these days. However, there’s so much going on right now that even we are having a hard time keeping up!

So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on to help you out.

First things first, you’ll want to make an account with FanDuel Sportsbook — a legitimate and easy way to put your money where your mouth is and bet on just about every sport, including:

  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • UFC
  • and the PGA Tour

With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, they are offering new users their No Sweat $1,000 promotion. This means you will get up to $1,000 back in Bonus Bets if you lose your first bet!

Here’s what’s heatin’ up:

Basketball: NBA Player Combos

A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.

Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!

Hockey: Total Shots On Goal

A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.

Soccer: Total Shots

Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.

Golf: Over/Under Birdies

A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!


Baseball: NRFI

Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".

With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.

Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!

Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.

Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.

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Find Out How FanDuel Keeps The Fun Going Even After March Madness

So March Madness is over, and either you won big or died trying. Whatever the case may be, now that the hoopla of the tournament is behind us, you may be thinking that there’s nothing exciting to bet on before the ramp-up to the NBA Playoffs. However, there’s so much more going on post-March Madness than you might realize.

So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on now that the winning team has been crowned.

First things first, you’ll want to make an account with FanDuel Sportsbook — a legitimate and easy way to put your money where your mouth is and bet on just about every sport, including:

  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • UFC
  • and the PGA Tour

With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, when new users bet $5, they get $150 in Bonus Bets, win or lose!

It’s post-March Madness- Here’s what’s heatin’ up:

Basketball: NBA Player Combos

A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.

Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!

Hockey: Total Shots On Goal

A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.

Soccer: Total Shots

Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.

Golf: Over/Under Birdies

A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!


Baseball: NRFI

Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".

With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.

Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!

Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.

Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.

fanduel sportsbook

Find Out How FanDuel Keeps The Fun Going Even After March Madness

So March Madness is over, and either you won big or died trying. Whatever the case may be, now that the hoopla of the tournament is behind us, you may be thinking that there’s nothing exciting to bet on before the ramp-up to the NBA Playoffs. However, there’s so much more going on post-March Madness than you might realize.

So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on now that the winning team has been crowned.

First things first, you’ll want to make an account with FanDuel Sportsbook — a legitimate and easy way to put your money where your mouth is and bet on just about every sport, including:

  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • UFC
  • and the PGA Tour

With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, when new users bet $5, they get $150 in Bonus Bets, win or lose!

It’s post-March Madness- Here’s what’s heatin’ up:

Basketball: NBA Player Combos

A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.

Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!

Hockey: Total Shots On Goal

A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.

Soccer: Total Shots

Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.

Golf: Over/Under Birdies

A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!


Baseball: NRFI

Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".

With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.

Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!

Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.

Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.

fanduel sportsbook

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