Fantasy Football 2022: Ideal Strategy for Each Spot in 12-Team Mock Drafts

If you have one of the top two picks in a fantasy football draft this year, you shouldn't have much to think about. It's fairly clear who the managers in those slots should select to kick off the first round.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is coming off a monster 2021 season and should go No. 1 overall. Then, Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey is too talented to pass up at No. 2, despite his injury concerns from last year.

But what do you do if you're among the managers with the Nos. 3-12 picks? How should you begin your draft? And where should you go from there?

Fortunately, many fantasy leagues aren't drafting until closer to the start of the 2022 NFL season on Sept. 8. So there's still time to ponder. In fact, you may not even know your draft order yet, so there's quite a bit to think over.

In the meantime, here are some strategies to consider as the beginning of another fantasy football campaign draws closer.

Even if you're not at No. 1 or No. 2 in a 12-team draft, you should likely still take one of the other top running backs with your first-round selection. It isn't uncommon to see eight or nine RBs come off the board in the opening round, as it's the toughest position to try to fill late in the draft.

Shortly after Taylor and McCaffrey are taken, running backs such as the Tennessee Titans' Derrick Henry, the Los Angeles Chargers' Austin Ekeler, the Minnesota Vikings' Dalvin Cook and the Pittsburgh Steelers' Najee Harris should be selected. These are bell-cow backs who are sure to get plenty of touches in 2022, assuming they stay healthy.

Near the end of the round, RBs such as the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Mixon and the Detroit Lions' D'Andre Swift should be in consideration. Mixon was a consistently strong performer last season, while Swift should get plenty of work this year and is likely to fulfill his potential.

It's also a good strategy to open the draft by taking a running back in each of the first two rounds. Sure, you'll need to stack up on wide receivers later, but it's a great feeling to have a pair of clear-cut starting RBs to be anchors for your lineup moving forward.

In the second round, running backs such as the New Orleans Saints' Alvin Kamara, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Leonard Fournette, the Denver Broncos' Javonte Williams and the Arizona Cardinals' James Conner are worthy of consideration.

It's not a given you should take a running back in the first round, though, even if you're in the Nos. 3-5 range. There are several star wide receivers who should dominate again in 2022, and they'll be especially enticing in points-per-reception leagues.

The three receivers worthy of first-round consideration are the Los Angeles Rams' Cooper Kupp, the Minnesota Vikings' Justin Jefferson and the Cincinnati Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase. Kupp is the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Jefferson is great and only getting better, and Chase was last year's NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

If any of these three falls to the end of the first round, it would be wise to scoop them up over a running back. And it wouldn't be too uncommon to see all three go within the first seven or eight selections.

Another player to consider late in the first round is Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Typically, it's best to wait until the middle rounds to grab a tight end, but Kelce has been in a class of his own for most of his career. He could give you a huge leg up by having him in your TE slot each week.

Never take a quarterback in the first round of a fantasy football draft. For that matter, don't take one in the second, either.

Anybody who does that is putting themselves at a huge disadvantage. It's possible to get top-10 QBs in the middle rounds, and there's no quarterback who is so much better than the rest that he should be taken in either the first or second round.

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen is the clear top fantasy QB heading into 2022, as he has the ability to rack up points using both his arm and his legs. But the earliest he should be considered is in the third round. However, even that isn't a great approach.

So wait until the sixth, seventh or potentially even the eighth round to grab your quarterback. There are still going to be some solid options, such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Tom Brady or the Denver Broncos' Russell Wilson, and you'll be able to build out the rest of your roster with star players at the skill positions in the meantime.