If you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance you’re getting ready to draft your fantasy football team. It’s one of the most enjoyable parts of playing our great game, and it’s also one of (if not) the most important parts of being competitive and winning your league.

Unlike me, who participates in way too many leagues (LOL), you might have just one or two leagues to prepare for each season. As a result, you can focus your attention on how to successfully draft from one particular spot in the order. In this case, it’s the No. 9 pick.

The benefit, of course, is that you’ll have two picks in eight spots between odd and even rounds, but you’ll also have an extended wait (18 picks) when the rounds go from even to odd. Being at No. 9, you’re very unlikely to get a top three running back or a top five wide receiver. Maybe you’ll get lucky and one will fall to you, but I wouldn’t count on it. And while you’ll still get a solid player, you might have to make a difficult decision in Round 1.

As a result, it’s imperative to have a good strategy for that ninth overall pick and the rest of the draft that will help you build a championship-level fantasy football roster.

That’s where I come in! 

To help you draft the best possible fantasy football squad from the ninth pick, here’s a look into my fantasy football headspace and the decisions I would make in each and every round from that spot. Also, I’ll give you some of the players I’d most like to target in each round in a best-case scenario based on the average draft position data over at FantasyPros. You should also check out my latest Top 200 player ranking list to help you prepare.

Alright, let’s kick things off!

All Picks: No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 | No. 4 | No. 5 | No. 6 | No. 7 | No. 8 | No. 10 | No. 11 | No. 12

No. 9 Fantasy Football Draft Strategy

Rounds 1-2

I mentioned earlier that managers with the ninth overall pick would have a tough choice to make … the choice is whether or not to draft Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. He has all the tools to be an instant impact maker in fantasy football, from his athletic skill set to his projected role as the centerpiece of the Las Vegas offense under coach Pete Carroll.

Selecting a first-year player might freak some managers out, and that’s understandable. After all, you have plenty of other options, like Dolphins running back De’Von Achane or Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (who should both be on the board). However, for this exercise, I’m taking the rookie and throwing fantasy caution to the wind! After all, Jeanty does rank ninth overall in my list of the Top 200 players, and I practice what I preach.

In Round 2 (pick No. 16), and assuming I landed Jeanty in the first round, I’ll look for the best available wide receiver in most cases. Based on FantasyPros ADP data, that’s going to give me a choice of wideouts like A.J. Brown, Garrett Wilson or Ladd McConkey. If Drake London were still on the board (ADP – 15.5), I would jump at the chance to grab him.

If you want Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, this is probably where you’ll need to take one of them since they might not be on the board near the bottom of Round 3. That’s not my personal jam, however. The same goes for the tight end. If you want Brock Bowers or Trey McBride, you’ll have to take them here or lose them because they’ll be gone by Round 3.

I typically wait on a quarterback and tight end, though, and I might not even take a field general until the eighth or ninth round. It’s a deep position so I’d rather focus elsewhere.

Fabs’ ideal Round 1 pick (No. 9): Jeanty
Fabs’ ideal Round 2 picks (No. 16): London/Brown/Wilson

Rounds 3-4

With a running back and a wideout on my roster, I’ll very likely be looking at a second wide receiver with the No. 33 overall pick. If you’re of the Hero-RB mindset (drafting one back in the first five to six rounds) you’ll definitely go with a second wide receiver in this spot. In that scenario, I could still get McConkey, Terry McLaurin or Tyreek Hill at this spot.

You could also go with a tight end if Bowers or McBride fell, but don’t expect that to happen (Bowers is at No. 19 in ADP and McBride’s ADP on FantasyPros has him off the board at 26.5).

In Round 4, I’m going with the best player available at running back or wide receiver. If it’s a receiver, that’s fine to have three before you get your second runner. You’ll find good backs who are still on the board into the fifth round, so I would probably side with a wideout. In that case, I’ll have gone with three straight wideouts after taking Jeanty at No. 9. I wouldn’t force the issue if a good back fell a few spots, however, so keep tabs on the draft flow.

It’s important to keep tabs on whether or not there’s been a run at a particular position, leaving it a bit thinner in terms of depth and if you want to grab a player at that spot now or punt it down the line instead.

In this case, I’m going with the best available player between the running backs and wideouts. Based on ADP data, that could be Kenneth Walker III, Alvin Kamara, DJ Moore, Chuba Hubbard, Joe Mixon or DK Metcalf.

Fabs’ ideal Round 3 picks (No. 33): Wilson/McConkey/McLaurin/Hill
Fabs’ ideal Round 4 picks (No. 40): Walker III/Kamara/Moore/Hubbard/Mixon/Metcalf