Drafting with conviction beats chasing consensus. The piece stresses building a plan, using tiers instead of static rankings, and embracing picks you truly believe in even if they feel bold. Emotions should stay off the draft board; you control the lineup, so you should draft with purpose and conviction.

Elite island spots at QB and TE are acknowledged as obtainable, but landing both early can hollow out starting RB/WR depth. The author suggests prioritizing RBs when chasing an early QB or TE, especially in 10-team formats, to keep the depth needed for Sunday nights. Balance and flexibility are the keys to survive the mid-rounds.

Example lineup from slot No. 5 in a 10-team league shows Hurts in the fourth, Henry in the second, Swift in the seventh, Jefferson in the first, Worthy in the fifth, McBride in the third, and Metcalf in the sixth. It demonstrates shoring premium positions while still securing depth at WR, with upside plays ready to spike as the season unfolds.

The focus then shifts to the Hunter quandary, Barkley’s risk from last year’s workload, and the buy-the-dip targets like Pacheco and Hockenson. The message is clear: know how you view each player’s usage and risk, adjust ADP expectations, and lean into undervalued names for mid- to late-round upside.

Friday’s Eagles-Jets finale in North Jersey is a pure roster audition. With Jalen Hurts resting, the spotlight shifts to fringe players trying to lock a spot on Philly’s 53-man squad and to the depth chart at safety, cornerback, and linebacker where Jihaad Campbell has drawn praise

Kyle McCord gets the bulk of quarterback snaps, an important development for a future behind Hurts, while Darius Cooper, a Tarleton State product, is pushing for a roster spot after Carter Wilson’s injury opened a door. Reed Blankenship has cemented himself as a steadier piece of the Eagles’ secondary as the WR group reshapes without Johnny Wilson, who’s out for the season. The finale becomes a microcosm of the 53-man math and potential late-season contributors from this crop.

Ashton Jeanty sits among the decade’s elite RB prospects, ranking behind only Bijan Robinson and Saquon Barkley on both major boards. A 99.9 rushing grade at Boise State and a potent receiving skill-set earned him a plug-and-play role with the Raiders, raising his fantasy upside in a feature-heavy backfield.

The draft blueprint centers on a tight-pendulum approach: front-half rounds lean toward elite WRs and high-ceiling RBs, then lock in top-end talent at TE (George Kittle) and QB (Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes) as early as possible. Grid-wide, the plan emphasizes leveraging positional gaps, with strategic mid-round hits like Emeka Egbuka, Chris Olave, and Tetairoa McMillan to compound upside as rosters fill.

Beyond Jeanty, the piece highlights an arsenal of fantasy-friendly targets: Kittle’s all-around game as a top-three TE, Hurts’s ceiling with a favorable supporting cast, and a wide receiver corps that includes Olave, Mooney, and Jameson Williams. It also notes potential risk factors—injuries, O-line health, and QB transitions—that could tilt ADP and weekly start decisions, urging managers to balance floor with upside across the draft.

Two years separate the Eagles’ 2023 stumble from their redemptive march back to the sport’s pinnacle. A season that began with doubt around Sirianni’s offense and a criticized defensive handshake evolved into a reimagined roster and a sharper game plan. Philadelphia leaned into Hurts, Brown, and Smith, added Barkley and Baun, and installed Moore and Fangio to orchestrate a run-first attack and a tighter defense. After a rocky start, the Eagles vaulted to the NFC crown and toppled the Chiefs in the ultimate game, turning pain into purpose and cementing a fresh chapter for Lurie, Roseman, Sirianni, and Hurts.