Fantasy Football Pick 7 Strategy: How to Draft From the 7th Spot

Fantasy Football 7th Pick in 12-Team Leagues

The seventh pick in 2022 fantasy football drafts is a great middle-of-the-order spot heading into the season. There should be a pair of elite-level running backs (we'll dive deeper below) available and the overall wait between picks won't be as grueling as other positions in this draft.

Fantasy Football Pick 7 Strategy

So how can fantasy football drafters best take advantage of drawing the No. 7 pick in 2022? Here's a guide to the best draft strategy at 7.

Round 1/Round 2

Yes, the big three of top running backs in Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey and Austin Ekeler won't be available. Sure you're not getting the potential upper-echelon fantasy talent, but this pick has just 11 spots to wait until Round 2. If you're picking first, second or third, that means a 20+ pick wait.

Managers picking seventh still have a golden opportunity to nab a running back from the next tier, and let's call these players elite. This includes second-year workhorse Najee Harris (ADP 7) or Vikings star Dalvin Cook (ADP 8). Harris went off in his rookie campaign, tallying RB3 status in PPR leagues thanks to 300.7 total fantasy points across 17 games. His 307 carries ranked behind only Jonathan Taylor.

You could also jump for Cook. Cook only managed to appear in 13 games a year ago, but still averaged 15.9 PPR points per game. His 249 rushing attempts ranked fifth in the league, meaning a fully healthy season will put him in competition with Taylor in terms of opportunities. You can't go wrong with either.

Your next pick falls at 18. Depending on your overall strategy, you're going either RB or WR with this pick. The running back options are better, including names like Alvin Kamara (ADP 18), Aaron Jones (ADP 19) or Javonte Williams (ADP 21).

CeeDee Lamb sits at ADP 17 and he'd be a wise selection should he fall one spot. Don't forget, the Cowboys traded away Amari Cooper this offseason and left 104 targets up for grabs. Michael Gallup will eat up some of those, but that just means the future in Dallas screams a heavy dose of Lamb. Scoop him up if he's available.

Round 3/Round 4

Following this strategy, fantasy managers will enter Round 3 with an enticing RB-WR combo. At pick No. 31, there's a serious case to be made for drafting a QB. It may not be the standard strategy, but nabbing Patrick Mahomes (ADP 32) is a potential league-altering move.

Put it this way: if you don't take Mahomes in Round 3, he won't be available during your next pick. If you're comfortable with the next tier of QBs (outside of Mahomes and Josh Allen), or even streaming week to week, then stick with another playmaker.

The playmakers are plentiful in Round 3. Tee Higgins (ADP 31) is available for another if you're interested in nabbing two top-13 wideouts. His 15.6 PPR points per game ranked 13th amongst last season, and he appears on the doorstop of his first-ever 1,000+ receiving yard campaign.

Opting for a second running back is probably the safest move. David Montgomery (ADP 33) should be available. He's ranked as RB13 in The Duel's preseason RB rankings looks to return to the 1,000+ yard rushing mark after tallying 849 yards and 7 TDs a year ago.

Drafters are then up again at pick 42. In my opinion, you'll want to add a second RB or WR depending on the picks you make in Rounds 1-3. That especially rings true if you opt for Mahomes. Don't fall into the Darren Waller trap at this spot. He ranks with ADP 46, meaning it's already a bit of a stretch. Waller was a TE2 two years ago, but in a completely different offense.

Yes, better receivers open up more opportunities. But more importantly, it means more mouths to feed. Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow will be fierce competitions for those targets.

Some better options in Round 4 include Diontae Johnson (ADP 42), DJ Moore (ADP 43) or Josh Jacobs (ADP 44). I lean on the Jacobs at this spot, especially because the options you'll have at wideout in Round 5. That leaves you with a strong starting core of Harris/Cook, Lamb, Mahomes and Jacobs.

Round 5/Round 6

Round 5 comes and you'll need another WR to pair alongside your second-round selection. Luckily, there are options galore. At pick 55, WRs like Brandin Cooks (ADP 53), Chris Godwin (ADP 54), Amari Cooper (ADP 58) and Courtland Sutton (ADP 60) should be there for the taking. All four are borderline top-24 talents at the position, meaning your starting roster will be complete with a pair of starting wideouts that actually rank as WR1s and WR2s in fantasy football.

That's even more reason to opt for Jacobs in Round 4.

From there, things get really interesting. Round 6 is the perfect time to think about a reliable TE. T.J. Hockenson (ADP 65) could be available with the No. 66 overall pick. He's one of the last TEs you should consider before taking on a streaming strategy at the position.

There's a number of good RB and WR options in this spot as well, and it's good as time as ever to secure your FLEX. Damien Harris (ADP 66), Amon-Ra St. Brown (ADP 67), and Allen Robinson II (ADP 68) are all on the board. Robinson enters the year with the highest upside, in my opinion. After Cooper Kupp's dominant league-winning WR1 finish a year ago, opposing defenses will be centered on stopping the Rams' force.

Just two years removed from a WR12 finish, and playing with a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, that's pretty attractive value for a Round 6 selection.

Later Rounds

Since fantasy football drafts are living organisms that evolve in real time, it's hard to pin down a specific strategy for later rounds. Managers will just have to let the picks play out, but there's some fantasy draft advice you should keep in mind. 

Prepare a list of sleepers you're high on for later rounds. Nabbing the right handcuff or low-profile guy that turns into a weekly starter off of your bench is a massive advantage that'll give you a leg up on your leaguemates. 

Don't be afraid to take risks when appropriate as well. The downtime between picks when you draw the No. 7 spot means you'll see plenty of players, sometimes even ones you really want, fly off of the board before your next turn. As long as you have a solid start (like the roster above), you can afford to reach if there's someone you believe in.

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Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.