Using the FantasySP AI Draft Expert to Pick My Fantasy Football Team: Intriguing Results, but for Good Reason

FantasySP has unveiled some unique fantasy tools over the year, and today, I wanted to utilize our new AI Draft Expert.

It can be found under the FantasySP Fantasy Assistant. After syncing your league, simply click Draft Genius and it will offer you draft suggestions. If you then ask the expert, it will give you detailed reasons to draft three different players, citing needs and priorities. 

I joined a 10-team public league on Yahoo to test things out. I had the fourth overall pick.

I had my screen split, with the draft running on one half and the draft assistant on the other side. There was a minute for each pick, and I never came close to running out of time, even though I updated things and asked for the fantasy expert's help with each pick.

Get ready for draft season! Practice Mock Drafts, check out ADPs and get advice for trades with our trade analyzer.

Quarterback

The lone quarterback I ended up with was Joe Burrow. I got him in the fifth round, at pick 44 overall.

I obviously hadn't drafted a quarterback to that point, so it was a need and priority. The best value according to the draft assistant was in an elite quarterback. 

Burrow's writeup was as follows: “Tier-1 QB with league-leading projection buzz and strong preseason form. Locks your QB1 at slight value in a 10-team."

I'm always happy to get Burrow, and understand not needing another quarterback after him, which is what the draft assistant decided on too.

Running Backs

I got Jahmyr Gibbs, D'Andre Swift, Austin Ekeler and Jerome Ford with my running back selections.

Gibbs was the pick at No. 4 overall. Swift went in round 6, at pick  57. Ekeler (round 14, pick 137) and Ford (round 15, pick 144) were late-round picks.

I'm obviously a big fan of Gibbs at the No. 4 slot, and he makes getting a ton of backs a non-issue. He'll start every week, except for his bye week.

Swift was a need and priority after skipping over the position in rounds 2-5. He was near his ADP, so he was one of the suggestions.

His draft writeup said: “Every-down role with receiving work fits your RB need; positive camp notes and within 1 round value.”

Ekeler in the 14th round feels like a steal after Brian Robinson Jr. was traded to the Niners. The draft assistant already knew about the trade, saying: “Commanders moving on from Brian Robinson raises touch outlook; pass-game floor makes him a strong bench RB add.

I also liked the value of Ford in the final round. He was seen as useful RB depth, with a chance to help throughout the season. Ford was a good draft value too.

Wide Receivers

At receiver, I ended up with A.J. Brown, Tyreek Hill, Jameson Williams, Jerry Jeudy, Rome Odunze, Cooper Kupp and Michael Pittman. 

Brown was my third-round pick, going at No. 24 overall. The draft assistant called him an “elite WR at a discount here.” 

Hill went in round 4, at pick 37. The assistant said: “Elite WR value slipping to you; projections strong and news doesn't indicate major setback. Pair with A.J. for weekly ceiling."

Williams was my seventh-round pick, going 64th overall. Jeudy was next up at pick 77 overall. Odunze was taken at pick 84, while Kupp went 97th.

It seemed like an excessive amount of receivers in a row, but it really solidified that position for me. There's more than enough trade bait to move some wideouts for additional running back help, or go after another position if injuries hit.

I wasn't super high on getting Pittman in the 13th round and at pick 124. The assistant liked him for his solid target share and projection, while adding that he was a “safe bench WR” who could help me out on bye weeks.

Tight Ends

Brock Bowers was my one and only pick at tight end. He went in round 2, at pick 17.

While the need of course was there, the assistant prioritized a receiver or running back, but suggested Bowers because of the draft value.

It said: “Tier-top TE with WR-like volume and elite news buzz; locks a scarce position without overreaching."

Again, I'm never going to complain when getting Bowers. There's no need for an additional TE when you have an every-week starter, so it made sense not to draft another one.

Other Picks

I got the Pittsburgh defense/special teams (round 11, pick 104) and Jake Bates (round 12, pick 117) as a kicker.

I personally thought it was too early for landing those positions, especially because I only had two running backs at that point. There were lots of backs left on the board, so the assistant decided to gamble on getting some top-end options at the D/ST and K spots instead.

I usually wait until the final two rounds to cover those positions, but seeing as I got running backs in the final two rounds, I'm OK with it. The Pittsburgh D/ST and Bates will need to have top-end finishes to make those selections look good by the end of the season though.

Final Thoughts

I'm pretty set in my ways when it comes to the fantasy assets I like, so it was fun to try something else and have the draft assistant pick my team for me.

All things considered, I'm really happy about the final product here. A starting lineup of Burrow, Gibbs, Swift, Brown, Hill, Bowers and Williams is good enough to make some noise in that league.

I'm a bit worried about my depth at running back if Gibbs or Swift were to go down. However, after looking at the waiver wire options at running back, I'm not nearly as worried.

Among the waiver wire options at RB are: Najee Harris, Rachaad White, Kareem Hunt, Tyler Allgeier, Quinshon Judkins, Javonte Williams, and many, many more. The draft assistant essentially said, “you don't need running backs” and instead focused me on getting wideouts because they were flying off the board.

Give the AI Draft Expert a try this season, whether you are a beginner or fantasy vet!