MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots celebrates a touchdown reception against the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Eagles defeated the Patriots 41-33. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

A few years ago I stopped ranking players by tiers. Instead I started mapping out my cheat sheet by rounds. This method makes distinguishing value foolproof. More importantly your league mates will question the integrity of their preparedness after taking one glimpse of what you’re working with. What’s not to love about that? Anytime my actions directly or indirectly result in a another owner exhibiting signs of visible or internal self doubt on draft day can only be viewed as a positive.

Let’s get into my 2018 PPR Cheat Sheet. A Round by Round Breakdown.

First let’s go over the premise of ranking players by round. For continuity sake, this cheat sheet will be based around a 12 man PPR league.

1st Round: As far as these rankings go the first 8 picks are probably the least important. There will be some variations and in some leagues, Hopefully for your sake, someone will grab a QB. Nevertheless there won’t be too many monkey wrenches thrown among the first 8 picks.

Keep in mind that just because this cheat sheet is based off a 12 team league in no way should you feel the need to limit yourself to only 12 players per round. If you think 14 players are legitimate first round talent then the first round of your cheat sheet will contain 14 players. If you have 14 players slated for the first round then obviously there will be 2 remaining players when the first round is completed.

2nd Round: Map out your second round in order of value according to your rankings however you choose to determine player value. If you had 14 first round eligible players the 2 left overs from the first round should obviously be the first 2 players on your radar in round 2. Just like the first round, you can have more or less than 12 second round eligible players.

3rd – Final Round:. You should be seeing a pattern here. Left over second round players should be considered before your third round targets. Left over third rounders before forth, forth before fifth and so on.

As the draft progresses gaps will become larger, meaning a player you have slotted as fifth round talent will still be available in the seventh. In which case you pounce. This is the best part about setting your cheat sheet up this way. Player value becomes very clearly distinguishable because position groups are ranked together as opposed to the traditional method of ranking players by tiers.

Now that you fully understand here’s how rounds 1 through 6 of my 2018 PPR Cheat Sheet shape up.

2018 PPR Cheat Sheet: Round by Round Breakdown

Round 1:

Melvin Gordon has been a model of consistency. 12 touchdowns in each of the last 2 seasons. With the Chargers defense being a potential juggernaut, Gordon should get plenty opportunities to carry the ball in 2018.

Round 2:

Jerick McKinnon looks to be next up on a long list of RB1’s coached by Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan’s last 3 season’s have produced the RB11, RB6 and RB1 in PPR formats.

Round 3:

Joe Mixon in his 2nd year will shoulder the load in Cincinnati. If the offensive line can pull their weight, Mixon, a rare 3 down back, has a chance at a big season.

Round 4:

Golden Tate is never a sexy pick. He is a smart one though. Over the past four seasons he’s averaged 93 catches for 1056 yards and 5 touchdowns. Tate’s caught at least 90 balls four straight seasons.

Round 5:

Chris Thompson played 10 games in 2017. His 15.5 points per game were good enough to rank him RB11. All signs point to Thompson being ready to go week 1. Thompson is a major factor in the Redskins offense. Look for him to pick up where he left off last season.

Round 6:

Robert Woods played 12 games last season for the Rams. In those 12 games he saw 85 targets. Teammate Cooper Kupp lead the team with 94 targets in 15 games. Woods’ 7 targets per game lead all Rams receivers.

Best of luck!