I've worked on a few fantasy football series in my day, and the natural progression of them is typically the same.

I start with breaking down the draft kit so that it accurately reflects your league settings.

The disappointing thing about structuring a series this way is that the tight end is always the most boring topic to cover, as it remains the least important position in this game we play -- unless you're in some wonky league that starts two or three tight ends per team or something.

Basically, the supply of tight ends is greater than the demand, given that you can only start one -- or two if you can flex one (68-95-99.7 rule, only three tight ends offered a floor higher than 3.00 standard fantasy points last year. Or, in plain English, only three tight ends realistically offered you a three-point floor in 11 of 16 games last year.

Gross.

Is it any better in PPR formats?

A little, but not much. The top-end tight ends see a boost, but after the top three or four tight ends, you don't see much of an advantage at all anywhere.

The question then becomes -- should you consider getting Gronk or Graham or Kelce even if they cost you an early-round pick?

I don't think so, and it branches out into the other positions. I feel like a broken record sometimes, but running backs bust at a super high rate after Round 3 or 4, and the inability to chase running back performances with a high success rate makes waiver wire backs maddening in a weekly format.

If we're talking daily fantasy football, and if there's a bargain running back who's slated for 15 or 18 touches, then it makes a little more sense to select Gronkowski in a good matchup. The problem with drafting him in the first round in a re-draft league is that you pretty much have to find a waiver-wire or late-round back who can see a serious workload or else you're losing the edge Gronk gives you by rostering a weak running back.

I realize I'm digressing, but when the fourth-best option at the position is worth a fringe flex starter (a RB27 or WR27), then I have to fill the space somehow.

Things to Keep in Mind

There's not much else to say without being annoyingly redundant.

I can't (i.e. won't) oversimplify things by saying that you must adhere to FireFactor for your draft process. I also don't want to say that Gronkowski or Graham is worth it because you can definitely find a solid waiver wire back during the season.

As is the case every season, every method -- early running backs, Zero RB, Get-Gronk-or-Get-Out, defense in the sixth round -- is going to work out somewhere, somehow. It's all going to be dependent on making the right choices, which we can't do without hindsight.

Given that, all we can do is have a solid foundation based on what the past tells us to expect and use our player evaluation skills to create the best team possible. If that means drafting Gronkowski and Aaron Rodgers in Rounds 1 and 2 because you know who this year's Justin Forsett is, then all the power to you.

Just know that, according to what the numbers say, running backs and receivers are the most important positions in fantasy football.

How you inherit them and whom you surround them with is up to you.