Drafting from: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
I wrote about how this was the easiest pick in our standard series because you just take whatever running back is left. Well, it's not quite that simple in PPR.
I really struggled with Antonio Brown vs. Ezekiel Elliott in this spot because in PPR, Elliott is closer to the second tier of running backs than he is to David Johnson and Le'Veon Bell. A good argument for Elliott presented itself in this draft when I took DeAndre Hopkins and Allen Robinson with my next two picks.
Hopkins and Robinson were the clear top values when I picked, but it would have been easier to take them if I'd selected Elliott at No. 3 overall. Starting with three receivers was trendy going into 2016 and I mostly avoided it. Now that we're seeing more running backs in the first two rounds, it's something I'll be more likely to try. You just have to get lucky with the running backs that fall to you, and I did in this draft.
Here is my team from No. 3 overall:
- 1.3 Antonio Brown, WR, PIT
- 2.22 DeAndre Hopkins, WR, HOU
- 3.27 Allen Robinson, WR, JAC
- 4.46 Mark Ingram, RB, NO
- 5.51 Ty Montgomery, RB, GB
- 6.70 Eddie Lacy, RB, SEA
- 7.75 DeSean Jackson, WR, TB
- 8.94 Marcus Mariota, QB, TEN
- 9.99 Hunter Henry, TE, SD
- 10.118 Alvin Kamara, RB, NO
- 11.123 Eric Ebron, TE, DET
- 12.142 Jalen Richard, RB, OAK
- 13.147 Patriots DST
- 14.166 Mason Crosby, K, GB
The trio of Ingram, Montgomery and Lacy felt pretty great considering WR is going to be the clear strength of this squad. I feel confident that Montgomery will be a high-end No. 2 RB in this format and both Ingram and Lacy have that same potential. I'm thin on depth at the position, but Kamara gives me a little protection in PPR in case the Saints really hate Ingram as much as some people think they do.
Once again this position highlights the patience you can have at both quarterback and tight end. Mariota is going to be a sixth-round pick before the summer is up, but that will only mean that a different No. 1 QB will fall further down draft boards. If anything I may have taken Hunter Henry too early since Eric Ebron was available in the 11th round. Both of those young tight ends have top-five potential in 2017.
Favorite pick: DeSean Jackson
I'm getting to the point where I've written enough Jackson propaganda. He's going to be overlooked in standard leagues but even more so in PPR because of his expected low volume. I don't necessarily disagree, but I would still expect him to be a top-30 WR, barring injury.
While it's true that Jackson could see a small drop in targets, he's never been a huge target guy. He's also never had a receiver with the talent of Mike Evans on the other side of the field. I would expect a slight increase in catch rate and a definite improvement on last year's abysmal touchdown rate.
Pick you might regret: Mark Ingram
Promise me that Ingram is getting last year's workload, and I'm dancing in the streets. At this point in the draft, I'd take his 2015 workload. The danger in this pick comes in the form of Adrian Peterson taking over the goal line work and Alvin Kamara stealing his receptions. I've mitigated that a bit by taking Kamara late, but that won't be enough since I used my first three picks on receivers.
Ingram has top-12 upside in this format, and there's a reasonable chance that Peterson and Kamara simply fill the role of Tim Hightower and Travaris Cadet. He's worth the risk, but there's definitely risk.
Player who could make or break your team: Allen Robinson
Whew, that was a terrible 2016. Almost as terrible as his 2015 was great. It's fair to say that was the most disappointing followups to a 1,400 yard-14 touchdown season since Muhsin Muhammad (until you remember what Brandon Marshall did last year). As long as Robinson gets back over 1,000 yards, I'm going to feel fine with this pick, but he could definitely 'make' this team by having another big touchdown year.
Having three top 12 wide receivers is a real possibility with this crew, and that would make my concerns about running back less worrisome. Either way, I have little doubt that Robinson will give me solid No. 3 production at the worst.
