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Drafting from No. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
Editor's note: Our latest pick-by-pick series was done prior to the third preseason games, when season-ending knee injuries to Julian Edelman, Spencer Ware and Cameron Meredith occurred. The goal of this series is to show you positions to draft in these spots as much as the players selected, so take that into account if those injured guys are listed here.
You never want to go into a draft committed to a specific plan, but if you're picking No. 1 overall in a PPR draft, you should get used to the idea of going RB-WR-WR.
Call it the "Redbird! Hands man! Hands man!" strategy. Kinda sounds like a quarterback's cadence at the line of scrimmage. Throw in an "Omaha!" for good measure.
Anyway, my plan in this draft slot was to take David Johnson, the consensus No. 1 overall choice, and pair him with two receivers expected to catch a ton of passes. At picks Nos. 24 and 25, Demaryius Thomas and Keenan Allen were my highest-ranked receivers. So I took them.
The other benefit to taking two no-doubt-about-it starting Fantasy receivers in Rounds 2 and 3 is not having to draft backups for them. When would I sit either one of Thomas or Allen in a PPR league other than their bye weeks? Sure, I needed some protection in case of injury, and I got it with Cameron Meredith and Eric Decker. But anytime I take two receivers early, I almost never target more than two bench receivers.
Naturally, there will be some pressure to take at least one running back when you're up at 48th and 49th overall. Luckily, having five picks in the top 50 will afford you the chance at a rusher anytime after the top pick. Doug Martin was my choice in Round 5, later adding Terrance West, Jamaal Williams, LeGarrette Blount, Eddie Lacy and even James Conner to round out my rushing corps. Between them, I should have enough cover while Martin sits for the first three weeks of the season.
Here is my team at No. 1 overall:
- 1.1 David Johnson, RB, ARI
- 2.12 Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN
- 3.1 Keenan Allen, WR, LAC
- 4.12 Jordan Reed, TE, WAS
- 5.1 Doug Martin, RB, TB
- 6.12 Cameron Meredith, WR, CHI
- 7.1 Terrance West, RB, BAL
- 8.12 Eric Decker, WR, TEN
- 9.1 Jamaal Williams, RB, GB
- 10.12 LeGarrette Blount, RB, PHI
- 11.1 Eddie Lacy, RB, GB
- 12.12 Derek Carr, QB, OAK
- 13.1 Broncos DST
- 14.12 James Conner, RB, PIT
Favorite pick: Derek Carr
The advice to wait on a quarterback is underscored even more in a PPR format. Because catches count, running backs, receivers and tight ends inherently get a boost in expected Fantasy points while quarterbacks don't. They're nowhere near as much of a priority. My drafting of Carr with the last pick in Round 12 is proof positive of this -- anytime you can get a quarterback with upside of 4,000 yards and around 30 touchdowns late in the draft, you're winning. Carr's track record in his division isn't so hot, but he'll either overcome that or simply remain a quality starter in his other 10 games.
Picks you might regret: LeGarrette Blount, Eddie Lacy
At no point was my strategy to draft big, stocky Fantasy rushers who could totally disappoint. These guys just kind of fell onto my roster as double-digit picks. I'm always down to draft running backs just to have depth at the position. Blount has mild appeal as a potential starter and goal-line hog for the Eagles. Lacy, for what it's worth, is the healthiest and most experienced rusher the Seahawks have. I hope I never have to start these guys, but at the very least I spent throwaway picks on players at a position of constant need.
Player who could make or break your team: Jordan Reed
It felt great landing Reed with the last pick in the fourth round of this draft. I'll have to remind myself of that during the weeks Reed misses during the season. After missing all of training camp with a toe issue, Reed was taken off the PUP list in late August and figures to be ready to roll for Week 1. Naturally he offers tons of upside as the No. 1 red-zone target of Kirk Cousins, but the risk involved is also steep since he's missed at least two games every season. My plan is to use him while I can and find a backup tight end off waivers when necessary. If he stays healthy, my team will rock everyone else's in this league.
