2017 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: Picking at No. 12 overall in PPR could be great if you land Michael Thomas, LeSean McCoy

No one likes picking at the end of the first round, but Jamey Eisenberg loves his team at No. 12 overall in our pick-by-pick PPR series thanks to Michael Thomas and LeSean McCoy at the top.

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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.   

Most Fantasy owners hate picking at No. 12 overall in any format because you miss out on the elite talent that's available at the beginning of the draft. But I love this spot -- and you can see why.

I had the No. 12 selection in our pick-by-pick PPR series, and I'm excited about how this team turned out. It helps to get some elite talent landing in your lap, and that happened here with Michael Thomas and LeSean McCoy with my first two picks.

I consider Thomas a first-round pick this year in any format, and he should benefit with Brandin Cooks no longer in New Orleans. Thomas was the No. 13 non-quarterback in PPR last year and the No. 7 receiver. He could be even better this season.

And McCoy was the No. 8 non-quarterback in PPR in 2016 and the No. 4 running back. He also has the chance to repeat his performance from last season.

When you get two standout Fantasy options like Thomas and McCoy to start your team, how can you be upset? See, picking at the end of the first round isn't so bad.

Here is my team from No. 12 overall:

• 1.12 Michael Thomas, WR, NO 
• 2.1 LeSean McCoy, RB, BUF 
• 3.12 Joe Mixon, RB, CIN 
• 4.1 Golden Tate, WR, DET 
• 5.12 Jarvis Landry, WR, MIA 
• 6.1 Bilal Powell, RB, NYJ 
• 7.12 Brandon Marshall, WR, NYG 
• 8.1 Kyle Rudolph, TE, MIN 
• 9.12 Darren Sproles, RB, PHI 
• 10.1 Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, TB 
• 11.12 Ben Roethlisberger, QB, PIT 
• 12.1 Kenny Golladay, WR, DET
  
• 13.12 Dak Prescott, RB, DAL
• 14.1 Patriots DST

Some Fantasy owners might question drafting Mixon in the third round, and he could open the season as the backup to Jeremy Hill. But the Bengals have to realize that Mixon is their second-best offensive player behind A.J. Green, and he needs as many touches as possible. I'll buy the upside here.

I love this receiving corps with Thomas, Tate and Landry at the top. Landry loses some value with Jay Cutler taking over as the starting quarterback in Miami for the injured Ryan Tannehill (knee), but he's still a candidate for 80 catches, 1,000 yards and four touchdowns, which makes him a solid flex or No. 3 receiver in PPR.

Along with McCoy and Mixon, I also have a great No. 3 running back in Powell, who should be the best running back for the Jets ahead of Matt Forte. And Sproles could be the best PPR running back for the Eagles in what should be a high-volume passing attack.

Don't overlook Rudolph as a No. 1 Fantasy tight end, and he's a potential top-five option for the second year in a row. Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and quarterback Sam Bradford love leaning on their tight end, and Rudolph led all tight ends in targets last season for a reason. He's well worth this pick in Round 8.

The best thing about this team is waiting for a quarterback and getting two potential No. 1 options in Roethlisberger and Prescott. I hope to start Roethlisberger every week, but we know about his road woes. When he's on the road, and the matchup is right, I can just start Prescott and still have a solid performance for my Fantasy team. 

Favorite pick: Golden Tate

The Lions didn't use Tate the right way early in 2016, and he averaged just 6.2 targets a game for the first five games of the season. But from Week 6 on, Tate was a star, and he averaged 9.5 targets a game over that span, with at least six catches in nine of those outings. He also scored all four touchdowns in those final 11 games. We don't expect the Lions to misuse Tate again to start this year, and he's a top-20 receiver in PPR with 100-catch potential.

Pick I might regret: Brandon Marshall

It's hard to say you regret a pick in Round 7, but I don't love Marshall as my No. 4 receiver in this league, especially since I drafted him over someone like Corey Davis, who should have more upside. Marshall is already hurt heading into Week 3 of the preseason with a shoulder injury, and the Giants offense could be a mess with that porous offensive line. The best thing for Marshall this season will be if he scores at least eight touchdowns, which he's done four times prior to 2016. But he's also never been the No. 2 receiver on any team, and that's the case for him this year with Odell Beckham.

Player who could make or break my team: Joe Mixon

I've been aggressive in drafting Mixon at the end of Round 3 or beginning of Round 4 in all my leagues, and I'm expecting him to be a star. The only thing that could really screw this up is the Bengals if they decide to keep Mixon behind Hill on the depth chart. That would be a tremendous mistake given Mixon's upside, but it's also a reality, which is why Mixon is in this category. If he doesn't emerge as a weekly starter for the Bengals, it will be hard for me to justify drafting him in the third round. Hopefully that doesn't happen, and Mixon becomes a Fantasy star.