2017 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: Picking at No. 7 overall in standard leagues

The No. 7 overall pick is the first spot in Round 1 where a tough decision has to be made. But Jamey Eisenberg says the decision is easy because of A.J. Green's potential this year.

Drafting from: 1 | 2 |  3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Ah, the No. 7 overall pick. The dreaded, hated, No. 7 overall pick. This is the spot where the first round gets fun.

Enjoy. Ugh.

The first six picks in any format are easy. No matter the order, the first six picks will almost certainly be some combination of Le'Veon Bell, David Johnson, Ezekiel Elliott, Antonio Brown, Julio Jones and Odell Beckham.

That was the order it went in this standard mock draft in our three-man pick-by-pick series with myself, Dave Richard and Heath Cummings. Now, decision time. 

Make no mistake, the choices are still great. You can take a running back like LeSean McCoy, Melvin Gordon or Devonta Freeman. You can draft a receiver like A.J. Green or Mike Evans. There's no reason to panic.

The pick for me is Green. While he only played 10 games last year because of a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 11 and failed to gain 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, I still consider him the fourth-best receiver behind Brown, Jones and Beckham.

If you project Green's stats over his first nine games before getting hurt (66 catches for 964 yards and four touchdowns), he would have finished last season with 117 catches for 1,714 yards and seven touchdowns. The catches and yards would have easily led the NFL.

There are some Fantasy owners who may pass on Green at No. 7 overall because of last year's injury, the addition of first-round rookie John Ross and the hopeful return to health of tight end Tyler Eifert (back). Plus, not a lot of people love that Andy Dalton is his quarterback. Those are legitimate concerns, and if you like Evans, McCoy, Gordon or Freeman better, then ignore Green.

But for me, Green is the pick. I actually like No. 7 overall because I want Green on my Fantasy team. While it might not seem like an ideal draft spot, you can still build a standout Fantasy roster. 

Here is my team at No. 7 overall:

• 1.7 A.J. Green, WR, CIN 
• 2.18 Jay Ajayi, RB, MIA 
• 3.31 Tom Brady, QB, NE 
• 4.42 Michael Crabtree, WR, OAK 
• 5.55 Paul Perkins, RB, NYG 
• 6.66 Jamison Crowder, WR, WAS 
• 7.79 Spencer Ware, RB, KC 
• 8.90 Bilal Powell, RB, NYJ 
• 9.103 Hunter Henry, TE, LAC 
• 10.114 Eric Decker, WR, TEN 
• 11.127 Rishard Matthews, WR, TEN 
• 12.138 O.J. Howard, TE, TB 
  
• 13.151 Stephen Gostkowski, K, NE 
• 14.162 Giants DST

The nice thing about drafting a receiver in the middle of the first round is you should be able to get a standout running back in Round 2, which happened here with Ajayi. My other choices were DeMarco Murray, Leonard Fournette and Todd Gurley if you don't like Ajayi, but I'm excited about Ajayi's outlook this season, especially if Miami center Mike Pouncey (hip) is healthy for Week 1.

After starting my team with Green and Ajayi, I went with the best-player available, basically throughout the draft. While I don't love drafting quarterbacks early, Brady was an easy choice in Round 3. The same thing with Crabtree as my No. 2 receiver in Round 4.

Along with Perkins, Ware, Powell and Crowder, I love this collection of running backs and receivers. And Henry is one of my favorite breakout tight ends.

This team has the chance to be dominant, especially if Perkins plays well as the starter for the Giants and Ware keeps the job for the Chiefs. And it all started with Green at No. 7 overall.

Favorite pick: Jamison Crowder

Terrelle Pryor should be the No. 1 receiver for the Redskins this season, but don't be surprised if the production from Pryor and Crowder is close. Crowder, who played well as the third receiver in Washington last year behind DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon with 67 catches for 847 yards and seven touchdowns, is now a starter and entering his third season, which should lead to a breakout campaign.

I love the value for him here in Round 6 as my No. 3 receiver, and he could easily be the flex on this team if Green and Crabtree stay healthy and continue to produce at a high level.

Pick you might regret: Tom Brady

I'm thrilled to have Brady on my team. I just never like drafting quarterbacks early.

Now, the way it worked out, I love the way this team was built with the collection of running backs, receivers and tight ends to go with Brady. But there's always the thought in the back of my mind that I made a mistake letting Pryor, Sammy Watkins or Demaryius Thomas go at that spot in the third round. And I'll definitely regret it if Crabtree and Crowder struggle this year while any of those receivers thrive, especially knowing quarterbacks like Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Ben Roethlisberger, Marcus Mariota and Kirk Cousins, among others, went in Round 7 or later. Are those quarterbacks on Brady's level? No way. But given their value and level of production, they bring to the table, it might have been better off to wait.

Player who could make or break your team: Paul Perkins

I have a few players who fall into this category, along with Perkins.

Taking Green at No. 7 overall could be a risk when you leave players like Evans, McCoy and Gordon on the board. Drafting Ajayi over Murray, Fournette and Gurley could be a mistake. And Ware, if he holds off Kareem Hunt, could be a tremendous difference maker in Round 7. The same goes for Perkins if he plays well as the starter for the Giants this year. He enters the season as the potential No. 2 running back for this team, and while the depth is good with Ware and Powell, Perkins could make this Fantasy team exceptional if he finishes the season as a top 20 running back.

That's the hope, and that's why I drafted him in Round 5, which is the right spot for him in standard leagues.