2018 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: Loading up on receiving options highlights team from No. 6 overall in PPR league
Jamey Eisenberg shows you how to build a team from the No. 6 overall spot in a PPR league, and he starts his roster with standout receiving options in DeAndre Hopkins, Rob Gronkowski, Larry Fitzgerald and Stefon Diggs.
What sleepers should you snatch in your draft? And what big-name running back could ruin your season? Visit SportsLine now to get Fantasy Football cheat sheets from the model that called Alvin Kamara's huge breakout last season.
- Picking in PPR from: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
- Picking in non-PPR from: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
- Draft Prep Central: Everything you need | FBT Podcast: Sign up
Editor's note: Our latest PPR pick-by-pick series was done in June and is a three-man draft with Heath Cummings, Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard, with each one selecting four teams in this 12-team mock. 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 when viewing each team.
Of all the teams we've built in this PPR pick-by-pick series, this might be my favorite. I love how this roster from No. 6 overall came together.
As a reference point, we start one quarterback, two running backs, two receivers, one tight end, one flex (RB/WR/TE), DST and kicker. And I like this potential starting lineup, as well as the reserves.
I went heavy on receiving options at the top of the draft with DeAndre Hopkins, Rob Gronkowski, Larry Fitzgerald and Stefon Diggs and then loaded up on running backs. All I need is for two of them to be good, and I'm excited to see how this team works out.
Here is my team from No. 6 overall:
- 1.6 DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans
- 2.7 Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots
- 3.6 Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals
- 4.7 Stefon Diggs, WR, Vikings
- 5.6 Jay Ajayi, RB, Eagles
- 6.7 Kerryon Johnson, RB, Lions
- 7.6 Chris Thompson, RB, Redskins
- 8.7 Tarik Cohen, RB, Bears
- 9.6 Isaiah Crowell, RB, Jets
- 10.7 D.J. Moore, WR, Panthers
- 11.6 Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions
- 12.7 Devin Funchess, WR, Panthers
- 13.6 Ravens DST
- 14.7 Robbie Gould, K, 49ers
It was easy to start this team with Hopkins and Gronkowski. Both could be the No. 1 players at their positions, and Gronkowski could be considered a steal at No. 19 overall.
Fitzgerald might seem like a risky pick in Round 3, but he's been a top 11 PPR receiver three seasons in a row. And he has at least 100 catches in each of those years.
I love drafting Diggs in Round 4 in this format, and I expect him to benefit playing with Kirk Cousins. Diggs was the No. 19 PPR receiver in 2017, and this will be the best season of his career in a breakout campaign.
- Subscribe to the Fantasy Football Today podcast for free on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn or anywhere else you listen.
My receiving corps is set, especially locking up Moore and Funchess with two late-round picks. One of those guys will be the No. 1 receiver for the Panthers – my money is on Moore – and those are low-risk selections with tremendous upside.
Quarterback and tight end are also top-tier players, and Stafford in Round 11 is larceny since he's been a top 10 Fantasy passer three years in a row. But running back will be the position that makes or breaks this team going to the playoffs.
Beginning in Round 5, I just started drafting the best running back on the board. While I don't love Ajayi, he offered the best option as a featured back of the players who were available. The same goes for Johnson in Round 6, although I'm optimistic for him as a high-end rookie with the Lions.
Thompson in Round 7 and Cohen in Round 8 were running backs who have a higher ceiling in PPR. Even though Thompson will lose touches to rookie Derrius Guice, he still has the potential of 50-plus catches this year if he's 100 percent recovered from last year's broken leg. And Cohen was one of 14 running backs with at least 50 catches in 2017, and he should be more involved in the Chicago offense this year.
As for Crowell, he could easily be the featured back for the Jets. While he isn't sexy, he is good value in Round 9.
Again, I just need two of these running backs to be consistent starters and enhance my receiving corps and tight end. If that happens, this team should be dominant.
Favorite pick: Devin Funchess
I expect Moore to be the best Panthers receiver this year, but Funchess will still have a prominent role. And he was just amazing value in Round 12 given his production from last season when he had 63 catches for 840 yards and eight touchdowns on 113 targets in a third-year breakout campaign. His best production came after Kelvin Benjamin was traded to Buffalo, along with Greg Olsen (foot) getting hurt. He will lose plenty of stats with a crowded receiving corps this year. But if last year was the start of something big for Funchess, this pick will be one of the biggest steals of this draft.
Pick I might regret: Stefon Diggs
I don't regret drafting Diggs for what he's capable of doing. As stated above, I'm expecting a breakout season for him in 2018. But I might regret drafting Diggs because selecting a running back could have been the smarter move for my roster. On the board were Derrick Henry, Rashaad Penny, Ronald Jones, Mark Ingram and Guice. I like all of them better than Ajayi, who I drafted in Round 5, and clearly running back is my biggest weakness. That said, I love having Diggs on my team, especially as a flex option. He's headed for big production this year.
Player who could make or break my team: Jay Ajayi
Ajayi should be good with the Eagles, but I'm going to need him to be great. And the same goes with all the running backs on this roster given how this team was put together. But Ajayi is the focal point since he's my No. 1 rusher, and hopefully he can deliver in his first full year with Philadelphia. He's going to lose playing time to Corey Clement and Darren Sproles, especially on passing downs, and Round 5 is the earliest he should be drafted in most formats. I'd prefer a safer No. 1 running back, but based on how this team was built, my success hinges on how Ajayi performs this year.



















