2018 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: Picking at No. 5 overall in PPR leagues makes your business boom with Antonio Brown
Picking fifth overall in a PPR league puts Steelers receiver Antonio Brown -- and his unbelievably consistent numbers -- in your lap. What happens next is up for debate.
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 non-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.
Expect running backs to get picked with the first four selections in just about every single draft. That makes the fifth pick very interesting.
Go with another running back, or take the most consistent receiver in Fantasy over the past few seasons?
Let's not even pretend to make this dramatic -- Antonio Brown is the obvious choice at No. 5 overall. He's finished with enough Fantasy points to be a top-five running back in PPR leagues each of the past four seasons. If you can get him after the likes of Todd Gurley, Le'Veon Bell, David Johnson and (maybe) Ezekiel Elliott, do it.
Brown was just the beginning of a team that was built on the basis of the Zero RB Strategy (but not by design, just by happenstance). Here is my team from No. 5 overall:
- 1.5 Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers
- 2.8 Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers
- 3.5 Zach Ertz, TE, Eagles
- 4.8 Derrick Henry, RB, Titans
- 5.5 Derrius Guice, RB, Redskins
- 6.8 Sony Michel, RB, Patriots
- 7.5 Deshaun Watson, QB, Texans
- 8.8 Will Fuller, WR, Texans
- 9.5 Dez Bryant, WR
- 10.8 Corey Clement, RB, Eagles
- 11.5 Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks
- 12.8 David Njoku, TE, Browns
- 13.5 Justin Tucker, K, Ravens
- 14.8 Seahawks DST
Brown was a pretty easy choice to start off my team. I was open to taking a running back in Round 2, but I knew how thin and top-heavy the receiver position was. That made the decision to grab Mike Evans easier. It's a good feeling having those receiver spots filled with top-10 choices.
In Round 3, I passed on running back again just so I could lock up a stud tight end. Zach Ertz should produce like a top-20 receiver and give my lineup an edge over those rosters with mediocre tight ends.
- Subscribe to the Fantasy Football Today podcast for free on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn or anywhere else you listen.
That left me in running back limbo, but in PPR that proved to be just fine. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe I overvalue these running backs, but the rusher hogging I did left me feeling good about my team. Derrick Henry, Derrius Guice and Sony Michel aren't quite 50-catch guys, but all three have immense potential for big seasons.
Henry was particularly interesting because I debated between him and Ronald Jones and figured Jones had a better chance of making it back to me in Round 5. He didn't, but Guice did and Michel followed a round later. Meshing this trio with my stud pass catchers cemented the nucleus of my team.
But the cherry on top was Deshaun Watson in Round 7. This is a quarterback with massive potential, and with a team brimming with breakout players, his addition gives my club the chance at leading my league in points scored.
I can't stress enough how valuable (and fun) it is to get off to a great start in a Fantasy draft. There was absolutely no pressure on me to make crucial decisions after Round 7, giving me options to draft sky-high upside. Frankly, this is how everyone should draft from about pick No. 100 until the end of the draft.
Favorite pick: Deshaun Watson
I can't stop loving the concept of waiting for and stealing a quarterback. Watson averaged over 30 Fantasy points per game last season and figures to be the primary weapon in the Texans offense. Maybe Houston will have fewer high-scoring games with its defense back at full strength, and perhaps Watson won't be quite as willing to move around as he was last season, but he proved he's got a great arm and his receiving corps is awfully dangerous. How did he last until Round 7?!
Pick I might regret: Dez Bryant
Honestly, I love this squad so much that the only selection I made that gives me heartburn is Bryant. As of this writing he's not on a team and who knows if/when he will be. His potential is about 60 catches, 800 yards and six scores, so the return should match the investment. As Round 9 picks go, this isn't so bad.
Player who could make or break my team: Derrick Henry
My team could be in trouble if Henry doesn't pan out. Dion Lewis is certain to take some work away from him, and if he happens to stay healthy, Henry could become a touchdown-dependent runner. I feel confident that my squad will be competitive given the first three picks, but if Henry isn't as beastly as he was late last year then it will fall on rookie running backs to help carry my team.



















