2018 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: Who should I draft at No. 12 overall in PPR?
Jamey Eisenberg shows you how to build your team if you pick No. 12 overall in a PPR league.
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3 min read
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Editor's note: Our latest PPR pick-by-pick series was done in August prior to the third preseason game 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.
Building a team from every draft slot in PPR and non-PPR
You likely know the drill by now when you pick at No. 12 overall, especially in a PPR league. You should try to take the two best receivers on the board, which is what I did here with Odell Beckham and Julio Jones.
By doing that, you are passing up on some standout talent at running back, and I drafted Beckham and Jones over Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette. The hope is you will still get quality running back options beginning in Round 3, and I was thrilled how this draft turned out.
Landing Jerick McKinnon in Round 3, Alex Collins in Round 4 and Jamaal Williams in Round 5 made my decision to draft Beckham and Jones look that much better. This team has the chance to be outstanding.
Here is my team from No. 12 overall:
- 1.12 Odell Beckham, WR, Giants
- 2.1 Julio Jones, WR, Falcons
- 3.12 Jerick McKinnon, RB, 49ers
- 4.1 Alex Collins, RB, Ravens
- 5.12 Jamaal Williams, RB, Packers
- 6.1 Julian Edelman, WR, Patriots
- 7.12 Pierre Garcon, WR, 49ers
- 8.1 Drew Brees, QB, Saints
- 9.12 Aaron Jones, RB, Packers
- 10.1 Corey Clement, RB, Eagles
- 11.12 Rams DST
- 12.1 Jack Doyle, TE, Colts
- 13.12 Marqise Lee, WR, Jaguars
- 14.1 Cole Beasley, WR, Cowboys
The only flaw with this roster could be Doyle at tight end, but hopefully getting Andrew Luck for 16 games should make the tight end a starting Fantasy option in all leagues. Doyle was good with Jacoby Brissett in 2017 with 80 catches for 690 yards and four touchdowns, and his production should improve with Luck.
Otherwise, I completely love this roster. Beckham, Julio Jones, Edelman, Garcon, Lee and Beasley are a solid receiving corps, especially once Edelman is back from his four-game suspension to open the year. I love his value in Round 6 in PPR.
At running back, my trio of McKinnon, Collins and Williams should be exceptional, and I was able to pair Williams with Aaron Jones, which is something I recommend trying to do in any format. I also love the sleeper value of Clement in Round 10.
Brees should rebound from a down year in 2017 and is once again a candidate to be a top five Fantasy quarterback this year. And I even got a top three DST in all leagues with the Rams in Round 11.
Favorite pick
Williams will be the best running back for the Packers this year, especially with Jones serving a two-game suspension to open the season. I expect there will be weeks where Jones and Ty Montgomery are better than Williams, but he's worth drafting in Round 5. The nice thing is you can draft Williams and either Jones or Montgomery in every league, which was my plan here. Now, if Williams struggles or gets hurt, Jones can step in and be a potential Fantasy starter in this format.
Pick I might regret
The only way I'll regret drafting Jones is if one of the running backs I drafted him over -- Cook, McCaffrey or Fournette -- blows up with their production. I highly recommend drafting two receivers at the end of the first round, but you have to be comfortable starting guys like McKinnon, Collins or Williams at running back. I think this is a great start, but Jones also needs to play like an elite Fantasy option by scoring more touchdowns. He should get back to scoring at least six, and anything over that will make you thrilled that you drafted him toward the end of Round 1 or beginning of Round 2.
Player who could make or break my team
Jerick McKinnon
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KC • RB • #1
2017 stats in Minnesota
ATT150
YDS570
TD3
YPC3.8
REC51
REC YDS421
REC TD2
I'm excited about McKinnon's outlook going to the 49ers to be the featured back for coach Kyle Shanahan, but his calf injury in the preseason has lowered my extreme exuberance for his upside. For this team, I need McKinnon to have a breakout campaign if I want to be a strong playoff contender. Collins and Williams could be solid starters, but McKinnon would put this team over the top with my receiving corps and Brees. I'm confident that McKinnon will play well, and hopefully he's 100 percent by Week 1.
