2018 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: Who should I take at No. 5 overall in PPR?
Sad that you missed out on a top-four selection? Don't be! Dave Richard says picking fifth turns out to be one of the best spots to draft from in a PPR league this summer.
By
Dave Richard
•
5 min read
Need Fantasy Football draft advice? Talk to CBS Sports on your Google Assistant to get insights on the best sleepers and to help decide between players. Just start with, "Hey Google, talk to CBS Sports."
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
There's a consensus top four at running back and a consensus No. 1 overall at receiver. You're promised to get one of those five players.
Better yet, you're also guaranteed to get a top-20 player in Round 2 and four guys in the top-45 through Round 4.
That's right, picking fifth is awesome.
It certainly makes pre-draft prep real easy. Figure out your five favorite players, then your favorite 20, then your favorite 45. If you're really lucky, one of your top-45 players will also be there when you're up in Round 5 (53rd overall), though that's not promised since the talent pool takes a step back starting after 45th overall.
One last tip, and this is something that won't help you until you're up in Round 4: Pay attention to what your league buddies at Picks 1 through 4 do. When you are up in the even rounds, you might be able to figure out which positions are of significant need to those teams. If those needs coincide with your needs, you should definitely consider taking a player to fill that need.
Here is my team from No. 5 overall:
- 1.5 Ezekiel Elliott
- 2.8 Mike Evans
- 3.5 Zach Ertz
- 4.8 Derrick Henry
- 5.5 Brandin Cooks
- 6.8 Emmanuel Sanders
- 7.5 Duke Johnson
- 8.8 Cam Newton
- 9.5 Mike Williams
- 10.8 Matt Breida
- 11.5 Chris Godwin
- 12.8 Vikings DST
- 13.5 Doug Martin
- 14.8 Rod Smith
Why Zeke in Round 1? Not only is he an incredibly consistent Fantasy running back (10-plus Fantasy points in 24 of 25 career games), but he stands to catch more passes than in his first two seasons as the Cowboys come to grips with a suspect receiving corps and an offensive line that might not be able to protect Dak Prescott for more than three seconds at a time. That same O-line could be a detriment to Elliott's game, but it's not like he's been such a great running back because of his line -- Elliott is a talented player with all the skills you look for from a running back. He was an easy choice.
Evans was also an easy choice given what was left in Round 2. In a non-PPR setting, Rob Gronkowski would be better, but I am banking on Evans coming up with a big dose of catches and yards as usual, hopefully with more touchdowns after scoring only five last season. The Bucs should be better as a whole.
Round 3 is what set the stage for the rest of my draft. Typically I like getting two running backs with my first three picks and falling back to receivers in Rounds 4 and 5 (they're the better players left at that point in PPR). But I couldn't go for Jerick McKinnon or Alex Collins over Ertz. I love having my tight end position covered with a high-stat producer, it gives me an edge over most of my opponents. In a PPR, that means taking Ertz in mid-Round 3.
I was worried this would cost me at the running back position but I found Derrick Henry in Round 4. Even if I didn't have Henry, Kenyan Drake also made it back to me, as did Mark Ingram (if you're into drafting running backs you can't use for five of the first six weeks of the season). Henry won't catch a lot of passes but should score plenty of touchdowns.
With a need for receivers following my first four picks, I went with Brandin Cooks and Emmanuel Sanders in Rounds 5 and 6 to shore up that position. Duke Johnson was added for running back depth in Round 7.
But the pièce de résistance was in Round 8. Not only did I need a quarterback, but so did the drafters at Picks 1, 2 and 3. I don't know why or how Cam Newton was still available at 92nd overall, but I didn't want to investigate. Newton was inconsistent last season but still managed to finish strong and should be better this season with an upgraded receiving corps.
I also nabbed three of my favorite sleepers -- Mike Williams, Matt Breida and Chris Godwin -- with my choices in Rounds 9 through 11. The Vikings DST, a top-three unit in my estimations, was the cherry on top. I was even responsible and drafted Zeke's backup, Rod Smith. My mom would be proud.
Favorite pick: Cam Newton
His ADP is 60th overall. I got him 32 picks later!! Was this because I was drafting with a bunch of Fantasy snobs who prefer to wait until forever to get a quarterback? Maybe. Okay, probably. But it's an example of waiting for a quarterback on Draft Day -- even if this were Ben Roethlisberger or even Kirk Cousins, it's still a steal that takes advantage of the depth at the position. Make sure you wait until you're stealing a quarterback on Draft Day!
Pick I might regret: Brandin Cooks
I didn't target Cooks, I fell into taking him because I needed someone who had a shot at performing like a top-20 receiver. At least Cooks has the chance to do that with the Rams -- he should usurp Sammy Watkins' target number from last year and hopefully put up good Fantasy totals twice a month. With those expectations, Cooks is good. Just don't go thinking he's going to turn into a superstar moving from playing with Drew Brees to Tom Brady to Jared Goff.
Player who could make or break my team: Mike Evans
We all know what Evans is capable of doing ... and not doing. Last year he struggled to get even 1,000 yards and found the end zone just five times. The year before was much better -- he had more targets, which turned into more receptions, yards and touchdowns. There is some concern his targets will decline as he continues to share the field with a bunch of other receivers. However, the hope is his efficiency skyrockets as defenses stop double-teaming him play after play. The key will be if Chris Godwin, DeSean Jackson and the Bucs' tight ends handle their roles well and give Evans a shot at resuming his massive numbers. It's Evans' potential for another 1,200-yard, 10-touchdown season that keeps him in the second round of drafts.
