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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 don't have a shot at landing David Johnson or Antonio Brown if you're picking at No. 8 overall, but the opportunity is there to get a prominent top-10 player to kick off your draft.
And then get another one in Round 2.
Getting off to a great start begins with rationalizing how you feel about running backs like Alvin Kamara, Kareem Hunt, Melvin Gordon, maybe Saquon Barkley and receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Chances are at least three of those players will be waiting for you at eight. Take the time to evaluate them all before you draft. If it's me, I rank them: Barkley, Hopkins, Hunt, Gordon and Kamara.
Whichever position you take in Round 1 you probably won't end up taking in Round 2. A lot of Fantasy folks will begin their drafts with one rusher and one receiver. It takes pressure off of finding a starter at a specific position in Round 4 or later and allows for a balanced start to your roster building.
But with this specific draft slot, you should more often than not go with a top-10 running back in Round 1 and a top-10 receiver in Round 2. Know who won't get to land a top-10 player from each of those positions? Anyone choosing in Picks 1 through 3. Haha, suckers!
Another BIG advantage to picking at eight is avoiding the bear trap that is choosing players after 45th overall. There's a drop-off in tiers at about that point that will make picking tough to do. If you're picking eighth, that means you're picking 41st (when there are still some really good players left) and 56th (where the less-exciting players are easier to take). You'll be happy with the choices in the first four rounds and still feel good about the value of what's out there in Rounds 5 and 6.
Need proof? Here is my team from No. 8 overall:
- 1.8 Kareem Hunt
- 2.5 Davante Adams
- 3.8 Amari Cooper
- 4.5 Josh Gordon
- 5.8 Jay Ajayi
- 6.5 Marshawn Lynch
- 7.8 Chris Carson
- 8.5 Russell Wilson
- 9.8 Delanie Walker
- 10.5 Calvin Ridley
- 11.8 Taywan Taylor
- 12.5 Nyheim Hines
- 13.8 Tyler Eifert
- 14.5 Broncos DST
I took Hunt because I don't want to miss out on one of the league's most productive running backs. There are a handful of them and Hunt, who led the NFL in rushing last year, certainly qualifies. He should be in line for another big year in the Chiefs' cranked-up offense.
Similarly, I think Adams has room to improve as Aaron Rodgers' true No. 1 receiver. The two should combine for plenty of yards and touchdowns, giving him a little more of a ceiling than A.J. Green and Mike Evans.
Could I have started with two receivers or two running backs? Definitely. I could have settled on Odell Beckham in Round 1 and still got Adams in Round 2, or taken Hunt in Round 1 and Leonard Fournette in Round 2. I'd caution against back-to-back receivers if you don't like the group of Jerick McKinnon, Alex Collins, LeSean McCoy, Lamar Miller, Royce Freeman and Derrick Henry. Those are the kinds of backs that would be left if you passed on them in the first two rounds.
The receivers who would be left in Rounds 3 and 4 include the two I took: Amari Cooper and Josh Gordon. I think Cooper's 2017 was an anomaly and he should be closer to what he did in his first two seasons (over 1,050 yards and hopefully six-plus touchdowns). I can't say definitively that Gordon will be a beast, but his potential suggests as much. Grabbing him in Round 4 is a bit steep for someone with so much uncertainty but the payoff more than makes him worth it.
I had all of one running back through four picks, so I needed to tend to that position ASAP. Jay Ajayi was the best I could do in Round 5. That might not be snazzy, but at least the value is good. Three running backs I really liked went in the eight picks between my Round 5 and 6 selections, which wasn't cool. I opted to stay with running back and grabbed Marshawn Lynch. Did I feel like a million bucks taking Beast Mode? Nah. But I did what I thought was best for my team and picked up running back depth instead of chasing it later. I could have had Deshaun Watson with this pick ...
... and wish for Watson I did when I took Chris Carson in Round 7. If I could do it over, Lynch wouldn't have been the choice. I wouldn't have minded opening the season with Carson as my No. 3 running back and Watson as my signal-caller.
I was despondent for a little while, but if I had made that move then I wouldn't have nabbed what went down as the steal of the draft: Russell Wilson in Round 8! Our drafts tend to leave quarterbacks to the later rounds, but even this was shocking. I felt a whole lot better about my team by lucking into the Seahawks superstar.
Favorite pick: Russell Wilson
The guy has finished as a top-three Fantasy quarterback twice in the last three seasons. His offense will revolve around him and he'll have to keep making plays for the Seahawks to remain afloat. And I got him when?!??! Wilson's a steal in Round 6 and Round 7, so if you somehow bump into him then, take him home with you. And for goodness sake, don't reach for any quarterback in your standard one-QB leagues.
Pick I might regret: Marshawn Lynch
Well I already expressed some regret in my roster reflection so I might as well list him here. Lynch didn't put up wow numbers until late last season when the Raiders started feeding him carries. In his final six contests he averaged 18.3 carries and 99.7 total yards per game with three touchdowns and double-digit Fantasy points in four of them. Will Jon Gruden let Beast Mode pick up where he left off? You'd think so, especially after what he showed on a long touchdown run called back by a penalty this preseason. But because he's not a sure thing -- and an older sure thing at that -- his value dips.
Player who could make or break my team: Josh Gordon
Not many people are fans of receivers who have played a total of 10 games in the past four seasons. But in five competitions last year, Gordon was good for Fantasy in two of them and close in another. That was while he played with an inexperienced, rushed quarterback as part of an 0-16 team. Things have changed, from the quarterback to the talent on the team to Gordon himself being as focused as ever. If Gordon puts it all together, he should easily be a top-12 receiver. If not, this could be a waste of a pick that forces me to go with Lynch as my flex.
