2019 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: Picking at No. 10 overall in non-PPR leagues
Even in non-PPR, Zero RB is in play at the end of the first round, says Heath Cummings.
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Non-PPR draft slot: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
People seem to be pretty open to drafting receivers early in PPR leagues but there's still some hesitance in non-PPR. Hopefully after this article that will change. Because if you're picking late in the first round I still love this approach.
You get a fantastic floor with elite receivers to start your team and there are a surprising number of running backs available in the middle rounds this year. In fact, I didn't take a running back in the first four rounds and I actually kind of like my group.
Here's my team from No. 10 overall:
- 1.10 Julio Jones, WR, ATL
- 2.3 Michael Thomas, WR, NO
- 3.10 Robert Woods, WR, LAR
- 4.3 Patrick Mahomes, QB, KC
- 5.10 Phillip Lindsay, RB, DEN
- 6.3 Tevin Coleman, RB, ATL
- 7.10 Latavius Murray, RB, NO
- 8.3 Jared Cook, TE, NO
- 9.10 Dion Lewis, RB, TEN
- 10.3 Carlos Hyde, RB, KC
- 11.10 Duke Johnson, RB, CLE
- 12.3 Albert Wilson, WR, MIA
- 13.10 Dexter Williams, RB, GB
- 14.3 Minnesota Vikings DST
- 15.10 Mohamed Sanu, WR, ATL
Jones, Thomas and Woods all rank inside my top 13 at wide receiver this season and I expect the trio to average 35 non-PPR Fantasy points per game this season. Combine that with Mahomes and do we really care who starts at running back? You do? OK, let's get into it.
I discuss Lindsay and Coleman more below but it's the running back depth that could really make this team special. In this type of build I want a nice combination of running back floor and ceiling. Murray and Lewis provide the floor as players who have secure roles in a committee. Murray is filling a role that made Mark Ingram a Fantasy starter more often than not the past two seasons, while Lewis should be highly involved whenever the Titans are behind.
The upside plays are Hyde, Johnson and Williams. Any running back that could have a shot at the lead role in Kansas City has huge upside and Johnson is a sneaky handcuff to Chubb for the first half of the season before he could be traded.
Of course those running backs aren't enough by themselves, but they are with these guys:
Favorite pick
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Coleman is moving up my draft board relatively quickly. Jerick McKinnon's absence is certainly part of the reason. But Coleman has been a top-24 back each of the past three years, most of those as the lesser part of the committee. While I don't believe he'll earn a feature role in San Francisco, I can easily see him earning more work than he had in Atlanta. He's shown good ability in the passing game and this is an offense that was very good for running backs in 2018 whenever they could stay healthy. There's legitimate top-15 upside. Coleman is the back I'm building my Zero-RB teams around.
Pick I might regret
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If Mahomes comes anywhere close to what he did in 2018 I'll laugh at the idea I might regret this pick. But I do expect regression and it's not easy to swallow taking a quarterback this early when you've started with three straight receivers. Taking Mahomes cost me a chance at the second tier tight ends, so the regret could be worse if Evan Engram, O.J. Howard or Hunter Henry grossly outproduce Jared Cook. All that being said, I do love the floor that comes with three elite receivers and Mahomes. It's really hard to imagine such a team being bad.
Make or break pick
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If you'd have told me a month ago I was getting Lindsay at the end of the fifth round I'd be thrilled. Now I'm a little nervous. Royce Freeman is getting a ton of love from the new coaching staff and the Broncos brought in Theo Riddick, which kills Lindsay's pass-catching upside. I still believe in his talent and still think he could give you a top-20 finish but a touch squeeze combined with his coming regression could make this a bad pick even this late.
