PPR draft slot: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6  | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

The back end of Round 1 begins with pick No. 9. It's the spot when you should start thinking about your first two selections and what could be available for you in Round 2.

What I mean by that is you should be looking at the player pool and the 8-10 guys you want with these two picks. You should consider if you want to start your team with two receivers, two running backs, a combination of both or maybe if this is a spot to consider drafting Travis Kelce as the No. 1 tight end.

In continuing our 12-part series where me, Dave Richard, Heath Cummings and Ben Gretch held a four-man PPR mock draft to show you how to build a team from every draft spot, the players off the board by No. 9 were Saquon Barkley, Alvin Kamara, Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara, Davante Adams, DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones and David Johnson. For me, JuJu Smith-Schuster was the player I wanted at this spot.

Now, I drafted Smith-Schuster knowing there were six picks before my next selection in Round 2. And the guys I wanted next included three running backs (James Conner, Joe Mixon and Le'Veon Bell), three receivers (Michael Thomas, Odell Beckham and Tyreek Hill) and Kelce.

Conner, Thomas, Beckham, Kelce, Hill and Mixon went after Smith-Schuster, so I was able to get Bell. While I'm skeptical of him being the same guy with the Jets that he was with the Steelers, I will gladly draft him in Round 2 in PPR.

I was more than pleased with how this draft started.

Here's my team from No. 9 overall: 

Since we approached this exercise as a three-receiver league, I wasn't going to let Edelman get past me in Round 3. Other receivers I would have taken at this spot were Robert Woods, Adam Thielen and Brandin Cooks, but I like Edelman the best as the clear-cut No. 1 option for the Patriots, especially with Rob Gronkowski now retired.

I had the chance to draft Woods in Round 4, but the upside of Freeman was too enticing now that he's healthy and running behind a rebuilt offensive line in Atlanta. Don't be afraid to consider Freeman as early as Round 3 in most leagues.

I was a little surprised to see Henry in Round 5, even in PPR, and shocked that Ingram made it to Round 6. My running back corps is stacked, and Henry and Ingram give me multiple flex options, which is great.

But now I needed receiving options, so locking up Shepard, Samuel, Miller and Isabella with four of my next five picks really enhanced this team. Shepard will benefit with Beckham gone from the Giants, and Samuel is one of my favorite players as the No. 2 receiver in Carolina.

I expect Miller to have a solid sophomore season in 2019, and Isabella is another sleeper to target with a late-round pick as a key contributor for the Cardinals this year. I love how this team came together.

I consider Ebron a bust candidate, but not when you can draft him in Round 9. And while I don't usually draft two tight ends, I consider Andrews a sleeper as the potential best receiving option for Lamar Jackson this year.

This roster was solidified by getting Winston in Round 12, and I love his potential with Bruce Arians as the new coach in Tampa Bay. And with my final selection before a DST, I drafted Ollison as a potential handcuff for Freeman. We'll find out in training camp if Ollison can beat out Ito Smith for the No. 2 job in Atlanta.

Favorite pick
player headshot
Curtis Samuel WR
BUF Buffalo • #1
Age: 29 • Experience: 9 yrs.
2018 Stats
REC
39
TAR
65
REYDS
494
TD
7
FPTS/G
10.5

I have several favorite players in this draft, including Freeman, Ingram, Miller, Isabella, Winston and Andrews. But Samuel stands out above the rest, given his potential and value in Round 8. He is expected to start opposite D.J. Moore, and hopefully Samuel will build on his strong end to the 2018 season. He closed last year with at least 11 PPR points in six of his final seven games, including three outings with at least eight targets. I'm buying a lot of stock in Samuel in 2019.

Pick I might regret
player headshot
Derrick Henry RB
BAL Baltimore • #22
Age: 31 • Experience: 10 yrs.
2018 Stats
RUYDS
1059
REC
15
REYDS
99
TD
12
FPTS/G
12.4

If I had known I was going to get Ingram in Round 6, I would have passed on Henry for Robby Anderson. I don't love Henry in this format, and he only had 15 catches for 99 yards on 18 targets last year. And for his career, Henry has 39 catches in 47 games. His role in the passing game is what it is, and it's not expected to change. The hope is Henry can replicate his production on the ground from 2018 when he had 215 carries for 1,059 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns, especially the way he closed the season with 87 carries for 585 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns in his final four outings. If that happens, which is hard to expect, then Henry's selection in Round 5 would be worth it.

Make or break pick
player headshot
Le'Veon Bell RB
TB Tampa Bay • #6
Age: 33 • Experience: 8 yrs.
2017 Stats
RUYDS
1,291
REC
85
REYDS
655
TD
11
FPTS/G
22.7

I hope Bell looks like his old self, but I'm concerned about his production in 2019 now that he's with the Jets. The risk is lower by getting him in Round 2, but there were a lot of things working in his favor in Pittsburgh. He had a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, a standout offensive line and elite weapons around him. He excelled as a rusher and receiver, and it was perfect for his Fantasy production. The Jets will feature him on offense, but coach Adam Gase said he doesn't want to wear down Bell. He also has to deal with a second-year quarterback in Sam Darnold, a worse offensive line with the Jets and a weaker group of playmakers around him than he had with the Steelers. If his production goes down in a big way, this Fantasy team is in trouble. But if he's still the same guy we remember from 2017 then this team should be dominant.

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