The downside to the sixth pick is that you probably won't get one of those elite top-four running backs we all agree on. But Michael Thomas is not a bad consolation prize, especially considering he outscored all of those elite backs but Christian McCaffrey in PPR in 2019. In fact, this draft slot is a very good place to experiment with Zero-RB, or at least something similar.
In the middle of Round 2 there's a good chance all of the borderline first-rounders are gone. If they are, I'm pivoting to tight end. To be clear, the advantage Travis Kelce and George Kittle have provided at their position the past two seasons should make them borderline first-rounders as well, it's just that no one treats them that way. If you start with Thomas and one of those tight ends, you've locked in truly elite production at two different lineup slots. You can go a variety of places from here, and the Round 3 choices will largely be made by your league mates.
Here's my team from No. 6 overall
- 1.6 Michael Thomas, WR, NO
- 2.7 George Kittle, TE, SF
- 3.6 Allen Robinson, WR, CHI
- 4.7 Amari Cooper, WR, DAL
- 5.6 Kareem Hunt, RB, CLE
- 6.7 D'Andre Swift, RB, DET
- 7.6 Tarik Cohen, RB, CHI
- 8.7 Kerryon Johnson, RB, DET
- 9.6 Jerry Jeudy, WR, DEN
- 10.7 Brandon Aiyuk, WR, SF
- 11.6 Duke Johnson, RB, HOU
- 12.7 Cam Newton, QB, NE
- 13.6 Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB
- 14.7 Malcolm Brown, RB, LAR
- 15.6 Jack Doyle, TE, IND
I took receiver in the third and fourth round because James Conner and Chris Carson didn't make it to the middle of the third round. As Ben Gretch has talked about, this can be a sketchy part of the draft for running backs and there's certainly upside to have three top-20 receivers and a top-two tight end after four rounds. Of course, it does mean you'll have to start hammering running backs at some point.
PPR Pick Series: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
One thing I talked about in my Zero-RB strategy article was the need to balance upside and floor as well as early season production with late. I'll start Hunt and Cohen Week 1, and hope one of Swift or Kerryon Johnson breaks out. Duke Johnson and Malcolm Brown are good value depth that have more upside than most give them credit for.
If you're taking a tight end early and avoiding running back until Round 5, you should probably wait on quarterback. I did, and still ended up with Newton and Rodgers. That should be enough to convince you that you don't need to reach for a signal caller.
In this format, Kareem Hunt was the No. 17 running back in the second half of 2019. Now he has a new head coach, who just ran one of the most run-heavy schemes in the league in 2019. And that coaching staff is talking about chopping up the touches more evenly between Hunt and Nick Chubb. I love this pick even if Chubb plays 16 games, but the hidden value for Hunt is that he's a starter with Chubb and arguably the No. 2 running back in Fantasy without Chubb.
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I've been skeptical of the rookie running backs, and Swift looks like the clear No. 2 to Kerryon Johnson early in camp. If that doesn't change by Week 5, I'm going to wish I'd taken Raheem Mostert here. But these are the types of swings you have to take at running back when you don't take one in the first four rounds. Tarik Cohen is a fine bridge to Swift, as long as that bridge leads to a feature role at some point in the first half of the season.
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Amari Cooper has been a top-10 Fantasy receiver since he arrived in Dallas. If that continues, I may just have three No. 1 receivers to go along with an elite tight end. If that's the case, my running backs may not matter much at all. But the addition of CeeDee Lamb could put a damper on Cooper's numbers. To make this approach work, you need three elite receivers. If Cooper falls to just "good," I could be in trouble.
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