The No. 9 overall pick in the first round might be the toughest spot in the draft this season in PPR. It all comes down to how much you love Davante Adams. He's likely going to be the top candidate on the board. And I was thrilled that he was there.
By this point, seven running backs will probably be off the board as they were in our pick-by-pick series with Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara, Dalvin Cook, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Miles Sanders. Michael Thomas also was selected in the first eight picks here, which is expected.
PPR Pick Series: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
I could have drafted another running back such as Joe Mixon, Kenyan Drake or Austin Ekeler, but Adams is better than those guys in this three-receiver, PPR league.
I also expected a running back from the group of Josh Jacobs, Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry would be available in Round 2, and I drafted Jacobs at 2.04. He has the potential to be a first-round pick this season if his catches rise — and we know he's talking about 60 receptions in 2020.
So now that I had a top-tier receiver and running back on my roster, I made the decision to take another star player in Lamar Jackson in Round 3. I'm not usually going to draft a quarterback in the first five rounds, but Patrick Mahomes and Jackson are the exceptions if still available in the third round.
This team is off to a great start, but I'm now chasing talent at running back, wide receiver and tight end, which isn't ideal. Let's see how it all came together.
As a reference point, all touchdowns in this league are worth six points, and we award one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving and one point for every 25 yards passing. We also award one point for every reception. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE and FLEX (RB/WR/TE).
Here's my team from No. 9 overall:
- 1.09: Davante Adams, WR, Packers
- 2.04: Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders
- 3.09: Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
- 4.04: Todd Gurley, RB, Falcons
- 5.09: Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos
- 6.04: Marquise Brown, WR, Ravens
- 7.09: J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ravens
- 8.04: Marlon Mack, RB, Colts
- 9.09: Henry Ruggs, WR, Raiders
- 10.04: John Brown, WR, Bills
- 11.09: Bryce Love, RB, Washington Football Team
- 12.04: Mike Gesicki, TE, Dolphins
- 13.09: Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Saints
- 14.04: Jalen Richard, RB, Raiders
- 15.09: Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR, Washington Football Team
I felt fortunate to get Gurley in Round 4, and he's someone I would have drafted in Round 3. We'll see how healthy he is with his balky knee, but he has a great opportunity with the Falcons and limited competition for touches.
My other running backs are intriguing, too. Dobbins could be a star if Mark Ingram misses any time, and Mack should still have the chance to be a flex option, even with Jonathan Taylor ready to take over for the Colts. I love the upside for Love as a sleeper for the Washington Football Team. And Richard is a handcuff for Jacobs, but he could also play a big role in the passing game for the Raiders. I like this group.
At receiver, I was thrilled to see Sutton sitting there in Round 5, and I love the upside for Marquise Brown in Round 6. He has star potential in his sophomore season, and I now have what could be a great stack with Jackson and Brown.
The rest of my receiving corps has potential with Ruggs, John Brown, Sanders and Gandy-Golden. Ruggs is my favorite option of those guys if he ends up as the slot receiver for the Raiders as expected, and don't forget about Brown even though Buffalo added Stefon Diggs. Brown is fantastic as a No. 5 Fantasy receiver in Round 11.
I waited on tight end with Gesicki, but he's a breakout candidate this year after the way he finished in 2019. He should be among the top three receiving options for the Dolphins with DeVante Parker and Preston Williams, and he has top-10 upside at tight end this year.
If Gesicki is what I expect, and Gurley can be a top 15 caliber running back, this team should be solid. And it all started with Adams, who could be the No. 1 Fantasy receiver this year.
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Brown has league-winning upside in his second year in the NFL. He showed flashes of potential as a rookie, but he battled injuries in 2019. He's healthy now and should have the chance for a significant leap in his production. He's the perfect No. 3 receiver to draft in Round 5, but I was thrilled to get him in Round 6. And pairing Brown with Jackson was an added bonus.
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Jackson in Round 3 is a steal, but I don't like drafting quarterbacks early. The reason he's in this category is because of the players that I passed on to draft him, including Calvin Ridley, Tyler Lockett, A.J. Brown, Odell Beckham, Robert Woods and Adam Thielen. Pairing one of those receivers with Adams might have been the better choice, and I could have drafted a quarterback later. For example, quarterbacks selected in Round 9 or later in this draft included Josh Allen, Carson Wentz, Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, Drew Brees and Matthew Stafford. Even though Jackson in Round 3 is great value, the same could be said for those other quarterbacks.
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Gurley is reportedly still having issues with his knee, and the Falcons plan to limit his workload in training camp. It's nothing to run away from — yet — but it is something that should drop Gurley into late Round 3 or Round 4. If he's healthy — and Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan told us on Fantasy Football Today on CBS Sports HQ that Gurley looked great this offseason — then he's a steal in this spot. But if he misses any time due to injury or is limping through the season, my running back corps could be in trouble.
So what Fantasy football sleepers should you snatch in your draft? And which WR1 candidate can you wait on until late? Visit SportsLine now to get cheat sheets from the model that was all over Derrick Henry's huge season, and find out.
