Fantasy Football Draft Prep 2023: Drafting from the No. 9 overall slot in a PPR league

Here's how it played out picking from the ninth position

Before I even entered the draft room, I thought about what I would do if Bijan Robinson or Travis Kelce fell to me at ninth overall.

I decided I would take Robinson first -- he's assumed to be a highly-used player in Atlanta's run-focused offense, but not just as a ball-carrier. Robinson can also work as a receiver and has legit potential for 250 carries and 50 receptions in 2023. I've seen him practice and I've watched his preseason film and I cannot help myself, he is a very, very talented player. 

• Pick-by-pick series from: No. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Kelce is also an exceptional player, but we all have seen that for five years now. What Kelce has done is deliver the kind of Fantasy numbers that a top-10 WR would give, but he obviously does so as a tight end. He gives a massive edge for the people who roster him because no one else in the league has his point potential at the tight end spot. So if he were available at No. 9 and Robinson was gone, I would strongly consider him. 

And as luck would have it, both were taken right before my first pick. 

Don't worry, the thought exercise of taking these guys is still really important because there is a shot that one or both will be there at ninth overall and you'll have to make a call on them versus Saquon Barkley, Stefon Diggs and others. 

Anyway, it made my first pick rather easy. And I don't mind picking in the back-half of the draft because I'm guaranteed two very, very good stat contributors with my first two picks. But the order in which you draft them should be taken into consideration, and you won't know what that order will be until you're actually on the clock.

Take a glance at the team I put together from the No. 9 spot

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 squad from the fifth pick:   

1.09 Saquon Barkley, RB, NYG
2.04 A.J. Brown, WR, PHI
3.09 Mark Andrews, TE, BAL
4.04 D.J. Moore, WR, CHI
5.09 Justin Fields, QB, CHI
6.04 Rachaad White, RB, TB
7.09 Michael Thomas, WR, NO
8.04 Isiah Pacheco, RB, KC
9.09 JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, NE
10.04 Kenneth Gainwell, RB, PHI
11.09 Odell Beckham, WR, BAL
12.04 Ezekiel Elliott, RB, NE
13.09 Rashee Rice, WR, KC
14.04 Sean Tucker, RB, TB 

When you're up in Round 1, look at what's left at running back and wide receiver. If a lot of running backs have been taken and there aren't many left who you like, then take one. If a lot of wideouts have been taken and there aren't many left who you like, then take one of them. Either way, you should find a player at the other position to your liking in Round 2.

As an example, Barkley was one of four running backs who I'd consider while there were six receivers who I'd want on my squad. Simple math here, four is less than six, and with my next pick coming in exactly six picks, I knew it was a cinch that at least one stud receiver would be there for me. Sure enough, A.J. Brown was there.

This isn't to say it's a bad idea to take two players at the same position with your first two picks, but if you do then one of them should be at a good value. Like if Tony Pollard or Nick Chubb had slid back to me in Round 2, I would have had a really tough choice. Eh, maybe not in the case of Pollard -- I would have snapped him up like free candy outside of a neighbor's house on Halloween. What I'm trying to say is, I like free candy. I also like getting a heck of a steal in Round 2 when it's there. Don't pass up either in your lives.

Speaking of steals, I was surprised to see Mark Andrews fall to late Round 3. My original plan was to take a receiver (Aaron Jones was the best running back left), but I couldn't pass up the Ravens tight end. He's not Kelce, but he's not Dalton Schultz or Evan Engram either. I like having a no-brainer starter at tight end.

What about the decision to stack D.J. Moore and Justin Fields in Rounds 4 and 5? Honestly, my board just fell that way. I like what I've seen from Moore since June minicamps. Expect 140 targets -- more than I thought he would get when he was first dealt to Chi-town. Fields as a passer is still a work in progress, but his rushing, even if it's toned-down a little, is a tremendous Fantasy asset.

Lastly if you're looking at my receivers and making a face like you just had turnip soup with a shot of bleach, then you should target receivers earlier than I did. It's hard to defend three grizzled veterans and a Chiefs rookie receiver as good options for potentially two starting roster spots, but that's the price I had to pay for taking Andrews and Fields. The mistake I made was taking a tight end and a quarterback with two of my first five picks, leaving me a little underdressed at wide receiver.  

Favorite pick

Mark Andrews TE

BAL Baltimore • #89
Age: 28 • Experience: 7 yrs.

Fantasy Breakdown (PPR)
OVERALL RNK 29th	TE RNK 2nd	PROJ PTS 188.6	SOS 24	ADP 36

2022 Stats
REC 73	TAR 113	REYDS 847	TD 5	FPTS/G 12.7

Getting the opportunity to get a difference-maker at tight end, especially at a cheaper-than-usual cost, was fabulous. In a down year he averaged 10.3 half-PPR points per game, which was 0.1 points less than what the top-12 tight ends averaged in full-PPR points. He's still a great Fantasy option, especially in a Ravens offense that is primed to throw more; their speed on the outside will force defenses to stop double-teaming Andrews, too.

Pick I might regret

Rachaad White RB

TB Tampa Bay • #1
Age: 25 • Experience: 3 yrs.

Fantasy Breakdown (PPR)
OVERALL RNK 54th	RB RNK 21st	PROJ PTS 170.5	SOS 23	ADP 75

2022 Stats
RUYDS 481	REC 50	REYDS 290	TD 3	FPTS/G 8.2

First there's the worry about whether or not White will beat expectations -- I expect it, but my expectations and real life don't always align. But there's also the player(s) I passed up to get White in Round 6. I could have had George Pickens or Jordan Addison, and then I could have landed Khalil Herbert or taken the shot on Jonathan Taylor in Round 7. Instead I wound up with White and Michael Thomas. I'll be thinking about those moves until White or Thomas prove to be must-start options.

Make or break player

Justin Fields QB

PIT Pittsburgh • #1
Age: 25 • Experience: 4 yrs.

Fantasy Breakdown (PPR)
OVERALL RNK 39th	QB RNK 5th	PROJ PTS 371	SOS 32	ADP 38

2022 Stats
PAYDS 2242	RUYDS 1143	TD 25	INT 11	FPTS/G 22

It's been a full offseason and Fields has not transformed into a perfectly accurate passer. That's OK, he was never expected to be surgical with his throws, but he should have made progress on his mechanics, reads and accuracy. In June minicamps he was up and down, and apparently he still is. If he throws more, runs less and isn't improved as a passer even with Moore, then his numbers just won't be as good as they were in 2022. I'm hoping for in-season improvement and maybe more rushing than anticipated to carry his numbers. If I don't get it, my team could be in some trouble.