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Editor's note: Our latest PPR pick-by-pick series was done in August prior to the third preseason game and is a three-man draft with Heath Cummings, Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard, with each one selecting four teams in this 12-team mock. The goal of this series is to show you positions to draft in these spots as much as the players selected, so take that into account when viewing each team.
Building a team from every draft slot in PPR and non-PPR
I've written and talked a lot about the zero-RB strategy this offseason, but sometimes it's best to see it in practice in an actual draft. While I've speculated that the end of Round 1 was the best place to attempt this in a PPR league, the opportunity presented itself from the seventh pick in our pick-by-pick series and I feel comfortable with how it turned out. Thinking about eschewing running back early in your draft? Here's how it worked for me:
Here's my team from No. 7 overall:
- 1.7 DeAndre Hopkins, WR, HOU
- 2.6 A.J. Green, WR, CIN
- 3.7 Tyreek Hill, WR, KC
- 4.6 Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB
- 5.7 Greg Olsen, TE, CAR
- 6.6 Isaiah Crowell, RB, NYJ
- 7.7 Tevin Coleman, RB, ATL
- 8.6 Rashaad Penny, RB, SEA
- 9.7 Devontae Booker, RB, DEN
- 10.6 Ty Montgomery, RB, GB
- 11.7 Rob Kelley, RB, WAS
- 12.6 Kenny Golladay, WR, DET
- 13.7 John Ross, WR, CIN
- 14.6 Saints DST
In PPR, I don't see any reason Hopkins should fall past the sixth pick and I'd consider taking him at No. 5. I'll talk about why below, but my second pick wasn't much more difficult, with Green falling in my lap in the middle of the second round. Yes, Green had a down year in 2017, but the Bengals offensive line can't be that bad again. In 2016 Green was on pace for 106 catches before he got hurt. I have very little concern about him justifying this draft position in 2018.
What has to happen at some point in any draft like this is you have to start pounding running backs, and I did that from Round 6 though 11. I also think it's important to mix in boring guys no one wants to draft (Crowell and Booker) with high-upside backs who could turn into stars (Coleman and Penny). Crowell is still one of the best values in most drafts, but I took him a little early because I wanted to have at least one guy I'd feel comfortable starting most weeks. The Kelley pick happened just before Adrian Peterson was signed, but I still expect Kelley will lead Washington in rushing.
Favorite pick: DeAndre Hopkins
In 2017 Hopkins outscored all but three running backs in this format despite the fact that he once again had mediocre quarterback play for the majority of the season. In the last three seasons Hopkins has played 33 games with quarterbacks not named Brock Osweiler, his 16-game pace is 106-1,472-11. My projection for him this year is 104-1,494-10. That's good enough to outscore all but three running backs in PPR once again. If you want to take David Johnson over him, that's fine. But there's no reason for him to fall below the sixth pick in any PPR draft.
Pick I might regret: Aaron Rodgers
You can do this approach without taking a quarterback in the early rounds, but I'm having an increasingly hard time passing on Rodgers in the fourth round of drafts. In his last nine seasons of at least 15 games he's finished first or second eight times in Fantasy. The idea that I can go into each week with the No. 1 quarterback, the best receiving corps in the league, and a top-5 tight end makes me far less concerned about what I'm going to get out of my running backs. But it's undeniable that my running back corps would look a lot better with Kenyan Drake or Derrick Henry as my No. 1 running back instead of Crowell. If one of those two breaks out and becomes a top-10 running back, I'm going to feel silly passing on them for a quarterback.
Player who could make or break my team: Tyreek Hill
I've gone back and forth with Jamey Eisenberg on Hill this season, even if I see his points. Hill just gave us one of the most efficient seasons a receiver ever had. That's probably not sustainable. The Chiefs gave Sammy Watkins $16 million year, probably to be more than a decoy. Patrick Mahomes is going to be inconsistent. At the same time, Hill is one of the fastest receivers in the league. His 105 targets last year did come in just 15 games. He probably has some positive regression coming on the ground. Watkins has looked lost in the preseason. And did you happen to see that 69-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes? Hill has the upside to be even better than he was in 2017, but there's a floor that could make him worth far less than a third round pick.
