PPR draft slot: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
The great thing about having a top-four pick is you know you're going to get one of the top running backs. The worst part is almost everything else.
That's not totally true. You generally get another great player in Round 2 and there isn't much stress because you have another pick right around the corner. But when you get to that Round 3 pick, and the long wait after it, things can get a little bit hairy. I started off with a pair of running backs and a receiver because I generally feel better about the receivers I get late in the draft than the running backs. But I almost took that too far in this draft.
Here's my team from No. 3 overall:
- 1.3 Ezekiel Elliott, RB, DAL
- 2.10 Mike Evans, WR, TB
- 3.3 Leonard Fournette, RB, JAC
- 4.10 Evan Engram, TE, NYG
- 5.3 Tyler Boyd, WR, CIN
- 6.10 Rashaad Penny, RB, SEA
- 7.3 Dede Westbrook, WR, JAC
- 8.10 Marvin Jones, WR, DET
- 9.3 Emmanuel Sanders, WR, DEN
- 10.10 Albert Wilson, WR, MIA
- 11.3 Nyheim Hines, RB, IND
- 12.10 Jamaal Williams, RB, GB
- 13.3 Keelan Cole, WR, JAC
- 14.10 Ben Roethlisberger, QB, PIT
- 15.3 Minnesota Vikings DST
The really interesting part of this draft came in Rounds 4-6. I took Engram in Round 4 because I do think there's some separation between him and O.J. Howard in PPR, thought I may live to regret that decision. That meant my No. 2 receiver was Boyd instead of Tyler Lockett or Chris Godwin. Then I took my third running back in Penny in Round 6.
Since we start three receivers I stockpiled receivers from Round 7-10. That's easier to do in our drafts where you know a quarterback like Roethlisberger will be available in the next-to-last-round.
If this team has a weakness now it's the uncertainty at running back behind Elliott and Fournette, but I love pairing those two with a No. 1 receiver and a top-five tight end. I do expect Penny to be a good flex and excellent bye week replacement as my third running back, but I won't feel good about my team if one of my running backs gets hurt.
We talk about all the targets available in Tampa Bay (234) plenty when we talk about Chris Godwin and O.J. Howard, but we should probably talk about it more with Evans. He's only had 150 targets once in his career, and he was arguably the best receiver in Fantasy Football that season. Tampa Bay has a pass-heavy offense and an abysmal defense. This is the perfect opportunity for another breakout season from Evans, who averaged a career-best 11.0 yards per targets in 2018.
Like I said, I think Engram is going to be the clear No. 4 tight end in this format. But I did not enjoy watching Godwin and Lockett go off the board right after him. Both of those receiver have the type of upside to make me feel ridiculous for passing on them for a tight end. The difference between Engram and someone like Jared Cook or Eric Ebron is going to have to be significant or Boyd is going to have to take another step forward in his third year.
Fournette's 16-game pace through his first two seasons is for 1,966 yards and eight touchdowns. The problem is he's only played 21 games in two seasons. If he stays healthy I'm expecting a career year with a more creative offense and more involvement in the passing game. But if he can't I'll be hoping Penny, Hines or Williams can fill my RB2 vacancy.