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Drafting from No. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
Editor's note: Our latest pick-by-pick series was done prior to the third preseason games, when season-ending knee injuries to Julian Edelman, Spencer Ware and Cameron Meredith occurred. 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 if those injured guys are listed here.
Starting your team with two running backs in the first two rounds is definitely an old-school approach. That's why all the cool kids these days are drafting three running backs with their first three picks.
Wait, what?
That's right, with the No. 10 overall selection in our pick-by-pick series, I went RB-RB-RB out of the gate with LeSean McCoy, Jay Ajayi and Christian McCaffrey. The first two were intentional with McCoy and Ajayi the best players on the board.
But when McCaffrey was available at No. 34 overall, I decided to get him. Now, I have three running backs with top-15 upside, with McCaffrey slated to be my starter at flex.
And then the fun began with the wide receivers in Round 4, which you will see below:
Here is my team at No. 10 overall:
- 1.10 LeSean McCoy, RB, BUF
- 2.3 Jay Ajayi, RB, MIA
- 3.10 Christian McCaffrey, RB, CAR
- 4.3 Golden Tate, WR, DET
- 5.10 Willie Snead, WR, NO
- 6.3 Stefon Diggs, WR, MIN
- 7.10 Cameron Meredith, WR, CHI
- 8.3 Corey Davis, WR, TEN
- 9.10 Jonathan Williams, RB, BUF
- 10.3 Samaje Perine, RB, WAS
- 11.10 Martellus Bennett, TE, GB
- 12.3 Marvin Jones, WR, DET
- 13.10 Dak Prescott, QB, DAL
- 14.3 Patriots DST
I needed to make up ground at receiver after starting with three running backs, so I drafted five receivers in a row with Tate, Snead, Diggs, Meredith and Davis. And I love this group, including Jones as a No. 6 receiver in Round 12.
If the running backs perform as expected, and I handcuffed McCoy with Williams, then I just need two of these guys to be worth starting each week. But I expect the first five to all perform at a high level, especially since all but Snead are the likely No. 1 receiver in their respective offense. And Snead has the chance to be a star now that Brandin Cooks is gone for the Saints.
It paid to wait at tight end with Bennett falling to Round 11. And while Prescott makes me nervous as a No. 1 quarterback, he's incredible value in Round 13 given the way he performed last year.
Two other things of note: Perine is well worth the gamble in Round 10 since there's no guarantee Rob Kelley keeps the starting job all season for the Redskins. And the Patriots DST has top-three upside this year given the potential bad quarterbacks they will face in the AFC East.
The Patriots get two games against Jay Cutler, who is turnover prone, and two games against a Bills offense that has Jordan Matthews and Zay Jones as the top receivers. And then there's the Jets. You get the point.
Favorite pick: Corey Davis
Davis has seen his Average Draft Position fall from the start of training camp until now because of a hamstring injury, and he might not play in any preseason games. But he still has the chance for a big year given what his role should be for the Titans. Davis could be the go-to receiver for Marcus Mariota, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him have a standout rookie campaign. He might end up as a steal in Round 8, which is actually higher than his ADP at No. 133 overall. If you get him at that value then that's amazing given his upside.
Pick I might regret: Christian McCaffrey
The only reason McCaffrey is mentioned here is because I drafted him ahead of receivers like Michael Crabtree and Davante Adams, which could be a mistake. I don't expect to regret this pick, but you're not likely going to see many Fantasy teams start RB-RB-RB like this one. Still, if McCaffrey is as good as advertised, and he was drafted by the Panthers at No. 8 overall from Stanford, he could be a solid flex option or starting running back in this format.
Player who could make or break my team: Willie Snead
You know I'm a big fan of Snead this season, and I love his potential with Cooks gone. He's also in a contract year, and this is his third season in the NFL. He hits all the check marks of a breakout player, especially playing with Drew Brees, and I love him at his current ADP, which is Round 7. I might have reached for him here in Round 5, but he's someone I plan to target in most leagues. Snead should finish the year as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all formats.
