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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.
There's a certain flavor to the team I drafted at seventh overall. Kind of smells like clam chowder, looks like fresh lobster rolls and tastes like championships.
I didn't set out to land three members of the New England Patriots passing game in our PPR draft, including Tom Brady, but who am I to pass on bargains -- even if they happen to be on the same team?
Most Fantasy owners picking seventh overall should be ready to take a stud receiver in Round 1, followed by the best-available running back in Round 2. You could also start the draft with two receivers, but the running backs remaining in Round 3 won't be quite as appealing as in Round 2. That's a big reason why I followed up the Mike Evans pick in Round 1 with Jordan Howard.
Things got Patriotic in Round 3 -- I'm fine with Brandin Cooks as my No. 2 receiver and I will gladly take Tom Brady in the fourth round of pretty much every single draft. Those two should connect on several big plays.
I ended up with Edelman, who sadly suffered a season-ending injury shortly after. That is a bummer, but there's still plenty of value to be found at wide receiver -- Chris Hogan would be a nice consolation prize in the 9-11 round range if you want to triple down on the Patriots.
I'm often asked about drafting players on the same NFL team. My answer is simply "Which NFL team is it?" I might rather eat my glasses than have three Jaguars on my squad, but when it comes to a juggernaut like the Patriots -- a team that hasn't finished lower than fourth in points per game since 2009 -- I'm fine with it. We're not trying to build a diverse team here; we're trying to amass as many stats as possible via the players who play. The Patriots players get a lot of stats. Don't be afraid to draft multiples of them.
Here is my team at No. 7 overall:
- 1.7 Mike Evans, WR, TB
- 2.6 Jordan Howard, RB, CHI
- 3.7 Brandin Cooks, WR, NE
- 4.6 Tom Brady, QB, NE
- 5.7 Marshawn Lynch, RB, OAK
- 6.6 Julian Edelman, WR, NE
- 7.7 Kareem Hunt, RB, KC
- 8.6 Thomas Rawls, RB, SEA
- 9.7 Jonathan Stewart, RB, CAR
- 10.6 John Brown, WR, ARI
- 11.7 Martellus Bennett, TE, GB
- 12.6 DeAndre Washington, RB, OAK
- 13.7 Chiefs DST
- 14.6 Joe Williams, RB, SF
Favorite pick: Tom Brady
I'm fine with waiting for a quarterback, but my approach with the position has always been to draft one when it feels like you're stealing from the rest of your league. Well, taking a guy who has averaged at least 25 Fantasy points each of the past two seasons in Round 4 seems like the textbook definition of stealing to me. Brady's receiving corps is reloaded and ready for a big year, and the Patriots should continue to thrive. I almost feel stupid passing on him in Round 3 for Cooks.
Pick you might regret: Marshawn Lynch
I'm fine taking Lynch in Round 5, but not before. I caught a glimpse of some quickness from him during one of his preseason runs, but it's the only positive I've seen from Lynch since 2014. I don't mind trusting a running back who's 31 years old, but I do mind trusting one with 2,337 career carries and 264 career receptions. It's also rare to see a guy come back from retirement and play well. I suspect the Raiders won't overwork Lynch for the first half of the season in an attempt to keep him fresh for the second half -- assuming he doesn't break down before then. I will only draft him when I feel like he's a good value. This was it.
Player who could make or break your team: Brandin Cooks
Fully aware that Cooks' arrival in New England doesn't mean a bump in targets, I still think he's worth drafting as a top-20 receiver. Despite his inconsistencies, he's always pulled through for seven or eight big games a season with the Saints. Perhaps now that number could reach nine. By the time you're picking through receivers like Cooks in your drafts, you'll realize they're all inconsistent. It's hard to find a receiver who does well every week -- Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham don't grow on trees! So I'm drafting Cooks in Round 3 as a boom-or-bust receiver who at least plays in an offense piloted by the greatest quarterback of our generation. That's not a bad thing.
