When it comes to Fantasy Football, it's your job to be prepared. Every year, it's our job to help you prepare, which is why Jamey Eisenberg and I take part in a two-man draft. It's to give you an example of what you might (and might not) expect when it comes to drafting in your 12-team PPR league.
Naturally, there are picks that we love, some we hate and some we wish we could have had. By the time you're done reading this you should at least have a baseline of what we'd recommend doing from your draft slot.
Here is my team at No. 12 overall in PPR ...
- 1.12 Devonta Freeman, RB, Falcons
- 2.13 Jordy Nelson, WR, Packers
- 3.36 Latavius Murray, RB, Raiders
- 4.37 Jordan Reed, TE, Redskins
- 5.60 Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Broncos
- 6.61 Kevin White, WR, Bears
- 7.84 Tom Brady, QB, Patriots
- 8.85 Tevin Coleman, RB, Falcons
- 9.108 Rashad Jennings, RB, Giants
- 10.109 Jordan Howard, RB, Bears
- 11.132 Mohamed Sanu, WR, Falcons
- 12.133 Andy Dalton, QB, Bengals
- 13.156 Rams DST
- 14.157 Justin Tucker, K, Ravens
It was tough to pick 12th -- there were a lot of strong players to choose from. So the plan I hatched was to take one running back and one receiver, no matter what. I was satisfied with Jordy Nelson at receiver but felt a little nervous with Devonta Freeman. While it's a big positive that Freeman has a strong PPR profile because of his receiving skills, there's growing concern he'll lose work to Tevin Coleman. Atlanta's difficult schedule hurts. By comparison, Ezekiel Elliott should be viewed as a pick with more potential (with just a shade more risk).
The rest of my draft went very well -- Latavius Murray is definitely worth targeting at 36th overall, and sneaking Jordan Reed on the roster to start Round 4 took the pressure off of finding a tight end later. Up for two picks in Rounds 5 and 6 I opted to fill up on receivers and took one steady old hand in Emmanuel Sanders and one high-upside pick in Kevin White.
With the nucleus of my team settled, picking up Tom Brady at the end of Round 7 was the real coup de grâce. He'll give the whole team a boost once he's back on the field. I padded running back depth with three picks thereafter, including picking up Tevin Coleman in case Freeman falters. Then I stole Andy Dalton with my third-to-last pick and can lean on him to start the season if Brady's suspension holds up. This team is a winner.
