The No. 8 overall pick in a non-PPR league might seem challenging. You could be faced with the choice of drafting Michael Thomas as the first receiver off the board. Or you could be looking at a top-tier running back, with the choices likely Derrick Henry, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Josh Jacobs or Joe Mixon. You could also consider Davante Adams, especially in a three-receiver league.
After reading that, your head might be spinning. Or, hopefully, your eyes got big with the potential of drafting one of those elite players. For me, I got the guy I wanted in our pick-by-pick series with Edwards-Helaire. After six running backs (Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Saquon Barkley, Alvin Kamara, Dalvin Cook and Henry) and Thomas came off the board, I went with the rookie for the Chiefs.
I'm excited for Edwards-Helaire this season, and I expect him to be a star as the new running back for Andy Reid. He got this Fantasy team started on the right foot, so let's see how the rest of this roster came together.
As a reference point, all touchdowns in this league are worth six points, and we award one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving and one point for every 25 yards passing. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE and FLEX (RB/WR/TE).
Here's my team from No. 8 overall:
- 1.08: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs
- 2.05: Julio Jones, WR, Falcons
- 3.08: Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams
- 4.05: Allen Robinson, WR, Bears
- 5.08: Raheem Mostert, RB, 49ers
- 6.05: Cam Akers, RB, Rams
- 7.08: Marlon Mack, RB, Colts
- 8.05: Diontae Johnson, WR, Steelers
- 9.08: Bryce Love, RB, Washington Football Team
- 10.05: Allen Lazard, WR, Packers
- 11.08: Drew Brees, QB, Saints
- 12.05: Mike Gesicki, TE, Dolphins
- 13.08: Parris Campbell, WR, Colts
- 14.05: Daniel Jones, QB, Giants
- 15.08: Jerick McKinnon, RB, 49ers
Non-PPR Pick-by-Pick Guide: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
In a non-PPR league, even one like this that starts three receivers, you prefer to have plenty of talented running backs. I did that, but not before I got three standout receivers in Jones, Kupp and Robinson.
It might have been a mistake to draft all three of those guys in a row, especially when I could have selected Austin Ekeler or Aaron Jones in Round 2 and Melvin Gordon or David Johnson in Round 3. But pairing that trio of standout receivers with Edwards-Helaire was too good to pass up. And I still get plenty of running back talent with Mostert, Akers, Mack and Love. McKinnon is a wild card, but he's also some level of insurance for Mostert.
If Akers and Love earn prominent roles in their backfields then this running back corps could be elite. And when you add in the receiver talent, including bench options like Johnson, Lazard and Campbell, then this team has the chance to be special.
I waited on quarterback and tight end and was thrilled to get Brees and Gesicki, and I took a second quarterback with Daniel Jones. Gesicki has the chance for a breakout campaign in his third year with the Dolphins, and he's easily the No. 3 option in the passing game at worst behind DeVante Parker and Preston Williams.
I like this team a lot, and I'm always going to be excited when I draft Edwards-Helaire this season. Hopefully, he's there for you at No. 8 overall in your drafts.
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Love is gaining plenty of momentum as the No. 2 running back for the Washington Football Team. But it might not be long before he's playing in a prominent role. Adrian Peterson should open the season as the starter now that Derrius Guice is no longer with the team, but Peterson is 35. Antonio Gibson is likely going to be limited to passing downs. I'm drafting Love as much as possible, and I was thrilled to get him here in Round 9.
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This isn't about Jones. This is about the position he plays and the value of wide receivers in non-PPR leagues. Jones should be a second-round pick, but I passed on running backs that might have made more sense for my roster like Ekeler and Aaron Jones. And getting other receivers like Kupp and Robinson made me question the pick of Julio Jones a little more. I was able to recover at running back with Mostert, Akers, Mack and Love, but I might reconsider Jones in Round 2 moving forward.
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Mostert was great down the stretch for the 49ers last year, and he should be the starter in San Francisco this season. But Tevin Coleman isn't going away, and we'll see what role McKinnon has if he can stay healthy. I don't want to draft Mostert before Round 5 in any league, but he's OK in this spot in non-PPR. And if he's still highly productive in 2020 like he was to close last season then he's a solid No. 2 running back for this roster.
So what Fantasy football sleepers should you snatch in your draft? And which WR1 candidate can you wait on until late? Visit SportsLine now to get cheat sheets from the model that was all over Derrick Henry's huge season, and find out.
