It's typically more fun to pick in the top half of the first round where you can lock up a stud running back early, but in PPR leagues there are options later. That's not really the case in non-PPR, where a later pick puts you behind the eight ball without access to the elite tier, but leaves you still wanting to start with a strong option at the most important position in the format.
The good news is the second tier stretches well into Round 2, so the opportunity is there to start with two solid RB options in the early going. In this draft, I grabbed second-year star Josh Jacobs at the ninth overall pick. I'm not a big fan of Jacobs in PPR formats because his pass-catching role is hard to envision, but in non-PPR, that's far less of an issue. In the second round, I was happy to see Kenyan Drake still on the board, and Drake is in a great spot as the lead back for a Cardinals team that generated tons of RB Fantasy points in 2019 for a trio of backs.
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. 9 overall:
- 1.09 Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders
- 2.04 Kenyan Drake, RB, Cardinals
- 3.09 A.J. Brown, WR, Titans
- 4.04 Ronald Jones, RB, Buccaneers
- 5.09 Marquise Brown, WR, Ravens
- 6.04 Will Fuller, WR, Texans
- 7.09 CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
- 8.04 Evan Engram, TE, Giants
- 9.09 DeAndre Washington, RB, Chiefs
- 10.04 Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington
- 11.09 Mike Williams, WR, Chargers
- 12.04 Benny Snell, RB, Steelers
- 13.09 Jared Goff, QB, Rams
- 14.04 Cam Newton, QB, Patriots
- 15.09 Dallas Goedert, TE, Eagles
Non-PPR Pick-by-Pick Guide: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
One of my biggest adjustments in non-PPR drafts is to target wide receivers with downfield profiles because their ability to create splash plays is the quickest way to getting a difference-making weekly point total in your lineup. I was happy to accomplish that here with a wide receiver corps of A.J. Brown, Marquise Brown, Fuller, and even Williams late.
Engram is a solid tight end option, but probably isn't the best bet for this format — he's been a lower target depth player so far in his career, and part of his appeal in PPR leagues is the potential to rack up targets and receptions. Still, he's a solid TE1 option, and Goedert gives me a potential high-touchdown backup.
At quarterback, I grabbed my two favorite late-round gems in Goff and Newton. Goff should rebound after his passing touchdown rate plummeted in 2019 versus his first two seasons under Sean McVay, and he's the more stable option here. Newton has massive upside if Bill Belichick utilizes him creatively, given Belichick's appreciation for quarterback sneaks throughout Tom Brady's career, it wouldn't surprise me if Newton racked up close to double-digit rushing touchdowns if he's under center for all 16 games.
But the key to any non-PPR team is the running backs, and I like the crew I built out between Jacobs, Drake, Ronald Jones in Round 4, and a few late-round upside plays in Washington, Gibson and Snell.
I noted why I like downfield weapons with splash-play potential in non-PPR formats, and Fuller is one of few wide receivers who can be a true week-winner in this format. Given the lack of points for reception, low point total games are more common from all receivers, so it won't be a killer if Fuller has a few bust weeks. But his massive weekly upside, while perfect in any format, is an especially good fit for non-PPR.
Of course, I think Fuller could be more than just a boom-or-bust guy in 2020, especially given the rapport he's developed with Deshaun Watson that neither Brandin Cooks or Randall Cobb possess. If Fuller can only stay healthy, look for this to be his coming out party with a prime T.Y. Hilton type ceiling.
I'm buying into the offseason buzz around Jones hard, which I suppose makes sense given I've loved the talent since he was a prospect and was in on him last year as well. Of course, he's run afoul of Bruce Arians before, and with LeSean McCoy and Ke'Shawn Vaughn on his tail, it wouldn't be surprising if I regret being so aggressive as to take him in the fourth round as I did here.
That said, while this is the pick I might regret, it's also one of my favorites. Jones is far more explosive and was much better in 2019 than he's given credit for. If he truly has made improvements to his game, watch out. He could be a monster in what should be an improved offense, and give me a running back trio that would be hard to beat.
While I'm excited about the running backs on this team, and I love the upside of Fuller, Brown was another aggressive pick in the late third round, and I'll need him to play like a true No. 1. I've made my case that he's more than capable, and I think he's an absolute star in the making. One big question will be how much more Tennessee throws this year after they finished with the second-fewest pass attempts in the league last year. They'll continue to be run-heavy, but if their attempts creep up to around 500, Brown has top-10 upside, especially in non-PPR.
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.