Get ready for some change at the top of your Fantasy drafts. Multiple wide receivers were drafted before the top running back in this draft, and that could be the norm this season. According to Fantasy Football Calculator's ADP data, a running back has had the highest ADP in six straight seasons. Justin Jefferson could very well end that streak.
I would take Jefferson first overall, but with him off the board I pivoted to Ja'Marr Chase. I selected Chase despite thinking that the wide receivers available to me in Round 2 would be better than the running backs available there. I wanted a wide receiver in his prime to anchor my squad regardless of what might be available next round. Sure enough, a run on running backs in the second round left me with limited options at the position. When this happens, don't reach! Don't panic and pick a running back just for the sake of having one. Take the best player available, and that was Josh Allen in this case.
Drafting Joe Mixon and Alexander Mattison in Rounds 3 and 4 is certainly risky because, quite frankly, we don't know how good these guys are. I love their situations and the offenses they are on. I simply need them to be competent rushers and I should be fine at running back.
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 also award one point for every reception. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE and FLEX (RB/WR/TE).
Here's my team from the 2nd pick:
1.2: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, CIN
2.11: Josh Allen, QB, BUF
3.2: Joe Mixon, RB, CIN
4.11: Alexander Mattison, RB, MIN
5.2: Drake London, WR, ATL
6.11: Javonte Williams, RB, DEN
7.2: Jordan Addison, WR, MIN
8.11: Zach Charbonnet, RB, SEA
9.2: Treylon Burks, WR, TEN
10.11: Greg Dulcich, TE, DEN
11.2: Jonathan Mingo, WR, CAR
12.11: Cole Kmet, TE, CHI
13.2: Chase Brown, RB, CIN
14.11: Daniel Jones, QB, NYG
Wide receiver (aside from Chase) and tight end are not exactly strengths for this squad. When you feel like you have a position of weakness, try drafting multiple young, talented players at the position and hope one or more of them breaks out. That's what I did with Drake London, Jordan Addison, Treylon Burks, Greg Dulcich and Cole Kmet. I don't need all of them to be good, but if two of them break out, my team should be in good shape.
If I could change something about this team it would be to have more proven veterans as there are only three of them on my squad. There is a lot of potential, but also a lot of downside. Hopefully Chase, Allen and Mixon will anchor this team and enough of the young guys will emerge. I will get fitted for my championship ring now!
Williams could end up being a steal at 71 overall as we see him make more and more progress in his recovery from knee surgery. I don't expect him to be a superstar coming back from major knee surgery, but he should probably be a Round 5 pick as soon as he shows in the preseason that he is healthy and ready to get meaningful snaps.
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Having just missed out on proven veteran wide receivers like DK Metcalf and Deebo Samuel, I had to turn to breakout candidate Drake London. I love London, but I hate his passing game. Perhaps Christian Kirk would have been a better choice.
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What an opportunity for Mattison! He scored more than 21 PPR points in four of the past six games that Dalvin Cook missed in Minnesota. He has produced big numbers with nearly every opportunity, but Mattison has been an inefficient rusher in his past two seasons and might lack big-play ability. I think he is worth the gamble in Round 4 because he has first-round upside.
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