I dont think you can go wrong if you need a tight end in round six and I think this is more based on personal preference. Youll also have Tyler Boyd who had a great year but you would like to not find out whether or not it was a one-year wonder. Shenault is also a breakout candidate as the best Fantasy receiver in Jacksonville. For example, if they have no RBs (or WRs) by the end of Round 3, theyll probably address that in the next round. Takeaways from drafting from picks 1 to 3With wide receiver ADPs rising in the early rounds, it's entirely possible to land your top running back targets in the first two rounds and table any further thoughts about the position until receiver and quarterback are addressed.

If you waited, you likely have the likes of Chris Godwin, Tyler Lockett, Mike Williams, Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd and Jarvis Landry available. McCaffrey is viewed as the best fantasy weapon when healthy, but he hasn't been since 2019. There are pros and cons for each player. My pick: O.J. Be mindful of the drafters at the turn (pick 1 or picks 1 and 2 if you're at 3). My pick: Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks (11). I like the RB-TE route considering receiver is an increasingly deep position, which youll see when filling out your mock drafts. Josh Allen is probably there around 24, but can you take him over Leonard Fournette, Aaron Jones or Mike Evans? He was a Pro Bowler last season and with his ability, hes going to have more chances to put points on the board in Seattle. Drafting Howard here does pigeonhole me into the fact that now I will need to replace two starters come week seven as he and Godwin share a bye. Jake is a 24-year old sportscaster from Upstate New York that co-hosts the Downtown Rams podcast, is the founder of Downtown Rams and Downtown Sports Network LLC. My pick: Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills (6). And Dillon is a good backup running back while Aaron Jones is healthy, but Dillon could be a league winner if Jones were to miss any time.

You will see that only three spots are remaining. My pick: Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (11). For more information about our data practices consult our, By submitting my email I agree to receive the "Fantasy Football Today Newsletter" and other marketing and promotional emails from CBS Sports, which may include information from our affiliates and/or partners' offers, products and services. Kyle is correct about snagging a RB here. My pick: T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions (5). Los Angeles Rams: Is Joe Burrow Better Than Matthew Stafford? Not one of them shares a bye with my current tight end O.J. As for Hall? Find out how to proceed through the early rounds of your fantasy football draft when picking from slots 1-3. An underperforming WR1 on your fantasy roster puts you in a bad spot and if you wait upwards of 50 picks before taking your WR1, that's bad, okay? Penny will get his touches but not enough to not call Carson the starter. I would highly advise going with LeVeon Bell a little earlier than the pre-draft listing. Some names with ADPs in that range: Terry McLaurin, DK Metcalf, DJ Moore, Mike Williams and Brandin Cooks. I have a tough decision to make with Antonio Brown, Keenan Allen, Chris Carson, Kerryon Johnson, Devonta Freeman, and George Kittle. Plus, all of these guys are starting. Panthers head coach rips former assistant, now at Nebraska, for failure to run the ball effectively. There's almost a round and a half between Herbert and Jackson, and I love Jackson at this spot. This is your opportunity to lock up a guaranteed three-down back and secure a true starter for your team. There was some worry when he missed a 56-yarder wide right but he came back to hit the next six straight field goals including one from 58 yards out. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and DST. Double dipping at receiver with an upside player like Williams and a safe pick like Cooks is certainly encouraged. Theres a lot of red flags here among the WRs listed above. Do not draft a kicker or a defense here. To this point, you should have at least one receiver and maybe two. This is a round that sets up all too well to select a high-value receiver.

In this instance, Chris Carson has fallen to the next round along with Sony Michel, Julian Edelman, Mark Ingram, Brandin Cooks, Chris Godwin, Melvin Gordon, Robert Woods, and Tyler Lockett. Lets not forget Alexander had five interceptions in a season in college while Jackson had eight in his last season of college. Elite tight ends score in bunches while lacking consistency. Jacob Gibbs, SportsLine Fantasy Analyst 5. My pick: Antonio Brown, Oakland Raiders (6). This is right around the time you have Derrick Henry who is a bit of risk as he shares the spotlight with Dion Lewis and has battled injury. For me, I think Howard has higher upside, is in a better offense and has a better offensive mind that will know how to get him the ball. This one is entirely preference. However, if you are like me and havent yet drafted a receiver, this is the time you can consider one. Now, I should be set with running backs for a bit with all of them on different bye weeks. In a 10-team league, when every Fantasy manager is going to have a stacked roster, you want to find a way to give yourself an edge. That preference points me to Moore or Cooks rather than McLaurin, Metcalf and Williams, who have more boom/bust potential. Id feel much more comfortable with somebody like Metcalf, McLaurin or Williams as my No. With the roster cut of LeSean McCoy, Singletarys value has reached another level and I would make the argument he has a real shot to win the AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year award. I intended to draft a receiver in Round 2, and DeAndre Hopkins was the top one on the board. Taylor is the safest choice given the confluence of his age, usage and talent. So if they have three RBs after three rounds, they probably wont get a RB in Round 4. Now, I have some thinking to do. Its hard to pass on by far the number one receiver in Chicago. Now, with the No. Now, Godwin is only behind Evans and is primed for a huge year in Tampa Bay. Or conversely, if they have loaded up at a position, you can sometimes wait until the pick comes back to you to address that position. I decided to grab another bell cow that simply should not have fallen into my lap in the fourth round. He shut down rumors surrounding his recruitment and said he stays in constant contact with Louisville, Kentucky, Auburn, Arkansas and other schools. 24. Perhaps you took a tight end like George Kittle earlier and if you did great. Heres the issue this year like many years, the number of bell cow backs are diminishing. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7). Drafting a fantasy football team is not a mistake-free endeavor.For all the mock drafts and reading you do beforehand, sometimes you just hit the wrong button, and your team doesn't turn out how you wanted it. Pick a starting running back and kick off your draft the right way. My pick: Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7). This is the player that I loved in the NFL Draft but unfortunately, he was behind Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson on the depth chart. In this case, there are only 10 teams and unless someone was obnoxious and picked three quarterbacks, you should have a fairly healthy group of signal-callers remaining. While there maybe 32 teams, there arent even 32 true starting running backs. Running backs are always a minefield. If you've waited until now to get your RB2, or you're just looking to load up at the position, plenty of young options are available in this range. Picking at the front of a round, you can often find yourself at the end of position runs. Yes, again, you want to hold off that urge. For instance, Greg Zuerlein is a no-brainer but because of that hes likely not going to be there. Between Henry and McCaffrey, I feel there is a negligible risk difference between the two. Los Angeles Rams: Kevin OConnell Breaks Down Staffords No Look Pass. However, Howard is too good to pass up here. You can certainly argue some but this isnt even a full half of the league that has guaranteed starters when healthy. Mark Andrews just capped off the first All-Pro campaign of his career with career-high receiving marks, and there are even more targets to be had for him in Baltimore after the Ravens moved on from Marquise Brown (I wrote about how Andrews could be in line for more work as a result of that trade here). 6-keys: media/fantasynews/nfl/reg/free/stories. The game is not about calling your shots on players and predicting who will have success. The next quarterback off the board (Patrick Mahomes, ever heard of him?) Daniel Schneier, Fantasy Editor 4. Now, will this defense generate a ton of turnovers? The former Oklahoma Sooner is the guy next to Golden Tate who will be suspended to start the season. Now, I get to see who will emerge as the best pass catcher in Denver, and Shenault can be a flex option while I let this play out. Remember now, I only have two receivers and I grab my third here in the eighth round. He covers the Rams and NFL Draft for the website. My pick: Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears (6). Meaning, in many weeks, youll have as many as four receivers starting. With this round being relatively split with running backs and receivers taken, I had the tough choice to make. It allows you enormous versatility which is vital during a long fantasy season. Fantasy Football: Melvin Gordon Overlooked and Undervalued. I felt fortunate to draft Chris Carson in Round 4 as my second running back, and again I was faced with a tough decision. The running backs in the 22-24 range at the end of the second round are Javonte Williams, Aaron Jones, Leonard Fournette and Saquon Barkley. I like the fit in Detroit and I know hes going to start this year but he will take a bit as Jesse James gets the starting nod to start the year. This is not an unprecedented move for coach Bill Belichick or the franchise. I have four receivers and four running backs along with one quarterback and one tight end. Heres a list of the true starting running backs to grab early on that are guaranteed starters and are considered bell cows. 2004-2022 CBS Interactive. Right now, you have quarterbacks such as Baker Mayfield, Carson Wentz and Drew Brees as the best available. I should have an edge over most teams at those positions, and then hopefully my other starters will have standout seasons to lead me to a potential championship. Instead, I opted for a difference-making tight end in Darren Waller. Andrew Baumhor, CBS Sports HQ Producer 8. Cleveland will mark the 25-year-olds fifth NFL destination since being drafted in 2018. Drafting in rounds 4 and 5Im looking almost strictly at wide receivers in the 46-48 and 49-51 range in the fourth and fifth rounds. The SI Fantasy team has rankings hundreds of players deep for PPR, dynasty, rookie-only and superflex in the 2022 draft kit, and you should use rankings to help guide your draft decisions, but theyre not to be followed blindly.Taking into account positional value is important when it comes to roster construction. Right now, you can gain a huge advantage in the league if you choose to grab another running back with a different bye week. Matt De Limas Round 1 Hot Takes:With an early pick in Round 1, you want to minimize the red flags.

Look, I would give the Bills an honorable mention here as Sean McDermott has done a stellar job with that unit but they werent available. However, with Howard on a bye week during the week seven period, I imagine Hockenson will have won the job from James by now and might be a focal point of the offense. Plus, he has an attractive week 11 bye that allows him to fill in for either of my starting receivers. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. section: | slug: fantasy-football-setting-your-team-apart-in-a-10-team-ppr-draft | sport: football | route: article_single_fantasy | If they havent drafted a position yet, you can snipe them or if they have loaded up at a position. Theyre more durable than running backs and the half-PPR/PPR formats provide them a steady diet of points. Again, youre drafting to minimize risk and maximize points. With the Lions bye week coming before Howards there will be a chance for the Lions to easily transition over to the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Chris Towers, Senior Editor, Fantasy 6. Howard. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. By the time youre on the clock again in Round 4, we are at picks 46-48, so to secure your WR1 among this crop is a best-case scenario of the likes of Terry McLaurin, DK Metcalf, Mike Williams and Michael Pittman Jr. Worst-case scenario, were choosing among Marquise Brown, Chris Godwin and Amari Cooper. Well, at this point, if you are playing the same type of roster limit, players and type of scoring as the one Im mocking here. I may not be a huge fan of his off-field antics and I may worry a little bit about him abruptly retiring after the whole off-season debacle but with great risk comes great reward and Brown can be the biggest reward here in the third. Sterling Shepard is not a super flashy pick but for whatever reason people are forgetting how impressive he was his rookie year and how hes arguably gotten better each year. As Durant tries to get out of Brooklyn, Golden State general manager Bob Myers assesses his roster: I like our team.. Im not going to say you cant draft a quarterback here but I still would hold off as Jared Goff, Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson, Tom Brady, and Ben Roethlisberger should all still be available. And Ekeler had a phenomenal season in 2021 thanks to a career-high number of carries, but hes come out and said he wants a reduced workload going forward.It's vital to come away with a high-end running back early in your draft because the top 12 players at the position will be long gone by the time your second-round pick comes along. His rushing numbers were down with the emergence of A.J. I will share my thoughts and I'll hand it over to my editor, Matt De Lima, to chime in with his opinions to put a bow on it. Williams should be more than serviceable at RB2, as should a player like Fournette, who exploded in 2021 and is a favorite of Brady, or Barkley, who is now more than a year removed from his ACL tear.Three receivers are going in the 25-27 range who have all proven their worth as WR1s in the past: Mike Evans, Keenan Allen and A.J. Picks 1-3 will kick things off. Again, I know you may want to outsmart your league and go with the signal-caller here that is guaranteed to finish top five in points but dont. For more information about our data practices consult our, Visit SportsLine now to get Fantasy cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that called Josh Allen's huge season, 2022 Fantasy football rankings, advice, picks, 2022 Fantasy football rankings: Busts to avoid, 2022 Fantasy football rankings: Top sleepers, 2022 Fantasy football rankings: Optimal sleepers, busts. So at this point, if you followed the Round 1 advice and got your guy at running back, you should look to shore up your RB2 slot and add your WR1. I think if you want stability and consistency you should look at guys like Wil Lutz, Jason Myers, and Jake Elliott. I also like Courtland Sutton, whos going about a half-round later than those options.With one or no receivers on your team at this point, you want to target a player who is reliable week-to-week. I have him as the runner-up in the MVP voting. At the end of Round 3, I either want 1RB-2WR or 2RB-1WR. Chubbs ability as a pure runner mixed with his receiving ability makes him the pick here. is going a full round after Allen. So if both played 17 games fully healthy, by some miracle, I would give the edge to CMC. The Packers defense isnt even getting drafted in most leagues and Im just not sure why. Please dont do that. Heres the deal, Im done with wideout and Im done with running backs. I just find it extremely hard to believe this wont be one of the best in football. I like the potential selection of Patriots receiver Josh Gordon here but seeing as I only have one receiver to this point, I chose to go with less of a risk in Godwin. I added to my receiving corps with Courtland Sutton in Round 8 and Laviska Shenault in Round 9. The only quarterbacks worth targeting from these draft slots in the first five rounds are Allen and Jackson, and in terms of tight end, Andrews is the only player who makes sense unless Travis Kelce falls to the back of the second or Darren Waller slides to the end of the fourth.Picking in slots 1-3 will not set you up to draft a top-six receiver as theyll all come off the board between the third and 22nd pick of the draft, but there are proven, low-end WR1s in good situations available in the second round.Ideally, this is how your first five picks play out: RB, RB, WR/TE, WR, WR. Carlos Sainz saw his Austrian Grand Prix run come to a fiery end, marking his fourth DNF in 11 races. Let's address the second route: Addressing either RB or WR and getting a premium player at TE or QB. I like the receivers available but I still feel like there are just so many great receivers available. Designed and Developed by Downtown Rams. You can also strategically begin positions runs if a position tier is running low. Bell is the guy in New York, they paid him long-term and hes going to be a big-time security blanket for young Sam Darnold. And White is a sneaky flex play in PPR now that Mac Jones is the starter for the Patriots. Guice is going to be a fantasy star and you could potentially grab him in round seven while someone grabs Matt Ryan. Its getting to be that tough zone where a player you dont expect to drop will. Grabbing a guy I believe will finish top three in quarterback scoring in the 10th round is beyond getting your bang for your buck. I went with Robinson who has the same bye as Antonio Brown but since Sterling Shepard has a week 11 bye, I will make out just fine. But knowing that wide receiver is an even deeper position in a 10-team league, I opted for another difference maker in Lamar Jackson. You won't be picking again for essentially two whole rounds, so you want a sure thing, and Taylor is about as sure as it gets at the top of the draft.After Taylor, there's a handful of backs in competition for second and third banana: Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey and Austin Ekeler. And which QB shocks the NFL with a top-five performance? We have selected two bell-cow running backs and one of the leagues best receivers. We keep your data private and share your data only with third parties that make this service possible. Had George Kittle made it to this pick, that would have been my pick. There is a chance you can grab three bell cows in the first three picks and that is something exciting. 1. The world is your oyster at the turn.Let's dive into the first option: filling your need at RB2 and finding your WR1. Just beginning to load up at receiver at this spot is a nonstarter. Its extrapolations based on assumptions based on inklings based on stats based on the results of an oblong ball floating on the winds of serendipity. Dont ask me how I did it but with the draft selection of Devin Singletary, I do not have one bye week that is shared across five running backs. Use that to your advantage. From there, I would give the slight edge to Ekeler as my RB2 over Henry and McCaffrey. With T.J. Hockenson available along with Austin Hooper, Eric Ebron, Delanie Walker, and Jordan Reed there is a lot to work with. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Brown. Like I said. Derrius Guice missed all of the 2018 season but hes back this year and its become clear that he will be the starter in Washington despite Adrian Petersons resurgence last year and Chris Thompsons existence. Ty Summers, Rashan Gary, Jaire Alexander, Josh Jackson, Kevin King, Tramon Williams, Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage Jr. Dillon in Round 11. This team has plenty of upside because of the cornerstones of my roster, including McCaffrey, Hopkins, Waller and Jackson. Meaning, you gain more points per player per game at running back and receiver by taking them early compared to QB and TE. However, I look at it like this. However, Ill chalk that up to one disappointing year. Dillon in Green Bay, but he hit career-high receiving marks and could do so again after Aaron Rodgers' top target Davante Adams was traded away. I'd generally advise against this and recommend loading up on backs and receivers, but a TE is going right in this range who I will not be able to pass up. What's more likely to occur, though, is a deviation from your pre-draft plan during a run on running backs, tight ends, quarterbacksyou name itwith the timer running out, forcing you to make a panicked pick.In that case, its important to have contingency plans in place, and lots of them. I had Nick Chubb and Joe Mixon available who both do not share the same bye week as Bell (4). In Round 3, I could have drafted another receiver like Justin Jefferson, A.J. You are in round six and at this point, you should either have two running backs and three receivers or three running backs and two receivers. You just need to wait until the second to last round to select a defense. I'm highest on Evans of the three of them, with Chris Godwin likely out for at least the early part of the season, but Allen and Brown are also stabilizing receivers with upside. Its between O.J. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. We'll walk through how to proceed in the early rounds of a draft with different draft slot groupings from 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12. Maybe. A bounce-back is not a givenjust look at CMC's 2021 season. Last year was likely a bad year and it all comes together for the Mike Pettine coached Packers defense in 2019. Thats what its all about in fantasy. You are not Sherlock. Drafting in rounds 2 and 3Some of my favorite players are going around the 2-3 turn in a 12-team draft, and a few of them can be found at a steep discount from where they were going just one year ago. Most starting lineups these days require two RBs and three WRs and a flex. However, I am not done with either tight end or quarterback. In addition to that, Conner will have some touches taken away by sleeper running back Jaylen Samuels, rookie running back Tony Pollard is a real threat to Elliotts workload and Johnson has struggled with injuries over the last two years while Chase Edmonds is waiting patiently for another one to take over. The workloads for Henry overfloweth in 2019 and 2020, leading to nine missed games in 2021. And the same could be said for McCaffreys workloads in 2018 and 2019, which led to injury-plagued seasons in 2020 and 2021. With the additions of Savage (who brought in seven interceptions his last two years in college) and Amos who brought in two interceptions last year, there is a good chance that number will improve. To start we will be drafting a standard PPR league. So youve drafted RB in Round 1, therefore I disagree with Kyle on his RB-TE inclinations in these spots. Besides the fact of picking an elite receiver, you have to keep in mind there are at least 64 starting receivers in todays game. You can see now why I wanted to wait. Thats arguably the most weapons any quarterback has in the league today. None of those guys share the same bye week as Jared Goff. You are playing with 10 players in your league, do not overthink this. Well, this is the Jets offense we're talking about, and Michael Carter was no slouch last season.In terms of ADP, there's a bit of a dead zone for quarterbacks between the top three of Allen, Mahomes and Justin Herbert and QB4 Lamar Jackson, who's going right at the top of the fifth. Last year he went 33 of 36 with the New York Jets which involved Myers going 6 of 7 from beyond 50 yards. Moore or Chris Godwin, and we start three receivers in this league. However, Hockenson is one of the best tight end prospects that have come around.

You might think Im wrong in thinking this because of Rashaad Penny but Carson is just the superior back in Seattle. 3 option. Los Angeles Rams: Have We Seen The Best of Jalen Ramsey? Goff is going into year three in Sean McVays system which has seen him grow in a big way each year.

For whatever reason, the Jets did not want him back and so he signed a four-year deal to kick in Seattle. Brown or DK Metcalf, who were all available. I don't know that Allen is worth the rub compared to what's available there. I normally go with the best kicker available or I decide based on how explosive the team the kicker is on is expected to be. Draft Pick Draft StrategiesPicks:1 to 3 | 4 to 6| 7 to 9 | 10 to 12. And then there's the Trey Lance question with Mitchell; the sophomore QB could steal some goal-line work. Its a risk with Austin Seibert, the rookie out of Oklahoma because hes a rookie but Cleveland should be scoring a ton this year. While I expect Chase Edmonds to lead the Cardinals backfield this year, Conner will still play a prominent role in Arizona and can be a flex option for this team.