There used to be a time when getting the consensus No. 1 overall running back was reserved only for the person drafting first overall. That time has passed -- and it means good things for those who pick second, third or maybe even fourth overall.
Such was the case for my team when I took Christian McCaffrey at No. 3 overall in our recent PPR draft. Drafting Justin Jefferson at 1.01 seems like a no-brainer because he should be in line for more targets than anyone in football. But after him, I am good with McCaffrey over literally everyone else. Watching Ja'Marr Chase go second overall made the pick all the sweeter.
So what do you do after you take such a difference-maker at No. 3 overall? Easy -- you keep drafting difference-makers. But I should also share that a very key piece of my draft strategy was to pay attention to what the managers at Picks 1 and 2 did. You'll see that came into play as soon as Round 3 and continued throughout my draft ... for better or for worse.
Here's my squad from the third pick:
1.03: Christian McCaffrey, RB, SF
2.10: Jaylen Waddle, WR, MIA
3.03: Jalen Hurts, QB, PHI
4.10: DK Metcalf, WR, SEA
5.03: T.J. Hockenson, TE, MIN
6.10: George Pickens, WR, PIT
7.03: Mike Evans, WR, TB
8.10: Skyy Moore, WR, KC
9.03: De'Von Achane, RB, MIA
10.10: Jeff Wilson, RB, MIA
11.03: Dalton Schultz, TE, HOU
12.10: Zamir White, RB, LV
13.03: Jerick McKinnon, RB, KC
14.10: Sean Tucker, RB, TB
When I was up in Round 2, the only quarterback off the board was Patrick Mahomes. I really wanted Hurts -- he was the safe pick. But I knew that the drafters picking after me in Round 2 and before me in Round 3 might not feel the same way about Hurts as I did, and if one of them did then Josh Allen would have been a good option waiting for me with my next pick.
I took a calculated risk and drafted the best-available receiver -- Jaylen Waddle -- and then crossed my fingers. Allen went with the very next pick, but he was the only passer taken before it was my turn in Round 3. Hurts was mine, and just like that I had one of the best quarterbacks in Fantasy with the best running back in Fantasy and one of the best receivers in Fantasy as the core of my squad.
Splurging on a quarterback early did present some problems. I felt like I was "behind" in collecting running backs and wide receivers, and that really was the case after I spent five straight picks on pass-catchers, mostly because I was hoping a running back would fall back to me in the odd-numbered rounds. That didn't work out.
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I passed on James Conner for DK Metcalf in Round 4. I passed on Kenneth Walker for T.J. Hockenson in Round 5. I passed on Rachaad White for George Pickens in Round 6. I passed on Alvin Kamara for Mike Evans in Round 7. I even passed on Rashaad Penny, who I really could have used as at least an early-season RB2, hoping he'd fall back to me and instead took Skyy Moore. I've never been more miffed at missing out on Penny in my life.
So my draft is representative of what a Hero RB Strategy looks like. I'll enter the season with really good receivers, a top-five tight end, a top-three quarterback, one elite running back and a bunch of really, really, really suspect running backs. All I need to do is hit on one of them and/or one or two off waivers and I'll be alright.
I loved winning that gamble on Hurts falling to me in Round 3. Early camp reports say Hurts is throwing with even more accuracy this year as he takes full command of the offense -- and won't stop running either. He has potential to be the most productive quarterback in Fantasy this season.
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My love for Pickens' talent sort of overrides everything else about his situation. Like I mentioned, I could have taken Rachaad White and felt a little bit better about my running back group. That's what I should have done. Pickens may have made it back to me in Round 7. The only way this pick truly pays off is if Pickens gets close to the target volume Diontae Johnson gets in Pittsburgh -- and does more with it.
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Wait a minute -- I didn't draft Tua Tagovailoa!! But I did draft one of his top receivers and two of his running backs. With Tagovailoa last year, Waddle averaged 16.8 PPR points per game and a Dolphins running back had 10-plus PPR points in seven of 13 games. Without him, Waddle averaged 10.2 PPR points per game and a Dolphins running back had 10-plus PPR points twice in four games. Obviously the offense is more productive with him than without, so if he stays healthy, Waddle should boom and one of the running backs, hopefully Achane, can contribute.
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