The first pick in a PPR league is easy. You draft Justin Jefferson and don't think twice. He was the No. 1 receiver in 2022 and just continues to get better, and he should have another dominant campaign this season.
But now, the toughest decision for your team will come the next time you're on the clock. At the Round 2-3 turn, you're going to have plenty of great players staring you in the face. And the moves you make will likely determine how you build your team.
You might see Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Jalen Hurts on the board. Rhamondre Stevenson or Joe Mixon should be available. Some top-tier wide receivers will likely be there in DeVonta Smith, Tee Higgins and Chris Olave. And Mark Andrews could be available as well.
It's not an easy decision. And there are several directions you can go to start building your team with the No. 1 overall pick in a PPR league.
This is our 12-part, pick-by-pick series where me, Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, Heath Cummings, Chris Towers and Dan Schneier all took part in a six-person mock draft. We each built two of the 12 teams in this 14-round draft to show you a different strategy from each spot.
Here are the full results of the draft:
This is an outline that you can follow if you pick from No. 1 overall in your league. The key is to study the strategy and not necessarily the players to see if this works for you.
My preferred strategy in this spot is to usually start with three wide receivers with Jefferson, Smith and Higgins. The reason I like that is because of the running back value you'll typically find at the Round 4-5 turn, and Stevenson is usually gone by No. 24 overall. I'm also inclined to pass on Mahomes, Allen or Hurts, even if they fall to this spot, because I prefer to wait a little bit longer for a quarterback in a lower tier.
But in this draft, Stevenson fell to the end of Round 2, and that changed my approach to this roster. I love my running back corps, and I still managed to get a standout quarterback and tight end. However, I would have preferred a better No. 3 receiver, which could be the flaw of this team.
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 No. 1 overall:
1.1: Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
2.12: Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots
3.1: DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles
4.12: Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
5.1: James Conner, RB, Cardinals
6.12: Rachaad White, RB, Buccaneers
7.1: George Kittle, TE, 49ers
8.12: Rashaad Penny, RB, Eagles
9.1: JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Patriots
10.12: Elijah Mitchell, RB, 49ers
11.1: Odell Beckham, WR, Ravens
12.12: Allen Lazard, WR, Jets
13.1: Jerome Ford, RB, Browns
14.12: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, FA
There's a lot to love about this team. Jefferson and Smith is an elite receiving duo, and Jackson and Kittle have top-five upside at their respective positions. And I'm excited about this running back corps with Stevenson, Conner and White leading the way.
Penny could be a steal if he stays healthy and leads the Eagles backfield -- a big if -- and Mitchell and Ford are high-end lottery tickets. Elliott could also prove valuable if he signs with the right team (Dallas?) prior to Week 1.
But I don't love Smith-Schuster as my No. 3 receiver to open the season -- I would prefer him as my No. 4 option/flex. And Beckham and Lazard aren't the safest reserve receivers. In hindsight, I should have drafted Treylon Burks, Nico Collins or Elijah Moore instead of Penny in Round 8, and that would have enhanced my receiving corps.
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The Cardinals might be terrible this season if Kyler Murray (ACL) misses a significant amount of time. But Conner has played without Murray before and done well, and new Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon said he's "100 percent" comfortable with Conner as his bellcow. Conner played five games without Murray last year, and he averaged 17.6 PPR points per game in those outings. He'll remain a significant part of the passing game, and Conner has top-10 upside if he stays healthy. I loved drafting him in Round 5 here as my No. 2 running back.
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Stevenson is one of my favorite breakout candidates, and I'm thrilled to draft him in Round 2. That being said, I might have been better off drafting Smith and Higgins at the Round 2-3 turn to pair with Jefferson. Then, at the Round 4-5 turn, I would have drafted Conner and J.K. Dobbins in this scenario. I like that running back and receiver corps better, especially if I still ended up with White and Penny. Now, in redoing all of these moves, I lose out on Jackson, so you can only second guess yourself so much. I'll just hope Stevenson is a star, and then I'll have no regrets.
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Smith-Schuster is an underrated Fantasy receiver this year. He's going to lead New England in targets, and he actually wasn't horrible in Kansas City in 2022. When he was featured -- he had nine games with at least five targets last year, and he averaged 15.8 PPR points per game over that span -- he performed well, and hopefully there is a solid connection between him and Mac Jones. That being said, I'd rather have Smith-Schuster as a key reserve instead of a guaranteed starter. If he falters or gets hurt, then I'm relying on Beckham or Lazard, which could be a problem.
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