If you haven’t had a chance, go check out Corey Parson’s latest one-man fantasy football mock draft over on Sports Illustrated. It’s a good look into how the first round of fantasy drafts could play out in 12-team PPR leagues. Let’s break down his picks. Let us know what you think over on the Forums.
Pick 1: Christian McCaffrey
Analysis: Until further notice this is the correct top pick. He’ll be the consensus No. 1 overall selection in fantasy football drafts and rightfully so.
Picks 2-4: Trio of RBs
Analysis: Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley are the next three off the board. I expect that combination of running backs, in any order, to go in the Top 5 with shares of Michael Thomas sprinkled in. I lean toward Barkley in this spot, but if someone wanted to go for the safety of Elliott I wouldn’t put up a fight. Cook was phenomenal last season, but I think that was his fantasy peak. I can’t see him topping that. His injury risk isn’t that much lower this season, either.
Picks 5-6: Saints Come Marching In
Analysis: Parson has Thomas and Alvin Kamara next up. Thomas is the no-doubt WR1. The only question is how high in the first round he will go. I bet he’ll go No. 2 overall in a bunch of drafts this summer. I love the buy-back opportunity with Kamara. I think he’s still a Top 3 pick and I go into more detail about why here.
Pick 7: Nick Chubb
Analysis: This is a little rich for me. I have Chubb just outside of the first round. His pass-catching was already limited and became even more so when Kareem Hunt returned from suspension. I’d be more willing to take him in standard leagues. He might only have 20-25 catches all season in 2020, which won’t be enough to return first-round value in PPR formats.
Picks 8-12: The Wide Receiver Run
Analysis: Hopkins-Adams-Hill-Evans-Godwin is how Parson ends his first round. Hopkins and Adams are locks. Hill belongs somewhere around the turn, but I’m surprised to not see Julio Jones in the mix here. I’m also a little surprised running backs like Derrick Henry and Aaron Jones aren’t being considered. As far as the wide receiver position goes, aside from the exclusion of Jones, it’s hard to argue with the order. I just lean toward the RB1s still on the board because it’s a more scarce position.
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