Henry also frequently does stuff like this: For comparison, no other running back has more than one in that stretch. In the past three seasons, he has had five games with at least 200 rushing yards. While his lack of pass-catching upside might not allow him to reach as high of heights as some of his fellow RBs, Henry is, to put it frankly, a beast.

It’s also a bit too early for me to consider tight end Travis Kelce (more on him later). The wide receiver position is incredibly deep, and given how valuable elite running backs are to fantasy, it makes more sense to address that position first. However, this year, I’d much rather lock in an RB1 before taking a receiver. In the past, there have been some wide receivers who have gone in this range. Zeke showed signs of decline last year, and there are some questions as to whether or not he can bounce back. If it’s Taysom Hill, then Kamara could lose valuable passing game work, and if it’s Jameis Winston, the Saints’ offensive efficiency could take a hit. Fantasy managers are still in the dark as to who will be the starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. Henry’s main concern is his lack of passing game work he has just 76 receptions in his entire career. Phase Two Playersĭerrick Henry: Proj Points - 256 ADP - 1.03Īlvin Kamara: Proj Points - 253 ADP - 1.04Įzekiel Elliott: Proj Points - 225 ADP - 1.05 All three have been elite fantasy running backs in the past, but there’s just a little bit of hesitancy with them that makes them less appealing than McCaffrey and Cook. This tier consists of Derrick Henry, Alvin Kamara, and Ezekiel Elliott. Other players to consider: None Phase Two: Almost There (Picks 2 through 5)Īfter the “big two” players, there’s a tier of three running backs who are all excellent fantasy options but aren’t in the tier above due to some nagging issue. Don’t overthink it if you have a top-2 pick. The incredibly high floor and ceiling for both of these players make them fantasy gold. He’s also likely to see more passing work - 4for4 has him projected for a whopping 83 receptions, compared to 58 for Dalvin. In his last healthy season in 2019, McCaffrey quite literally did not leave the field, playing below 85% of the offensive snaps in a game just twice.

ApproachĪs for who to take if faced with a choice between the two, I would lean towards McCaffrey. Because of this, we don't need to worry about them having bust weeks. Additionally, both of these players are the bell-cow running backs for their teams and are locked into a large number of touches. They offer abilities as both pass-catchers and rushers, something that is extremely valuable in fantasy. The clear-cut top-two options in 2021 - running backs Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook - both have very few question marks surrounding their situation. Phase One PlayersĬhristian McCaffrey: Proj Points - 306 ADP - 1.01ĭalvin Cook: Proj Points - 262 ADP - 1.02 Historically, these most elite players have been excellent for fantasy teams, and there’s no reason to believe that won’t change this season. If you have either the first or the second pick in your fantasy draft this year, you’re in luck. Phase One: The Top of the Top (Picks 1 and 2) Note: Half-PPR scoring was used for all projections and data. In this article, I’ll take a deep dive into each range of picks (early, middle, late) in the first round of drafts this year, looking at which selections would be the most optimal to begin your team with. With that said, making the right pick could mean many different things based on which first-round pick you get. (Photo by )Īs you can see, the first round has far and away the most average fantasy points scored, showing how important it is to get your pick right.

Fantasy football 2018 draft cheat sheet