If you haven't noticed by now, I'm leaning toward drafting receivers whenever possible with my first two picks, especially if you select early in Round 1 and have the chance for Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham or Julio Jones.
The value for receivers in Round 2 is impressive and this is a great way to start your team in any format.
I did that here at No. 6 overall in our pick-by-pick series with Jones in Round 1 and Alshon Jeffery in Round 2. That's a great start for any team, but some owners might be concerned with the running backs you'll get if you wait until Round 3 or later for your first one.
I have no problem leaning on the running backs I drafted here, and I hope many of you will follow suit. Let's take a look to see if it works ...
- 1.6 Julio Jones, WR, Falcons
- 2.19 Alshon Jeffery, WR, Bears
- 3.30 C.J. Anderson, RB, Broncos
- 4.43 Ryan Mathews, RB, Eagles
- 5.54 DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins
- 6.67 Charles Sims, RB, Buccaneers
- 7.78 Donte Moncrief, WR, Colts
- 8.91 Rashad Jennings, RB, Giants
- 9.102 Justin Forsett, RB, Ravens
- 10.115 Eli Manning, QB, Giants
- 11.126 Wendell Smallwood, RB, Eagles
- 12.139 Dwayne Allen, TE, Colts
- 13.150 Steelers DST
- 14.163 Dan Bailey, K, Cowboys
The receivers on this team are set with Jones, Jeffery, Parker and Moncrief. You know what Jones and Jeffery are capable of when healthy, and Parker and Moncrief are breakout candidates this season. If you are able to land quality receivers of this caliber, you really only need four coming into the year.
You can see that I locked up those receivers with four of my first seven picks, and the other rounds were dedicated toward running backs through Round 9. I got four starters for their respective teams in Anderson, Mathews, Jennings and Forsett, and Sims is more than just a handcuff for Doug Martin in Tampa Bay.
With Anderson and Mathews, there are plenty of question marks, but also plenty of upside. Anderson came on strong toward the end of 2015, and that should carry over to this year when he'll be the catalyst of the Broncos offense. And Mathews might be injury prone, but he will start for the Eagles and has the chance to outperform his Average Draft Position. I also handcuffed him with Smallwood, which is recommended.
Jennings and Forsett are veteran runners on their last legs, but they could provide several positive moments if they remain starters for the Giants and Ravens. I don't love these guys, but I do like their potential workloads. They are what they are, which is depth.
You should always wait for a quarterback like Manning, who should once again have the chance to finish as a top-10 Fantasy passer. And Allen is a sleeper at tight end with Coby Fleener gone and Rob Chudzinski as the offensive coordinator. Chudzinski has a great history with tight ends, and he could help Allen have the best year of his career.
