The Perfect Fantasy Draft From Pick 1.01: Target Ja'Marr Chase & Josh Jacobs
If you’ve been fortunate enough to land the No. 1 pick in your fantasy football draft, you probably know who you’re taking first. In a PPR league of any kind, you’re almost certainly taking Ja’Marr Chase
first.
And why wouldn’t you? The Bengals still have Joe Burrow under center and their defense didn’t get any better. Cincinnati is likely to play a lot of shootouts, and that means plenty of targets and touchdown opportunities for Chase. There’s tons of value in taking him.
Beyond that obvious first pick, though, there are plenty of ways your draft could open up. Here’s how I ran mine using the Fulltime Fantasy Mock Draft Simulator.
Round 2: Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers
I want to get running backs here, because you can get a solid No. 2 wideout in round 4 to complement Chase. So I’d rather go for one trustworthy running back and one who’s high-risk, high-reward.
Jacobs is the former. With Green Bay lacking a star at wideout, Jacobs is the most consistent
part of the offense. He shouldn’t be an issue.
Round 3: Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
If McCaffrey can stay healthy, you’ve got a fantastic one-two punch between him and Chase. Of course, the risk is there, but we’re talking round two or three, not round one. Let others' worry turn into your potential boom play.
Round 4: DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Even with DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh’s WR1, on the board, it’s smart to trust Philadelphia’ No. 2 receiver DeVonta Smith, because Jalen Hurts is more trustworthy than Aaron Rodgers. When Smith gets the ball, he averages better than two points per target. That’s good value for this spot.
Round 5: Calvin Ridley, WR, Tennessee Titans
It’s worth taking a chance on Calvin Ridley here. If Cam Ward hits right away in Nashville, those targets are going to somebody. And Ridley’s likely that somebody.
Round 6: Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
Here’s where to get a quarterback, and Bo Nix has an excellent schedule this year. Last year, Nix offered incredible consistency for a rookie, throwing 24 touchdowns over his final 10 games. He gets the AFC South and NFC East, which means some solid matchups.
Round 7: Evan Engram, TE, Denver Broncos
Engram’s new to Denver, and he’s already showing that he’s a good fit in the Broncos’ culture. He should get a lot of targets this season, and he has a better schedule than other tight ends.
Round 8: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers
McMillan could be exactly what Bryce Young needs to become an effective quarterback in Charlotte. He’s got good hands and should get plenty of targets. If Carolina plays from behind, so much the better.
Round 9: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots
New England might be in a total rebuild, but that works to Henderson’s advantage. He’s an every-down back and catches passes well. Getting an RB1 in round nine is excellent value, even if he plays for the Patriots.
Round 10 and Beyond
Getting Justin Fields at the end of Round 10 would be fantastic. Fields hasn’t really gotten a true opportunity, and the Jets will give him one. Even with his struggles to lead a team, he’s produced well in fantasy because of his legs.
Tyler Warren offers plenty of upside as a TE2. Indianapolis’ quarterback production is weak, but that can work to a tight end’s advantage. Either Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones
will need a safety valve they can trust. That’s Warren.
Kaleb Johnson makes for a good fit in Pittsburgh’s scheme, and he could find his way to some touches. Nobody knows what to do with Travis Hunter, but that’s not a worry in Round 13. And
with Green Bay not having that true WR1 mentioned when discussing Josh Jacobs, Matthew Golden is worth a flier.
If you’re going to draft a defense, getting the Texans here is smart. Their first four games include the Rams, Jaguars and Titans, offenses that aren’t terribly scary. If your league makes you draft a kicker, take the best one who plays home games indoors. If not, try another lottery ticket with the best
running back or wide receiver on the board. Here, that was Denver running back RJ Harvey.
Dan Angell has covered some of the biggest sporting events in the country, including the NCAA Tournament, the Maui Invitational and the Big Ten championship. He loves looking for overlooked angles to sports and using that to find betting edges and unique takes on news around the games. Outside of writing, he enjoys traveling to different stadiums to experience the atmosphere and the restaurants of each location.