These are guys I’m high on and am ending up with in a lot of drafts.
The first two rounds obviously depend on what pick you have, so I’ll just put up my top 24 for those rounds:
- LeSean McCoy
- Jamaal Charles
- Adrian Peterson
- Matt Forte
- Eddie Lacy
- Calvin Johnson
- Jimmy Graham
- Marshawn Lynch
- DeMarco Murray
- Dez Bryant
- Demaryius Thomas
- Montee Ball
- Julio Jones
- A.J. Green
- Giovani Bernard
- Doug Martin
- Jordy Nelson
- Brandon Marshall
- Arian Foster
- Zac Stacy
- Le’Veon Bell
- Rob Gronkowski
- Julius Thomas
- Antonio Brown
3rd round: Since the top 3 QBs are always going in the first two rounds I’m getting Rob Gronkowski in almost every draft, in the ones I don’t I land Julius Thomas or Antonio Brown – all 3 monsters.
4th round: Keenan Allen and Roddy White. Allen should soak up targets being Phillip Rivers’ go-to-guy and with Tony Gonzalez gone and White healthy, I like him to have a bounce back year.
5th round: Toby Gerhart, Shane Vereen, and Joique Bell. That’s the order I would take them in, Gerhart is definitely the latest true 3-down RB you can get, while Vereen will rack up a ton of numbers with his catches (in PPR leagues I’d take him before Gerhart), and I’ve heard a lot coming out of Detroit that they want to use Bell more as their true RB while Reggie Bush plays more the Vereen role. They just gave Bell $4.3 million this March (even more guaranteed money than Bush) so although I’d prefer the first two guys, Bell should be a solid RB2.
6th round: Torrey Smith, Bishop Sankey, and Reggie Wayne. Smith will be Gary Kubiak’s Andre Johnson this year as the coach switches teams. Sankey was the first RB taken this past draft and has way more talent than mediocre Shonn Greene, so it’s just a matter of time before he takes over the starting role in Tennessee. Wayne is old and coming off an injury, but he’s still Andrew Luck’s go-to-guy. I like him if the other two guys are gone.
7th round: Mike Wallace and Fred Jackson. I like Wallace for a breakout season as he enters his 2nd season with the Dolphins and Jackson has looked in vintage form this preseason. Both are steals in this round and if both are available I’m taking whichever position I only have 2 of.
8th round: Tom Brady, Tony Romo, and Matt Ryan. That’s the order I’m taking them. I think Brady has a huge bounce-back season this year with Gronk and Vereen back. Romo is poised to put up big numbers with an improved, already great offense and a ravaged, already bad defense. If both are gone, Matt Ryan isn’t a bad consolation, he should have a nice year with beast Julio Jones back.
9th round: Kyle Rudolph and Jeremy Hill. Even if I take a top TE I want Rudolph on my team – he has huge potential in Norv Turner’s TE friendly offense. Hill was the 2nd RB taken this past draft and should be taking over Benjarvus Green-Ellis’ role in the Bengals’ offense.
10th round: Jeremy Hill and Justin Hunter. If Hill lasts this long, he’s a tremendous value and a great RB4. Hunter’s ADP is steadily climbing as he tears up the preseason. If the other two guys are gone in the 9th I’m very comfortable taking him there.
11th round: Brandin Cooks and Reuben Randle. Cooks is another guy that’s been climbing after a great preseason. He’s the Saints slot WR they just spent a 1st round pick on. Randle is really the only red-zone target the Giants have since Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham are smaller guys and I honestly can’t even name their TE.
12th round: Jarrett Boykin and Kelvin Benjamin. Boykin will be taking over James Jones’ role in the Packer offense. No idea why his ADP is so low but I’m taking him if he’s available at this point in every single draft. Benjamin is the 6’5 240lb monster the Panthers drafted out of Florida St. that is already looking like Cam’s go-to-guy in training camp and preseason.
13th round: Jordan Matthews and Marquise Lee. Two more rookie WRs with a lot of potential. Matthews looks to be running with the Eagles 1st team on 3 WR sets already so, in that explosive offense, definitely a lot of upside. With Justin Blackmon suspended and Cecil Shorts injured, Lee already looks to be the Jaguars #1 WR. That opportunity alone is certainly worth a late round grab.
14th round: Ahmad Bradshaw and Davante Adams. Most of the time guys I’ve already mentioned are still available so I scoop them up here, but in case they aren’t, Bradshaw is a solid stash considering how miserable Trent Richardson looked last year. If Trent has a similar performance this year you could have a starting RB on your roster. Adams is a rookie that won’t get much playing time in Green Bay, but if there’s an injury to one of the top 3 then I think he could put up some nice numbers.
15th round: Browns D/ST and Buccaneers D/ST. I stream defenses, meaning I add and drop them based on the offense they play. The Browns are a good unit and are going against a weak PIT offense week 1, so I like them here. If they’re gone, though, the Bucs have a lot of talent and new coach Lovie Smith is a defensive specialist. They play the Panthers week 1, who lost a lot of their top OL and WRs from last year, so they could put up some nice points.
16th round: Alex Henery. He’s always been available for me in the last round and he’s on a dynamic offense, I like him as my last pick.
