Drafting from the 3 rd Spot in a 12-Team Half-PPR League
Last week we tackled the 7 th spot in a PPR mock draft . This week, we will be going to the half-PPR league type and drafting from a very interesting position: the third spot. If you have not been mock drafting already, it’s time to get started. ADP is continuing to change rapidly and expect now with training camps starting that ADPs will start jumping around as “fluff” pieces start flying.
Half-PPR leagues are obviously smack in the middle of Standard and PPR leagues, but good Wide Receivers and pass-catching Running Backs will be more sought after. ADPs are based on 12-team half-PPR drafts , however, I will be conducting my own mock draft to determine the strategy.
You can also find our rankings here .
You can find the completed draft here .
Do Some Research on What Position to Start With
Usually, I say not to go into drafts with a set strategy, but this third spot gives fantasy players an interesting choice. Do you go with one of the remaining workhorse backs with potential injury risk? (Derrick Henry, CMC) Do you go with pass-catching specialist Austin Ekeler since it’s half-PPR? Or do you reach slightly for the top Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp?
The third spot allows you to choose without much badgering from your friends/league-mates. Obviously, half-PPR will give a bit of a boost to Ekeler or Kupp, but Henry is such a beast that he makes up for his lack of pass-catching with absurd rushing stats.
Go into your draft with a set player you want, and then start to build your team based on that.
Grab Tight End and Quarterback Earlier than Usual
Ok so I know I am a huge proponent of waiting on the Quarterback and Tight End positions. But the third spot gave me some interesting opportunities to grab my QB and TE that I just couldn’t pass up. I’d gladly take Mark Andrews in the third and Lamar Jackson in the fifth, especially since I did go RB/WR to start the draft.
If you look at the draft, you’ll see Kyle Pitts and Darren Waller went in the fourth round before my pick, so it looks like you will have to grab a Tight End on your third pick if you truly want to get a top player at the position. With Lamar Jackson, I probably could have waited and grabbed Russell Wilson or Tom Brady later, but I wanted the guaranteed rushing stats that Jackson provides.
If the players fall to you and you feel like you have a good start at WR/RB, don’t hesitate to grab your QB/TE earlier than usual.
Grab Wide Receivers in the Middle Rounds
Again, since this is half-PPR, Wide Receivers will be a little more coveted. The more I draft, the more I find the best value Receivers come in the middle rounds. Frankly, the double-digit rounds are full of rookies and unexciting players that I just can’t bring myself to enjoy drafting.
The Denver Receivers (Jeudy and Sutton) are great targets here. The same goes for the Kansas City Receivers (MVS, JuJu, Sky Moore). One or two of these guys on each team should do well so they are exciting mid-round players to add to your team. Also look for guys who may start off hot, like Marquise Brown in Arizona (no Hopkins to start the season).
The last group of Receivers to target in these rounds are the guys who are questionable to start the season but have shown they can light it up when they are on the field. Cowboys’ Michael Gallup and Saints’ Michael Thomas come to mind. Both may miss the start of the season but have every opportunity to blow up.
Later Round Running Backs
Usually, the strategy is to grab a bunch of sleeper Wide Receivers and handcuffs in this range, but there are a lot of exciting options at Running Back going in the later rounds this year.
Rookies like Isaiah Spiller (LAC), Rachaad White (TB), and Tyler Allgeier (ATL) are all very intriguing options in the double-digit rounds. Now each comes with risks involved, such as being the primary backup or potentially disappointing, but each also could be league winners. Spiller will be backing up an often-injured Austin Ekeler, White should backup an “out of shape” Leonard Fournette, and Allgeier has been making headlines as being the starter in Atlanta. Of course, we are still quite a ways away from the season starting, but these guys could win you your league if the stars align.
Other players to look at are guys in a timeshare or in a backfield full of questions. Gus Edwards seems to be a bit more ready than J.K. Dobbins after they both suffered knee injuries (and is a great handcuff). Mark Ingram might be in line for a big role to start the season if Alvin Kamara sees a suspension. Darrell Henderson seems to have been forgotten after Cam Akers returned, but he struggled in the few games back from his achilles injury and may never be the same.
All of these Running Backs mentioned are solid late-round picks that could turn into starters as the season progresses…but be ready to struggle to find consistency in the first few weeks of the season.
Filed under: Free Articles
