The heart of fantasy football draft season is just a couple of weeks away. FantasyPros analysts Derek Brown, Andrew Erickson, Pat Fitzmaurice and Mike Maher continue a series of preseason roundtables by discussing QB strategy, players they’re second-guessing and offense that could be sneaky sources of fantasy football goodness. And check out last week’s fantasy football roundtable for even more expert advice.
The heart of fantasy football draft season is just a couple of weeks away. FantasyPros analysts Derek Brown, Andrew Erickson, Pat Fitzmaurice and Mike Maher continue a series of preseason roundtables by discussing QB strategy, players they’re second-guessing and offense that could be sneaky sources of fantasy football goodness. And check out last week’s fantasy football roundtable for even more expert advice.
You’re picking 1.02 in a 12-team, half-point PPR league that requires you to start two RBs and three WRs. Christian McCaffrey goes 1.01. Who are you taking at 1.02?
Derek Brown: I could easily say CeeDee Lamb here, but Ja’Marr Chase is my pick.
He’s my WR1 overall. In Weeks 5-10, when Joe Burrow was back to dealing, Chase was the WR4 in fantasy, commanding a 28.4% target share, a 43.1% air-yard share, and a 34.5% first-read share while churning out a whopping 2.69 yards per route run and 0.145 first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data).
The WR1 throne is a revolving door yearly. My pick to assume the throne in 2024 is Chase.
Pat Fitzmaurice:Tyreek Hill is WR1 in my rankings because I believe he has the best chance to finish as the top-scoring receiver, but I’d rather take one of the other top WRs at 1.02 because Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane are two of my favorite targets around the 2/3 turn, and pairing Hill with one of those other Dolphins would be imprudent.
I had CeeDee Lamb ranked WR2 throughout the offseason, but his prolonged holdout has prompted me to drop him behind Ja’Marr Chase. Hill, Lamb and Chase are all worthy 1.02 candidates, but as of this moment, Chase is my preferred choice.
It comes down to Ja’Marr Chase vs. Breece Hall for me. My RB1 versus WR1. And here’s my ideal start in both scenarios through three rounds that’s feasible based on ADP: Chase/Hall, De’Von Achane/Travis Etienne, Jaylen Waddle.
There are times Achane/Etienne don’t fall to me, and I feel like I’m reaching slightly on an RB, specifically with Chase starting at the 1.02. That puts me in a situation where I go three straight WRs off the cuff because I don’t want to reach on an RB at the 2/3 turn. I also miss out on a potential “legendary season” from a top RB available in the first three rounds.
In best ball, no debate for me that I’ll go the WR route. But given that WR depth is more readily available in redraft formats, I lean Hall ever so slightly as my 1.02 selection. I can build a superhero RB, starting with Hall and Achane, that has the potential to break fantasy while scooping strong WRs in the middle rounds. This is why we mock (draft) people.
Mike Maher: I was in this exact scenario last week and debated the pick in my mind for a good while. My top considerations were Breece Hall, Bijan Robinson, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tyreek Hill. I ultimately went with Hill because I have the fewest questions about him and/or the offense he’s in.
Hill has turned in back-to-back seasons of 119 receptions on 170+ targets to go with 1,700+ (almost 1,800 in 2023) yards, with double-digit touchdowns last season. The offense he plays in should once again be among the best in the league. He doesn’t have a new coach, a new QB, or a QB returning from a major injury.
I know what I’m getting in Hill, and I think he has a real shot at being the WR1 and potentially the top fantasy scorer in 2024.
