Perfect Draft: 7th in a 12-Team ESPN Full-PPR League

Aug 05, 2021

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

I always want to invest in running backs early even in PPR leaguers. The talent disparity between wide receivers and running backs later in the draft is significant and allows fantasy managers to find quality wide receivers late in the draft. For example, 4for4's current rankings have Tony Pollard and Jaylen Waddle both ranked No. 36 at their respective positions. However, the projected point totals could not be any more different. Pollard is projected by 4for4 for 139 points, while Waddle is all the way up at 181. This drop-off in scoring at the running back position is why I tend to focus on that position early, but picking from the seventh overall spot can make it difficult.

More Perfect Drafts: 2nd in a 12-Team ESPN League | 10th in 12-Team Yahoo Half-PPR League | 12th in a 12-Team ESPN PPR League | 1st in 12-Team Yahoo Half-PPR

In most drafts, fantasy managers are going to see the top five running backs get drafted right away. Often times, Travis Kelce and/or Saquon Barkley can also sneak into the top six picks. Regardless, the seventh spot presents a dilemma for any drafter looking to focus on running back early and we'll look at how I attacked that scenario in this perfect draft.

In this article, I will walk through a perfect draft with the seventh pick in a 12-team ESPN PPR league. Each pick was optimized using projections and value-based rankings from the 4for4 Draft Hero tool.

Draft Hero Settings

Roster Settings: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB, WR, TE), 1 Kicker, 1 Defense and 6 bench spots
Roster Restrictions: Each team will be capped at drafting one of the following positions: QB, TE, Kicker and Defense. This is done to attempt to closely replicate a real draft where fantasy managers are not often drafting multiple players at these positions
No kickers or defense until the last two rounds: There's just no reason to reach for these positions. The top options rarely repeat year-to-year performances. This is especially true for defenses, so it makes sense to stream the position.
Finding Value at RB: Drafting from the seven spot likely means drafting Travis Kelce or Davante Adams in the first round. Round two is likely to present another dilemma between drafting a very good running back or an elite wide receiver. This will put a lot of focus on finding quality players at the running back position later in the draft if that's the way the board breaks.

For a comprehensive tutorial on setting up Draft Hero for your league, read our Draft Hero Walkthrough.

Jump to Pick: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Draft Recap

Round 1, Pick 7 (7) - WR Davante Adams, Packers

As expected, the first six picks included five running backs and Travis Kelce. That's alright, though, as Davante Adams is an excellent consolation prize. With Aaron Rodgers back in Green Bay, last year's touchdown king is the undisputed No. 1 wide receiver. From a fantasy football perspective, he's got everything any fantasy manager could want out of their No. 1 wide receiver. He is going to be an absolute target hog and according to ReceptionPerception, he recorded a catch on 30.7% of his routes. The next closest was Stefon Diggs at 23.6%. That's exactly what fantasy managers should be looking for, especially in PPR leagues. That statistic pops even more considering Adams led the league in targets per game at a clip of 11.0 per game (exluding Week 17). These two numbers should lead to Adams racking up 100+ receptions in 2021, health permitting. Another excellent bonus, Adams led the league in red-zone targets with 28, which was six more than the next closest player, even though Adams missed two games. He has the volume to be a PPR monster and it shouldn't be a surprise to see him once again lead the league in touchdown receptions. Just missing out on the elite tier of running backs isn't fun, but rostering Davante Adams sure does help.

Suggested Alternatives: Tyreek Hill, Austin Ekeler, Derrick Henry, DeAndre Hopkins

My Top Alternative: Austin Ekeler