Fantasy Football draft prep: How to draft from the third overall pick in a full-point PPR league

Although a balanced draft always looks ideal on paper when evaluating each roster afterward, it’s hard to get behind a balanced draft approach as the right one for every Fantasy Football league format. Take a full-point PPR league for example, like the one I am about to break down in this piece, and I am looking to fill my FLEX spot with a wide receiver before I fill my RB2 slot in an ideal draft scenario. You need to start a second RB, but FLEX is also a weekly starting position, and I would rather find an advantage there. And in full-point PPR leagues, your advantage comes via the wide receiver position.

Below, I’ll break down what I felt was an ideal draft when picking out of the No. 3 overall spot. If you find yourself picking third in your drafts, you can view this as a guide, blueprint or at the very least some context as to which players might be around in which rounds when you’re on the clock. 

The Fantasy Football Today team got together to do a pick-by-pick draft and here’s my full team from the No. 4 spot:

1.3: Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams
2.10: Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants
3.3: A.J. Brown, WR, Eagles
4.10: Darren Waller, TE, Raiders
5.3: Amari Cooper, WR, Browns
6.10: Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals
7.3: Kareem Hunt, RB, Browns
8.10: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs
9.3: Hunter Renfrow, WR, Raiders
10.10: Rondale Moore, WR, Cardinals
11.3: Darrel Williams, RB, Cardinals
12.10: Gus Edwards, RB Ravens
13.3: Gerald Everett, TE, Chargers
14.10: K.J. Hamler, WR, Broncos
15.3: Alec Pierce, WR, Colts

I was excited to come out of this full-PPR draft with my clear-cut WR1 overall. Kupp proved in 2021 he could win at all three levels of the field en route to one of the most massive target shares we’ve seen. Now, he benefits from a second year of rapport with Matt Stafford. I also opted to go with a hero-RB strategy, leaning on a rejuvenated Saquon Barkley and his upside a receiver within Brian Daboll’s new offensive system (they’ve been using him a lot — in the slot, out wide, screens, back-shoulder fades and wheel routes thus far in training camp). If you go hero-RB, it’s important to grab multiple running backs in the mid-to-late round with receiving upside, and I felt comfortable getting that in Edwards-Helaire and Hunt.

I subscribe to what Chris Towers has been preaching and is backed up by a further scoring divide in the last two seasons between the haves and have nots at QB, so I was thrilled to get one of my top-five quarterbacks at the end of the sixth round. And Renfrow should also help provide a high-floor option to compete at the FLEX.

Favorite pick: Hunter Renfrow

I understand that the target share will take a dip now that Davante Adams has arrived and Darren Waller should be healthier in 2022, but Renfrow’s rapport with Derek Carr is undeniable. More importantly, his ability to create separation on two-way routes out of the slot is uncanny — specifically in the red zone. In the ninth round, I’m buying Renfrow at a price tag as if last year’s breakout season didn’t happen at all. I love that.

Pick I might regret: Darren Waller

As a big believer in drafting one of the sure-fire tight ends or (essentially) not drafting one at all, I was pumped to get Waller, but we have to acknowledge two things when it comes to his profile in 2022. First, Waller is now 29 years old and has battled through multiple injury-laden seasons. With more target competition around him and the emergence of Renfrow, he may no longer be the target hog that made him such a special Fantasy tight end in 2021.

Player who could make or break my team: Saquon Barkley

It’s Barkley, of course. He is in incredible shape and multiple national reporters have commented that his “burst is back” in training camp, but it’s impossible to overlook his injury history. Barkley has dealt with multiple minor and major injuries to the lower half — ankle, knee, etc. He’s one of the biggest boom/bust options on the entire draft board this season.