Aug 3, 2014; Canton, OH, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins (14) walks off the field following the 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame game at Fawcett Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
If you are doing a PPR draft, look to exploit the talent at wide receiver and draft receivers heavily and often.
Depending on your placement in the draft, it should be relatively easy to pick up two solid wide receivers early on. I know the consensus is to go running back over wide receiver but I’ll tell you right now, once the top 5 backs are gone there is no point. Don’t forget that the league has instituted rule changes that benefit the wide receivers and quarterbacks such as unnecessary roughness or illegal contact. Take advantage of this early and often, it will only benefit you in the long run. All you need to do is draft a tier 2 running back and a running back like Shane Vereen, a primary weapon in Tom Brady’s passing attack. PPR is a reception based league and the backs who are more versatile will do you more good as the season progresses.
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Now you must be thinking, Why should I get so many receivers? There are a couple of reasons.
Injuries. In a PPR league losing a wide receiver is always costly, but in PPR it can be your death sentence. Trust me, I lost Julio Jones, Roddy White, Arian Foster, Reggie Wayne, and Jermichael Finley all in one league. Everyone I lost was crucial to my wide receiving core, even Arian Foster. It was heart breaking to lose so many wide receivers and it left me with the taste of defeat lingering in my mouth for months. I couldn’t replace the loss of such quality talent, let alone the measure of my losses. If you followed the wide receiver heavy draft you should have 3 great starters and solid backup wide receivers, maybe even quality fantasy sleepers. In my draft I have Julio Jones, Roddy White, Brandon Marshall, Larry Fitzgerald, Julian Edleman, DeAndre Hopkins, and Terrance Williams. PPR is all about wide receivers getting receptions. Planning ahead in a PPR league can be the difference between playoff contention and last place.
Seems strong right? Definitely, but my running backs and quarterback positions are my weakest. However, I picked up Philip Rivers in the 12th round and paired him up with Nick Foles. I also drafted Adrian Peterson, Shane Vereen, and Bishop Sankey. Not bad but I want some insurance if Peterson gets hurt. And that brings me to my last point. Wide receivers give you trade bait. Everyone loses a wide receiver or two, sometimes even three. If you follow my draft you won’t have that issue. PPR leagues focus on receptions and trust me, your opponents will come to you begging for a trade that will benefit your fantasy team in the long haul. I traded Julian Edleman for Zac Stacy. That’s how you do it folks. Focus on wide receivers and good things will come your way.
When you’re drafting this week, remember: Grab that top 5 back early and draft wide receivers until the players you need in other positions fall to you based on their draft position. Do not reach for quarterbacks, running backs, or tight ends, they will fall to you. Grab the best wide receivers you can. Trade a few to stock up on your weaker positions. Build your team with solid depth and you will not lose this fall. Check out the link below for more draft tips. Good Luck!