For how much I disliked the second round average draft positions, I am much more optimistic for the third round in the fantasy football draft.
The weapons available in the first four picks of the first round make up for some of the issues revolving around the second round, but there’s multiple options available in the third round that could easily be top-five weapons in their positions.
The ADP consensus from picks 25 through 36 according to FantasyPros, which aggregates picks made on several fantasy football platforms, are:
25. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
26. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
27. LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills
28. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
29. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
30. Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings
31. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts
32. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings
33. Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders
34. Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks
35. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
36. Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
Best pick available
For my taste, this is easy.
McCoy is an every-down running back who still plays on a team predicated on running the football and playing defense. At the age of 29, he finished seventh among running backs in fantasy scoring last season, and registered more than 100 total yards in eight games last season.
What’s even more impressive about McCoy’s fantasy production last year is that he didn’t score touchdowns, notching just eight total touchdowns, despite tallying the fourth-most rushing yards of any running back in 2017.
I know he is hitting the dreaded 30-year-old mark this season and he has some serious legal troubles that could derail his season, but McCoy is still a top-10 running back in terms of volume. Several fantasy experts are avoiding McCoy altogether; yet last year, while I avoided DeMarco Murray in every draft, they were still drafting him, even though injuries were a major concern.
You’re getting great value with McCoy in this spot and the risk is lessened thanks to him being in the RB2/Flex range for many fantasy teams. He is a consistent RB1, so even with the red flags, he has the best potential of any of these options.
Even more wide receivers
It’s not difficult to decide where to target for wide receivers in this round either. If you already have two running backs and missed out on the McCoy sweepstakes, then there are a couple of options to consider with wide receivers who can act like your team’s WR1.
Hilton is my top choice in this group, especially with Andrew Luck returning to form (keep an eye on his ADP. I usually hate to reach for quarterbacks, but depending on where his ADP is when draft day occurs, he could easily be a high output fantasy option). The last time Luck was healthy, Hilton led the NFL in receiving yards.
Believing that Luck will remain healthy, Hilton is easily a high-volume receiver who can slot in as your team’s WR1. The main drawback with Hilton is his lack of touchdowns, but the volume that is anticipated, he should get your attention in this round.
If you’re unable to nab Hilton, Cooper and Diggs should be the next targets. Cooper was terrible last year, but that was due to quarterback issues with Derek Carr out with injury. With a healthy Carr, Cooper is a solid WR1. And Diggs has a new quarterback this year, so I’m anticipating an increase in targets this season.
Skip some wide receivers
I’m skipping Hill and Thielen. Thielen is likely to take a step back, and I’ve never been a Hill fan. The Kansas City passing game is unreliable and Hill has too much of a big-play persona, which doesn’t always translate to consistent fantasy football scoring.
No thanks on Rodgers, either
I’ve talked about this several times before, but it’s worth repeating. Don’t overrate quarterbacks.
Streaming quarterbacks actually isn’t that bad of a strategy anymore in today’s NFL and it’s just not worth the draft capital to take a quarterback this early, especially on Rodgers, who isn’t a mega-yardage quarterback who relies on touchdowns.
In addition to not reaching for a quarterback, I don’t value tight ends this high either, so I wouldn’t waste my third round picks on Kelce or Ertz, either.
Any reaches?
Yes, definitely, with two of my favorite targets residing in the next round.
Miami running back Kenyan Drake is hanging just outside the third round at pick 37, according to ADP. Drake showed high-level ability in his limited action last season, and reports from camp are glowing for Drake, who can be a three-down running back for the Dolphins.
And residing at the end of the fourth round is my top sleeper at wide receiver, Allen Robinson. When healthy, Robinson can be a top-tier fantasy football wide receiver with a bad quarterback. That bodes well in Chicago with question marks surrounding Mitchell Trubisky.
Robinson is a late-fourth round pick, according to ADP, so keep an eye on how the wide receivers are coming off the board before reaching for Robinson.
