Fantasy Football Strategy: How to draft from No. 1 overall in PPR leagues; full results, favorite picks

Ja'Marr Chase is my No. 1 overall player in PPR, and he's set up for another big season in 2025. Taking him in Round 1 is the easy part. What happens next is when things get interesting from this draft position.

The Round 2-3 turn should have many options. You should have your choice of a top-five quarterback (Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow or Jalen Hurts). Brock Bowers or Trey McBride also could be available. Or, more likely, you'll have to choose some combination of running backs and receivers, which is what happened here.

This is our 12-part, pick-by-pick series where me, Dan Schneier, Dave Richard, Heath Cummings, Thomas Shafer and Jacob Gibbs all took part in a six-person PPR mock draft. We each built two of the 12 teams in this 14-round draft to show you a different strategy from each spot.

This is an outline that you can follow if you pick No. 1 overall in your league. The key is to study the strategy and not necessarily the players to see if this works for you.

My preferred start to building a roster from No. 1 overall is to draft at least one running back at the Round 2-3 turn to pair with Chase. I would even consider going RB-RB with these picks if the right players were available. I would also draft Bowers or McBride if available, but that wasn't the case here. I would not draft a quarterback in this spot.

Based on Average Draft Position, you can possibly have your choice of Chase Brown, Bucky Irving and Kyren Williams with these picks, but Brown and Irving were selected right in front of me here. That left me with Williams, who I selected at No. 24 overall.

With the first pick in Round 3, I was now going with a receiver, and my top options available were Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Tee Higgins and Ladd McConkey. Higgins is off the table because I don't want both Bengals receivers with two of my first three overall picks.

I went with Smith-Njigba, who is set up for a big year in his third season in the NFL, and I love this start, especially in a three-receiver league. Now, I was on my way with this roster.

As a reference point, all touchdowns in this league are worth six points, and we award one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving and one point for every 25 yards passing. We also award one point for every reception. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE and FLEX (RB/WR/TE). 

Here's my team from No. 1 overall:

1.1: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Bengals

2.12: Kyren Williams, RB, Rams

3.1: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks

4.12: Chuba Hubbard, RB, Panthers

5.1: DK Metcalf, WR, Steelers

6.12: Zay Flowers, WR, Ravens

7.1: Keon Coleman, WR, Bills

8.12: Bo Nix, QB, Broncos

9.1: Braelon Allen, RB, Jets

10.12: Jaydon Blue, RB, Cowboys

11.1: Michael Pittman, WR, Colts

12.12: Tyler Allgeier, RB, Falcons

13.1: Jake Ferguson, TE, Cowboys

14.12: Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons

I knew when I didn't get Bowers or McBride and passed on George Kittle at the Round 2-3 turn that I would likely be waiting on tight end for a good value. I didn't realize I would wait until my final two selections, but I was pleased with the combination of Ferguson and Pitts.

Ferguson is a steady Fantasy option with upside, although he could be capped with the Cowboys adding George Pickens. Still, I like Ferguson as a low-end starter in PPR. And Pitts, while a bust the past three seasons, could still be a surprise, especially with Darnell Mooney (shoulder) injured coming into Week 1.

I also waited on a quarterback, and I loved getting Nix in Round 8. He closed last season on a high note by averaging 26.1 Fantasy points in his final eight games, and he could be a star in his sophomore campaign.

The rest of this draft was about stockpiling the best talent at running back and receiver, and I was thrilled with how it worked out. I have two standout running backs in Williams and Hubbard, and my reserves are loaded with upside with Allen, Blue and Allgeier.

If I have one regret it might be taking too many receivers and not enough running backs, which I'll explain below. And, the way this worked out, none of the backup running backs for the Rams were drafted here out of Jarquez Hunter or Blake Corum. If Pitts, for example, gets off to a slow start, I can always drop him to handcuff Williams off the waiver wire.

My receiving corps might be the best in this league with Chase, Smith-Njigba, Metcalf, Flowers, Coleman and Pittman. I can play up to four of those guys, and I might consider trading one for running back depth if needed. It's always good to have a standout receiving corps in a three-receiver, PPR league.

Favorite pick: DK Metcalf

Metcalf is a polarizing Fantasy receiver with his move to Pittsburgh and being paired with Aaron Rodgers. But I expect this season to go well for Metcalf since Rodgers loves peppering his No. 1 receiver with targets -- see Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams -- and Metcalf should be that guy with the Steelers. His best season in Seattle was 2020 when he averaged 17.6 PPR points per game, and the most targets he ever had was 141 in 2022. I wouldn't be surprised if Metcalf sets career highs in both of those categories, and he's an excellent No. 3 receiver in this league.

Pick I might regret: Keon Coleman

Coleman is a popular breakout candidate this season, and he should be the best receiver for the Bills, especially with Khalil Shakir (ankle) injured heading into Week 1. I love drafting Coleman, but I might have been better off going with a running back in this spot instead since I already had Chase, Smith-Njigba, Metcalf and Flowers on the roster. Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Aaron Jones were available, and either one might have been a better selection to add depth to my backfield. 

Player who could make or break my team: Chuba Hubbard

I need Hubbard and Williams to perform at a high level for this team to be excellent. My receivers are awesome, and I like my combination of quarterback and tight ends. If Williams or Hubbard or both struggle/get injured then I could be in trouble since my bench running backs are Allen, Blue and Allgeier. There's upside with that trio, but there's no guaranteed production heading into the season. I drafted Hubbard over D'Andre Swift, Alvin Kamara and James Conner, and I hope that's not something I'll regret.

-30-