Olaya's Favorite Players in Rounds 1-5

One of the most important tips for any type of fantasy draft is to always go in with a plan. Before each draft you should have a set of players that you should try to get on your team so you know who to pick when time is running out on the clock. That being said, here is a list of players you should target in each round of your draft (10 person, Standard Scoring).

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Round 1: Le’Veon Bell (RB)

While Le’Veon Bell may be out of reach for a lot of fantasy owners with low draft picks, he should be considered the best overall player in fantasy and thus the top target in the first round of the draft. There are other guys that could be considered for the top overall pick, but Bell is the safest choice out of the bunch considering he’s produced like a top running back for years.

Todd Gurley is one of those players worthy for a high first round pick, but it is unlikely he produces as well as last year considering that he is due for touchdown regression. David Johnson and Ezekiel Elliot are other guys that you could take with the top pick but questions surround both considering Johnson is coming off injury and Zeke will likely see more defenders in the box due to the departure of Dez Bryant and Jason Witten from the team. Barring injury, Bell is a lock for a top 3 finish at the running back position making him the most valuable player in fantasy football.

Round 2: Melvin Gordon (RB)

Any Chargers fan out there will know exactly what I mean when I say that Melvin Gordon is the most underrated top tier running back. In fact, some people don’t even look at Gordon as one of the top running backs in the league despite a top 10 finish in 2016 and a top 5 finish last year.

It may be tempting to take players like Julio Jones or Odell Beckham Jr. over Gordon in the second round if they’re still there, but the value of having a top RB compared to a top WR can’t be overlooked. It’s easy to see this value when comparing the difference in points between the top 5 and top 10 finisher at each position. Last year, the difference between the #5 RB (Kamara) and the #10 RB (Elliot) was 51 points, which is massive compared to the difference in points between the 5th and 10th WR (10 points). This is a pattern that persists year after year because top running backs get a lot more touches than top wide receivers. Gordon has proven he can be one of these top RBs which makes him hard to pass on for a wide receiver.

When deciding among running backs to take in the second round, you might consider players like Kareem Hunt or Leonard Fournette. Both of these players looked promising as rookies last year, but at this point they’ve only proven that they can produce at a high level for one year. Put simply, if you want to take a player in the second round that can have a year like Le’Veon Bell or Todd Gurley, Gordon is your guy. For two years now he has proven that he can not only handle a high workload but be efficient with this workload.

Round 3: Aaron Rodgers (QB)

Aaron Rodgers may seem like a reach for a lot of people who prefer to wait on drafting a quarterback, but when it comes to fantasy quarterbacks Rodgers is the only sure thing. In recent years no quarterback has been able to match Rodgers consistency playing at a high level. In the past 5 years, Rodgers is the only quarterback to have two 1st place finishes in fantasy, which looks even more impressive considering Rodgers only played 3 full seasons in this stretch.

His impressive stats have become the identity of Rodgers’ prolific career. Since becoming a starter in 2008, Rodgers has played 8 full seasons. In these years, Rodgers has thrown for 40 or more touchdowns the same amount of times he’s thrown for less than 30, something he hasn’t done in a full season since 2010. Long story short, Rodgers is really the only quarterback out there you can count on for a guaranteed top 5 finish, which makes him hard to pass on in the 3rd round.

Round 4: T.Y. Hilton (WR)

Despite turning in a disappointing stat-line in 2017, T.Y. Hilton seems like a no-brainer selection in the 4th round. He finished as the 21st best WR last year, but at the end of the year it became apparent that this fantasy production was the floor for Hilton. With a bad offensive line, a starting quarterback who joined the team after the season started, and no other credible receiving threats, any receiver would find it difficult to have a good season.

This offseason, the Colts have taken serious strides to solve some of these problems. The Colts spent 2 early draft picks to address issues on the offensive line and Jacoby Brissett should be prepared to take command of the offense if he is needed now that he’s had a full offseason to prepare. But the obvious boost to Hilton’s production will be seen once Andrew Luck returns to the field. Assuming Luck is healthy by the start of the season, Hilton should be considered a top 10 WR like he was before with Luck throwing him the ball. Any wide receiver who has a floor as a top 20 guy, with a legitimate chance to finish as a top 10 WR should be taken without hesitation in the 4th round.

Round 5: Brandin Cooks (WR)

Here are 3 wide receivers and their fantasy stats over the last 3 seasons who are all currently going in the 5th round of the draft (ADP):

So who would you choose when your team is on the clock? Receiver A looks like a promising rookie although who knows if he’ll continue to progress next year. Receiver B looks like a guaranteed top 15 WR with top 10 upside and receiver C looks like an average, perhaps oft-injured player who just had a good year. While all options may seem enticing, you can only choose one! If you chose receiver B, then you just drafted Brandin Cooks! Receiver A was Juju Smith-Schuster and Receiver C was Alshon Jeffery in case you were curious.

The stats should say enough about the incredible value of drafting Cooks in the 5th round, but to convince some still on the fence, consider Cooks’ situation this year. Cooks seems to be in a crowded WR room with both Robert Woods coming off a career year and Cooper Kupp turning in a promising rookie year, but don’t forget that the Ram’s not only traded a 1st round pick to get Cooks, but they also traded for a receiver who has been one of the best and most consistent in the game over the past three years. Cooks is the most proven, consistent, and talented WR on the Rams, and offensive guru Sean McVay will know exactly how to utilize Cooks’ many abilities. Despite what his ADP may suggest, Cooks should still be considered a lock for the top 15 and a must draft in the 5th round.