Projected #1 · 10-4 · Ronnie Harris APicking first as the reigning back-to-back champ and coming away with the best PPR back and a top-three QB is exactly the outcome the rest of the room feared. Deepest roster, highest floor, defending the belt.
Works- +Hurts and Gibbs is the cleanest 1-2 punch in the league in a PPR format
- +Flowers, Rice, McMillan and Thomas Jr. fill both flex spots without a drop-off
- +Walker III and Lloyd give him a real second backfield, which nobody else at the top has
Worries- −Tight end is a coin flip between a breakout and a farewell tour
- −Rice's availability is the one thing that can crack the ceiling
- Best pick
- Jahmyr Gibbs — the single best full-PPR asset on the board
- Head-scratcher
- Travis Kelce as the TE insurance behind Kyle Pitts Sr.
Projected #2 · 9-5 · Barry Sanders A-Built like a team that has read the scoring settings. Barry hoarded volume, ignored the shiny names, and will grind out wins in November when everyone else is streaming.
Works- +Barkley plus Daniels is a top-five weekly floor before the flex spots are even filled
- +Seven running backs in a two-flex league means every bye and injury is covered internally
- +London and McBride are quietly two of the most reliable target hogs in the format
Worries- −The receiver room after London is a lot of committee guys
- −Zero QB insurance — if Daniels misses time there is no plan
- Best pick
- Saquon Barkley at the back of the first turn
- Head-scratcher
- Spending a pick on Noel when a startable TE2 was still there
Projected #3 · 9-5 · R. Pippens A-The bandwagon jokes write themselves, but the roster is legitimately good. If the tight end spot stabilizes this is a title team.
Works- +McConkey and Smith-Njigba is the best pure PPR receiver duo in the league
- +Hampton, Montgomery and Conner make the flex spots dangerous every week
- +Maye and Stroud gives him the only genuinely comfortable QB room
Worries- −Likely and Sadiq at tight end is a weekly guessing game
- −The whole build leans on second-year players taking a step forward
- Best pick
- Ladd McConkey — target volume plus PPR is a cheat code
- Head-scratcher
- Two D/ST rostered while the TE room stayed thin
Projected #4 · 8-6 · C. Scarlett B+Won the running back war and lost the receiver war. In a two-flex PPR league that trade-off is close to even — this team lives or dies on whether Egbuka or Golden becomes a real number one.
Works- +Jeanty and McCaffrey is the highest-ceiling backfield in the league
- +Tyler Warren is a top-five TE in a format that rewards catches
- +Irving, Charbonnet and Monangai make the RB flex spot bulletproof
Worries- −The receiver room is all upside and no proven alpha
- −Prescott has to stay upright with only Mayfield behind him
- Best pick
- Ashton Jeanty as a true three-down workhorse
- Head-scratcher
- McCaffrey at the price it took to get him
Projected #5 · 8-6 · M. Rector B+Elite at the top, thin in the middle. Rector will be shopping for a running back by Week 4 and he knows it.
Works- +Nacua and Collins is a genuine top-three receiver tandem
- +Lamar Jackson is the most valuable single-QB advantage on the board
- +Kraft and Kincaid means two startable tight ends in a one-TE league
Worries- −The backfield is Skattebo, Kyren Williams and a stack of hopefuls
- −Too many of the depth receivers are camp bodies
- Best pick
- Puka Nacua — nobody catches more balls per game when healthy
- Head-scratcher
- Rostering both Jordan Loves for the bit
Projected #6 · 8-6 · D. Jordan BThe 2024 title formula was volume everywhere. This version is top-heavy. Chase can carry a team, but the backfield needs a trade before the playoffs.
Works- +Chase and Bowers is the most productive receiver-TE spine in the league
- +Garrett Wilson and Moore make the flex spots respectable
- +Kamara and Mason are still catching passes, which matters here
Worries- −Stevenson and Tuten as the starting backfield is a real problem
- −Caleb Williams has to make a leap for this to be a top-three offense
- Best pick
- Ja'Marr Chase at No. 3 — no debate, no hesitation
- Head-scratcher
- Waiting on running back until the room had picked clean
Projected #7 · 7-7 · Noor Davis BLoaded the flex spots the right way and then ran out of running backs. Noor's ceiling is a playoff run, his floor is chasing waiver RBs all October.
Works- +Higgins, Metcalf and Pickens is a legitimately deep receiver room for two flex spots
- +Burrow to Higgins gives him a correlated ceiling nobody else has
- +Loveland and Freiermuth is fine TE coverage
Worries- −After Bijan the backfield is entirely projection
- −Everything hinges on Burrow's health with only Dart behind him
- Best pick
- Bijan Robinson as the anchor of the whole build
- Head-scratcher
- Five backup receivers instead of one real RB2
Projected #8 · 7-7 · C. Akin-David B-Solid, unspectacular, and one receiver breakout away from being dangerous. Middle of the table until proven otherwise.
Works- +Hall and Taylor is a sturdy, high-volume starting backfield
- +A.J. Brown is still a weekly matchup problem
- +Goedert and Ferguson gives him TE flexibility
Worries- −The receiver room after Brown is Odunze, Washington and prayers
- −Lawrence has never posted a fantasy season that wins a league
- Best pick
- Breece Hall in a full-PPR format is a steal at his cost
- Head-scratcher
- Two defenses on a roster that needed a third receiver
Projected #9 · 6-8 · R. Stallworth B-The foundation is real. The middle of the roster is not. Stallworth has the best pen in the league and the worst running backs — he'll be writing about other people's playoff runs unless he trades for volume.
Works- +Lamb is a top-three PPR receiver and Allen is a top-two QB
- +Kittle and Fannin Jr. means the TE spot is never a hole
- +Evans and Addison are dependable flex plays
Worries- −The backfield is the weakest of any contender in the league
- −Allgeier, Corum and the rest of the RB depth are all backups
- Best pick
- CeeDee Lamb and Josh Allen at 10 is genuine value
- Head-scratcher
- Chase Brown and Pollard as the starting backfield
Projected #10 · 6-8 · Aziz Shittu C+One superstar, one usable backfield, and then a cliff. Aziz needs two of Shakir, Pierce or Ridley to hit or the flex spots will sink him.
Works- +Jefferson is the best receiver in football and that covers a lot
- +Cook III and Judkins are legitimate PPR starters
- +Hockenson and Ferguson is a fine tight end room
Worries- −Nothing after Jefferson at receiver in a two-flex league
- −Stafford with no backup is a real risk at his age
- −The bench is a pile of committee running backs who cannibalize each other
- Best pick
- Justin Jefferson, the safest player in the format
- Head-scratcher
- The No. 9 pick that is now league folklore
Projected #11 · 5-9 · Ikenna Nwafor C+Picking twelfth is hard and Ike made it harder by chasing names. He's already working the phones, which is the correct read on his own roster.
Works- +Achane is a weekly top-five PPR back
- +Andrews and Schultz make tight end a non-issue
- +Nix plus Mahomes is the most valuable QB trade chip in the league
Worries- −Adams, Kupp and Samuel Sr. is a receiver room built in 2022
- −Henry and Dobbins are touchdown-dependent in a catch-scoring league
- Best pick
- De'Von Achane — the exact profile this format pays for
- Head-scratcher
- Mahomes on the bench while the receiver room aged out
Projected #12 · 5-9 · W. Greiner CThree titles buys you the benefit of the doubt, and it's being spent here. The receivers are good enough to win weeks, but you cannot leave a full-PPR draft without a running back and expect to compete.
Works- +St. Brown, Nabers and McLaurin is a strong three-receiver core for the flex spots
- +LaPorta and Henry gives him a top-eight tight end
- +Goff and Herbert is real QB trade capital
Worries- −No starting-caliber running back anywhere on the roster
- −Roster construction is wildly imbalanced — depth at the positions that only start one player
- Best pick
- Amon-Ra St. Brown, a target monopoly in full PPR
- Head-scratcher
- Two QBs and three TEs before a single reliable RB1