The consensus first five players off the board in fantasy drafts right now are Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Christian McCaffrey, Travis Kelce and Austin Ekeler, so for many fantasy football managers this season, the draft begins at the sixth overall pick. If I’m on the clock, who am I taking at 1.06?
You can make a case for…
WR Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
Kupp is a target machine and the clear top receiver in the Rams’ offense. He has the full trust of the coaching staff as well as Matthew Stafford and, when healthy, is arguably a top-three player in all of fantasy football. When healthy in 2022, Kupp wasn’t far behind his incredible 2021 numbers, and any regression was as much the fault of the entire Rams organization as it was anything else. For the Rams to have the best chance to win and make the playoffs, Kupp will have to be the main threat in their offense.
WR Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
I can never argue with Tyreek Hill as the ultimate boom-or-bust play. He is a fantastic receiver who can win you at least four to five weeks on his own when he has one of his patented 40-point games. Last season he had a ton of receiving yards, but he only found the end zone seven times. Much of that was due to the injury to Tua Tagovailoa, but at the same time, Miami ran the ball a lot in the red zone. Admittedly, I’m worried about Tua’s injury history. It would hurt Hill’s fantasy value significantly if Tua misses significant time once again. On the other hand, Hill recently said he wanted to get 2,000 receiving yards in a season before he retires. Any player who sets a lofty goal like that has my attention.
RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Who doesn’t like a bright and shiny new toy on Christmas morning? Robinson is that player for fantasy football managers this season. He is a transcendent talent who can run and catch with ease. Even better is that he ended up in an offense that caters to running backs. The only thing holding Robinson back is the fact that the Falcons are not a great offensive team. However, the Falcons are encouraged by the play of sophomore quarterback Desmond Ridder. If Ridder takes the next step and elevates Atlanta’s offense, Robinson’s ceiling goes way up.
Who would I take? A lot of this depends on my roster construction. I think some of the better choices in Round 2 are running backs like Nick Chubb, Tony Pollard and Jonathan Taylor, so I will most often prioritize one of the wide receivers over Robinson. If I have to choose between Kupp and Hill, I am going to go with Hill, mainly because I like the Dolphins offense more and I get the feeling that Hill is motivated to have another great season.
My pick at 1.06 is Tyreek Hill.
