Drafting From The 1.01

The 1.01 can be a beautiful thing in fantasy football. You get to choose whoever you want to start the draft, but you have to wait a long time until the pick can come back to you. I used Sleeper for this mock draft and used two FLEX, PPR – without a kicker or defense. Let’s take a look at Drafting From The 1.01.

Drafting From The 1.01 – Loading Up Early

Round 1: Justin Jefferson, WR- Minnesota Vikings

It is very hard to go wrong with the 1.01. I chose the NFL’s leading receiver with the pick. It is crazy to think that Justin Jefferson can improve on what he did last year, but with the loss of Dalvin Cook, he can put up even bigger numbers than he did in the past season. Do not overthink this.

Round 2: Tony Pollard, RB – Dallas Cowboys

Tony Pollard can be a league winner for your team this year. Once Ezekiel Elliott got hurt in Week 8 it all changed for Pollard. He burst out with 33.70 fantasy points in his first game without Zeke. He then followed that with an RB8 performance the next week. Once Pollard got over 50% of the carries after Elliott came back, he only finished outside the top-16 once. With Elliott gone, the sky’s the limit for Pollard.

Round 3: Chris Olave, WR – New Orleans Saints

Chris Olave is a great WR2 for this squad. With Jefferson I can take Olave and hope for the breakout I think he’s about to have. He ended his rookie year with 72 receptions,1042 receiving yards and 4 receiving touchdowns, and that was mostly with Andy Dalton. Olave is the WR1 of this team and with them acquiring Derek Carr, he has tons of upside this season. I will draft Olave as my WR2 and watch as the duo of Jefferson and Olave put up big numbers.

Drafting From The 1.01 – A Veteran Presence

Round 4: Justin Fields, QB – Chicago Bears

This is something that I usually do not do, but here it felt perfect. I like the guys I am building this squad around and this can be something that gives me an advantage over other teams. If you turned on your TV last season there was a time when all you saw was Justin Fields. He is one of the most electric rushers in the league and once they gave him the keys to the offense, we were able to see that. His rushing that he can provide is something that most quarterbacks cannot do. They also added DJ Moore to help him air it out more. If you can have his rushing and the possibility of him airing it out more. Give me Fields every day of the week to lead my squad.

Round 5: James Connor, RB – Arizona Cardinals

I had to reach here to get my guy, but James Connor is the one bright spot of the offence. Connor started the year out rough, then was injured. Once he came back in Week 9, he was one of the best fantasy running backs in the league. From Week 9, he was the RB4 or better in four weeks. In the other four games, he was never outside the top 20. Connor is going to be this entire offence, and I believe he has the potential to be a top-15 RB this season. You can get him in the sixth round in most drafts.

Round 6: Darren Waller, TE – New York Giants

One of my favorite picks in the entire draft – I love Darren Waller this season. Yes, he had an injury-plagued 2022, but this is one of the best teams and situations that he could have gone to. Daniel Jones just got a huge contract and now he will want to get his team to the Superbowl. If that is the case, Darren Waller will have to be the second most important piece of that offense. The Giants do not have any wide receivers to take targets from Waller. There is a good chance that he leads the team in receptions and receiving yards. Go get Waller and you may be getting a League Winner.

Drafting From The 1.01 – Land of Upside

Round 7: Rachaad White, RB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

We didn’t get to see a lot of Rachaad White by himself last season. Leonard Fournette is gone and this backfield will feature a lot of White. He was able to put up RB1 numbers, while only getting 41% of the plays last season. The one game that he had the backfield to himself, he finished as the RB9. This pick with White is my flex option and has lots of upside where I drafted him at.

Round 8: Quentin Johnston, WR – Los Angeles Chargers

Since I went with Jefferson/Olave at the beginning of the draft. I waited a bit and filled out the rest of my lineup. With this pick, I am thinking about upside only. Quentin Johnston will fill out my second flex position and I could not be happier. He is a huge receiver for Herbert and has the potential to be a very good WR2 for your squad. Johnston will join Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but knowing both of their injury history, Johnston can put up huge numbers this season. He is a lottery ticket that I am willing to take the chance on.

Round 9: Rashaad Penny, RB – Philadelphia Eagles

Do not let D’Andre Swift scare you away. Rashaad Penny is one of the NFL’s best runners, but he has had some injury concerns. I wish that we can see one healthy season from Penny. He is on a team that just had one of the best rushing seasons from a quarterback we have seen. The Eagle’s offensive line is still a top one in the game. If you combine that with Penny’s raw talent, this guy can be the best value of all the players. I will always look to get Penny here.

Drafting From The 1.01- Feeling Risky

Round 10: Damien Harris, RB – Buffalo Bills

If you cannot tell, I love loading up on running backs late in the draft. Damien Harris has a real opportunity to be the lead back in Week 1. With Nyheim Hines missing the entire season, that gives Harris more of a chance to be their guy. He is the best pure rusher on the team and if he can do that for the Bills he can give you a lot back. It was just in 2021 that he rushed for 15 touchdowns. Harris and Cook will be a training camp battle that we need to keep an eye on.

Round 11: Adam Thielen, WR – Carolina Panthers

With the team I have now, I needed a veteran wide receiver that I know is safe. Adam Thielen is the best choice for that. I believe that he still has something left in the tank and will be the WR1 for Bryce Young. I am not expecting what we usually see from Thielen, but I think he can be a great option to plug in on a bye week or an injury. This late in the draft it is hard to get someone that is the WR1 for their team.

Round 12: Kyler Murray, QB – Arizona Cardinals

This is a pick that I love this late into the draft. While I have Justin Fields leading my team, it is important to draft a backup if you have a rushing quarterback. Kyler Murray gives me a great feeling if anything were to happen to Fields late in the season. My hope with this pick is that Murray gets healthy and I have another elite quarterback option waiting on my bench.

Drafting From The 1.01 – Closing It Out

Round 13: Nico Collins, WR – Houston Texans

Mr. Irrelevant for my fantasy football team. There is one reason I drafted Nico Collins with the pick – his upside. There are limited options in this wide receiver room. I believe that he is the best option in that room. With rookie C.J. Stroud most likely starting Week 1, he needs someone to throw to.

I believe that I made the best team I can with what players were sniped from me. The 1.01 can lead to so many possibilities, but I love the team that I drafted. The team I ended up with is the following:

• QB1: Justin Fields
• RB1: Tony Pollard
• RB2: James Connor
• WR1: Justin Jefferson
• WR2: Chris Olave
• TE1: Darren Waller
• 1st FLEX: Rachaad White
• 2nd FLEX: Quentin Johnston
• 1st BENCH: Rashaad Penny
• 2nd BENCH: Damien Harris
• 3rd BENCH: Adam Thielen
• 4th BENCH: Kyler Murray
• 5th BENCH: Nico Collins