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Fantasy Football 2019: PPR Cheat Sheet, Strategy and 4-Round Mock Draft
August 31, 2019
As NFL teams narrow down their rosters to 53 spots, fantasy football managers who continue to put together their draft boards should heed last-minute advice. Before you line up your queue, it's important to understand and follow through with a clever strategy.
In order to build a winning roster, it takes more than knowing who will start or how many touches a running back will receive in an offense. Managers should have a plan B for injury-prone players, keep a few sleeper targets in mind and plan for the unexpected on draft day.
Don't freeze up when it's your turn to make a selection; with only one minute between picks, plan a blueprint you're ready to execute in order to dominate the draft.
Here we will sort out the top 50 players in point-per-reception leagues, go through a four-round mock draft and take a closer look at some elements to consider when on the clock.
Top 50 Players in PPR Leagues
1. RB Saquon Barkley, NYG
2. RB Alvin Kamara, NOR
3. RB Christian McCaffrey, CAR
4. RB Le'Veon Bell, NYJ
5. RB Ezekiel Elliott, DAL
6. WR DeAndre Hopkins, HOU
7. WR Julio Jones, ATL
8. WR Michael Thomas, NOR
9. RB James Conner, PIT
10. RB Chris Carson, SEA
11. RB Dalvin Cook, MIN
12. RB David Johnson, ARZ
13. WR Davante Adams, GB
14. WR Tyreek Hill, KC
15. WR Odell Beckham Jr., CLE
16. WR Antonio Brown, OAK
17. RB Joe Mixon, CIN
18. QB Patrick Mahomes, KC
19. WR Mike Evans, TB
20. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT
21. TE Travis Kelce, KC
22. WR Adam Thielen, MIN
23. RB Nick Chubb, CLE
24. RB Todd Gurley, LAR
25. RB Devonta Freeman, ATL
26. WR Keenan Allen, LAC
27. RB Damien Williams, KC
28. QB Deshaun Watson, HOU
29. RB Kerryon Johnson, DET
30. WR Amari Cooper, DAL
31. TE George Kittle, SF
32. WR Stefon Diggs, MIN
33. RB Josh Jacobs, OAK
34. RB Mark Ingram, BAL
35. RB Marlon Mack, IND
36. RB Duke Johnson, HOU
37. WR Tyler Lockett, SEA
38. TE Zach Ertz, PHI
39. RB Aaron Jones, GB
40. RB Leonard Fournette, JAC
41. RB Phillip Lindsay, DEN
42. RB David Montgomery, CHI
43. WR Brandin Cooks, LAR
44. WR Calvin Ridley, ATL
45. WR Kenny Golladay, DET
46. RB Derrick Henry, TEN
47. RB Sony Michel, NE
48. WR Chris Godwin, TB
49. RB Tevin Coleman, SF
50. WR Robby Anderson, NYJ
4-Round Mock Draft
Round 1
Team 1: RB Saquon Barkley, NYG
Team 2: RB Alvin Kamara, NOR
Team 3: RB Christian McCaffrey, CAR
Team 4: RB Le'Veon Bell, NYJ
Team 5: RB Ezekiel Elliott, DAL
Team 6: WR DeAndre Hopkins, HOU
Team 7: WR Julio Jones, ATL
Team 8: WR Michael Thomas, NOR
Team 9: RB James Conner, PIT
Team 10: RB Chris Carson, SEA
Team 11: RB Dalvin Cook, MIN
Team 12: RB David Johnson, ARZ
Round 2
Team 12: RB Damien Williams, KC
Team 11: RB Joe Mixon, CIN
Team 10: WR Odell Beckham Jr., CLE
Team 9: WR Tyreek Hill, KC
Team 8: RB Nick Chubb, CLE
Team 7: RB Todd Gurley, LAR
Team 6: RB Devonta Freeman, ATL
Team 5: WR Antonio Brown, OAK
Team 4: WR Davante Adams, GB
Team 3: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT
Team 2: WR Mike Evans, TB
Team 1: WR Adam Thielen, MIN
Round 3
Team 1: RB Kerryon Johnson, DET
Team 2: RB Josh Jacobs, OAK
Team 3: RB Mark Ingram, BAL
Team 4: RB Duke Johnson, HOU
Team 5: RB Leonard Fournette, JAX
Team 6: QB Patrick Mahomes, KC
Team 7: RB Aaron Jones, GB
Team 8: RB David Montgomery, CHI
Team 9: WR Keenan Allen, LAC
Team 10: RB Marlon Mack, IND
Team 11: TE Travis Kelce, KC
Team 12: WR Stefon Diggs, MIN
Round 4
Team 12: TE George Kittle, SF
Team 11: RB Phillip Lindsay, DEN
Team 10: RB Derrick Henry, TEN
Team 9: WR Brandin Cooks, LAR
Team 8: WR Tyler Lockett, SEA
Team 7: RB Sony Michel, NE
Team 6: TE Zach Ertz, PHI
Team 5: WR Kenny Golladay, DET
Team 4: QB Deshaun Watson, HOU
Team 3: WR Calvin Ridley, ATL
Team 2: WR Chris Godwin, TB
Team 1: RB Tevin Coleman, SF
Protection for Injury-Prone 1st-Rounders
Running back Dalvin Cook looked refreshed on an 85-yard touchdown run against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3 of the preseason. He missed 17 games in his first two years because of a torn ACL and a hamstring injury. Now healthy, the 24-year-old could play up to his potential.
According to the Star Tribune's Ben Goessling, offensive adviser Gary Kubiak's influence on the offense bodes well for Cook.
"Kubiak's teams have long prioritized the zone running schemes that helped make Terrell Davis a Hall of Famer and turned Arian Foster into the NFL's leading rusher in 2010," Goessling wrote.
While this all sounds good for Cook, fantasy managers must consider his spotty availability in the past. As shown above, Team 11 covered its injury-prone first-round pick (Cook) with Joe Mixon, a potential high-volume running back, in the second round, and Phillip Lindsay in the fourth round.
In the best-case scenario, Team 11 will have two running backs set to handle a heavy workload. If Cook goes down with an injury, Lindsay, who finished ninth in rushing yards (1,037) last year, could slide into the starting lineup.
Fantasy managers can use this strategy with top wideouts who have struggled with injuries in the recent past, such as Keenan Allen, too.
No Top Wide Receivers Available? Grab a Tight End
In terms of fantasy value, there's a gap between the top three tight ends—Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Zach Ertz—and the rest of the group.
Perhaps one of the few remaining lead wide receivers comes off the board a couple of picks before your turn. Don't reach for an alternative at the position. Instead, focus on one of the top tight ends mentioned above. All three led their respective teams in targets last year.
Under standard settings, approach the tight end spot like an extra slot for a wide receiver. A top-notch player at the former position could compensate for a weak collection of talent at the latter.
In other words, Kelce, Kittle and Ertz may help you cope with missing out on JuJu Smith-Schuster, Adam Thielen or Amari Cooper in the second and third rounds. Don't view the tight end position as an afterthought if you have the opportunity to snag a premier talent.
Marlon Mack's Opportunity to Shine in Indianapolis
Quarterback Andrew Luck shocked the NFL with his decision to retire Saturday—his absence deflates fantasy values of the Indianapolis Colts pass-catchers, most notably wideout T.Y. Hilton and tight end Eric Ebron, who had a breakout year with the team in 2018.
In place of Luck, Jacoby Brissett could have a serviceable year, but he's unlikely to distribute the ball to his weapons like his predecessor. He started 15 games during the 2017 campaign, but the 26-year-old has much room to grow heading into his fourth season.
According to Football Outsiders, the Colts ranked fourth in run blocking last year; the offensive line averaged 4.83 adjusted line yards per carry. Indianapolis kept its front line intact, returning all five primary starters for the upcoming season. As a result, we could see significant growth from running back Marlon Mack.
Last year, Mack battled a hamstring injury that sidelined him four games early in the season, but he finished with 908 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 4.7 yards per carry.
Backup running backs Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins may steal some carries and targets in the passing game. Nevertheless, Mack could eclipse 1,000 yards on the ground in the lead ball-carrier role behind one of the best offensive lines in the league.
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