I want to kick this one off by saying, “Welcome!” No matter how much your friends or co-workers might try to taunt you about still playing non-PPR (Standard!) scoring, you are not alone. While PPR has continued to keep its way into the mainstream, and with most sites changing their default scoring to include some form of PPR, non-PPR leagues have become the minority. Whether that is how it should be or not is a discussion for another day. For now, let’s get you ready for your draft!

Of course, as your draft approaches you should consider putting in the time to complete a few mock drafts to make sure you have a good feel for what to expect on draft day. My advice would be to utilize the Draft Wizard, but no matter what tool you use, mock drafts are a great way to prepare for your draft. So, let’s dive right into this one as I take you pick-by-pick from the #1 draft slot.

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Scoring and Roster Construction: Standard (non-PPR) – one QB, two RBs, two WRs, one TE, one flex (RB/WR/TE), and six bench spots.

1.01 – Saquon Barkley (RB – NYG)
As of writing this, Ezekiel Elliott is not with the Cowboys, so Barkley is the easy selection here. I expect him to be in the top two or three in terms of workload and he has already proven in just one season that he’s a do-it-all RB.

2.12 – Leonard Fournette (RB – JAC)
Mike Evans was on the board, and while Fournette might feel like a bit of a reach, I actually have Fournette as my #9 RB heading into 2018. After the OL was decimated by injuries last season, I expect that unit to be much improved, and for the Jaguars to lean heavily on Fournette this season. Even with this being non-PPR, I think the potential for more work in the passing game makes Fournette a top-end RB in all formats.

3.01 – Chris Carson (RB – SEA)
I’m probably a little early on Carson here to kickoff round 3, but I wanted to see how my team would look by going RB/RB/RB. Like Fournette, Carson is someone I’ve been drafting all offseason with high expectations. After splitting work through the first two games in 2018, Carson posted double-digit fantasy points in 10-of-12 games and was a major fantasy contributor.

4.12 – George Kittle (TE – SF)
It seems unlikely that Kittle would fall to the end of round four based on current ADP, but since he’s here, I figured, why not? Kittle had a record-breaking season in 2018, so while we should assume some regression, I’m still expecting big things. Kittle would have finished as the WR10 in standard scoring last season so, with all my top-15 WRs already off the board, I think Kittle was the best bet here. With this pick, I’m able to address the TE position and then plan on hammering WRs over the next few rounds.

5.01 – Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR)
You’ve got to love the recent reports on Cooper Kupp from earlier this week and it appears he’s still on track to be ready for Week 1. Kupp isn’t a high-volume WR, but in standard scoring, his TD potential could give him the chance to be a WR1 this season.

6.12 – A.J. Green (WR – CIN)
I love getting A.J. Green on this squad. Going RB/RB/RB in the first three rounds, and then following that up with a TE means that I need to take some major swings to see if I can hit on a WR that could turn into an every-week starter. Clearly, there are injury concerns around Green who is already expected to miss the start of the season, but if I can slot in a top-12 WR into my line up in Week 3 or 4, I’m good with that.

7.01 – Josh Gordon (WR – NE)
Maybe a little early on Gordon here, but I’m going for upside. It’s risky to go with a potential unknown while my other two WRs are working their way back from injuries, but just like with the Green selection, I’m swinging for the fences. We all know the downside with Gordon, but in the three games without Rob Gronkowski on the field in 2018, Gordon posted 10, 19, and 8 fantasy points. If he’s able to find his way onto the field, he’s going to be fun to have on your team.

8.12 – Sammy Watkins (WR – KC)
I love the value of Sammy Watkins this year. The fact that you can get a piece of the Chiefs offense in rounds eight or nine is worth the draft capital. In his first year in Kansas City, Watkins did average 9.3 fantasy points per game over his eight healthy games. I like having Watkins on this team as part of a rotation of high-upside WRs.

9.01 – Emmanuel Sanders (WR – DEN)
Well, no risk it, no biscuit. Most fantasy owners will probably try to avoid WRs with all of these question marks, but I see it as a group with tremendous upside at a discount. Sanders was someone who I didn’t have on my draft board earlier this offseason based on the uncertainty around coming back from a torn Achilles, but from what we’ve seen and heard, it looks like Sanders will be ready to go. Sanders was off to a nice start in 2018 averaging 10.6 points per game before the injury, which was good enough for WR17.

10.12 – Justin Jackson (RB – LAC)
After taking three RBs to start the draft and then going with a TE and five straight WRs, I figured it was time to take a few flyers at the RB position. Clearly, Justin Jackson’s value is dependent on the status of Melvin Gordon, but as of writing this, the prospect of Gordon returning for the start of the season looks slim. Jackson did a fine job sharing the workload with Austin Ekeler late in the season and could be a solid bye week replacement as long as Gordon is away from the team.

11.01 – Darwin Thompson (RB – KC)
With the recent reports that Thompson has been getting reps ahead of veteran Carlos Hyde, rookie Darwin Thompson should definitely begin to climb up draft boards. While we all love what we saw from Damien Williams to end last season, I’m taking any lottery ticket I can get in that Kansas City backfield. Based on the track record of RBs in an Andy Reid offense, if Williams struggles or can’t handle the workhorse role, the next man up will have incredible value.

12.12 – James Washington (WR – PIT)
I promise, I am not contractually obligated to draft James Washington in every mock draft, but that has seemed to be how it’s played out. In case you missed it, Antonio Brown and his 168 targets have moved to Oakland this offseason, and while Roethlisberger and the Steelers might not lead the league in passing attempts again, there should be plenty of opportunities to go around.

13.01 – Jared Goff (QB – LAR)
Per usual, QB late. I’m telling you, if you’re not a believer, try it for yourself. I’m not giving away any hidden secrets here, but if you haven’t jumped on board with this strategy, now’s the time. Goff is one of the better values on draft day in my opinion despite the rough finish to 2018. As mentioned, it sounds like Kupp will be ready to go for the Rams in Week 1. This is great news for those lucky enough to draft Goff as their starting QB as Goff was averaging 21.5 points per game before Kupp went down with the ACL injury. For reference, that would have ranked him third at the position.

Conclusion

This is exactly why we recommend mock drafts. Being able to freely try out strategies without consequences is the best way to calibrate your perceptions and fine-tune your strategies. Of course, it’s easier to start off with three straight RBs in standard scoring and getting Kittle at the end of round four might have been a gift, but I actually really liked how this one turned out in the end. There is clearly a ton of risk with the WRs I drafted, but I’m not sure you’ll be able to find much more upside at the position in rounds five-nine. Honestly, I would love to play this team out, just to see how it ended up.

You check out the full results here to see where other players went throughout the draft.

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Kyle August is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Kyle, check out his archive and follow him @kyleFFfellas.