Round 1, Pick 7: Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks - I knew this pick would boil down to Eddie Lacy, Calvin Johnson or Lynch, and the Seahawks runner is the one who fell to me. Many fantasy fans out there are worried about his workload over the last three seasons, but not me. I'm still expecting nice numbers from one of fantasy football's finest running backs.
Round 2, Pick 14: Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos - This one was a cinch for me ... I selected a running back in Round 1, so I was going to pick the best wide receiver still on the board in Round 2. That wide receiver turned out to be Thomas, who has established himself as one of the five best players at his position from a fantasy football perspective.
Round 3, Pick 27: Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears - Running backs were going off the board fast and furious, so I decided to grab Jeffery ahead of Ryan Mathews, Andre Ellington and Reggie Bush. A talented wideout who finished in the top 10 at his position based on fantasy points a year ago, Jeffery and Thomas will combined to make a pretty nice wideout combo.
Round 4, Pick 34: Rashad Jennings, RB, New York Giants - I was hoping that one of Mathews, Ellington or Bush would fall to me here, but all three were picked just ahead of me. At that point I went to Plan B, which was to select Jennings. While I would prefer to have landed him as a flex option, Jennings does have RB2 upside as the top runner for coach Tom Coughlin.
Round 5, Pick 47: Shane Vereen, RB, New England Patriots - As I mentioned earlier, running backs were going off the board quickly. That made me alter my strategy a bit, because I wanted to ensure depth at the position. As a result, I went with Vereen as a flex starter. While he does have more value in PPR leagues, I still like him at this point in the draft.
Round 6, Pick 54: Ray Rice, RB, Baltimore Ravens - Again, I made this move to ensure depth at running back. I also saw a bunch of good wideouts still on the board, so it made sense to go ahead and grab Rice. This is someone who was drafted as a RB1 last season, and I've landed him as an RB4. If he rebounds in 2014, Rice will have been an absolute steal for me.
Round 7, Pick 67: Percy Harvin, WR, Seattle Seahawks - I'm on record as not being a big fan of Harvin, but I've also said I would still take a chance on him as a No. 3 fantasy wideout. Well, that's what he'll be for this team. In a league that starts just two wide receivers, I'm in good shape with Harvin as a bench player and an occasional matchup-based starter.
Round 8, Pick 74: Jordan Reed, TE, Washington Redskins - I wanted Dennis Pitta here, but he was picked one spot ahead of me. Reed, who has major potential as a breakout candidate, was the next best tight end on the board. I'm glad I took him here, because Reed was part of a run that saw four tight ends come off the board in a row. I also like the value at this spot.
Round 9, Pick 87: Mike Wallace, WR, Miami Dolphins - Wallace was a major disappointment last season, but to get him in the ninth round as a fourth wide receiver makes all the sense in the world. If he rebounds under new OC Bill Lazor, the value here could be tremendous. If Wallace continues to struggle, well, he's no more than wide receiver depth for me this season.
Round 10, Pick 94: Robert Griffin III, QB, Washington Redskins - Well, it was time to take a quarterback and RG3 was the best one on the board. He's been dropping like a stone in recent drafts, but how can you argue with him in the 10th round? As insurance, I knew I was going to be targeting another signal-caller in the very next round in case Griffin III falters.
Round 11, Pick 107: Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks - Wilson was the best signal-caller still on the board, so I grabbed him here to insure the quarterback position. The Seahawks field general has finished in the top 10 in fantasy points at the position in each of his first two NFL years, so taking him as a QB2 and matchup-based starter makes a lot of sense.
Round 12, Pick 114: Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee Titans - It's time to take a few sleepers, and Hunter is one of my favorites. He's flashed during the preseason, and his status as a second-year wide receiver makes him that much more attractive to me. I expect Hunter to be a whole lot more than JAG (Just Another Guy) both for the Titans and fantasy football alike in 2014.
Round 13, Pick 127: Christine Michael, RB, Seattle Seahawks - This one was tough. I wanted to handcuff Lynch, but there is no clear option on the Seahawks depth chart right now between Robert Turbin and Michael. I went with the latter due to his upside, but I don't expect him to be a featured runner in the unfortunate event that Lynch misses time due to injuries.
Round 14, Pick 134: St. Louis Rams defense - Were are in the last two rounds, so it's time to go with a kicker or a defense. I decided on the Rams defense, which has some of the best pass rushers in the entire league. If this unit doesn't meet fantasy expectations in the first few weeks, however, I'll simply go ahead and play to matchups each week at the position.
Round 15, Pick 147: Mason Crosby, K, Green Bay Packers - The final round of most drafts is loaded with kickers, and this draft was no different. Of the 10 players picked, five of them came from the position. Crosby, who ranked fourth in fantasy points among kickers last season, was the best option on the board. He should continue to post nice fantasy totals in 2014
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
