Skip to main content

Perfect Draft: No such thing as too many good RBs

Round 1, Pick 7 - Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs: New coach, new quarterback and a new offense have given Charles a new lease on his fantasy life. When he's been healthy, he's consistently been a top 10 fantasy back. He could easily make the leap into the top five this season.

Round 2, Pick 14 - Brandon Marshall, WR, Chicago Bears: I thought about doubling up on running backs and possibly grabbing Alfred Morris here, but the idea of having top five potential at both running back and wide receiver was too tempting. Plus, if there's anyone who can wring more out of that Bears passing game, it's new head coach Marc Trestman.

Round 3, Pick 27 - Steven Jackson, RB, Atlanta Falcons: This is the second reason I took Marshall over Morris. Sure, Jackson might not be the back he was earlier in his career, but he now plays in a better offense that should allow him more opportunities to get in the end zone. You gotta like that.

Round 4, Pick 34 - Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers: It never hurts to have too many productive running backs. Sure, there's the danger that Gore might see some of his carries lost to Kendall Hunter or LaMichael James. But who would really complain about having a top 15 running back as a flex option? Not me, that's for sure.

Round 5, Pick 47 - Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay Packers: You might argue that Randall Cobb is the new No. 1 target with Greg Jennings now in Minnesota. I'd like to believe that Cobb and Nelson can be Nos. 1 and 1A. Even if it doesn't work out that way, the Packers are efficient enough through the air that even Aaron Rodgers' No. 2 guy is a quality option.

Round 6, Pick 54 - Chris Ivory, RB, New York Jets: There won't be many Jets taken in fantasy drafts. In fact, Ivory is likely to be the only one. But having a guy who has averaged more than five yards per carry in his career as a reserve option should be something most any fantasy owner can get behind.

Round 7, Pick 67 - Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks: I thought about waiting another round for a quarterback and maybe taking a shot at Wes Welker or a tight end. But when a talent like Wilson falls in your lap -- especially with a new offensive toy in Percy Harvin at his disposal -- you can't let the opportunity pass you by.

Round 8, Pick 74 - Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco 49ers: Back in the spring, I thought Davis was going to be undervalued. That changed when Michael Crabtree went down with an injury and reports surfaced that Davis could occasionally line up as a wide receiver. The veteran was poised for a bounce back year and it seems others are starting to catch on to that.

Round 9, Pick 87 - Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys: There may be no player with a bigger disparity in his actual football reputation versus his fantasy reputation than Romo. While he is often the object of Cowboys fan scorn, Romo has quietly been one of fantasy's most consistent signal callers. Not a bad backup option.

Round 10, Pick 94 - Eric Decker, WR, Denver Broncos: Decker is likely to lose some targets now that Wes Welker calls the Mile High City home. Nonetheless, he's still going to catch a lot of passes in the Broncos' aerial attack and over the past three seasons, few receivers have been as efficient with their targets.

Round 11, Pick 107 - Isaiah Pead, RB, St. Louis Rams: This is a little bit of a flyer since it's still not certain if he will be the Rams running back of choice in 2013. His one-game suspension isn't great -- but as a backup, it won't be a problem, either. If he turns out to be the back that many expect, this could be a huge value pick.

Round 12, Pick 114 - Shane Vereen, RB, New England Patriots: With so many missing pieces in the Pats offense, expect the team to lean a little more heavily on its run game. Stevan Ridley will undoubtedly handle the bulk of the workload, but Vereen should see a fair amount of touches. If nothing else, he could end up as trade bait to shore up any weak spots on my roster later in the season.

Round 13, Pick 127 - Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Browns: Another late round flier. Gordon is a big play waiting to happen, finishing in the top 10 in yards-per-catch average in 2012. If he can put it together a little more consistently, his upside is huge.

Round 14, Pick 134 - St. Louis Rams D/ST: Since it's likely that I'm going to go through a couple of defenses this season, I felt like I could afford to wait until late to grab one. And if it's the Rams that fall into my lap, I'm cool with it. St. Louis finished ninth in fantasy points among defenses last season. Don't let the logo on the helmet fool you, it's a pretty solid unit.

Round 15, Pick 147 - Steven Hauschka, K, Seattle Seahawks: Capping a draft with a kicker. It's a time honored tradition. So we bow out of the draft by taking man trying extra points for one of the league's potentially dynamic offenses.

Marcas Grant is the fantasy editor for NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarcasG.