How early to look at WRs in fantasy drafts

Yahoo Sports Videos

During the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast podcast, analysts Andy Behrens and Scott Pianowski discuss draft strategy when it comes to skill position players early in fantasy drafts

Video Transcript

ANDY BEHRENS: So you hit something there that was going to be a follow up question of mine, which is, how soon is too soon for Cooper Kupp? When are we drafting the first wide receiver? Just walk me through-- you don't even have to give-- you don't have to put names to it yet. But if we're drafting in a half PPR league right now, I think we both agree it's got to be Jonathan Taylor at number one. You can tell a story about other guys, but it's probably got to be Jonathan Taylor at number one.

And then are we going RB, wide receiver, wide receiver, wide receiver, RB? Or is it still going to be a situation where the first half of the first round is a whole bunch of running backs?

SCOTT PIANOWSKI: I do think the first half of the first round is going to be a bunch of running backs because the position, there are so few bell cows now. I think a lot of people are going to say, oh, man. If I don't take an Ekeler, if I don't take a Cook, if I don't even gamble on a McCaffrey, or tie Najee Harris to that offense, or tied to, what is the running back I'm going to get when I come back in the second round?

If I'm not sold on those guys, it's going to be guys I'm really not sold on later on. So one of the recent drafts that I did, I had the six pick. And I was pleasantly surprised at the first four picks were running backs. So I'm like, OK, I'm immediately getting a receiver who I was kind of targeting the slot anyway. I think the first half of the first round is still going to be running back driven.

And then it's going to be people like, no, I'm not forcing this. I'm not forcing a running back I don't necessarily go for. And we're going to see something like seven of nine picks in that late first round, early second round are going to be receivers. And I do think overall top 25, we'll get more receivers drafted this year than we would in a traditional year.