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Week 5 Every-Down Linebackers

Redraft Strategy: Picking at 4-7 in a PPR League

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The middle of that so-important first round in redraft is tough. Who are the studs that could be number one, and where do they fall?

Redraft is the best, and the middle of the first round is my favorite spot to draft. These middle-of-the-pack players are good enough to be a top-three pick but just missed the cut.

Once again, hitting on that first pick in fantasy drafts can make or break the fantasy managers season. Here are picks 4-7 and who should be selected at these four spots.

Pick 1.04 – Najee Harris

Harris is a rookie running back who just saw the eight most receptions in a rookie season by a running back. That is a top-five pick in redraft leagues. He gave the Pittsburgh Steelers life every single week as they dealt with grandpa Ben Roethlisberger. Harris also had the most carries by a rookie running back since 2016.

Mike Tomlin has come out and said that they will have to lean on Harris once again now that Roethlisberger retired. Because of this, a quarterback battle between Kenny Pickett and Mitchell Truibisky will ensue.

This makes Tomlin’s statement even more true as whoever out of the two is named starting quarterback will be better than Roethlisberger, but a tough 2022 season is on the Steelers’ horizon.

Since the Steelers aren’t as good as the Bengals or the Ravens, if Deshaun Watson does not face a suspension, the Steelers will be dead last.

With the same weapons in 2021, including a new rookie receiver in George Pickens, the Steelers will force-feed Harris again.

Volume — and touchdowns — are king in fantasy football. Harris had the second most carries in the NFL as a rookie. The most targets, most receptions, third-most receiving yards, and fourth-most rushing yards.

Najee Harris does it all for the Steelers and will once again be a workhorse in 2022. He should be selected fourth — at worst fifth — overall.

Pick 1.05 – Cooper Kupp

You can’t deny greatness. Cooper Kupp had one of the best seasons in the history of the NFL, so naturally, a regression is in store for him. No one goes for 1,947 yards, 145 targets, and 16 touchdowns and does not take a dip back the following season.

That is why Kupp has gone from second overall to the fifth selected player in my first-round redraft strategy. His 31.7% target share will see a slight decrease as the Rams acquired Allen Robinson this off-season. Robinson, a more talented receiver than Robert Woods, will take some looks away from Kupp. However, Kupp is still the alpha WR1 in Los Angeles.

Even with the expected regression from Kupp, he still is a PPR monster and is always commanding targets his way.

As stated in the previous paragraph, volume is king, and Kupp is the heir to volume in fantasy football. Superstitious things tend to happen in sports, and a Super Bowl — or championship — hangover is real.

Kupp and the Rams might start slow or not produce the same as 2021, but one thing for certain is that Cooper Kupp will see another 160-plus targets thrown his way and another WR1 finish is on the horizon.

Pick 1.06 – Christian McCaffrey

It hurts putting Christian McCaffrey at sixth overall, but playing just ten games in two years is a cause for concern. If McCaffrey is healthy, he is simply one of the three best fantasy players ever when on the field in dynasty and redraft.

Even if McCaffrey were to go down for someone as their first-round pick, there is still hope.

In my home league for my podcast in 2021, my first three picks were McCaffrey, A.J. Brown, and Darren Waller. The football heads out there know those three dealt with injuries all season, and McCaffrey missed the season.

Even drafting those three, my team ended up winning the entire thing. The point in fantasy football is never to give up and always stay active to stay one step ahead of league mates.

Going back to McCaffrey, he has the highest average of ppg for a running back in fantasy history. Not risking it for the biscuit on him can end up haunting a league manager for the rest of their life.

McCaffrey is guaranteed 20-plus points when he plays and can cover the back of a league manager RB2 if they do not produce that given week. Christian McCaffrey is the definition of a Hero RB. As long as he is healthy, he will win every matchup weekly.

Pick 1.07 – Derrick Henry

The former king of all running backs and redraft will look to make his back up the fantasy rankings in 2022. Even suffering a Jones fracture in his right foot, Henry made his way back for the playoffs to help his team fight on.

Henry was on a tear in the first half of 2021, averaging over 24ppg and being the RB1 until his injury. In recent years, he has finished as the RB3 and RB4 on a ppg basis in 2020 and 2019. The impressive part is that Henry had his best season in 2020 and was on pace to outdo it in 2021.

In 2020, Henry had 19 receptions on the season and had 18 before his injury in 2021. He had 10 touchdowns with nine games left to play. Derrick Henry and the football world were robbed on what could have been the best season for a running back in NFL history.

Now, in 2022 with an experienced Titans receiving room, Derrick Henry will look to pick up right where he left off. He is a surefire RB1 in an offense that has been a run-first offense for the past five seasons now.

With the volume Henry sees every season, he is still a top-five RB, a top-10 pick, and someone who can win matchups every week for their fantasy manager.

Thank you for checking out my Redraft strategy for picks 4-7! You can read all of my articles on my IDP Guys’ author page. Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @NBF_Clo and @IDPGuys (we have offense too) and please check out our website at idpguys.org.

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