PFF's series detailing best ball draft strategies from all 12 draft slots continues with the 1.10. The end of the first round offers options to take drafts in any number of preferred directions. It can be highlighted by back-to-back running backs at the top of the draft or by going heavy on pass-catchers.
Let’s dive into the best approach for UnderDog best ball drafts from this position.
Editor's Note: Dive into PFF's 2021 Best Ball DraftKit for everything you need to win it all at the end of the year!
1.10: WR TYREEK HILL, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
With the top running backs off the board and the next tier facing volume concerns, the best option appears to be going with the No. 1 wide receiver option in 2021. Hill had the second-highest percentage of total weeks finishing in the top five of fantasy scoring.
Travis Kelce and Hill combined for 44.9% of the Chiefs’ team targets and 62.6% of the air yards. With the pass-catching options only getting weaker in Kansas City, we could see an even higher concentration of the receiving volume go in their direction.
Most fantasy players know Hill is extremely volatile, as he has the second-highest standard deviation of fantasy points scored for wide receivers over the past three years. At the top of a best ball draft, no one can match the ceiling Hill is capable of most weeks.
2.03: RB AUSTIN EKELER, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
After returning from injury in 2020, Ekeler had the second-highest expected fantasy points in the final seven weeks of the regular season. A crowded backfield has pushed Ekeler into the second round of best ball drafts, which could turn him into a league winner.
The Chargers have the seventh-easiest strength of schedule for running backs, but by far the easiest schedule in the fantasy playoffs. If Ekeler leads the league in receptions for a running back, as our current fantasy projections indicate, then he will be a steal as a second-round draft pick.
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