Top-end fantasy football options abound in the middle of the first round of fantasy drafts, offering any number of paths to a 2021 best ball title.
Let's dive into the routes available from the 1.07 draft slot — we've already gone over the best plans for the first six selections as part of PFF’s inaugural Best Ball DraftKit. Drafting at the 1.07 creates an easy path to stack the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts.
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!
1.07: RB TIER 2
RB JONATHAN TAYLOR, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
RB ALVIN KAMARA, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
RB EZEKIEL ELLIOTT, DALLAS COWBOYS
Drafting from the 1.01-1.06 draft slots has yielded stud running backs so far, and the 1.07 is no different. Jonathan Taylor is the selection here — he has all the tools and talent to be fantasy’s next superstar running back.
After an up and down start to his rookie season, Taylor went nuclear to close out the year. From Week 11 through the Wild Card round, he was PFF’s second-highest-graded rusher (90.4), averaging north of 22 touches per game. He also ranked first in fantasy points per game (23.2) and fourth in expected fantasy points per game.
Taylor has the privilege of running behind PFF’s second-highest-ranked offensive line, making him a solid bet to finish as a top-eight fantasy running back. His only concern is Nyheim Hines, who figures to siphon away touches in the passing game.
Still, from an overall volume perspective, don’t overthink Taylor’s role in the this backfield because of Hines or Marlon Mack. Even with the slow start in 2020, Taylor still finished eighth in total touches (268) and 11th in touches per game (17.7). Those numbers can only go up in 2021.
2.06: RB TIER 2/3, WR TIER 1
RB NAJEE HARRIS, PITTSBURGH STEELERS
WR DEANDRE HOPKINS, ARIZONA CARDINALS
The days of drafting Najee Harris in Round 3 of summer best ball drafts are long gone. The Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back has skyrocketed up draft boards into the middle of the second round because of his projected bell-cow role. PFF’s fantasy projections have Harris slated to see nearly 17 touches per game (eighth).
Volume is more important to a running back’s success than efficiency, which is why Harris will rise above any problems created by the Steelers' 29th-ranked offensive line unit.
Starting a draft with back-to-back workhorse running backs is a tried and true approach to building a championship roster, but target-magnet DeAndre Hopkins makes a strong case in this range as the last wide receiver from Tier 1.
Arizona’s alpha wideout commanded a league-leading 31% target share and the sixth-highest target rate per route run (26%) last season.
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