How to Win Your Draft from the 3 Spot

The beginning of the draft can be intimidating. You have the entire board ahead of you with endless possibilities as to how you can build your roster. Sitting at the 1.03 isn’t very different from the 1.02 or the 1.04 – we all get our first choice of elite player. The draft becomes very hard when we start making decisions at the turn. We have to make tough choices when it comes to roster construction as strong picks dry up quickly. 

The draft becomes a bit more demanding in a three-WR league. You have to be very deliberate when you aren’t drafting wide receivers early. In this practice draft, this is the avenue where we zig where others zag.

1.03: The Saquon-oh-Three

Barkley is an elite player who possesses game-breaking talent. There’s not much more to discuss after all of these years. Even in a 3WR format, Saquon is a running back who is very difficult to pass up. He probably won’t reach the same highs as he did last year, but that shouldn’t scare you off from taking him this early. The Eagles will rely heavily on Saquon again this year as they make their bid to become back-to-back champions.

2.10: Chase is On The Case

The Chase Brown breakout was one of the best things to happen to the Zero-RB truthers out there. We saw some glimpses of Brown’s potential at the end of 2023, but the offseason addition of Zack Moss put a damper on any excitement that we had. Weird looking back on it today, but that’s what the conversation was at the time.

But here we are in the current day, with Chase being one of the most exciting backs outside the usual suspects. It’s been noted ad nauseam, but I’m going to say it again – this team needs to score 50 points to win games this season. Chase Brown will be a key piece of that high-powered offense. Getting a share this late feels awesome.

3.03: A Top Ladd

Ladd McConkey should not have fallen to the second round of the NFL Draft. The Chargers were lucky to find their next big weapon after whiffing on Quentin Johnston. McConkey is a target magnet with incredible upside. I’m OK with having him as our WR1 because our first two picks should give us enough of an edge against the rest of the pack. McConkey can, and should, put up enough points to beat his ADP.

4.10: A New WR1 for Rodgers

DK Metcalf finds himself in a new location and in the WR1 position with Aaron Rodgers under center. There’s some concern with the Arthur Smith offense, but betting on talent can never go wrong. Plus, there’s almost no competition for targets in the passing game. Metcalf is a strong WR2 as long as the Steelers throw the ball.

5.03: From Wildcat to Panther

People have tempered their excitement for Tetairoa McMillan throughout the preseason, but I think the initial hype will all come back when we see him on the field. T-Mac profiles to be a classic WR1 for a reborn Bryce Young. I am taking a pretty big swing here, as guys like Rashee Rice and Zay Flowers are still on the board. 

My thought is this – while Rice has high upside, the looming suspension has me worried about when I can actually put him in my roster. Zay Flowers is just fine. We can shoot for something with a bit more ceiling.

6.10: Waddling on Through the Draft

I get that the vibes in Miami are awful at the moment. I get that we have to worry about not only Waddle’s health, but Tua Tagovailoa’s health as well. But the combination of Waddle’s talent and his current ADP means I’m ok with taking a risk here. I would much rather gamble on Waddle rather than Chris Olave or Jerry Jeudy.

7.03: Another Path to Rome

Rome Odunze is a player who has all the potential in the world to ascend as the WR1 in this offense. In this range, we want to be taking shots like this to give us the best advantage to win every week. Rome had a good rookie season. Our expectations were a bit warped as he was a first-round pick, making it feel like he underperformed. 2025 should be much kinder to him. Maybe a reach in this draft as you could grab him later in the seventh as well, but I believe it’s worth it.

8.10: Another First-Round Rookie on the Roster

Emeka Egbuka is the latest rookie to come from “Wide Receiver U”. His rise to a starting position was aided by Chris Godwin’s injury. He has the skills needed to be an immediate contributor, even if Godwin were there on Week 1. As the fifth receiver on the roster, we may not need him to get into the starting spot right away. It gives us some time to make sure that his connection with Baker is legit.

9.03: Bo Knows (How to Score Fantasy Points)

Every time I look at Bo Nix, I’m reminded of my failure as a talent evaluator. I mean, I’ve done it for one singular off-season, so I can’t be too harsh on myself, I guess. Either way, I’m not making that same mistake again. Bo Nix’s college experience helped him ease into the NFL much more easily than other rookies, and he became a fantasy football stud.

10.10: Joker from Jacksonville

In the tenth round, it’s ok to gamble on a 30-year-old tight end. We can only hope he can perform the Joker role that Sean Peyton has allegedly thrust onto him. Worst-case scenario, he ends up being a volume-reliant TE option you can easily pivot away from.

Rounding Out the Lineup

Once the starting roster is generally set, it’s time to start grabbing high upside backtups to finish up this draft. I was able to grab pre-season darling Jacroy “Bill” Croskey-Merritt and Tyler Allgeier to add some depth to our running back position. Both of these players should see time on the field even while the true starter is healthy.

I took three more receivers to end this draft – Joshua Palmer, Jalen Coker, and Darius Slayton. Palmer is a player who could certainly stand out against the rest of the Bills’ receiving crew. Jalen Coker really surprised us all in the back half of 2024 and could continue to rise up the depth chart to snag a full-time spot. Of course, we have Darius Slayton – someone who we thought would leave New York, but shockingly decided to stay. He’s someone I see syncing up with Russ Wilson to provide some big plays. If things don’t shake out the way we want, he’s the first person to cut to find that waiver-wire surprise.