The consensus No. 1 pick in the fantasy community for the 2021 season is Christian McCaffrey. Not much thought is needed when the clock starts for that pick. Sure, someone might go off the rails and select someone else, but barring it being a Superflex or two-QB league, it’s another year of Run-CMC being the top fantasy option.
So too, is the second pick in drafts pretty cut-and-dry. Most are selecting Dalvin Cook, who mirrors McCaffrey in many facets of the game.
Things change, however, once we reach the No. 3 pick in drafts.
In the video above, Andy Behrens, together with NFL.com’s Cynthia Frelund, explain why the No. 3 pick is where the idea of having a “choice” first comes into play.
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Why is the third pick so tough?
Andy and Cynthia expand on the third pick being the moment in the drafts where players are first faced with a choice.
Not in position, as you’re not really going to take a wide receiver or Travis Kelce at this point in a Yahoo standard, half-PPR snake draft. Nine times out of 10, you’re selecting a running back in this spot. As Andy says, the RBs at the top of draft boards are unique.
But the choice comes in which running back to take. With McCaffrey and Cook — two undisputed workhorses and focal points of their respective offenses — off the board, which way do you go?
Do you select Derrick Henry, the Titans battering ram?
What about Ezekiel Elliott, healthy and apparently in the best shape of his life?
Maybe it’s Alvin Kamara, last year’s fantasy playoff hero?
So, who do you take?
While every pick in the first round comes with danger, Cynthia definitely leans towards Henry as not only the top option at No. 3, but also the safest among the RB options. With the addition of Julio Jones, she explains how Henry will likely face fewer stacked boxes than he’s used to. She also explains why Kamara on a less-talented Saints team loses potency, and how Elliott on a team with a questionable defense and potentially physically compromised Dak Prescott isn’t as safe as pick as he’s cut out to be.
So, who’d you take with your No. 3 pick? If you haven’t drafted yet, who’s your favorite choice? Let us know: