Fantasy football No. 3 pick: CBS analyst says Round 2 is the swing spot
Dave Richard’s PPR draft from the third slot started with Bijan Robinson, then brought one immediate regret at tight end.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The fantasy football No. 3 pick looks clean at the top, according to CBS Sports analyst Dave Richard, but the real stress hits when the draft snakes back in Round 2.
Richard wrote that managers drafting third in a PPR league should begin by ranking four names: Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, Ja’Marr Chase and Puka Nacua. In his order, Gibbs led the group, followed by Robinson, Chase and Nacua. If one of those players is still at the top of your board at 1.03, Richard’s advice is to take him.
PPR stands for point per reception, a scoring format that gives players one point for each catch. That can lift the value of pass-catching running backs, high-volume wide receivers and elite tight ends.
Who should I draft at No. 3 in PPR fantasy football?
In Richard’s CBS Sports mock from the third slot, Robinson fell to him at 1.03, and he took the Atlanta running back. Richard said he passed on Nacua because Robinson had averaged at least 20.1 PPR points across each of his past two seasons.
The tougher call came later. Richard noted that as many as 11 wide receivers could be off the board by pick 22, while Brock Bowers or Trey McBride might still be available. He took Saquon Barkley at 2.10, then said afterward he should have chosen one of the elite tight ends instead.
Richard called tight end advantage a proven route to fantasy success because top players at the position can deliver wide receiver-level production from a lineup spot where many teams settle for steadier, lower totals.
Dave Richard’s full draft from the third slot
- 1.03: Bijan Robinson, RB, ATL
- 2.10: Saquon Barkley, RB, PHI
- 3.03: Emeka Egbuka, WR, TB
- 4.10: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, CAR
- 5.03: Tyler Warren, TE, IND
- 6.10: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, JAC
- 7.03: Jalen Hurts, QB, PHI
- 8.10: Ricky Pearsall, WR, SF
- 9.03: Michael Wilson, WR, ARI
- 10.10: Jonah Coleman, RB, DEN
- 11.03: Jordan James, RB, SF
- 12.10: Chig Okonkwo, TE, WAS
- 13.03: Alvin Kamara, RB, NO
- 14.10: Rashid Shaheed, WR, SEA
Richard said his Barkley pick created a chain reaction. With Robinson and Barkley locked in, he skipped running backs from Rounds 3 through 9 and pushed receiver hard, landing five wideouts age 26 or younger.
He said he may have considered Chuba Hubbard in Round 8, but he did not see many running back values he passed up. If he had taken McBride in Round 2 and Egbuka in Round 3, Richard said he would have looked for a running back earlier than Round 9.
If Gibbs and Robinson had gone with the first two picks, Richard said he would have selected Chase at No. 3. His alternate opening would have been Chase in Round 1, McBride in Round 2, and then either Egbuka or a running back such as Jeremiyah Love, Kyren Williams or Josh Jacobs in Round 3.
The picks Richard liked, regretted and circled
Richard named Jalen Hurts as his favorite pick after landing the Eagles quarterback at 75th overall. He described Hurts as a consensus top-six fantasy quarterback and cited his streak of averaging at least 25 fantasy points, using six-point passing touchdown scoring, through at least the first eight games in each of the past three seasons.
His regret was Barkley, though Richard stressed it was tied to roster build rather than a bad outlook for the player. He said taking McBride or Bowers would have given him more flexibility.
The make-or-break player, in Richard’s view, is Egbuka. He attributed Egbuka’s rookie-year dip to a hamstring injury, injuries to Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay’s offensive line, plus Mike Evans’ return. Richard pointed to Egbuka’s 20.5 PPR points per game early last season, when Tampa Bay was healthy, as the upside case.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.