It’s NFL Draft week! That brings the excitement of new talent coming into the league, and hopefully landing in situations that could bring back fantasy football value on the offensive side of the football. Last year, the running back needy Pittsburgh Steelers landed Najee Harris in the first round. He went on to become one of the top running backs in fantasy football. That’s what we’re looking for in this draft. Talented players finding themselves in a position to make an immediate impact in the stat sheets.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some preferable landing spots for the projected top quarterbacks and running backs in the upcoming draft. These players would make a whole lot of sense both for certain NFL teams and from a fantasy football perspective.
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Quarterbacks
Round 1, Pick No. 6: Panthers – Malik Willis, Liberty
Most draft pundits believe Willis is the prospect with the most upside at the quarterback position, but he’s also not considered a Week 1 starter as a rookie. That means he would enter this season behind Sam Darnold on the depth chart in this scenario. Willis has a cannon arm and can run effectively with the football (878 rushing yards in 2021), and that sort of dual threat is valuable in fantasy land.
Round 1, Pick No. 20: Steelers – Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
This pick just makes too much sense not to happen, right? Pickett, the most NFL-ready quarterback in the class, stays “home” and lands with a Steelers team looking for a true franchise signal caller. Much like Willis, Pickett would start his pro career playing behind a veteran, in this case Mitchell Trubisky. I’m not sure Pickett will last until No. 20 in the first round, but I certainly like the fit both from a real and fantasy perspective.
Round 1, Pick No. 32: Lions – Matt Corral, Mississippi
Raise your hand if you think Jared Goff is the Lions’ long-term answer at quarterback. Yeah, I don’t think so, either. Enter Corral, who is a dual-threat field general with upside who would benefit from playing behind a veteran as a rookie. Much like the situation with Willis and Pickett, most of Corral’s fantasy football value would come in the form of dynasty leagues as he likely won't become an NFL starter until Year 2.
Round 2, Pick No. 40: Seahawks -- Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
The Seahawks could be in the mix to land Baker Mayfield, but the team still needs a long-term option at the quarterback position. While they might be able to land Willis in Round 1 if he falls beyond the Panthers, Seattle could also wait until the second stanza and take a chance on Ridder. He was a four-year starter in college with the Bearcats.
Round 2, Pick No. 49: Saints – Sam Howell, North Carolina
There are rumors that the Saints could trade up in the first round to land Pickett, but a fallback option would be to take their potential quarterback of the future in Round 2. That quarterback could be Howell, who throws a nice deep ball and can produce with his arm as well as his legs (828 rushing yards in 2021). Howell will need time to develop at the NFL level, however, so he’d start his career behind Jameis Winston in this case.
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Running Backs
Round 2, Pick No. 37: Texans – Breece Hall, Iowa State
The consensus top running back in this class, Hall will also likely be the first rookie picked in both seasonal re-drafts and dynasty formats if he lands in the right situation. I know the Texans aren’t good right now, but they have plenty of draft capitol after the Deshaun Watson trade and should improve their offensive line as a result. A three-down back, Hall would move ahead of Marlon Mack and Rex Burkhead in an instant.
Round 2, Pick No. 43: Falcons – Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State
Walker, who our Matt De Lima sees as the top running back in the class, broke out in 2021 after transferring from Wake Forest. A physical runner, he rushed for nearly 1,700 yards for the Spartans and would be used immediately in a Falcons team that lacks for offensive standouts. Walker does need to work on his pass protection, but Atlanta is a great spot for him to see touches and develop into a playmaker at the next level.
Round 2, Pick No. 57: Bills – James Cook, Georgia
The Bills tried to sign J.D. McKissic this offseason, so they’re obviously looking to add a pass-catching back. Cook, one of the top pass-catching runners in the draft, fits the bill. The younger brother of Dalvin Cook, James could come right in and become a complement to Devin Singletary. This move wouldn’t be great news for Singletary or Zack Moss, but the latter was being phased out of the offense toward the end of 2021.
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Round 2, Pick No. 69: Jets – Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M
Fantasy managers all love Michael Carter, but can he really be a true featured back at his size? I have my doubts, and I think the Jets will add a runner to pair with him. The lead back for the Aggies since his freshman year, Spiller averaged 5.5 yards per tote in his college career. A power back, he could bring some late-round fantasy appeal.
Round 3, Pick No. 87: Cardinals – Rachaad White, Arizona State
The Cardinals could go after Cook, but I like them to go after White to take over for the departed Chase Edmonds. The top pass-catching running back in the class, he had 43 catches for 456 yards in his final season with the Sun Devils. White also was tops in terms of yards per route run (2.2). He could become a late-round option in PPR formats.
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Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business!
