Who should you pick 8th overall in your fantasy football draft?

Fantasy football is on the horizon, and whether or not your league has determined its draft order yet, it is never too early to get an idea of how drafts are going. With that in mind, here is what you should do if you wind up with the eighth overall pick.

What does ADP say about the #8 overall pick?

If you have no intention of creating your own rankings and/or no idea where to begin, average draft position (ADP) can be a useful tool. It looks at completed drafts across certain platforms to give an idea of trends and tendencies in fantasy football. This could help you from over-drafting a player or let you know when you need to be thinking about drafting a player you really want.

ADP can vary by scoring format. The three main scoring formats in fantasy football are half-PPR (an additional .5 points is awarded per reception), PPR (a full point is awarded) and non-PPR/standard (no additional points). Your league’s coring could certainly vary from these formats, but these are the most common types.

For half-PPR scoring formats, ADP suggests that Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase, Los Angeles Chargers RB Austin Ekeler, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill will be selected in the first six picks. ADP then suggests that the No. 8 pick go to Atlanta Falcons rookie RB Bijan Robinson. Non-PPR/standard leagues follow this same pattern, albeit in a slightly different order, with No. 7 being New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley.

PPR scoring formats have Jefferson and Chase as the top picks, with Hill getting a boost up to No. 3. They are followed by McCaffrey, Kelce and Buffalo Bills WR Stefon Diggs. Ekeler falls to No. 8 in PPR ADP, which could be a steal if he is able to repeat his receiving performance from last year.

Who should I pick at #8 in PPR?

When you are on the clock at No. 8 in a PPR draft, ensure that Jefferson, Chase, McCaffrey, Hill, Kelce and Ekeler are off the board. If they aren’t, select whoever is left in the order they are listed. If they are all gone, you can draft Diggs, as ADP suggests, or I would go for Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown.

Who should I pick at #8 in standard?

In standard leagues, the same applies in ensuring that Jefferson, McCaffrey, Chase, Ekeler, Kelce are all gone. Hill may go No. 7, but if he doesn’t, taking him No. 8 would be fine. I am notably outspoken on how good of a season I think Derrick Henry is going to have, so if you are feeling risky, you could grab him here. If you want a safer pick, New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley (provided he signs his franchise tag), Atlanta Falcons rookie RB Bijan Robinson and Diggs. Between the three, I would lean Barkley and Robinson in that order.