One Last August Draft

Matt Harmon views AJ Brown as ranked higher than his preference. He believes Brown is more of a third-round pick than a second-round pick, suggesting the market is overvaluing him at his current draft position.

Harmon identifies Baker Mayfield as an undervalued quarterback in best ball and redraft formats; he regrets not taking Mayfield in round 11 instead of Rasheed Shaheed, and emphasizes that Mayfield (along with Jordan Love) is a quarterback no one wants to take despite strong value, with added contract-year motivation.

Matt Harmon expects Brian Thomas Jr. to improve significantly this season due to better health compared to last year. Despite Parker Washington receiving more hype in the draft market, Harmon ranks them relatively close together. In best ball format, Harmon prefers BTJ for higher ceiling exposure and bigger weeks; in redraft he'd lean slightly toward Marvin Harrison Jr. Harmon is comfortable with BTJ in the fifth-round range where the wide receiver run occurred. BTJ is drafted as the second receiver but Harmon expresses reservation about that placement, preferring him as a third receiver instead due to role uncertainty in the Jaguars' receiver room. Better suited for best ball format due to volatility; in reddraft Harmon would not want BTJ as his WR2.

Matt Harmon does not like Cam Akers in the fourth round when evaluating fourth-round running back options.

Matt Harmon highlights Chase Brown's second-round selection as interesting due to the Bengals' commitment to an under-center offensive system. Brown is already a capable pass-catcher, and the shift toward blending run and pass game could unlock additional upside. Harmon suggests the market hasn't yet seen the best of Brown given the system fit.

Matt Harmon ranks Chris Olave as the first of three elite wide receivers (ahead of Drake London and AJ Brown) due to attachment to a good offense, good coach, and good quarterback. Ranked 23rd overall, just behind Drake London and George Pickens, with no significant talent gap versus Drake London despite stylistic differences.

Matt Harmon is a non-drafter of Christian McCaffrey, viewing him in the top six as way too rich for his blood. Core concern: there's too much data suggesting CMC could miss significant time this year. While he might consider McCaffrey in best ball if he falls to pick 10, the injury risk makes him a risky first-round pick. If healthy, he projects better than James Cook and Jonathan Taylor and wins your league, but if injured, he becomes the most annoying pick in the first round.

Matt Harmon expresses concern about Christian Watson's extensive injury history as the primary worry about Jordan Love's fantasy viability and ceiling; if Watson goes down, Harmon is most nervous about Green Bay's receiver depth and Love's upside.

Matt Harmon endorses DeAndre Swift as a good fourth-round pick when evaluating the fourth-round running back landscape.

Matt Harmon does not like David Montgomery in the fourth round when evaluating fourth-round running back options.

Devon Achane is ranked ahead of Kenneth Walker in Matt Harmon's overall rankings, placing him higher in the draft order despite Walker being a late-first-round value target.

At 2.6 ADP, Drake London feels pricey given Atlanta's quarterback uncertainty heading into Week 1. As of August 31st, the team had not announced a starting quarterback; while Tua Tagovailoa is expected, his play made it difficult to name him the clear-cut starter, creating ecosystem risk. This uncertainty is concerning enough that Matt Harmon prefers Chris Olave ahead of London.

Matt Harmon prefers the JK Dobbins round-nine pick over the drafter's preference, acknowledging that while Dobbins will miss games due to his chronic injury history, when healthy he will be a good fantasy running back. Harmon likes Dobbins even better in managed leagues than redraft formats.

James Cook was picked at 1.6 ahead of Jonathan Taylor, which Matt Harmon notes as "an interesting pick." While Cook is "great," Harmon believes Jonathan Taylor has "significantly higher upside" because much of Cook's recent production has been touchdown-dependent, whereas Taylor was on pace for 2,000+ scrimmage yards when the Colts had better quarterback play (Daniel Jones era).

Matt Harmon identifies Jared Goff as one of his favorite late-round quarterback options, citing Detroit's strong offensive setup and weak defense; expects Detroit's poor defense to force high-volume passing scripts and create a high-powered offense, positioning Goff for a really nice fantasy season.

Matt Harmon calls Javvante Williams the worst pick in the round, citing that he was a very average player despite high volume. Harmon is confident the Cowboys can find another back to cut into his workload, and if that happens, production will drop significantly. He has the biggest bust potential among the three running backs that went in the round.

Jaden Daniels' health is a key dependency for confidence in the Diggs pick; as long as he stays healthy, the Diggs selection is supported. Matt Harmon expresses confidence in Stefon Diggs' fantasy outlook contingent on Jaden Daniels staying healthy; the quarterback's health is framed as a key prerequisite for Diggs' projected performance.

Harmon really likes getting Jaden Reed at pick 82 (seventh round), right where he has him ranked; Reed fits his receiver-shopping strategy in this range to balance earlier running back selections.

Matt Harmon took Jeremiah Love in the early fourth round (4.3, 39th overall) despite wanting a receiver, calling him too good to pass up. Love has top-10 pedigree and historical data shows first-round running backs deliver at minimum 1,200 scrimmage yards and 8–10 touchdowns; Love at fourth-round price represents exceptional value with multiple 2,000-yard season potential if his high ankle sprain is manageable. Harmon states it's a steal and clears other fourth-round backs easily, adjusting his draft plan specifically to acquire him.

Matt Harmon ranks Jonathan Taylor as having significantly higher upside than James Cook. Historical context: when the Colts had better quarterback play (Daniel Jones), Taylor was on pace for 2,000+ scrimmage yards and multiple touchdowns, contrasting with Cook's recent production being heavily touchdown-dependent. This upside differential makes Taylor the more attractive target despite Cook's current draft positioning.

Matt Harmon groups Jonathan Brooks in a tier of running backs with Rondre Stevenson and Trayvon Henderson, placing him in the "high-end running back three range" due to injury risk concerns. Later, Harmon expresses uncertainty about pricing Brooks due to his injury history and lack of NFL tape; he loves the theoretical fit with coach Dave Canales but cannot confidently value him, preferring him in round 7 rather than round 6.

Matt Harmon selects Jordan Love in round ten as a bullish pick, citing Love calling plays in the second half of the preseason game and framing it as the 'let love cook season' with a strong passing setup similar to Jared Goff's, given Josh Jacobs' injury and the run game taking a step back. Harmon also expresses surprise that Love is undervalued in drafts despite strong fantasy potential, noting he is one of two quarterbacks (alongside Baker Mayfield) that Harmon believes no one wants to take; however, Harmon's main concern is Christian Watson's extensive injury history limiting Love's ceiling.

Matt Harmon explicitly recommends avoiding Josh Jacobs in current drafts due to his placement on the commissioner's exempt list. Harmon states he would not draft Jacobs in best ball or redraft leagues because of the risk of a zero-point week and the serious nature of the underlying incident; if a video surfaces, Jacobs likely won't play this season or beyond. Jacobs went at 4.10 in this draft, but that pick is no longer viable given the news that emerged after draft planning.

Matt Harmon expresses strong dislike for Kenny Gainwell in round nine, citing Minnesota's strange offensive ecosystem and uncertainty about how Gainwell's role will develop; frames the pick as a risky choice given the team's instability.

Matt Harmon drafts Kenneth Walker at 2.3 (pick 35 overall) and ranks him as his 12th overall player, projecting him as late first-round value, early second-round value. Walker is ahead of Chase Brown and Devon Achane in Harmon's rankings. The pick is supported by Kansas City bringing in offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who loves to run the ball and is a great running back's coach, making him very complementary with Walker. Harmon prefers Walker over Amarian Hampton due to his superior floor, though acknowledges Hampton's ceiling upside.

Matt Harmon ranks Lad McConkey behind Zay Flowers this year; there is a tier gap between Zay and Lad from a ranking perspective, with Zay dominating targets more than Lad in their respective offenses.

Harmon prefers Tyler Warren over Marvin Harrison Jr. this year and ranks Warren 20 spots ahead of Harrison Jr. In redraft format, Harmon would lean slightly toward Harrison Jr. over Brian Thomas Jr., but in best ball he prefers BTJ for ceiling exposure. The Tyler Warren vs. Marvin Harrison Jr. debate was close enough that Harmon took it down to the final seconds, but ultimately chose Warren as the better pick in the sixth round.

Michael Pitman Jr. is mentioned as a receiver option Harmon considered in the eighth round before ultimately selecting Stefon Diggs, indicating he was in the conversation for a steady producer role.

Matt Harmon expresses significant concern about Mike Evans due to chronic hamstring issues, noting 'there's just so much risk involved because Mike Evans is seemingly like he's down to his last strands of his hamstring.' This injury risk makes Evans a less attractive option compared to Brian Thomas Jr. in the fifth-round receiver evaluation.

Matt Harmon ranks Nico Collins as his 16th overall player and calls getting him in the third round a huge win and a steal. He's increasingly excited about Collins and views him as a dark horse WR1 candidate this year.

Matt Harmon ranks Parker Washington ahead of reddraft ADP despite 'endless Parker Washington hype.' Harmon expects him to lead the Jaguars in receiving yards, though the gap between receivers will be modest in a 'Packer style' room where 'everybody eats.' Harmon ranks Parker Washington relatively close to Brian Thomas Jr., a take he acknowledges is controversial given the market enthusiasm for Washington. If BTJ didn't exist, Parker Washington might have more upside, but ultimately the three Jaguars receivers (BTJ, Parker Washington, and Jakobi Meyers) are expected to produce relatively close together.

Harmon would not take Quentin Johnston this high in the seventh round, though he acknowledges the receiver-shopping strategy that justifies the pick given weak running back options in this range.

Harmon does not like the RJ Harvey bucket of running back options in the seventh round, preferring to shop for receivers instead given the weak running back talent available at this stage.

Matt Harmon selected Saquon Barkley with the 10th overall pick in a late-August best ball draft, feeling "really good about Saquon Barkley as a late first round pick." Harmon notes he's gotten "higher and higher" on Barkley during the draft process, viewing the 10th spot as a strong position to lock in a running back with upside in the first two picks.

Matt Harmon selected Diggs in the eighth round as a steady, reliable producer with a high floor, explicitly contrasting him against higher-ceiling, boom-bust options like Brian Thomas Jr. and Jaden Reed. Harmon projects Diggs' role as more insulated from Washington quarterback chaos than Terry McLaurin's; expects Diggs and McLaurin to finish closer together than originally thought due to the team's offensive line chaos, but Diggs was still really good last year. Confidence in the pick is contingent on Jaden Daniels staying healthy.

Matt Harmon positions McLaurin as more exposed to Washington quarterback chaos than Stefon Diggs, with his role less insulated from QB instability. Harmon expects Diggs and McLaurin to finish closer together than originally projected due to the team's offensive line chaos, suggesting McLaurin's upside is constrained by the organization's instability.

Harmon does not like the Tony Pollard bucket of running back options in the seventh round, preferring to shop for receivers instead given the weak running back talent available at this stage.

Matt Harmon views Trey McBride in the third round as relatively okay; he is a better baseball (DraftKings full-point PPR) pick than a reddraft pick due to the scoring format boost for tight ends. Third round is acceptable for him in reddraft.

Harmon has been heavily targeting Tyler Warren in the fifth round across multiple recent drafts and secured him in the sixth round here, viewing it as strong value. Harmon prefers Warren over Marvin Harrison Jr. this year and ranks Warren 20 spots ahead of Harrison Jr. at the time of the draft. Warren is a core piece of Harmon's preferred team-building strategy: two running backs early, a solid receiver, and Tyler Warren in the fifth round. Harmon felt the sixth-round pick was such a value that he was comfortable taking him there despite the earlier Jeremiah Love pick.

Matt Harmon notes Wandale Robinson was drafted earlier than his rankings but considers it a fine pick overall; no strong conviction either way on the selection.

Matt Harmon ranks Zay Flowers as WR15, 28th overall in reddraft with significant upside; ranked ahead of Lad McConkey this year with a tier gap between them; Flowers dominates targets more than McConkey in their respective offenses. Harmon identifies Flowers as his anchor wide receiver one in his draft build and is increasingly excited about him.