The first 3 rounds have been tough. There has been a lot of big name players going off the board as well as some new names showing up in the top 36 picks. Rolling into the fourth round means that there will be some more big name players going off the board and maybe one or two reaches. With the last pick in the third round the team selected Jordan Cameron, and with that we move into the fourth round of the 2014 fantasy football draft.
2014 Fantasy Football Fourth Round Draft Picks
#37 pick: Getting a solid TE, WR, and RB means that you can either select another top performer or consider reaching in this spot for a QB. Keep in mind that once the pick is over, the next 20 plus players will be selected so there might be 3-4 quarterbacks taken over those picks. This is one of the dilemmas with selecting on the corners, getting two picks really quick, but then having to maybe reach for guys knowing they won’t be there coming back around. Feeling like there will be plenty of good QB options still left in the next round could mean getting another solid producer. To be honest, reaching for a QB in this spot might be a real big stretch and most likely not a good move. The guys in this group are typically going in rounds 5-8 so there will be plenty of good options. However, most of the top remaining QBs will be selected in the next round leaving scraps when it comes back. Looking at the top options for QB and they would be Ryan, Stafford, Luck, Foles, and maybe Newton. None of these guys are worth getting this high, but they could all be gone before it comes back. The options left might be guys like RG3, Brady, Romo, and Cutler and none of them are that bad so it might be worth waiting. Other top guys still on the board that will not be around would be Cruz, Cobb, Jackson, Welker, and Fitzgerald. There are really not good backs in this spot except for maybe Bush or Spiller, but neither would be worth it over the guys mentioned. I think there are just too many good QBs to be jumping on them this early and if you already secured one of the first 4 spots with a TE, it’s not wise to grab a QB as well because the drop-off in the other spots is pretty great when it comes back again. It would be wise to be looking at one of the top receivers like Welker, Jackson, or Cruz. Cobb is pretty solid as well, but not over these other guys. I think I would go Vincent Jackson here. He can put up 1000 yards easily and has done so for 3 straight seasons. He is a lock to get huge points and can see plenty of end-zone targets.
#38 pick: It’s probably a good idea to keep that trend rolling into this next pick. Having selected both Murray and Gerhart as the primary backs, and Green for the receiver, it might be good to get another top receiver like Welker, Cobb, Cruz or maybe Fitzgerald. These guys all put up solid numbers when they are playing and can easily help fill in that valuable spot. I think it’s probably smart to get a top receiver now because when it comes back 20 picks later the receivers will be very thin. My pick in this spot would have to Wes Welker. With Decker gone, Welker should easily see a few more catches and continue to get plenty of opportunities. Keep in mind, the Broncos had 3 of the top 10 receivers last year including Welker.
#39 pick: Here you’ve got 2 top receivers in Thomas and Allen, plus 1 solid back in Ball. I think there are some questions in the backfield and getting another good back would be important. When it comes back around the pickings will not be as good. Right now they are already getting thin with the best options on the board being Spiller, Gore, and Bush. I think you’ve got to consider Frank Gore here. He continues to put solid numbers and finished in the top 10 last year in rushes, yards, and touchdowns. He may not get as many carries and yards, but he will be the goal-line back for sure.
#40 pick: Getting Manning early means you only need to worry about production after that. Adding Marshall on the edge and Stacy up the middle, gives a lot flexibility to this team. Here it’s easy to go with maybe another good back since there are only a couple of good runners left, or another solid receiver. I think the best options on the board right now are the receivers and with guys like Cobb, Fitzgerald, Jackson, and White, it’s hard not to consider one of them. There’s even some sleepers like Patterson or Crabtree that could go here. I think it’s important to get one of these guys now because most, if not all, will be gone by the next round. My first thought would be Cobb, but it’s hard not to seriously think about Patterson or Fitz. Randall Cobb really is a special player. If the league gives return yards he becomes even more valuable. He can easily put up double digit touchdown along with 1000 plus yards this season.
#41 pick: Starting with 2 solid backs and 1 receiver is the right recipe. It gives you a good foundation to build on. With that in mind, it’s time to get a receiver or maybe start to consider locking up the QB position. Being in the middle of the 4th round it’s about the spot where Ryan, Stafford, or maybe even Foles is going in. I would still wait. There are plenty of guys in the next group that put similar numbers like Newton, Luck, Brady, RG3, and, Romo. However, Ryan and Stafford are slightly better than the rest and could warrant a pick in this round and will most likely not be around when it comes back. Looking at their numbers from last year, Stafford was slightly better in yards and touchdowns, but Ryan didn’t have his 2 top receivers most of the year. It’s actually quite impressive that he was able to do put up those numbers despite not having Jones or White for most of the year. The 2 receivers are healthy, and that should improve Ryan’s numbers slightly putting him ahead of Stafford. I would say in this spot Matt Ryan is the best overall pick.
#42 pick: After getting a top TE, WR, and RB, the question becomes whether or not to jump on Stafford or get another multi-spot position player. I think it will hurt to get QB here because the selection of solid multi-spot position players is getting thin. Getting a TE early means that you don’t have the luxury and letting another top 5 pick go to a non-multi-spot position player. I think it would be wise to get either a top running back or wide receiver in this selection. The best options on the board would be Fitzgerald, Cruz, Patterson, and maybe Bush or Spiller. Looking at the options, I think it’s hard not go with a good back and getting a guy like Reggie Bush wouldn’t be so bad here. He had over 1000 rushing and over 500 receiving yards last season playing in 14 games. He average 4.5 yards per carry and should continue to see a good amount of work this year. He is a solid pick here and give a good RB2.
#43 pick: Getting a top QB means you just need multi-spot players to fill the roster. Having a good running back and receiver means you can look at either position to fill a number 2. The best on the board would be the receivers. I would be looking at either Fitzgerald or Patterson. Both will get a lot of work in their offense as their number 1 guys. Patterson might be more valuable in return leagues as he returned over 1000 yards last season plus caught almost 500 yards. He is getting a bigger role this year and could be a top 10 finisher. Fitz on the other hand has been a top 10 finisher for the past few years and should be in that range again this year. I think I like Larry Fitzgerald in this spot. He is tough man to cover and gets plenty of chances to put up numbers. He can deliver and has a capable QB.
#44 pick: Having a QB, WR, and RB means it’s time to look at a multi-spot player like RB or WR. These guys are so valuable and there are only so many that can put up decent points each week. Looking at the board, the caliber of backs are really comparable at this point while there are a few good receivers still on the board that are above others. I think in this spot it would be wise to get Victor Cruz. He is the best weapon for the Giants and gives Manning plenty of good routes to connect on. He just missed hitting 1000 yards last season by only 2 yards, which would have been his third straight since entering the league. Consider him a good WR2 option as Nicks has moved on and they will look towards him to pick up some slack.
#45 pick: Selecting two good running backs and one receiver at this point is pretty solid. There are certainly some caliber players left on the board, but one really stands out in this spot. Vernon Davis is a guy that would be worth a 4th round pick. Last year, he was second among all tight-ends in receiving touchdowns, behind only Jimmy, and sat atop the list in average yards per catch. He doesn’t get as many targets as some other top TEs, but he can produced when he does get the call and finished fourth in the league in yards per game. He would be a solid pick at this spot as he most likely will not be on the board coming back around.
#46 pick: Getting 2 solid backs and 1 good receiver is a great combination to start with, but it needs to be supported with another solid receiver. With Davis off the board, it doesn’t make sense to reach for another TE and the QBs that are on the board will be around when it comes back in the next round or even two. The second tier receivers are thinning out fast so it’s time to jump on one now. The best on the draft board would be guys like Floyd, White, Patterson, Crabtree, and maybe Harvin. Floyd or Patterson might be the first thoughts here because It’s easy to forget what White can do when he is healthy. Roddy White is capable of putting up huge numbers and did so with six straight seasons over 1000 yards. Injuries slowed him down last year, and although he is over 30, he can still put up big numbers. He proved that down the stretch last year as he turned it up after getting healthy and had some monster games including several 100 plus yard games and double digit catches.
#47 pick: Having two good backs and one top receiver means is always a solid strategy to start with. The next step would be to get one more quality receiver before checking out the other positions. Looking at the board, there are several good receivers to choose from like Floyd, Patterson, Crabtree, or maybe Harvin. I think I would be leaning on the young and hungry Michael Floyd. The first round draft pick in 2012 has seen his numbers improve each of the first two seasons and last year he put up over 1000 yards, along with 5 touchdowns. He is growing into a bigger part of the offense and should continue to see good work throughout the year. Plug him in with confidence as a solid WR2.
#48 pick: Drafting 2 top running backs and a solid tight-end, means it’s necessary to grab a solid receiver now. There will be another pick right after this one, and that could be either another receiver or maybe consider a QB. I think in this spot, the best receivers on the board would be Patterson, Crabtree, Harvin, Smith, and maybe Maclin. Patterson has a lot of potential, but unproven except for the last few games of the season in 2013 where he was the best among all receivers down the stretch. Crabtree and Smith are both veterans that are capable of producing 1000 yard seasons and plenty of red zone targets. I think It would be wise to lean on one of them at this point or maybe selecting both with the next two picks. Both guys will be producing decent points each week for their teams. Both have QBs that can get the ball down the field, solid offensive lines, and good running games to keep the defenses honest. With this pick I would go with Michael Crabtree. He is really solid when he is healthy, like he is now. Two seasons ago when he played all year, he had four multiple touchdown games and 6 over 100 yards.
