Draft season is here, and you've landed the 1.08 pick. There is a top tier of eight players that includes Christian McCaffrey, CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill, Ja'Marr Chase, Breece Hall, Bijan Robinson, Justin Jefferson, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. The decision may be as easy as taking whichever of those eight players your leaguemates let drop to 1.08. However, is there another option outside of the consensus Top 8 you should consider?
Draft positions in this series:
1.01 | 1.02 | 1.03 | 1.04 | 1.05 | 1.06 | 1.07 | 1.08 | 1.09 | 1.10 | 1.11 | 1.12
In this article, we'll explore both strategies, helping you make the most informed decision possible. To do that, we'll leverage two powerful tools essential for preparing and dominating on draft night.
First, we'll dive into the Draft Dominator, our supercharged tool for mock drafts and expert recommendations. This tool allows you to simulate different draft scenarios, refining your strategy based on league size, scoring, and starting lineup requirements. With these insights, you'll be ready to outmaneuver your competition when it matters most.
Next, we'll review the latest Average Draft Position (ADP) data, sourced from hundreds of recent drafts exclusively populated by Footballguys subscribers. This up-to-the-minute ADP information will help you map out the likely pool of players available at each draft stage—from the critical second-round decision point to the mid-round picks that can make or break your draft.
By combining the strategic foresight offered by the Draft Dominator with real-world ADP trends, you'll be equipped to execute a winning draft plan.
We are going to dive deep into two different roster approaches from the 1.08, exploring how your draft is impacted if you decide to go with a running back instead of a wide receiver at 1.08.
First, let's talk about who will likely be available when you are on the clock at 1.08. Christian McCaffrey, CeeDee Lamb, and Tyreek Hill have virtually no chance of falling to 1.08. If one of these top three unexpectedly slides, taking him is a no-brainer. But assuming the top three are off the board as expected, here’s how the Draft Dominator ranks the top options for pick 1.08 and their likelihood of being available based on recent draft data from the Footballguys Bowl:
- Ja'Marr Chase: 9% chance of being available
- Breece Hall: 16% chance of being available
- Justin Jefferson: 20% chance of being available
- Bijan Robinson: 28% chance of being available
- Amon-Ra St. Brown: 28% chance of being available
Of the above five options, only one will be available at 1.08. Our Plan A will be to select whomever of these five falls to us. Let's see who falls to us in the Draft Dominator mock draft:
In addition to ranking the available options, the Draft Dominator also features a star system akin to Olympic medals. A gold star signals a slam-dunk pick, a silver star denotes an excellent option, and a bronze star marks a solid choice. This system simplifies decision-making by visually highlighting the strength of each pick, helping you stay focused and avoid overthinking in the heat of the draft.
I’ve included the Value-Based Drafting (VBD) column in the Draft Dominator screenshot above because it provides essential context when comparing across positions in your league. VBD ensures that you capitalize on the most valuable players at each draft stage, preventing you from reaching for a position when better options are available.
So, what should we do with the 1.08? Bijan Robinson stands out as the clear top option. His VBD score (140) is significantly higher than any of the other options. Our projection experts believe Robinson will outscore the other available players by more than two points per game. This feels like an easy decision.
However, it is always worth considering a Plan B. In this case, one player has more than enough upside to make us ponder whether we should pass on one of the Top 8.
Let's explore these two separate and distinct paths of attack and see which road leads to a better overall roster.
Path 1: Draft Bijan Robinson at 1.08
Bijan Robinson, at 1.08, offers a dynamic RB1 with the potential to dominate. He combines explosive playmaking with what we hope will be a high usage rate in the Falcons' offense. Drafting Robinson gives you a powerful backfield anchor with both a high floor and ceiling, making him an ideal pick at this spot.
Here are our top options in the Draft Dominator for our second pick:
2.05 Puka Nacua
Puka Nacua's rookie season was nothing short of impressive, with 105 receptions for 1,486 yards and 6 touchdowns, averaging 14.2 yards per reception. With his knee injury seemingly behind him, Nacua feels like a slam-dunk option to pair with Bijan Robinson if he falls to 2.05, offering a potent combination of reliability and upside.
3.08 Malik Nabers
With a solid wide receiver and a high-upside running back already on your roster, your 3.08 pick offers the perfect opportunity to bolster your receiving corps. Malik Nabers, who has shown elite talent throughout the preseason and training camp, is a top target here. His ability to consistently earn eight-plus targets per game makes him an ideal WR2 with massive upside.
Rounding out the Roster
Starting with Bijan Robinson and a top wide receiver like Puka Nacua in the first two rounds feels like drafting on easy mode. You lock in top options at both running back and wide receiver and can let the draft come to you the rest of the way. In this mock, we went with my personal favorite QB-WR stack of 2024: Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins. It feels like Higgins will be closer to Chase in production this year than in other recent seasons and Burrow looks like a man on a mission.
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