The RotoWire Blog has been retired.

These archives exist as a way for people to continue to view the content that had been posted on the blog over the years.

Articles will no longer be posted here, but you can view new fantasy articles from our writers on the main site.

Going outside the box with the #1 pick

So, you drew the first pick in your fantasy draft- well I'm not sure if that's good or bad, especially since you'll be waiting quite a while to get to your next pair of picks. But once you're on the clock, here are some things that might be crossing your mind-

* Le'Veon Bell is likely holding out until the end of the preseason, and he's had a number of injuries that have cut a couple of his previous seasons short.

* Yes, Todd Gurley won many owners their fantasy titles last year, but can he match that insane level of efficiency again. Also, I still remember how bad his 2016 season was.

* David Johnson should be fresh after missing the entire season with a wrist injury, but without Bruce Arians around to force-feed him the ball, what will the new staff choose to do with him?

Sure, there are question marks with every player, and the questions regarding the aforementioned three players are nit-picking to a degree, but when I've picked at number one this season, I simply preferred Ezekiel Elliott over those other three players. Here's my logic:

After a suspension limited Elliott to 10 games in 2017, he should come into this season fresh- and he'll need to be since the Cowboys lost Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, leaving them with a weak receiving group. As the team's best offensive weapon, he could touch the ball 400 times.

Although the Cowboys' offensive line struggled last year, they're returning four (healthy) starters and added a second-round draft pick to fill out the group, which should help them return to their elite status of 2016.

Also, look for them to run plenty of two- and three-tight end sets and behind a rejuvenated line looking to smash the ball down opponent's throats to control game script. When Dallas had a similar approach in 2016, Elliott posted 5.1 yards per carry despite every defense knowing exactly what the Cowboys intended to do. Their blocking was so good that they blew stacked boxes off the line, and Elliott usually didn't have to beat more than one defender to earn solid yardage.

He'll be a three-down back with no competition for goal-line work, and although he's been largely ignored as a receiver during his young career, the coaching staff will have to use their only elite playmaker frequently in the passing game, especially when they're trailing, which will boost his fantasy value  beyond his rushing numbers.

These are the reasons that I have, and will continue to make him my top pick in this year's drafts.