Fantasy Football Mock Draft Recap

FantasyData hosted an industry mock draft on Monday night. Below, some of the writers have offered insight into their strategy along with a recap of their team. If you want to test your skills before your league’s draft, check out the Fantasy Football Mock Drafts at FFC.

Mock Draft Details

PPR Scoring
12 Team
Starting lineup: QB, 2RB, 3WR, TE, Flex, DEF, Kicker

Rob Hayek | Pick 11

FantasyData | Writer

I was not thrilled to get the 11th pick in our Fantasy Football draft. But you cannot dwell on that, so I used our average draft pick chart to get started. I made the most of it by selecting Jahmyr Gibbs with the first pick. Ultimately, I expect him to take on a larger role and build on a rookie season where he rushed 182 times for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns while also catching 52 passes for 316 yards and one score.

I wanted Marvin Harrison Jr., but someone had taken him right before me. Therefore, I adjusted and took Puka Nacua. It was not a bad consolation prize, considering he caught 105 passes for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns in his rookie season. For my third pick, I saw Sam LaPorta and took him to be my tight end.

I took James Cook in the fourth round of my fantasy football mock draft because I am very high on his potential this season. Ultimately, he rushed 237 times for 1,122 yards and two touchdowns while also catching 44 passes for 445 yards and four touchdowns. He registered as our RB14 and will provide good value.

I needed another top wide receiver, so I picked Zay Flowers in the fifth round. Flowers caught 77 passes for 858 yards and just one touchdown last season. But there is more potential, especially with Odell Beckham Jr. gone and another year of building chemistry with Lamar Jackson.

For my sixth pick, I selected Zamir White to have a third running back I could use as a flex on most weeks. Significantly, he will get the first chance to lead the Las Vegas Raiders’ backfield and come in as our RB24. I finally selected a quarterback in the seventh round, taking Brock Purdy. Substantially, Purdy can give me great value for where I drafted him, especially after passing 4,280 yards with 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season.

I used the last few rounds of the Fantasy Football Mock Draft to flesh out some depth. Xavier Worthy is probably my favorite pick, especially considering Hollywood Brown recently suffered a shoulder injury. Trevor Lawrence is also a good backup quarterback pick, especially if he bounces back from his injury-filled season.

First 7 Picks

Jahmyr Gibbs RB
Puka Nacua WR
Sam LaPorta TE
James Cook RB
Zay Flowers WR
Zamir White RB
Brock Purdy QB

Brain Drake | Pick 6

FantasyPoints | Writer

Picking sixth in a twelve-team PPR league means you’re never too far from being on the clock, and I enjoy that. I’m never going to be squeezed on a run or, hopefully, miss on a tier of players.

My strategy was formed around the fact that this league only starts with two receivers. That, in my mind, changed how I needed to attack this draft. I started with Bijan Robinson at the 1.06, who should never last that long in drafts. He’s next year’s 1.01 for my money. Snagging Travis Etienne in round two was about securing my backfield with two players who have a top-5 ceiling (Heck, Etienne was RB 3 last year).

With my elite backfield secured, I hammered the wide receivers for three straight rounds. Pairing Cooper Kupp, Malik Nabers, and Tee Higgins gives me what I think is a massive upside and consistent weekly production. I took a shot on Kyle Pitts in round six, so that could be considered a value with his ADP on some sites in round five. He should have a top-7 season in Atlanta. If I could go back, I would’ve mixed in a running back in round 8 instead of Hollywood Brown. I already had four receivers and could’ve selected either Jonathan Brooks, Devin Singletary, or
Javonte Williams. Dak Prescott as my QB in round 9 is just stealing. Last season, he was QB 3, and if anything, they could throw the ball more.

I’m pleased with this draft and think I could compete for a title with this roster.

First 7 Picks

Bijan Robinson RB
Travis Etienne Jr. RB
Cooper Kupp WR
Malik Nabers WR
Tee Higgins WR
Kyle Pitts TE
Christian Kirk WR

Doug Burrell | Pick 4

Gridiron Experts | Writer

Maybe it’s my OCD, but I prefer a balanced approach when drafting my fantasy football team. I started out with the 4th pick by drafting Tyreek Hill, perhaps the most explosive player in the league. It’s hard to lose when he scores 25+ points, which he does about 75% of the time in PPR leagues. I followed that with one of my top breakout picks, RB Isiah Pacheco. With another WR and RB in the next two rounds, I grabbed Patrick Mahomes as a value in the 5th round. I added more depth at RB/WR before adding Dallas Goedert as my TE in Round 9. I wanted Brock Bowers, but he was sniped just before my pick. I’m a believer in drafting handcuffs, so I drafted Zach Charbonnet in Round 11 and Kendre Miller in Round 13. In between, I drafted one of my top sleepers this year, WR Jameson Williams. The last two rounds were for my defense and kicker, as it should be, although it’s a solid strategy to draft neither until the season starts if your league allows it. Overall, I like my team, although I’ll probably be streaming tight ends if Goedert doesn’t work out.

First 7 Picks

Tyreek Hill WR
Isiah Pacheco RB
Jaylen Waddle WR
Kenneth Walker III RB
Patrick Mahomes QB
D’Andre Swift RB
Chris Godwin WR

Justin Herrera | Pick 8

FTNFantasy | Writer

I targeted the Jared Goff/Amon-ra St. Brown stack before the draft. Per FTN Fantasy StatsHub, Brown ranked fifth in catchable target rate among wideouts with at least 100 targets, and Detroit has a huge advantage of playing 14 of their first 15 games indoors. I paired St. Brown with Drake London, who is the clear WR1 in a passing offense that should see a huge boost with veteran Kirk Cousins. My third wide receiver is DK Metcalf, the leading receiver in the Seattle passing attack with explosive weekly upside. In this 0.5 PPR but 2 WR format, I targeted pass-catching running backs across the board. I love my trio of Rhamondre Stevenson, Austin Ekeler and Rashaad White, all of which bring high-end receiving production. I always like to fill out my roster with additional high-upside players, which is why I targeted players such as Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, and Ty Chandler. Finally, my two tight ends (Kittle and Freiermuth) should be critical targets in the passing game, with one getting a significant boost when the Brandon Aiyuk saga finally ends.

First 7 Picks

Amon St. Brown WR
Drake London WR
DK Metcalf WR
Rachaad White RB
R. Stevenson RB
George Kittle TE
Tyjae Spears RB

T.J. Besler | Pick 9

FantasyData | Writer

When I found out I was going to be the 9th pick, I didn’t know how to feel about it. I tend to like to be a bit closer to the middle of the draft this season. That seems to be the best spot to build a well-balanced, competitive team. Still, all things considered, I was pleased with how my team turned out. When it came my turn to pick in the 1st round I was choosing between four players: Garrett Wilson, A.J. Brown, Jonathan Taylor, or Jahmyr Gibbs. I like to load up on wide receivers in the early rounds and find running back value later in drafts, often adhering to the zero or hero-RB strategy, so ultimately, I went with Brown. He is the No. 1 target on an elite team and has a history of production and in my mind the fewest question marks surrounding him. In Round 2, I had a decision to make. I could double-dip on wide receiver by selecting Drake London or choose the best RB on the board and double-down on the Eagles by selecting Saquon Barkley. In the end, I went with Barkley. I see him has a potential first-round selection so getting him in the second round was too good to pass up. In round 3, I decided to let the draft come to me and did something I rarely do. I took two RBs in my first three picks, but based on my personal rankings Joe Mixon was the best player on the board. He should produce consistent, solid numbers as my RB2 and could finish the season as a top-12 RB.

In round 4 I once again took who I believed to be the best player on the board and selected Trey McBride. Passing on wide receiver in rounds 2 and 3 meant I wasn’t in love with any of the wide receivers here, so I pivoted to TE. In McBride, I have a player with the upside to be the overall TE1, and if that happens, he would essentially be my WR2. In round 5 I did another thing I rarely do (I really did just take the draft as it came) and selected a QB, opting for Kyler Murray. I could have gotten a WR like Zay Flowers or an RB like Zamir White, but having McBride made this a no-brainer for me. A weekly stack can be a major advantage when it hits. In round 6 I finally got my WR2 by selecting Diontae Johnson. Johnson is an interesting player this year. He has an uncanny way of getting open and should soak up a ton of targets as the clear No. 1 target in Carolina.

If Bryce Young can improve at all, Johnson could be a great value. With my QB, 2RBs, 2WRs, and my TE, in round 7 I decided to take the best player available as my flex. That player was Tony Pollard. His teammate Tyjae Spears went one pick before Pollard, but while this is certainly going to be a split backfield, Pollard has, so far, looked like the better player and I was very happy to land him as my flex. I used the rest of the Mock Draft to flesh out my depth and build a well-balanced squad. I rarely carry a backup QB or backup TE and this draft was no different. My favorite pick is probably Romeo Doubs in round 10 or the combination of Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert in rounds 12 and 13. Reports coming out of Green Bay have said that Doubs could be the team’s leading receiver this season. If that comes to fruition, he is an absolute steal in the 10th round. As for Johnson and Herbert. One of them is going to get a lot of playing time as the complement to D’Andre Swift. Whichever one does should be able to do enough to produce weekly flex numbers and if they’re more involved than anticipate or if Swift gets hurt they could produce weekly RB2 numbers from my flex spot. I’ll take that any day.

First 7 Picks

A.J. Brown WR
Saquon Barkley RB
Joe Mixon RB
Trey McBride TE
Kyler Murray QB
Diontae Johnson WR
Tony Pollard RB

Aaron Schill | Pick 10

FF Faceoff | Writer/Social Media

With the 10th pick in this mock draft, I was able to grab two talented running backs to build around. With my first pick, I drafted Jonathan Taylor. I believe he is one of the few running backs this year that has a chance at finishing as the RB1 overall. While taking a wide receiver is tempting, I’m happy to build my team around a stud running back such as Taylor. Personally, I have Taylor ranked as my RB5 this year in my personal fantasy football rankings. After that, I grabbed Derrick Henry with my second pick, which left me with two workhorse running backs to build around. Overall, a very solid start that I’d be comfortable with in a real draft this year.

First 7 Picks

Jonathan Taylor RB
Derrick Henry RB
Brandon Aiyuk WR
Michael Pittman Jr. WR
C.J. Stroud QB
David Montgomery RB
David Njoku TE

Jarrett Prendergast | Pick 12

FantasyData | Writer

When I saw I had the 12th pick, my initial hope was to take an RB and WR at the turn. But once Jahmyr Gibbs was selected ahead of me, I decided to change my approach and go WR/WR, so I selected Garrett Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. Wilson should be in for a monster year as the Jets welcome Aaron Rodgers back to the offense. We have been waiting for this Wilson breakout, and as long as there are no more injuries, it should be this season. As for Harrison Jr., he may seem like a risky pick at 13th overall, but I love the player. He will be the WR1 in Arizona and should immediately be a target hog in their offense. He has a good quarterback in Kyler Murray and will be a part of a team that will likely trail often. Harrison Jr. has all the makings of a fantasy star, and I loved the start of my draft. I was in wait-and-see mode as I waited until the end of the third round to pick again. Usually, I like to wait on quarterbacks, but selecting Josh Allen at the last pick of the third round was too good to pass up. Then I knew I needed a running back, so I added Alvin Kamara as my RB1. He is a PPR machine and should once again produce RB1 fantasy numbers. After that, I had my sights set on Dalton Kincaid in the fifth round to pair with Allen, but once I saw Mark Andrews still on the board, I knew I had a chance to make a bold move. I selected both Andrews and Kincaid at the 5th/6th round turn and gave myself two of the best tight ends in fantasy. Each will be a focal point of their offense, and I was fine filling my flex spot with one of those players. After that, I filled my roster with high-upside players or players who should have plenty of opportunities. Adding players like Zack Moss and Gus Edwards gives me two potential starting running backs in the 9th and 10th rounds. Also, I loved getting Brandin Cooks in the 11th round, as he should be in for a much better second season in Dallas. I was particularly pleased with the value I found in the later rounds, adding players with high potential and ample opportunities. Overall, I am happy with my draft, and even though the 12th pick is not sought after, it is a spot where you can build a strong team with the right approach.

First 7 Picks

Garrett Wilson WR
Marvin Harrison Jr. WR
Josh Allen QB
Alvin Kamara RB
Mark Andrews TE
Dalton Kincaid TE
Keenan Allen WR

Dom Cintorino | Pick 3

With the third overall pick, it really came down to Ja’Marr Chase and Bijan Robinson. I gave the slight egde to Chase, who is my WR1 heading into 2024. On the way back, I stuck to my board and took my top two players available in Nico Collins and Josh Jacobs. Typically a WR room like the Texans would scare me off, but I view Collins as their clear number one option. Waddle was in consideration in the third round, but Jacobs was too hard to pass up. Ideally, Malik Nabers would have been my fourth-round selection, but he had three picks before me. If it weren’t for the recent injury concerns, Nabers would have been my pick over Jacobs. This left me with George Pickens, who was my top WR on the board. I followed that up with Anthony Richardson as opposed to adding my WR4 or reaching on a RB. After Richardson, four of my next six picks were running backs. This included Najee Harris, Devin Singletary, Trey Benson, and Rico Dowdle. Each of these players should be involved in their respective backfield and it gave me depth at a position that really thins out the longer you wait. While I dont have a whole lot of exposure to Brock Bowers thus far, he kind of fell into my lap with the 99th pick. Bowers had a promising debut in Minnesota, and considering how the rookie TE has evolved, how can we not be confident? I closed out with one of my favorite late-round targets in Ja’Lynn Polk. There is a legit path to Polk being the Patriots leading receiver and he is not being priced properly.

First 7 Picks

JaMarr Chase WR
Nico Collins WR
Josh Jacobs RB
George Pickens WR
A.Richardson QB
Najee Harris RB
Calvin Ridley WR

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Recap