By: Alexander Amir
We’re in the dog days of the NFL year. The draft has long been completed, many top free agents are off the market, and training camp doesn’t start for almost two months. But as far as I’m concerned, the fantasy season is in full swing! Now’s the time for endless mock drafts to work out countless scenarios for when the big day arrives. Try out all your combinations of picks — maybe take 3 running backs or receivers to start off and see how that plays out, and have fun being a little risky and seeing what your team looks like at the end.
We at Blitz have decided to do some of the work for you and offer our opinions on this year’s fantasy draft. Each week, we’ll give you full length mock drafts of different league types for you to follow along. Even better, we are breaking it down pick by pick each week. So if you’re drafting in the first slot this season, pay attention, because this week’s articles are for you! If you’re drafting 12th, give it a read anyway and maybe you’ll gain some insight as to how the draft will play out.
Today we’ll be taking a look at a simple 12-team, standard scoring league that I have mocked with the FantasyPros Mock Draft Simulator. It’s an amazing, quick way to get your mocks in, and they have some funny team names too as you’ll see below. The roster format is as follows: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex, D/ST, K and 6 Bench players. My selections are bolded below, and my final roster is at the end. Keep an eye out later in the week for PPR and 2QB league mocks!
Round 1
1) Le’Veon Bell, RB — PIT
2) Todd Gurley, RB — LAR
3) Antonio Brown, WR — PIT
4) Ezekiel Elliott, RB — DAL
5) Deandre Hopkins, WR — HOU
6) David Johnson, RB — ARI
7) Julio Jones, WR — ATL
8) Alvin Kamara, RB — NO
9) Odell Beckham, WR — NYG
10) Saquon Barkley, RB — NYG
11) Kareem Hunt, RB — KC
12) Dalvin Cook, RB — MIN
Analysis: You can’t really go wrong with any of the top 4 players on the board. I went with Le’Veon Bell since he’s been the most consistent year to year, finishing top 4 every season since 2014, minus his suspension shortened 2015 season. 2018 is a contract year for him, and the Steelers will run him into the ground, maximizing his fantasy potential. The rest of the top 12 didn’t have any big surprises aside from Deandre Hopkins going a tick higher than expected.
Round 2
13) Lesean Mccoy, RB — BUF
14) Leonard Fournette, RB — JAC
15) Melvin Gordon, RB — LAC
16) Michael Thomas, WR — NO
17) A.J. Green, WR — CIN
18) Mike Evans, WR — TB
19) Davante Adams, WR — GB
20) Keenan Allen, WR — LAC
21) Devonta Freeman, RB — ATL
22) Doug Baldwin, WR — SEA
23) Rob Gronkowski, TE — NE
24) Tyreek Hill, WR — KC
Analysis: Hill was the 4th ranked fantasy receiver last year with the conservative Alex Smith at QB. While new starter Patrick Mahomes may have a learning curve, I expect his cannon of an arm and Hill’s blazing speed to create some awesome connections. I also went WR here because there was a running back that I love waiting for me for my next pick…
Round 3
25) Jerick Mckinnon, RB — SF
26) Kenyan Drake, RB — MIA
27) Jordan Howard, RB — CHI
28) Adam Thielen, WR — MIN
29) Brandin Cooks, WR — LAR
30) Christian Mccaffrey, RB — CAR
31) Joe Mixon, RB — CIN
32) Josh Gordon, WR — CLE
33) Travis Kelce, TE — KC
34) Amari Cooper, WR — OAK
35) T.Y. Hilton, WR — IND
36) Mark Ingram, RB — NO
Analysis: I love Jerick McKinnon for fantasy this year. He had some solid breakout games in place of injured starter Dalvin Cook, scoring double digit points in 5 out of 10 weeks and reaching 20 points twice. He was in a complete timeshare with Latavius Murray, but now in San Francisco, McKinnon is the uncontested lead dog. Head Coach Kyle Shanahan has a great history with backs, and the 49ers spent considerable resources upgrading their offensive line. And even if I wasn’t that high on McKinnon, I’m not a huge fan of most of the running backs taken in this round anyway.
Round 4
37) Stefon Diggs, WR — MIN
38) Rashaad Penny, RB — SEA
39) Larry Fitzgerald, WR — ARI
40) Demaryius Thomas, WR — DEN
41) Derrick Henry, RB — TEN
42) Sony Michel, RB — NE
43) Aaron Rodgers, QB — GB
44) Carlos Hyde, RB — CLE
45) Zach Ertz, TE — PHI
46) Alex Collins, RB — BAL
47) Allen Robinson, WR — CHI
48) Juju Smith-Schuster, WR — PIT
Analysis: This round we see our first QB off the board, Aaron Rodgers, and deservedly so. My drafting philosophy is to always wait on a QB, but if you’re going to take a QB, Rodgers is the guy. I selected JuJu because he was a top 20 receiver last year, and now any targets that don’t go to Antonio Brown or Le’Veon Bell will likely go to him with Martavis Bryant out of the picture. The offensive dominance of Brown and Bell didn’t hinder JuJu’s ability last year, and I don’t expect any different for 2018. He’s also an extremely appealing dynasty pick at only 21 years old.
Round 5
49) Jay Ajayi, RB — PHI
50) Pierre Garcon, WR — SF
51) Alshon Jeffery, WR — PHI
52) Golden Tate, WR — DET
53) Dez Bryant, WR — FA
54) Marvin Jones, WR — DET
55) Derrius Guice, RB — WAS
56) Greg Olsen, TE — CAR
57) Royce Freeman, RB — DEN
58) Lamar Miller, RB — HOU
59) Julian Edelman, WR — NE
60) Jarvis Landry, WR — CLE
Analysis: In standard scoring format I like loading up on running backs. While Ajayi was nowhere near as productive last year as people hoped he would be after being traded to the Eagles, he no longer has to compete with LeGarrette Blount for carries. Yes, Corey Clement will still be there on passing downs, but GM Howie Roseman has explicitly said he wants to get Ajayi more carries. Finally, Ajayi had an extremely impressive 5.8 yards per carry in 2017. That bodes well for efficient production.
Round 6
61) Russell Wilson, QB — SEA
62) Tom Brady, QB — NE
63) Devin Funchess, WR — CAR
64) Marlon Mack, RB — IND
65) Deshaun Watson, QB — HOU
66) Jamison Crowder, WR — WAS
67) Duke Johnson, RB — CLE
68) Evan Engram, TE — NYG
69) Robert Woods, WR — LAR
70) Jimmy Graham, TE — GB
71) Michael Crabtree, WR — BAL
72) Ronald Jones, RB — TB
Round 7
73) Marshawn Lynch, RB — OAK
74) Dion Lewis, RB — TEN
75) Cam Newton, QB — CAR
76) Jordy Nelson, WR — OAK
77) Carson Wentz, QB — PHI
78) Sammy Watkins, WR — KC
79) Matthew Stafford, QB — DET
80) Delanie Walker, TE — TEN
81) Rishard Matthews, WR — TEN
82) Drew Brees, QB — NO
83) Corey Davis, WR — TEN
84) Jordan Reed, TE — WAS
Analysis: While I did still have my WR3 spot open at this point, I wasn’t a huge fan of who was available at the position. A lot of good receivers went in Round 5 where I took Ajayi, so I decided to go with two more running backs and call it a day on the position. Jones has a ton of upside with the new TB offense, and Lynch was the 19th best running back in 2017. I also saw five excellent QBs come off the board, so I knew it was time to start thinking about who I was going to take at that position.
Round 8
85) Emmanuel Sanders, WR — DEN
86) Chris Hogan, WR — NE
87) Will Fuller, WR — HOU
88) Ben Roethlisberger, QB — PIT
89) Cooper Kupp, WR — LAR
90) Sterling Shepard, WR — NYG
91) Chris Thompson, RB — WAS
92) Tevin Coleman, RB — ATL
93) Jimmy Garoppolo, QB — SF
94) Robby Anderson, WR — NYJ
95) Kirk Cousins, QB — MIN
96) Devante Parker, WR — MIA
Round 9
97) Kyle Rudolph, TE — MIN
98) Kenny Stills, WR — MIA
99) C.J. Anderson, RB — CAR
100) Rex Burkhead, RB — NE
101) Chris Carson, RB — SEA
102) Marquise Goodwin, WR — SF
103) Josh Doctson, WR — WAS
104) Isaiah Crowell, RB — NYJ
105) Jamaal Williams, RB — GB
106) Nelson Agholor, WR — PHI
107) Randall Cobb, WR — GB
108) Kelvin Benjamin, WR — BUF
Analysis: I don’t love the Parker pick. It was more based on need since my WR3 spot was still open. But with Jarvis Landry gone this year, Parker should see increased opportunity, even with Danny Amendola and Kenny Stills on the roster. I also didn’t love the rest of the receivers available. I thought this was good value for Kyle Rudolph, because he’s a consistent, solid player who has a bit of upside with Kirk Cousins now in Minnesota. That’s exactly the type of TE I wanted.
Round 10
109) Danny Amendola, WR — MIA
110) Desean Jackson, WR — TB
111) Aaron Jones, RB — GB
112) Kerryon Johnson, RB — DET
113) Marqise Lee, WR — JAC
114) Chris Godwin. WR — TB
115) Allen Hurns, WR — DAL
116) Samaje Perine, RB — WAS
117) Jacksonville Jaguars, DST — JAC
118) Nick Chubb, RB — CLE
119) Minnesota Vikings, DST — MIN
120) Matt Ryan, QB — ATL
Analysis: I FINALLY get my quarterback at pick #120, at the end of round 10. I honestly was shocked that Matt Ryan fell this far, but this could be attributed to FantasyPros’ low ranking on him. At any rate, Ryan will inevitably fall, and snagging him late will be a huge move for your team. The team dropped all the way from the #1 offense by a mile in 2017 to #15 a year later. Offensive Coordinator Steve Sarkisian will undoubtedly get on the same page as Ryan, and the team added the talented rookie Calvin Ridley to boot. 2017 was the anomaly for Ryan, not the norm. Play it smart with where you draft him, but pull the trigger and see the rewards.
Round 11
121) D.J. Moore, WR — CAR
122) Martavis Bryant WR — OAK
123) D’onta Foreman, RB — HOU
124) Ted Ginn, WR — NO
125) Tarik Cohen, RB — CHI
126) Jack Doyle, TE — IND
127) Calvin Ridley, WR — ATL
128) Bilal Powell, RB — NYJ
129) Javorius Allen, RB — BAL
130) Tyler Lockett, WR — SEA
131) Mike Williams, WR — LAC
132) Demarco Murray, RB — FA
Round 12
133) Tyler Eifert, TE — CIN
134) Mohamed Sanu, WR — ATL
135) Kenny Golladay, WR — DET
136) Andrew Luck, QB — IND
137) Cameron Meredith, WR — NO
138) Tavon Austin, WR/RB — DAL
139) Eric Ebron, TE — IND
140) O.J. Howard, TE — TB
141) Wayne Gallman, RB — NYG
142) Dede Westbrook, WR — JAC
143) Ty Montgomery, RB — GB
144) Michael Gallup, WR — DAL
Analysis: I rarely ever draft NFL rookies in fantasy drafts because they are so unpredictable. But both D.J. Moore and Michael Gallup are in unique opportunities to garner a bunch of targets on their respective teams. Moore has great speed on a Carolina team that features a 6’4” Devin Funchess and 6’5” Greg Olsen as the primary pass catchers. The Cowboys lost Dez Bryant and Jason Witten this offseason, leaving a bunch of targets sitting on the table. With the injury-prone Allen Hurns as the team’s top outside receiver, Gallup should have plenty of opportunity to make an impact.
Round 13
145) Trey Burton, TE — CHI
146) Jared Goff, QB — LAR
147) David Njoku, TE — CLE
148) Philip Rivers, QB — LAC
149) Marcus Mariota, QB — TEN
150) Philadelphia Eagles, DST — PHI
151) Charles Clay, TE — BUF
152) Legarrette Blount, RB — DET
153) Tyrell Williams, WR — LAC
154) George Kittle, TE — SF
155) Cameron Brate, TE — TB
156) Paul Richardson, WR — WAS
Round 14
157) Doug Martin, RB — OAK
158) Devontae Booker, RB — DEN
159) Peyton Barber, RB — TB
160) Matt Breida, RB — SF
161) Anthony Miller, WR — CHI
162) Los Angeles Rams, DST — LAR
163) Theo Riddick, RB — DET
164) Denver Broncos, DST — DEN
165) Ameer Abdullah, RB — DET”
166) Patrick Mahomes, QB — KC
167) Jordan Wilkins, RB — IND
168) Houston Texans, DST — HOU
Round 15
169) Christian Kirk, WR — ARI
170) Keelan Cole, WR — JAC
171) Los Angeles Chargers, DST — LAC
172) Corey Coleman, WR — CLE
173) T.J. Yeldon, RB — JAC
174) Mike Wallace, WR — PHI
175) Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE — JAC
176) Seattle Seahawks, DST — SEA
177) Baltimore Ravens, DST — BAL
178) New England Patriots, DST — NE
179) New Orleans Saints, DST — NO
180) Kansas City Chiefs, DST — KC
Round 16
181) Stephen Gostkowski, K — NE
182) Justin Tucker, K — BAL
183) Greg Zuerlein, K — LAR
184) Matt Bryant, K — ATL
185) Jake Elliott, K — PHI
186) Mason Crosby, K — GB
187) Wil Lutz, K — NO
188) Blair Walsh, K — FA
189) Dan Bailey, K — DAL
190) Matt Prater, K — DET
191) Chris Boswell, K — PIT
192) Harrison Butker, K — KC
Analysis: Another first for me- I rarely ever draft two tight ends. Players usually emerge throughout the season as viable options. But Burton has too much upside to pass up, as he’s flashed talent and will be going to Chicago with a talented 2nd year QB. I always wait until the final rounds to draft a defense because I usually end up adding and dropping countless D/ST throughout the season based on matchup. Houston has games against the Giants, Colts, Bills, and Dolphins to start the season and will have a lot of talent returning from injury. Christian Kirk, yet another rookie receiver, should see a lot of looks behind Larry Fitzgerald. And I trust Josh Rosen to get him the ball, when he inevitably becomes the starter.
Final Roster
QB: Matt Ryan, ATL
RB: Le’Veon Bell, PIT
RB: Jerick McKinnon, SF
WR: Tyreek Hill, KC
WR: JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT
WR: Devante Parker
FLEX: Jay Ajayi
TE: Kyle Rudolph
D/ST: Houston Texans
K: Harrison Butker
BN: Ronald Jones, RB, TB
BN: Marshawn Lynch, RB, OAK
BN: D.J. Moore, WR, CAR
BN: Michael Gallup, WR, DAL
BN: Trey Burton, TE, CHI
BN: Christian Kirk, WR, ARI
Final Analysis: While I hate the #1 pick and would never choose it on my own accord, I’m pretty happy with the way this mock turned out. I got a steal in Matt Ryan, and have a lot of explosive players between Bell, McKinnon, Hill, and JuJu. I have solid depth and if none of my young receivers pan out, my backup RBs or TE could be traded for a better receiver. In terms of overall strategy, load up on running backs and receivers early no matter what slot you’re picking in. You can get great value at QB and TE late in the draft, and if you ever have too many backs or receivers you can just trade them away for upgrades. Stay tuned for the rest of our mocks, and happy drafting!