NFL training camps are set to begin soon, and the key to any successful season is preparation.
The same can be said for fantasy football. Whether you have the first overall pick or the last of the first round, having a sense of who will be available in each round is key.
I’ll be doing mock drafts throughout the summer, offering scenarios and feedback for each position, starting with the No. 1 pick. The point of these mocks is to prepare for the unexpected.
The mock drafts will assume that 12 teams are in the league with the following roster construction: quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, tight end, a flex (running back, wide receiver or tight end), defense, kicker and seven bench spots. It is a 16-round snake draft in a half-point-per-reception (half-PPR) league. We will mix in 10- and 16-team drafts at some point as well as Superflex and non-PPR (standard) drafts.
If you read my draft guide, you know I’m not a fan of drafting kickers and defense if it’s not necessary. I’d rather add a few running backs who could end up starters in the event of an injury. However, for the sake of this exercise, I’ll round out each draft by doing so. Remember, do not draft either before your final two picks!
Most important of all, be creative with your mock drafts. Do not take the same players in every mock. Your favorite sleeper is probably someone else’s too.
The draft is just the start of the season. If you are drafting early, work the waiver wire to your advantage if any major injuries arise. If you’re a fantasy nerd like me, turn on notifications from your favorite NFL insider for breaking news around the league. But the draft is where you build the foundation of your roster, and the goal is to have as deep a roster as possible.
This mock is for the fourth pick with a lot more fantasy analysis upcoming.
(See also: No. 1 pick, No. 2 pick, No. 3 pick)
Here is my roster:
Round 1, Pick 4: Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Round 2, Pick 9: Travis Etienne, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Round 3, Pick 4: Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Round 4, Pick 9: DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Round 5, Pick 4: Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns
Round 6, Pick 9: Tank Dell, WR, Houston Texans
Round 7, Pick 4: Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
Round 8, Pick 9: Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
Round 9, Pick 4: Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Round 10, Pick 9: Jakobi Meyers, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Round 11, Pick 4: Antonio Gibson, RB, New England Patriots
Round 12, Pick 9: Jaleel McLaughlin, RB, Denver Broncos
Round 13, Pick 4: Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Round 14, Pick 9: Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Round 15, Pick 4: New York Jets D/ST
Round 16, Pick 9: Evan McPherson, K, Cincinnati Bengals
Observations:
Fantasy football drafts are in full swing now that we are in mid-July, and a common trend I am seeing is that running backs are being scooped up very quickly. The scarcity at the position has fantasy managers selecting backs a lot higher than the predraft rankings, so I decided to go with the Robust RB approach in this mock draft.
Christian McCaffrey is hands down the No. 1 running back heading into this season. It’s pick your poison who is second on most draft boards between Bijan Robinson and Breece Hall. Both players offer elite upside as ball-carriers and pass-catchers. I have them in tier of their own, ahead of the likes of Jonathan Taylor and Saquon Barkley. With a new coaching staff in Atlanta, I am expecting Robinson to become the phenom we expected when he was drafted early last season.
I have a lot of stake in Travis Etienne and Isiah Pacheco this year as well. Etienne was third in total touches in 2023, and despite rumblings that other backs could get more carries, I like his chances to get more work in the pass game. Pacheco has been my favorite player to target in the third round. I am expecting the Chiefs’ back to have a monster season with Jerick McKinnon no longer in the picture.
The beauty of landing three high-upside running backs early is the ability to hammer down on wide receivers with the next four picks. Devonta Smith, Amari Cooper and Terry McLaurin are established fantasy assets that are surefire bets to go exceed 1,000 receiving yards and five touchdowns. I am not as high on the Texans as most in the fantasy community, but I have no problem taking the third-ranked wideout in the Houston offense at his current draft position.
Mobile quarterbacks have become hot-ticket items in fantasy. Jayden Daniels has already seen his ADP (average draft position) rise as we inch closer to the season. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is the prototypical dual-threat QB and should be an instant fantasy superstar with Kliff Kingsbury calling plays.
I was all aboard the Evan Engram hype train last year, and despite finishing with the most receptions at the position a year ago, the Jaguars’ tight end is being slept on again. I have Engram ranked inside my top 60 players yet consistently draft him anywhere between picks 75 and 100. Rounds 8-10 are my sweet spot to find my tight end with Engram as a priority add if available.
With the starting roster now set, the focus is on depth at receiver and handcuff running backs who offer upside as pass-catchers. Jakobi Meyers is consistently slept on, and while he’s never an elite option, he offers WR3 upside at this stage of the draft. Antonio Gibson and Jaleel McLaughlin should see action on third downs and are injuries away from being starting options.
Bucky Irving should spell Rachaad White as a rookie but has little competition for touches if something were to happen to the starter. Quentin Johnston will be one of my favorite players to take with my final picks with everyone fading the Chargers’ offense. A guy named Justin Herbert is still the QB there and someone needs to be on the receiving end of his passes.
This team does lack the dominant receiver, but I’ve become more willing to sacrifice the likes of Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown for the first-round running backs. If you don’t land a running back in the first two rounds, you are struggling for consistent options moving forward.
The Robust RB approach might be a little extreme. I did pass up on Davante Adams and Chris Olave, who I do have higher on my board than Etienne. Last year, I was a big fan of going Zero RB. You absolutely want to land at least one of the top 12 running backs this season and build your team from there.
What do you think of this roster? Let’s discuss on Twitter @JoeSerp.
You can do your own mock draft in seconds by clicking here.
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox