NFL training camps are underway, and just like the players on the field, 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 draft at some point, and a non-PPR (standard) draft.
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 that could end up being a starter 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.
We have reached the middle of the first round in my mocks, so this feels like an ideal time to show you an ideal team in a Superflex setting, where quarterbacks can be used in the flex spot. We will use the No. 6 pick in this mock draft.
(See also: No. 1 pick, No. 2 pick, No. 3 pick, No. 4 pick, No. 5 pick, No. 6 pick)
Here is my roster:
Round 1, Pick 6: Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Round 2, Pick 7: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions
Round 3, Pick 6: Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions
Round 4, Pick 7: Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
Round 5, Pick 6: James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
Round 6, Pick 7: David Montgomery, RB, Detroit Lions
Round 7, Pick 6: Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Round 8, Pick 7: Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 9, Pick 6: DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Tennessee Titans
Round 10, Pick 7: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Round 11, Pick 6: Josh Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Round 12, Pick 7: Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
Round 13, Pick 6: Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints
Round 14, Pick 7: Justin Fields, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 15, Pick 6: Baltimore Ravens D/ST
Round 16, Pick 7: Jake Elliott, K, Philadelphia Eagles
Observations:
If you have been following along with these mock drafts, you know in redraft leagues I’m a fan of selecting my quarterback in Rounds 8-10, but that all changes in Superflex. Ten QBs were drafted in the first round, and 16 total by the end of the third round. It’s imperative to get your QB1 early, and depending on who that top choice is, landing a second quarterback is just as important.
I’m all-in on Anthony Richardson this year, but there is reason for concern. He was phenomenal in the two full games he played last season before getting injured, finishing as QB2 and QB4 in those games. Richardson’s running ability is what makes him so unique at the position. Colts head coach Shane Steichen was very blunt in saying that’s still going to be a major part of his game. If Richardson can post numbers similar to Jalen Hurts’ first season as a starter, averaging more than 20 points per game, he will easily return this draft position.
I want Amon-Ra St. Brown on as many of my teams as possible this season. He’s the clear No. 1 for a Lions offense I expect to be even better in 2024. So when I saw Jared Goff was available with my next pick, I wasted no time stacking the duo together. Goff finished last season second in passing yards (4,575) and fourth in passing touchdowns (30), while St. Brown was on the receiving end of 119 receptions for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns. That’s elite level production from both players and why I have each ranked much higher than the consensus rankings this season.
Getting two quarterbacks early allowed me to attack the skill positions the rest of the way until taking my ultimate sleeper with my final pick. I like Chris Olave as a WR1, so landing him as my WR2 makes this a real strong start to the draft. I went back-to-back at running back with my next two picks, James Cook and David Montgomery.
Cook is the perfect PPR back to target, as I expect his role to expand in his second season. Montgomery is going three rounds later than his teammate Jahmyr Gibbs, but Montgomery finished with 1,015 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground last year. He might not get back to 1,000 yards again, but double-digit touchdowns are a strong possibility in that explosive offense.
I won’t go through each pick, but Jaylen Warren, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Josh Palmer are three players I want on as many of my teams as possible. Brock Bowers is a better talent than Sam LaPorta and Dalton Kincaid, both of whom excelled as rookies, and the Raiders don’t have many receiving options behind Davante Adams. Justin Fields is my prized late-round pick, as I’ve done in other Superflex and Best Ball leagues. The Steelers keep saying Russell Wilson is the No. 1 QB, but I think it’s only a matter of time before Fields becomes the starter as they look to the future.
What do you think of this roster? Let’s discuss on Twitter @JoeSerp.
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Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox