The NFL preseason is 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 will 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 a Superflex draft.
If you read my draft guide, you know I am not a fan of drafting kickers and defense if it’s not necessary. I would rather add a few running backs who could end up being a starter in case of an injury. However, for the sake of this exercise, I will 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 are a fantasy nerd like me, make sure to 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 11th pick of the first round as we wrap up our mock drafts and prepare for Week 1 of the regular season.
(See also: No. 1 pick, No. 2 pick, No. 3 pick, No. 4 pick, No. 5 pick, No. 6 pick, No. 7 pick, No. 8 pick, No. 9 pick, No. 10 pick, Superflex)
Here is my roster:
Round 1, Pick 11: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions
Round 2, Pick 2: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Round 3, Pick 11: Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Round 4, Pick 2: Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
Round 5, Pick 11: Aaron Jones, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Round 6, Pick 2: Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Round 7, Pick 11: Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 8, Pick 2: Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
Round 9, Pick 11: Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Round 10, Pick 2: Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
Round 11, Pick 11: Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Round 12, Pick 2: Keenan Allen, WR, San Diego Chargers
Round 13, Pick 11: Woody Marks, RB, Houston Texans
Round 14, Pick 2: Kyle Monangai, RB, Chicago Bears
Round 15, Pick 12: Los Angeles Rams D/ST
Round 16, Pick 2: Tyler Loop, K, Baltimore Ravens
Observations:
The final picks of the first round offer a lot of options at wide receiver. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Brian Thomas Jr. have the potential to finish as top-five overall players but also are safe bets to return their value. St. Brown finished as WR3 and Thomas Jr. was WR4 last year, and there is little reason to think they can’t do it again.
The reason I feel so comfortable going with receivers in the first two rounds is because I am a big fan of many of the running backs available between Round 3 and Round 7. I am more than happy to have Kenneth Walker III and Chuba Hubbard as my starting running backs. Hubbard was RB12 in average points per game. Walker was not too far behind as RB14. Adding Aaron Jones in the fifth round gives me another starting-caliber back should one of the others get banged up.
My strategy for tight end and quarterback continues to be addressing both positions between Rounds 8 and 11. There are countless outcomes that will work for you. In my mock of the 10th pick, I went with Evan Engram and Justin Fields. In this mock, it was Mark Andrews and Dak Prescott. I also would have been happy to have Brock Purdy and Tyler Warren or Drake Maye and Jake Ferguson.
Keep an eye on the preseason news when making your final picks. Keenan Allen was on nobody’s fantasy radar before re-signing with the Chargers. Woody Marks is seeing his value rise with the injury to Joe Mixon. Kyle Monangai could be taking on the “thunder” role in Chicago’s new backfield. All three players were undrafted just a few weeks ago.
The end result is another balanced roster I am satisfied with. I like how my teams look when I wait until the middle point of the draft to get my quarterback and tight end. Go heavy with backs and receivers early and then find your QB-TE combo later on. That’s the strategy I will be going with as the real thing kicks off in the coming weeks.
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