Before you know it, it will be fantasy football draft time. During the next few weeks, I will be conducting several mock drafts. During the drafts, I will pick in all 12 positions, with all sorts of scenarios.
As a rule, I prefer to draft two starting running backs within the first four rounds. It is a tried-and-true strategy, which has done me well for 25-plus years. The mock drafts I do will all assume 12 teams are in the league (unless otherwise noted) with the following positions: quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, tight end, a flex (running back, wide receiver or tight end), kicker, team defense and six bench spots. So, it is a 16-round snake draft.
Here is scenario No. 8. (See Also: No. 1 pick, No. 2 pick, No. 3 pick, No. 4 pick, No. 5 pick, No. 6 pick, No. 7 pick)
I have the eighth overall pick; let’s see how it all works out. In this format, we are playing in a half-point-per-reception league (Half-PPR), meaning every reception is worth a half-point.
You can see the entire draft by clicking here.
Here is my roster:
Round 1, Pick 8: Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Round 2, Pick 5: Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Round 3, Pick 8: Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Round 4, Pick 5: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Denver Broncos
Round 5, Pick 8: Tyler Warren, TE, Indianapolis Colts
Round 6, Pick 5: Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Round 7, Pick 8: Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Round 8, Pick 5: Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 9, Pick 8: Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Round 10, Pick 5: Matthew Golden, WR, Green Bay Packers
Round 11, Pick 8: Tyler Allgeier, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Round 12, Pick 5: Houston Texans Defense
Round 13, Pick 8: Brandon Aubrey, K, Dallas Cowboys
Round 14, Pick 5: Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
Round 15, Pick 8: Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Round 16, Pick 5: Pat Bryant, WR, Denver Broncos
Some observations:
Well, that was a wild ride! RB-RB-RB start is so soothing to me, but makes the receiver room a challenge.
I know people are always scared of Christian McCaffrey, but what if he repeats last year? He was healthy, but can he do that two years in a row? If he does, the combo of McCaffrey, Chase Brown and Kyren Williams will be tough to beat this year — three potentially top-10 bell-cow, pass-catching backs. Giddyup!
Now for the receiver room, my first thought was to take as many as you can, but then I had a choice of Tyler Warren or Jameson Williams in Round 5. As you can see, Tyler Warren won out. Why? With Michael Pittman Jr. gone and an unproven receiver core in Indy, Warren could lead the team in targets and catches. Williams will not do the same in Detroit.
Then I continued hammering the receiver position, with Alec Pierce, Chris Godwin, Michael Wilson and Mathew Golden. Could it work? Sure it can, but will it?
I double-tapped at quarterback. The later I draft a quarterback the more likely I am to take two. The Bo Nix-Matt Stafford combo will work just fine.
I kind of like this team!
What do you think? Let me know by leaving a comment or contacting me on Twitter @KZfansfantasy.
You can sign up for a free mock draft simulator by clicking here. Practice makes perfect!
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox