The NFL season is a week away, 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-team draft at some point, as well as a Superflex.
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 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 final 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, No. 11 pick, Superflex, 10-team)
Here is my roster:
Round 1, Pick 12: Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
Round 2, Pick 1: De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
Round 3, Pick 12: Omarion Hampton, RB, San Diego Chargers
Round 4, Pick 1: Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
Round 5, Pick 12: George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Round 6, Pick 1: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
Round 7, Pick 12: Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills
Round 8, Pick 1: Javonte Williams, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Round 9, Pick 12: Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Round 10, Pick 1: Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Round 11, Pick 12: Tucker Kraft, TE, Green Bay Packers
Round 12, Pick 1: Dylan Sampson, RB, Cleveland Browns
Round 13, Pick 12: Christian Kirk, WR, Houston Texans
Round 14, Pick 1: Ollie Gordon, RB, Miami Dolphins
Round 15, Pick 12: Kansas City Chiefs D/ST
Round 16, Pick 1: Jake Elliott, K, Philadelphia Eagles
Observations:
Picking at the turn has its pros and cons. You miss out on the biggest stars, but doubling up allows you to set the tone for the rest of the draft. It is also an opportunity to just get your guys as it’s almost guaranteed some players will not be available to you otherwise. You also get great value on many players who fall in the earlier rounds.
Malik Nabers is falling in the first round because he has missed time in the preseason with injuries. He is falling out of the first round entirely in some drafts. I have grabbed him in the second in some leagues. He might get more targets than any receiver in the NFL. That’s an ideal first pick to build around.
Nabers could lead all wide receivers in targets. De’Von Achane has an opportunity to do the same for running backs. Achane is also falling in some drafts because of a calf injury he sustained during the preseason, but he is slated to play in Week 1. My preference is to get a receiver and running back in the first two rounds and then build from there.
I passed on quarterback and tight end in this draft until the later rounds. The end result is a balanced team with depth throughout the roster. Omarion Hampton gets an opportunity to take over as the Chargers’ starter. Alvin Kamara is being undervalued, but I want him on as many teams as possible because of his pass-catching skills. Those are three high-upside backs with my first four picks.
Four of the next five picks were receivers. George Pickens and Jaylen Waddle are technically No. 2 options on their own teams, but I am fine with either as my second receiver. Stefon Diggs is the top target for Drake Maye. Josh Downs is talented, and his value rises with Daniel Jones under center.
Brock Purdy and Tucker Kraft form my ideal duo at quarterback and tight end for many drafts. Each can outperform their ADP and finish as top-10 options at both positions. Purdy is ranked as a QB2 despite finishing as a QB1 the last two seasons. Kraft was TE9 last season and is going outside the top 12 tight ends. That’s the kind of value we want in drafts.
My final mock draft of the summer is my favorite of them all. I want one of the last picks so that I can get two top stars in the first couple rounds. I have built teams going QB-TE heavy and waiting, and I like how my teams look more when waiting on those spots. The middle rounds are full of players with upside to outperform their ADP. Keep loading up on those guys before drafting the other positions.
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