Fantasy draft season is in full swing. Now that we are two weeks through the preseason, more leagues are going to be coming together to kick off the season.
I’m here to help you prepare once again with a mock draft, this time covering point-per-reception leagues. As always, I’m using FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Simulator to pick my team. You can see the settings below. The Simulator allows users to completely customize their league before drafting. There’s no waiting in lobbies or waiting for other owners to pick.
For this draft, I picked ninth, but only because I randomized the pick order. Here are my other mock drafts where I picked first, sixth and 12th in a standard league. Below is a breakdown of my team for this PPR league.
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Quarterback: Matthew Stafford (Rd. #9), Patrick Mahomes (Rd. #12)
Much like I did in my last mock, I wanted to pair a reliable fantasy starter with a high-upside guy. Mahomes has a ton of potential, and he could be ripping off big plays in no time with Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and Kareem Hunt on his side. But, early reports out of training camp indicate he may have a turnover problem, which could limit his fantasy ceiling.
Stafford has been incredibly consistent, so if Mahomes has a slow start, I wouldn’t hesitate to start Stafford. He hasn’t missed a game in seven years, and has thrown for at least 4,200 yards in each of those seasons. With LeGarrette Blount and Kerryon Johnson in the mix, too, he will have one of his best running games in years that will only lift the entire offense.
Running back: Kareem Hunt (Rd. #1), Melvin Gordon (Rd. #2), Dion Lewis (Rd. #5), Samaje Perine (Rd. #13)
I wanted to start the draft out running back-running back because I love the depth at receiver this season, especially in PPR leagues, so I wasn’t worried about taking someone like Keenan Allen early on.
Hunt and Gordon combined for 111 receptions last season, so they’re an easy choice for a starting duo in a PPR league. There’s also Dion Lewis, who is set to have a larger role in Tennessee this season than he has in year’s past with the Patriots. He had 32 catches last season for 214 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to six rushing TDs. I could see all four of those figures rising this year, with Derrick Henry slated as the Titans’ early-down rusher and Lewis coming in on passing downs.
Meanwhile, Perine is in line to see a larger role in Washington with Derrius Guice done for the year with a torn ACL. I definitely have questions about Perine’s talent, but if the Redskins don’t sign anyone else in camp, he could be in line for a starting role, and that’s great value for my last bench spot.
Wide receiver: Golden Tate (Rd. #3), Jarvis Landry (Rd. #4), Jamison Crowder (Rd. #6), Julian Edelman (Rd. #7), Cooper Kupp (Rd. #8)
This position is absolutely loaded for me. Landry, who I picked as my second receiver, finished fifth in total scoring in PPR last season, and Tate finished 13th. That’s great value for getting these two guys in the third and fourth rounds.
As I’ve said in previous mocks, I’m also high on Crowder this season with Alex Smith in the mix. He will be a frequent target for Smith on short-yardage routes, especially with Guice out. Edelman is a perfect stash, too, with three receivers I don’t mind playing in the first four weeks. He will be Tom Brady‘s No. 1 target as soon as he’s back, and he’s shown he can be a PPR stud in the past, finishing 16th in per-game scoring in PPR leagues in 2016, before missing all of last year with an injury.
The biggest knock against Kupp is that the Rams added Brandin Cooks this offseason, but I could still see him being the slot receiver for LA with Cooks and Woods on the outside. He had six games with five receptions or more last season, and finished 25th in total fantasy scoring in PPR leagues. That’s at least four guys who could all finish in the top 25 at receiver.
Tight end: Trey Burton (Rd. #10), George Kittle (Rd. #11)
Burton figures to have a big role in Chicago’s offense this year (they didn’t pay him $32 million for nothing). He just had a huge preseason outing, catching four passes for 45 yards and a touchdown against the Denver Broncos this week. And, at this point in the draft, he at least has the highest upside. I’d rather have someone like him on my roster than Kyle Rudolph and just pray that he scores a touchdown.
I’ve already written about Kittle, but he’s been a darling for fantasy football writers leading up to the season. With Jimmy Garoppolo in place as the starter all season, he should be utilized more in San Francisco. He averaged 5.6 fantasy points per game in the five games Garoppolo played last year, and had back-to-back 10-point games to close out the year. By taking both of these guys, I’m hopeful I will have at least one top-10 tight end.
Defense: New Orleans (Rd. #15)
Kicker: Justin Tucker (Rd. #16)
So there you have it, my latest mock draft using our free mock draft simulator. Keep on mocking!
Fantasy Football Mock Draft (12-Team PPR Middle Pick)
Fantasy Football Mock Draft (12-Team Standard Middle Pick)
Fantasy Football Mock Draft (12-Team PPR Early Pick)
Fantasy Football Mock Draft (12-Team Standard Early Pick)
Fantasy Football Mock Draft (12-Team Standard)
Fantasy Football Mock Draft (12-Team PPR)
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Jon Munshaw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Jon, check out his archive and follow him @jon_munshaw
