As I noted in a similar article previously published in August, mock drafts are a fantasy footballer’s best friend for draft preparation. Because no two drafts are alike, regardless of how similar the settings, practicing with mock drafts exposes you to various outcomes and possibilities. In fact, I recently completed a draft in which I aimed to go RB-RB to start my draft (picking seventh among 12 teams), but Julio Jones fell after a string of RBs and Patrick Mahomes were taken. I had to adapt.
Had I not practiced with the FantasyPros Mock Draft Simulator, I may have hesitated and questioned how going WR in the second would turn out in the long run. Thankfully, this mock draft tool prepared me in understanding that adapting to a secondary strategy would still allow me to succeed with RBs in the subsequent rounds. As such, mock drafting prepared me for an unforeseen possibility for which I may not have been previously equipped to handle. Simply put, the ability to adjust and remain nimble despite facing unanticipated obstacles is critical during the draft.
In this mock draft walkthrough, I am focusing on a late-round pick in a 12-team half-PPR league.
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Strategy
With a late-round draft slot, I generally expect to grab one WR between my two picks. With recent rumblings surrounding Miles Sanders, Kenyan Drake, and Josh Jacobs, I anticipate selecting one of them to pair with the elite receiver from my first pick. However, if a premier RB were to fall to me at the end of Round 1, I would pivot and potentially go RB-RB to start my draft and attack WR or TE later.
The Mock Draft
Roster: 1QB/2RB/3WR/1TE/1FLX/6BN
12-Team, Half-PPR, Snake Format, 10th Pick
Round 1.10 – Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB – KC)
I surely did not expect the hottest kid on the block to fall to me at 10th overall, so I was quick to smash that “Draft” button. Clyde Edwards-Helaire finds himself on the best offense in the league, led by the premier QB and a pass-happy, innovative, and offense-focused head coach. There should be plenty of scoring opportunities for Edwards-Helaire, and his receiving prowess should present increased value in any kind of PPR league.
Other Players Considered: Davante Adams, Miles Sanders, Tyreek Hill, Julio Jones
Round 2.03 – Julio Jones (WR – ATL)
The no-doubt RB that I would have drafted in with this pick, Miles Sanders, was unfortunately selected one pick before me, so I had to pivot. I entertained going RB-RB by selecting Kenyan Drake or Josh Jacobs, but opted for (arguably) the best WR in the league. Julio Jones has the second-best annual fantasy football floor behind Michael Thomas. If he were to ever score touchdowns at an expected rate, he would undoubtedly return value for this pick. Simply put, Jones is a high-floor, high-upside foundational piece in a three-WR league. If I were in a league that started just two WRs, I would have immediately selected Drake or Jacobs.
Other Players Considered: Kenyan Drake, Josh Jacobs
Round 3.10 – James Conner (RB – PIT)
With the first two rounds completed, and none of the premier QBs (Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes) or TEs (Travis Kelce and George Kittle) available, I was forced to select another RB or WR. Considering my options and the players remaining on the board, I narrowly chose James Conner over JuJu Smith-Schuster. RB value early on is virtually unparalleled, and there should be ample WR talent available in subsequent rounds.
Other Players Considered: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Melvin Gordon, Amari Cooper
Round 4.03 – Melvin Gordon (RB – DEN)
Fortunately, two stud workhorse RBs fell to me in the fourth, and I chose the safer option. Melvin Gordon may have underwhelmed fantasy football managers last season, from his four-game absence to his subpar return immediately thereafter, but he offers massive upside and reliability for a fourth-round pick. While Chris Carson would have been nice here, a major injury (broken bone in his hip) to end last season scared me enough to go with the safer option. Calvin Ridley would have been a nice option here if I had not already selected Jones in the second round.
Other Players Considered: Chris Carson, Calvin Ridley, Tyler Lockett
Round 5.10 – Darren Waller (TE – LV)
This was a relatively unpleasant pick, as there were no primary RB or WR targets on the board that I believed were worth a fifth-round price. Usually, I avoid the QB and TE positions if I do not land one of the elite options. However, Darren Waller offered the best value considering David Montgomery and Devin Singletary were the top RBs available, while T.Y. Hilton and A.J. Green were the top options per expert consensus ranking at WR.
Other Players Considered: Dak Prescott
Round 6.03 – Dak Prescott (QB – DAL)
This has turned out to be one of my weirder mock drafts, as I have taken both a QB and TE before the late rounds – something I rarely do. Although Jones is my only WR through six rounds, the WR position is deep enough to make up for it while I target other positions. Additionally, after targeting RBs early and often, I did not feel the need to draft a high-floor option like Montgomery, though he presents nice value with a sixth-round cost. Having selected a TE and QB already in this draft, I will most likely exclusively select RBs and WRs the rest of the way.
Other Players Considered: T.Y. Hilton, A.J. Green, David Montgomery
Round 7.10 – Marvin Jones Jr. (WR – DET)
This was a tough pick, as I knew I needed to select a WR since I avoided the position for the past four rounds. With a seventh-round cost, I am content grabbing my second WR. My choice was between Marvin Jones Jr. and Diontae Johnson, who both offer massive upside at a moderate cost. I went with the former option, mainly to diversify my team since I drafted Conner earlier. Although this is not a huge determining factor in my drafts, it can be a deciding point when choosing between two seemingly equal options.
Other Players Considered: Diontae Johnson, Ronald Jones II, J.K. Dobbins
Round 8.03 – J.K. Dobbins (RB – BAL)
Having already rounded out my starting RBs with three seemingly workhorse RBs, I am eager to start selecting high-upside stashes who may serve as league-winning values or desirable trade bait if I underperform in other positions. Selected in Round 2 of the NFL Draft by the top rushing team in the league, J.K. Dobbins offers elite upside if he were to usurp Mark Ingram II as the Ravens’ starting RB. Even in a split backfield, Dobbins could offer notable production. That combination is hard to beat with an eighth-round cost.
Other Players Considered: Matt Breida, Christian Kirk, Jamison Crowder
Round 9.10 – Mike Williams (WR – LAC)
After doing so many mock drafts, I anticipated there being sufficient WR talent available later in the draft. Luckily, Mike Williams fell to me in the ninth round as a solid high-upside WR3 option to pair with Julio Jones and Marvin Jones. I will have to target high-risk, high-reward receivers throughout the rest of the draft and hopefully hit on at least one of them.
Other Players Considered: Sterling Shepard, Latavius Murray
Round 10.03 – Golden Tate (WR – NYG)
Unfortunately, Mecole Hardman, another one of my high-upside WR targets in the later rounds, was taken in between my picks. However, there is still ample talent across the RB and WR positions, namely Golden Tate, Preston Williams, and Latavius Murray. Since I already drafted four RBs and feel comfortable about that role, I returned to the WR position and selected the best value pick. Although he is not the typical high-upside, late-round stash, Tate can serve as a solid WR2 on my team when all I need is consistency and value.
Other Players Considered: Latavius Murray, Preston Williams
Round 11.10- N’Keal Harry (WR – NE)
Continuing the trend of selecting late-round WRs, albeit in contrast to my last pick, I opted for the young sophomore WR who may be poised to take the next step and live up to that first-round cost the Patriots paid in last year’s draft. Curtis Samuel, Allen Lazard, and Boston Scott were appealing options, but N’Keal Harry can be the top WR for his team. He thus presented the highest upside for mine.
Other Players Considered: Curtis Samuel, Allen Lazard, Boston Scott
Round 12.03 – Allen Lazard (WR – GB)
My WR corps has slowly but surely rounded out into a reasonable set. Since it is still the weakest part of my team, however, I tried to enhance it by selecting the anticipated #2 WR for the Packers opposite of Davante Adams. Lazard is a solid late dart throw; it would not hurt too much if it does not pan out, but he could easily return WR2 value by end of the year.
Other Players Considered: Curtis Samuel, DeSean Jackson, Boston Scott, Tony Pollard
Round 13.10 – James Washington (WR – PIT)
I passed on Diontae Johnson earlier because I already had Conner and Marvin Jones offered similar upside at the same cost. James Washington, on the other hand, comes at a much lower cost but presents similar upside if Ben Roethlisberger returns to form after missing (virtually) the entire season. After making this selection, I hope to get another high-upside RB in the last round to round out my team.
Other Players Considered: Damien Harris, Anthony McFarland Jr.
Round 14.03 – Damien Harris (RB – NE)
Damien Harris had an extremely underwhelming rookie season last year with the Patriots. Yet with Sony Michel already on the PUP list and James White offering little rushing upside, Harris could be a diamond in the rough. If Harris pans out, this could be a league-winning selection. If he does not, I will know early and cut him for a highly sought free agent. It is basically a win-win scenario with a late-round pick.
Other Players Considered: Anthony McFarland Jr., Giovani Bernard, Joshua Kelley
Draft Results
I was pleasantly surprised with my grade of a B+, as I thought that going TE and QB so early would hurt my final team. Luckily, I was able to rebound thereafter with a good mix of high-upside WRs and serviceable starters. I think this mock surely shows the value of targeting RBs early, as there is more WR depth now than ever with so many NFL teams utilizing 11 personnel (one RB, one TE, and three WRs) and other three-WR sets.
Although it somewhat worked out for me here, selecting Drake or Jacobs in the second round may have been better for my team. I normally would not expect to get both Conner and Gordon in the third and fourth rounds, respectively, in a real, dynamic draft. Going RB-RB would have been the safer option because there is so much WR value in rounds three through six.
Full Draft Board
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Jared Lese is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jared, check out his archive and follow him @JaredL_FF.
