With June knocking on the door, it’s time for many fantasy football managers to start stretching their redraft muscles as they prepare for home league drafts later this summer. While dynasty leagues can be fun, and rookie talk is always a good time, it’s time to start sharpening our redraft skills.
Much like Mike Tagliere did earlier this month, I’m going to use the Fantasy Pros Mock Draft Wizard to do a quick 17-round mock draft. For this one, I’ll be using “Standard” scoring (i.e., non-PPR) and will drafting a 1QB starting lineup with two RB’s, three WR’s, one TE, two FLEX, and eight bench players.
I randomly got the 10th spot and will be reviewing my logic for each pick. The full draft will be available at the end, but the real work is done when you’re on the clock, so I’ll let you know what I thought as I went through this draft to build my team. So with all that out of the way, let’s get into it.
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Standard Mock Draft from the 10 Pick
1.10 – Aaron Jones (RB – GB)
In redraft leagues, I am a huge fan of building from the running back position first. At the 10 spot, it’s really a crapshoot as to what will be left, but I’m very happy with getting Aaron Jones to anchor my team. He should see plenty of touches with or without Rodgers this year and should be a stud, even in non-PPR leagues.
2.03 – Stefon Diggs (WR – BUF)
I’ll be honest. I got lucky again with Diggs falling to me here. I considered going Kelce just to have that positional advantage, but since this mock requires three WR’s as well as two flex spots, WR is also going to be a need, and getting a stud like Diggs to help that group just seems too good to be true. Easy pick here.
3.10 – Darren Waller (TE – LV)
As I said, I almost took Kelce with my last pick, so when I see Waller still available after the long run between these picks, I’m feeling lucky yet again. Waller is a terrific option and should still provide a ton of positional advantage this year even if the Raiders aren’t going to be a Super Bowl team.
4.03 – D’Andre Swift (RB – DET)
Even with starting 3 WRs in this mock, the group at RB falls off a cliff real quick. Since it’ll be 18 picks until I’m up again, I feel like I need to have another top RB option over a WR here. The WR talent pool is deeper than ever, so I don’t mind waiting a little longer to see what’s left at 5.10.
5.10 – Tyler Lockett (WR – SEA)
Boy, am I glad I waited! Had I taken a WR like DJ Moore or Mike Evans, I’d be looking at Kareem Hunt or Myles Gaskin with this pick. Swift is much better than either of those two RBs, and Lockett is a perfect WR2 option, so I am happy to take him with this pick.
6.03 – Tee Higgins (WR – CIN)
After the quick turn here, I see second-year wideout Higgins is still available. The draft wizard was trying to tell me to take a QB here, but I’m fine waiting a little longer since I only need the one in this format. Higgins makes much more sense, so I scoop him up without a second thought.
7.10 – Leonard Fournette (RB – TB)
With my starters at RB, WR, and TE taken care of, it’s time to look at my flex spots and start thinking about depth. As expected, the RB options at this point in the draft are getting ugly already, so I reluctantly take Lombardi Lenny and just pray he holds the starting job long enough for me to use him.
8.03 – Justin Herbert (QB – LAC)
Facing another long turn here, I decided to reach a little and get “my guy” at QB for 2021 and beyond in Herbert. That offense was clicking on all cylinders last year, and even with some changes in the coaching staff, I honestly think Herbert could be the QB1 overall with all of the weapons he has to use.
9.10 – Jarvis Landry (WR – CLE)
The only starting roster spot left is flex, and I think Landry is a perfect option for flex consideration this year, even in non-PPR leagues. The simulator had a few other guys ahead of him, but I think Landry is a steal this late. The Browns should still put up offensive numbers, and Landry should see plenty of TD opportunities.
10.03 – Corey Davis (WR – NYJ)
I am leaning WR here due to the starting requirements of the mock, and am pretty happy to see Davis still on the board. As of today, he’s the WR1 on the team, even though they do have a lot of other options vying for the spot. Davis is still someone who should see plenty of targets from new QB Zach Wilson, making him perfectly viable in fantasy.
11.10 – Nyheim Hines (RB – IND)
I’m not seeing anyone jump out to me here, but my team does feel a little light on RB after taking two WRs in the last two picks. Hines has some upside and should be able to spot Taylor throughout the season, so he’s a fine bench RB for my team here. Not flashy, but in the 11th round, very few really are.
12.03 – Jeffrey Wilson (RB – SF)
After the quick four-pick turn, I am staring at the player pool, and I’m still not that excited. I guess Wilson is a fine pick here since he could end up winning that job, but man, who knows. Bench players are often ones that get cut early in the season when someone comes out of nowhere, so I’m not holding Wilson long if it doesn’t look like it’s his job to lose.
13.10 – John Brown (WR – LV)
I decide to add another vet to the team in new Raiders WR John Brown. The Draft Wizard had mentioned him a few times already, so I feel like this might be a good value spot for him. He could help Derek Carr stretch the field and be helpful during bye weeks, or he could be a wasted pick. At this are of the draft, it’s anyone’s guess, really.
14.03 – Joe Burrow (QB – CIN)
I’m not one to draft two QBs in most 1QB redraft leagues, especially with all of the other starting requirements, but I just couldn’t let Burrow fall much further here. He’s still a top 10 QB, and this allows me to play the matchups a little as the season gets going, and I decide who will carry my team. If Herbert struggles to adjust to his new offense, Burrow could be a terrific value here.
15.10 – Parris Campbell (WR – IND)
Campbell is still on the board, and I can’t let him go any further. He’s got tons of upside, and even with Ty Hilton and Michael Pittman in the mix, Campbell could be one of those guys that carries me through bye weeks right into the playoffs if he lasts that long on my bench anyway.
16.03 – Evan Engram (TE – NYG)
Coming back around, I decided to grab a backup tight end in Engram. The Giants could be one of those teams where everyone feasts, including Engram, but it could also be one where there are just too many mouths to feed, and Engram gets left hungry. Way too soon to tell, but again, his upside is there, making him worth a late-round stash.
17.10 – Bryan Edwards (WR – LV)
My final pick is yet another Raider in second-year wide receiver Edwards. I’m not really sure how it happened, but I drafted three pass catchers on the same team. Edwards is almost entirely upside since his floor is zero. Based on how he looks in the preseason, he is an easy cut candidate for me if someone else shines brighter, so why not grab him and get my grade.
Conclusion and Draft Grades
Overall I really like my roster. I think it’s got a better starting lineup than a bench, but in the summer, that’s all that matters anyway. The consensus ranks gave me an 86 which is solid, but Joe Pisapia gave me a 95, and Tags himself graded me an 88, so I must have done something right.
The draft analysis shows that TE is my strongest position, and I agree. Waller is a stud. It also shows that my bench is ranked fourth out of 12. That’s much higher than I expected. It shows that I reached a little on Fournette and Edwards but got steals with my Burrow and Engram picks.
Overall I’m happy with this team and think it has potential, but I also think I can do better. The best part of using the FantasyPros Mock Draft Simulator is that you can do dozens of these throughout the course of a day. Take a quick five-minute break and do one yourself. Share the results with me on Twitter, @AndrewHallFF, and stick with FantasyPros through the rest of the offseason leading up to Week 1. There is plenty of analysis, rankings, and ADP data to check out, and it’s always updated with the latest to help you win your title and dominate your own league!
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