I recently began this Mock Draft Series on unique draft strategies by implementing Zero-RB through FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Simulator. In case you missed my initial article in this mock draft series, I will employ three distinct strategies across separate mock drafts: 1) Zero-RB 2) Zero-WR and 3) “Hero-RB.” With the initial article about Zero-RB completed, let’s move onto the next one: Zero-WR. Furthermore, I’ll be drafting from the same slot (i.e., eighth of 12 teams) in all three mock drafts to keep things as consistent as possible. However, just like I prefaced in my last article, I want to reiterate to you that the most important thing about drafting is anticipating your league mates moves (i.e., know their tendencies) and then adapt when things, as always, don’t necessarily go as planned.
Average Draft Position (ADP) determined using FantasyPros Consensus ADP
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Strategy
I will not draft a single WR for this Zero-WR strategy until the middle rounds, first attempting to complete my starting positions for the other roles. Once I’ve exhausted my RBs and TE(s), I will focus on high-upside WRs at discounted costs. Although I recommend waiting on QBs, barring a draft-day fall from an elite option, I will pounce on a QB in this mock draft before taking a WR if the opportunity presents itself.
The Mock Draft
Roster: 1QB/2RB/3WR/1TE/1FLX/6BN
12-Team, 0.5 PPR, Snake Format, 8th Position
Round 1.08 – Travis Kelce (TE – KC)
I noted in my Zero-RB article that I was torn between drafting the top fantasy TE, Travis Kelce, and the best remaining RB, Aaron Jones. Because it was a Zero-RB mock, I forced myself to take Kelce, even though I would have a difficult time making that decision in my real drafts. However, in this mock, I again chose Kelce because he offers such an immense competitive advantage at TE compared to all other options. Also, by taking Kelce, I anticipate seeing one of Austin Ekeler, Antonio Gibson, Joe Mixon, or Najee Harris being available at the 2.05 as my RB1.
Other Players Considered: Aaron Jones
Round 2.05 – Joe Mixon (RB – CIN)
My gamble paid off, as two (i.e., Joe Mixon and Antonio Gibson) of the four RBs I was targeting with my second-round pick ended up being available at the 2.05. Although this is an incredibly difficult decision, I ultimately chose the RB whom I believe has a safer floor: Mixon. With Gio Bernard gone, the Cincinnati backfield should be dominated by Mixon, while Gibson may still have to compete with veteran RB J.D. McKissic for targets. Gibson has a high-RB1 upside if he takes full control of the backfield, but I’ll go with the marginally safer option with my first RB pick.
Other Players Considered: Antonio Gibson, Calvin Ridley, Justin Jefferson
Round 3.08 – D’Andre Swift (RB – DET)
Like my decision in the third round for my Zero-RB mock draft, this pick was a no-brainer: D’Andre Swift. Swift is arguably the most talented RB from the 2020 class and flashed great receiving skills in his rookie season. After selecting Mixon as my RB1, taking Swift here to be my RB2 offers my team an insane foundation and elite upside core. With a Zero-WR strategy, I hope to take David Montgomery with my next pick.
Other Players Considered: David Montgomery, CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper
Round 4.05- Josh Allen (QB – BUF)
With Montgomery being drafted right after my last pick, I tried something a bit out-of-the-box for me: taking a QB early in a draft. As such, I was between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson with this pick, ultimately selecting the 2020 MVP-runner-up: Allen. My rationale was that knowing I’d avoid drafting a WR until I exhaust my other positions because of this article, I had to choose between a starting QB, a flex RB, or a flex TE. After looking at the remaining options, I anticipated a solid RB option in the fifth, so I went with the best fantasy QB available. Ideally, I would have taken a WR – D.J. Moore, Cooper Kupp, Diontae Johnson – with this pick.
Other Players Considered: Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, Josh Jacobs, D.J. Moore
Round 5.08 – Travis Etienne (RB – JAX)
Unlike in the second round, my gamble didn’t pay off here, as Jackson fell to me at 5.08. I would have been better served taking Josh Jacobs or Miles Sanders with the 4.05 or a WR if I wasn’t going Zero-WR and then taking Jackson here. However, the RB I was mainly targeting with this pick after taking Allen in the fourth, Travis Etienne, did land in my lap. I scooped him up. Ultimately, I think these last two picks highlight the issue with going into a draft with a rigid strategy and refusing to adapt along the way. Taking a WR in the fourth would have best served my team.
Other Players Considered: N/A
Round 6.05- Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN)
With three WRs being selected after my last pick, I didn’t have many great options remaining to start constructing my receiving corps. Unless I wanted to take the best player available, an RB, who would be a bench player for me, I had to reach on a WR here. As such, I took the best one available: Courtland Sutton. Although he’s coming off a torn ACL early in the 2020 season, Sutton offers mid-range WR2 upside and a solid floor. I would have preferred taking Ja’Marr Chase or Odell Beckham, Jr. here and then target Jerry Jeudy with my next pick.
Other Players Considered: D.J. Chark, Jr. Robby Anderson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Melvin Gordon III
Round 7.08 – Robby Anderson (WR – CAR)
I really wished a better WR option was available to me in the sixth round, as I would have loved taking Jeudy here to be my WR2. However, I wanted to avoid taking two WRs on the same team in back-to-back rounds, so I chose the next best option: Robby Anderson. After several tumultuous years as New York Jet, Anderson put an impressive 2020 campaign in his first season with Carolina, racking up 95 catches on 136 targets for 1,096 yards and three TDs. He’d be a solid WR2 for my team, and I hoped to be able to take Jeudy in the eighth.
Other Players Considered: Jerry Jeudy, Tyler Boyd, Javonte Williams
Round 8.05- Will Fuller V (WR – MIA)
This was a pure-upside pick, as I went with a player who was on fringe-WR1 territory last season before his late-season suspension: Will Fuller V. After many years as the second WR to DeAndre Hopkins in Houston, Fuller V found himself as the top option following a mind-boggling trade by former Head Coach Bill O’Brien which sent Hopkins to Arizona for middling picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. As my WR3, I’m okay with assuming on Fuller V’s – both injury-related and his ongoing suspension, which will cost him the first game of the 2021 season. I’m hoping a legit WR or RB value falls to me at the 9.08.
Other Players Considered: David Johnson, Laviska Shenault, Jr., Ronald Jones II, Zack Moss
Round 9.08 – David Johnson (RB – HOU)
After taking my WR3 with the 8.05, David Johnson fell to me at the 9.08, as my RB4. This was a value-based pick, as Johnson was the undisputed RB1 in Houston when he wasn’t injured, producing as a fringe-RB1 in fantasy, on average. This was an easy pick for me, and I was hoping to take a high-upside WR in the 10th round, ideally Michael Pittman, Jr. or Mike Williams.
Other Players Considered: Michael Pittman, Jr., Mike Williams, Leonard Fournette
Round 10.05- Tony Pollard (RB – DAL)
Because Pittman Jr. and Williams were both selected after my Johnson pick, I wanted to take the best player available. More specifically, I wanted to draft someone who had legit league-winning upside. That player was Tony Pollard, the back-up RB to Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas. Pollard flashed whenever he was given a chance and would be an RB1 in the scenario of Elliott going down or if he (Pollard) were traded to be the lead back elsewhere. As my RB5, this is a minimally risky pick but has massive implications if it were to pan out. I hoped Darnell Mooney fell to me at 11.08.
Other Players Considered: Devin Singletary, Noah Fant, Darnell Mooney
Round 11.08- Jamison Crowder (WR – NYJ)
I was sniped for the second-straight round as Mooney went at the 11.07. This left me in quite the pickle, having to continue bolstering my RB corps or simply reach for the best WR available. Considering my immense RB group, I thought my team would be better if I opt for high-upside WRs who could provide me with a nice return on investment. I went with Jamison Crowder, who may not be a sexy pick, but has produced admirably when healthy and should fit in well on my team.
Other Players Considered: Tre’Quan Smith, Jalen Reagor, John Brown
Round 12.05- Tre’Quan Smith (WR – NO)
As alluded to in my previous pick, I was eyeing high-upside WRs at this point in the mock draft. There’s a big receiving hole in New Orleans with WR1 Michael Thomas having surgery and ultimately looking to miss much of the 2021 season. Tre’Quan Smith has underwhelmed in his opportunities thus far in his career, and despite an apparently minor early training camp injury does, he did present a sizable upside as my WR5. I wanted to continue expanding my WR corps with the last few picks since all of these were dart-throws.
Other Players Considered: John Brown, Sterling Shepard, Emmanuel Sanders, Parris Campbell
Round 13.08 – Parris Campbell (WR – IND)
I knew I had to continue taking WRs with my last few picks of the draft but made a few tough decisions between which to target. I was torn between Sterling Shepard and Parris Campbell with this pick. The former should offer a solid floor, albeit with a limited ceiling after the New York Giants signed Kenny Golladay, who may now also be injured, in free agency. While the latter has been injured in each of his first two seasons but is immensely talented and can return some nice value to me with a 13th-round pick. I went with the upside, taking Campbell in the hopes that he’s the WR1 for Indianapolis in 2021.
Other Players Considered: Sterling Shepard
Round 14.05- Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR – DET)
With my last pick in the draft, I took a complete lottery pick, a WR out of USC: Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown is a talented WR who performed well in college, ultimately being drafted in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. With Detroit’s top two WRs from 2020 gone via free agency (i.e., Golladay now in New York and Marvin Jones Jr. in Jacksonville), there’s a great opportunity for St. Brown to see 100+ targets in this offense. T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift should be the only primary targets ahead of St. Brown, while other journeymen players comprise his WR competition.
Other Players Considered: Emmanuel Sanders, Gabriel Davis, Christian Kirk
Results
I was given a very average draft grade (B- – 81/100), as I retained an average starting composition compared to the other teams in this mock, and my bench was among those of the weaker teams. Although I have some league-winning upside players (i.e., D’Andre Swift, Tony Pollard), I don’t think my subpar WR group makes up for the likelihood of those breakout performances. I would probably have to trade one of my RBs for some startable WRs throughout the season, as this team doesn’t look like a league-winner. Overall, I don’t hate my team, but I prefer my Zero-WR team.
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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.
