With training camps set to start in a few weeks and fantasy football platforms opening up for the 2022 season, now is a good time to begin mock drafting. Establishing a baseline before the noise surrounding players ramps up with training camp reports and preseason game performances is an excellent way to start your draft preparation.

For this draft, I mocked a 12-team standard-scoring league with a late pick – in this case, the last (12th) pick. The positions I used were as follows:

• 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 FLEX (RB/WR/TE), 1 D/ST, 1 K, 6 Bench slots

After firing up the FantasyPros Mock Draft Simulator and drafting against all experts using FantasyPros latest Expert Consensus Rankings as a guide, it was time to start mocking. Below are the results, grouped together as the picks were back-to-back in the snake draft.

Other fantasy football mock drafts:

• 12-team, 1QB, full-PPR, late pick
• Analyst half-PPR mock draft
• 12-team, 1QB, full-PPR, early pick
• Andrew Erickson’s Live PPR Mock Draft
• 12-team, 1QB, full-PPR
• Analyst full-PPR mock draft
• Analyst Superflex mock draft

Mock Draft Picks: 12-Team Standard, Late Pick

Round 1, Pick 12: Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR) | Round 2, Pick 1: Travis Kelce (TE – KC)

Ten of the first eleven picks were running backs, so I decided to risk the position and went with the best receiver and tight end available. Justin Jefferson was the only non-RB off the board, so the dependable Kupp was a no-brainer. Kelce was a more difficult decision as he’s not getting any younger. However, given health, he should again be a dominant force – especially with Tyreek Hill now in Miami.

Round 3, Pick 12: Breece Hall (RB – NYJ) | Round 4, Pick 1: Elijah Mitchell (RB – SF)

Waiting on RB had consequences as ten more came off the board before I was up again. I like the upside of both of the players, however. Mitchell was highly productive last season when healthy, and Hall looks like the best bet among rookie RBs. The other option was Josh Jacobs, but I felt his ceiling was lower.

Round 5, Pick 12: Amari Cooper (WR – CLE) | Round 6, Pick 1: Gabriel Davis (WR – BUF)

After grabbing two RBs in the last round, I needed at least one more receiver here, and Cooper was the best available, the Browns QB situation notwithstanding. With the next pick, I could have gone in several different directions. There were still several quality QBs on the board, so I opted to wait on the position and focused on an RB or WR. I like Davis’ upside and hope he can build on his playoff success from last season.

Round 7, Pick 12: Kareem Hunt (RB – CLE) | Round 8, Pick 1: Melvin Gordon III (RB – DEN)

As my starting running backs are far from secure options, I felt it was essential to start building depth at the position. Hunt would have RB1 upside if something were to happen to Nick Chubb and is serviceable even when Chubb is healthy, although better in a PPR format. The Broncos felt good enough about Gordon to bring him back despite Javonte Williams‘ emergence, so he should have a role in a likely much-improved offense.

Round 9, Pick 12: Chase Claypool (WR – PIT) | Round 10, Pick 1: Ronald Jones II (RB – KC)

I still didn’t feel the need to grab a QB here, so I continued to build my depth. Claypool was the safest choice among the available WRs as most of the rest were young and unproven or coming off of injuries. I have no idea what to expect from Jones, but he plays for Kansas City now, so there’s massive upside potential if he can carve out a more prominent role than Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Round 11, Pick 12: Matthew Stafford (QB – LAR) | Round 12, Pick 1: DJ Chark Jr. (WR – DET)

Getting Stafford this late in a 12-team draft felt like a steal. I’m not sure he’s much different than Dak Prescott, who went four rounds earlier. Aaron Rodgers was also available, but there are a lot of questions surrounding Green Bay’s offense this season. Chark was another depth selection. I’m not enthusiastic about his prospects in Detroit, but the pickings were slim.

Round 13, Pick 12: Jarvis Landry (WR – NO) | Round 14, Pick 1: Buffalo Bills (BUF – DST)

Landry has always been a better option in PPR leagues. At this point of the draft, though, there weren’t many decent options. My last two picks needed to be a DST and a kicker, so I opted for the Bills’ defense, which should be one of the best.

Round 15, Pick 12: Matt Prater (ARI – K)

The last pick in the draft, the best kicker available.

RECAP

Overall, I felt the draft went pretty well. Typically, I don’t like waiting until the third round to get my first RB, especially in a 12-team league. But the running back position has become so variable that it seems a viable strategy if you can’t land one of the top five or six backs. I was able to give myself enough depth at the position to hopefully field viable starters every week, though my flex spot would likely be a WR most weeks.

Waiting on QB was a good call as I was able to build solid depth and not lose much getting a solid starter in Round 11. I chose to skip drafting backups for QB and TE, which is fine provided Kelce and Stafford stay healthy. In 12-team leagues, this is a bit riskier given the lack of depth on the waiver wire.

For what it’s worth, the almighty summary loved my draft, giving me an “A” rating, 96 out of 100, and a projected first-place finish. So I’ve got that going for me, which is nice.

If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant, which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.