With May comes rookie drafts, rookie OTAs, and our favorite: mock drafts. It may seem early, but it’s never too early to practice your craft. Today, we are going to bring you through a mock draft using our free mock draft tool. You can mock draft in minutes with our draft simulator!
First, let’s break down how we set this league up. This is a half-point PPR 1QB league with 12 teams. We took kickers and defense out of this draft so we can provide more player analysis. Finally, we decided to draft in the sixth position. More mock drafts coming, and we will have versions from different positions.
With all of that said, let’s begin the mock breakdown.
- Introduction to Best Ball Leagues
- Erickson’s Best Ball Positional Primers
- Dynasty Rookie Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
Fantasy Football Half-PPR Mock Draft
Here is a mock draft for a half-point PPR 1QB league.
1.06 Travis Kelce (TE – KC)
This pick may be a spicy start for some redraft fantasy football players. You should rarely draft a tight end in the first round; however, Travis Kelce is no ordinary tight end. He is, for all intents and purposes, the WR1 in Kanas City with Patrick Mahomes. Kelce finished with a vast point difference over the rest of the tight ends this past season. In addition, he strung together seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons while averaging 8.4 touchdowns per year. Having that positional advantage on your fantasy team makes it easy to draft him over other available players like Ja’Marr Chase and Bijan Robinson.
2.07 Davante Adams (WR – LV)
Before this pick, seven running backs came off the board. Most people would think that it’s time to get a running back so they don’t miss out, but that would be an unwise strategy. Instead, we can begin the wide receiver run starting with Davante Adams. There is some mystery about how Adams will handle a new quarterback. However, we had that concern last season as well. Even with his advanced age, he hasn’t slowed down yet. In the previous five seasons, Adams has reached 100 receptions, 1,300 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns four times. His talent is transcendent, so he should still be peppered with targets, even with Jimmy Garoppolo, making him one of the safest picks in the second round.
3.06 Tee Higgins (WR – CIN)
Entering the third round and being able to draft someone like Tee Higgins should be a cheat code. His decline from WR12 to WR26 last season may have the consensus worried about Higgins. However, I like him as my wide receiver two. Higgins has averaged around six touchdowns and 1000 yards each year since entering the league, and he presents immense upside with his talent. Zig while others zag and if people are going to sleep on Tee Higgins, you may want to stay wide awake to the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver.
4.07 Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)
After allowing the running back train to run, we finally attacked the position. The great news that there is still a high-upside receiving option in the fourth round. Jahmyr Gibbs was one of the most controversial picks in the draft due to where he was drafted. His talent levels weren’t a question. However, his size could be an issue in the NFL, weighing under 200 lbs. Gibbs reminds some of Jamaal Charles and with David Montgomery in town, Gibbs should be the pass-catching option who replaces D’Andre Swift in Detroit. Swift has recorded over 45 receptions each season in Detroit and I expect the same for Gibbs. If Gibbs can complete an entire season – something Swift couldn’t do – then these numbers could be exponentially higher, making him an excellent upside pick for your fantasy squad.
5.06 James Conner (RB – ARI)
James Conner isn’t necessarily a sexy pick for your fantasy team, but he is the only running back with experience and talent on the roster. With Kyler Murray missing time this season due to injury and the inevitable “tanking” season coming in Arizona, the Cardinals will ride this aging running back until the wheels fall off. In addition, Arizona has a potential out in Conners’ contract after this season, so they have no reason to protect him for the future. That means his volume could reach its optimal level and provide us with a safe floor each week.
6.07 D’Andre Swift (RB – PHI)
Since we hammered home pass-catching options to start the draft, we are now focusing on running backs. This is our third running back on the depth chart, so we look at the upside with D’Andre Swift returning home to Philadelphia.
We mentioned Swift being a pass-catching machine while covering Gibbs, and we can now watch his ability behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. Yes, we also have Rashaad Penny and Kenneth Gainwell in the backfield, but Howie Roseman made the trade for another running back for a reason. Swift will have a role and is playing in his contract year. There is a chance that he puts it all together behind a strong line making this selection a league winner if it hits.
7.06 Diontae Johnson (WR – PIT)
Thinking about Diontae Johnson could make you uneasy after he recorded zero touchdowns last season. However, that means we are due for positive regression in that category. He may never see the 169 targets he received with Ben Roethlisberger, but he still saw 147 in 2023. As a result, Johnson is a perfect WR3/Flex play for your team, giving you a high fantasy floor.
8.07 Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN)
Drafting anyone from the Denver Broncos is a tough sell. However, with Sean Payton running the team, you should return some faith to the organization. Payton created a star with Marquez Colston, who was 6-foot-4 and 225 lbs, and now he gets to work with Courtland Sutton who has a similar stature (6-foot-4 and 215 lbs). Therefore, while selecting my fourth wide receiver in the eighth round, having the big body frame of Sutton is worth the risk.
9.06 AJ Dillon (RB – GB)
AJ Dillon and the run game should become the primary target as the team converts their reign from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love. The run game can protect the inexperienced Love until he gets his feet underneath him this season. Dillon also finished last season scoring a touchdown in five straight games (Weeks 12-16) while scoring six touchdowns in total from week 12 on. The team may have figured out how to use this big-body back, or Dillon could finally put it together as a talent to explain the end of 2022. Either way, I’ll take the shot at Dillon because he provides value either with Aaron Jones there, or with potential RB1 upside if Jones was to miss time with an injury.
10.07 Devin Singletary (RB – HOU)
This portion of the draft is where things get a little ugly, but you start to swing for the upside. Devin Singletary usually isn’t connected to upside, however, it’s a new coach in town and this organization signed Devin Singletary even after Dameon Pierce had a great 2022 campaign. This running back room reminds me of the old-school New England Patriots running backs, where you wanted the back with the lower ADP. That is why we draft Singletary. If it hits and he has a high volume/snap percentage, we did well; if it doesn’t work, we move on.
11.06 Raheem Mostert (RB – MIA)
Whenever Raheem Mostert is healthy, he is helpful for fantasy football. There is no better time to have him on your team than at the beginning of the season. Mostert can help you win the first quarter of your season and be a piece in an early trade to upgrade your roster before Devon Achane, Jeff Wilson, or even injury stops him.
12.07 Tua Tagovailoa (QB – MIA)
While implementing the late-round quarterback strategy, we swing at the upside with Tua. Another concussion could take him out of the game (or even the league). However, with the offensive scheme in Miami allowing Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to run past the opposing team, taking a shot at the upside in Tua can benefit your team, especially with our next pick as insurance.
13.06 Kirk Cousins (QB – MIN)
Kirk Cousins is always the bridesmaid and never the bride of fantasy football drafts. You don’t head into your draft wanting to select him, yet he is always there for you when you need him. With Tua on our roster, we need a backup plan at quarterback in case he is injured. There is no better backup plan than Kirk Cousins. Cousins has finished top-11 in each of his last three years, making him the perfect option for this roster in a “break glass” scenario.
14.07 Jerome Ford (RB – CLE)
With these last two picks, we swing for immense upside. The Cleveland Browns didn’t make any big splashes this offseason at running back, leaving just Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford to run the show. Ford now has the chance to take over the Kareem Hunt role or even be the lone wolf in the case of a Nick Chubb injury. The upside is worth the 14th round pick.
15.06 Hunter Renfrow (WR – LV)
Most of the time, your last pick in the draft won’t even make your roster, or you will move on from them in a few weeks. With that in mind, let’s select Hunter Renfrow. This is a selection made on the hope that either the Las Vegas Raiders trade Renfrow to a better situation or Jimmy Garoppolo falls in love with his ability to get open.
We have reached the end of our draft and the FantasyPros Draft Wizard has graded us with an A- (91 out of 100). The app also projects us with the league’s second-highest points total. Remember to use the draft wizard to practice your league and gain an edge over your leaguemates this season. If you need any other help, remember to read all the articles at FantasyPros and reach out to me on Twitter at @jpep20.
Dynasty Rookie Mock Drafts (Post NFL Draft)
- Superflex, 4 Rounds
- Superflex, 5 Rounds
- 12-Team, PPR, 3 Rounds
- Post-Round 1 Dynasty Superflex Rookie Mock Draft
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