It’s mock draft season, and there’s no better way to mock than with the FantasyPros Draft Wizard. Not only is it intuitive, but also super fast, so you can rifle through as many mock drafts as you want. In a redraft league, one of the best ideas is to strengthen your other positions before you grab a quarterback. We are going to utilize that strategy in this mock draft.
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- Snake Draft Pick Strategy: Early | Middle | Late
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- Fitz’s Draft Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
Mock Draft: Late Quarterback Strategy (2023 Fantasy Football)
Pick 1.11: Saquon Barkley (RB – NYG)
Barkley was a prominent part of the Giants’ offense last season. Not only was he one of the better running backs on the ground, but his heavy target share makes him even more valuable.
Pick 2.02: Chris Olave (WR – NO)
Olave had a fantastic rookie season with 1,042 receiving yards. He’s getting an upgrade in quarterback with Derek Carr, who was fourth last year in air yards per pass attempt. This will help Olave establish himself as one of the top wide receivers in the league.
Pick 3.11: Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)
Gibbs was a superb talent at Georgia Tech but really exploded onto the scene when he transferred to Alabama. Even with the Lions signing David Montgomery, he should be heavily featured in this offense.
Pick 4.02: Amari Cooper (WR – CLE)
With Deshaun Watson playing a full year, this will be a much more pass-heavy offense. He was able to have top-ten finishes with both Jacoby Brissett and Watson at quarterback.
Pick 5.11: Darren Waller (TE – NYG)
While I mentioned Barkley could have a heavy workload in this offense, I believe Waller could lead the Giants in target share. He’s had a couple of down years due to injury, but in the previous two full seasons, he finished in the top three among tight ends. Daniel Jones loved Evan Engram, as he finished in the top two in team target share in his final two years with the Giants. Waller will get that same volume opportunity.
Pick 6.02: Rachaad White (RB – TB)
With Leonard Fournette gone, White will move in as the lead back. He began to see his role increase after the bye, with 16 or more touches in five of the last seven games, and had top-15 finishes in three. No more Tom Brady in what was the heaviest passing offense in 2022, so with Baker Mayfield as the quarterback, look for this offense to balance out.
Pick 7.11: Brandin Cooks (WR – DAL)
Cooks is someone who I believe will finish much higher than his WR40 ranking. The lack of production last year was not due to regression, because he finished 13th in target separation against man coverage. CeeDee Lamb will be the top option and draw the top defenders, giving Cooks many matchup advantages and opportunities.
Pick 8.02: Zay Flowers (WR – BAL)
The first-round rookie has already shown flashes of greatness in camp and could become Lamar Jackson‘s favorite wide receiver. He has incredible speed with his footwork, and he’s already proven through camp that he can create separation no matter where he lines up.
Pick 9.11: Brian Robinson Jr. (RB – WAS)
It looks like Robinson will see a heavier workload in the backfield this year. Antonio Gibson expressed that he wanted to be used more as a wide receiver during training camp and has been getting more of that work in preseason. This could help Robinson get a bigger snap share and more opportunities.
Pick 10.02: Daniel Jones (QB – NYG)
We waited for our quarterback and were rewarded. We grabbed last year’s QB9, and he can meet or exceed those expectations in Year 2 with Brian Daboll. This also gives us the monstrous triple stack with Waller and Barkley.
Pick 11.11: Dalton Schultz (TE – HOU)
This is an excellent value for Schultz. He finished in the top ten during his last two seasons with Dallas and even in Houston, there is a potential to repeat that finish. The Texans won’t be that good and could play a lot from behind, meaning more passing. Rookie C.J. Stroud will need a security blanket, and he was ninth amongst tight ends in true catch rate.
Pick 12.02: Kirk Cousins (QB – MIN)
This is a great insurance piece to have. The Vikings were third in passing attempts last year and Cousins was the only quarterback in the previous eight seasons to finish with 4,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. This shows he’s consistent and durable.
Pick 13.11: New England Patriots Defense
When you’re picking your defense, you want turnovers. The Pats finished second in takeaways last year.
Pick 14.02: KJ Osborn (WR – MIN)
Osborn will be the slot receiver in the Vikings offense and, in a potentially high-pass attack, could see a good amount of volume. This also gives us another stack with Cousins.
15.11: Puka Nacua (WR – LAR)
Nacua is one of my favorite deep-stash rookie prospects. He has an excellent ability to create separation and had 16.3 yards per catch in college. With a healthy Stafford, he could quickly rise up the depth chart with his big-play potential.
16.02: Jake Elliott (K – PHI)
When choosing a kicker, I like to find ones that will be in a top-tier offense that gives them an opportunity to get into the opponent’s zone, and the Eagles are one of the best at that.
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