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. I seriously love the mock draft season. Playing all of the scenarios out with multiple mocks from multiple draft positions is something I truly enjoy. For this mock, I’ll be drafting a PPR team with 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 1Flex, 1K, and 1DST. I’ll also be drafting five bench players to show how I attack depth as well. With the number 2 pick, I’m feeling good, so let’s get into it!
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- Fitz’s Draft Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
Mock Draft, PPR – Early Pick
First Round Selection
1.02: Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN)
If you have a top-two pick, you’re likely set at WR with either Chase or Jefferson. I can’t imagine taking an RB, even Christian McCaffrey, over either of these two receivers. This is even more clear to me in leagues like this one where you have to start three wide receivers. The starting requirements and scoring settings basically tie you to one of these two terrific options.
I’m an unapologetic Bengals fan, but I am still perfectly fine taking Jefferson over Chase in redraft this year. Even with the addition of Jordan Addison across the field from Jefferson, he should still finish as a top-five receiver in almost every metric. Obviously, it’d be great if he finished at the top, but when you’re drafting, you’re really just trying to predict a range of outcomes, not a specific one. With my first-round pick, I want the surest thing I can get, and that’s Jefferson for me, without a doubt.
Second and Third-Round Turn
2.11: DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI)
3.02: Derrick Henry (RB – TEN)
On the turn for my next two picks at the top of the draft order, I’m likely targeting another receiver and a true RB1, if available. I get lucky to see Smith fall to me even though a whopping 11 receivers go between my Jefferson pick and 2.11. Smith is the WR2 on his team as well as mine, but he should get plenty of points in PPR leagues. Sign me all the way up.
After a quick two picks, I get my RB1 in Derrick Henry, and my plan is coming together nicely. Henry is a little scary in dynasty leagues, but I think he’ll get plenty of points this year, and that’s all I care about in redraft. The Titans look a little scary in general with the questions at QB, but adding DeAndre Hopkins should open up plenty of running lanes for King Henry. I love it.
Fourth through Seventh Picks
4.11: DJ Moore (WR – CHI)
5.02: Miles Sanders (RB – PHI)
6.11: TJ Hockenson (TE – MIN)
7.02: Justin Herbert (QB – LAC)
I fill out the rest of my starting lineup with DJ Moore and Miles Sanders at the next turn. Both of these guys are sleeper candidates for the top 12 at their position, with both playing for new teams. On top of that, both are in offenses that should be better than they played on last year and offenses that should be better than they themselves were last year. There is upside all around for these guys.
I will finally grab my two one-off positions with Hockenson and Herbert in the 6th and 7th rounds. I know I grabbed Jefferson, so I’m betting heavily on that Minnesota offense, but I don’t really care. Also, Herbert going in the 7th should be a crime. He’s a top 5 QB, and getting someone that good this late feels like robbery.
Middle-Round Flex Candidates
8.11: George Pickens (WR – PIT)
9.02: De’Von Achane (RB – MIA)
10.11: Treylon Burks (WR – TEN)
11.02: Dallas Goedert (TE – PHI)
I grab Pickens and Achance at my next turn, both players with huge upsides if things fall the right way. Both Pickens and Achane could crack my starting lineup every week in my flex, but both also have positional starting lineup power as well. As long as Miami doesn’t sign Fournette or Hunt, I think Achane could be a terrific keeper option, too, if your league assigns draft picks to keep players in future years.
I pair Burks with Henry and Smith with Goedert, once again banking on these offenses to take a step up this season. I’m not sold entirely on Burks’ health or Goedert’s target potential, but at this stage of the draft, I love the values. They can both ride my bench until we get more clarity, or I decide to drop them for a waiver claim after week two or three. That is totally fine by me.
Late Round Fliers
12.11: Michael Carter (RB – NYJ)
13.02: Chase Edmonds (RB – TB)
14.11: Harrison Butker (K – KC)
15.02: Denver Broncos (DST – DEN)
I finish my draft with Carter, who I think could be a surprise cut candidate after the Jets signed Dalvin Cook. If he gets cut and signs somewhere else, his upside should improve greatly. I also snag Edmonds with my last positional pick with the hope that the Tampa Bay offense is at least good enough to give Edmonds some PPR value for byes down the stretch as well.
I almost always wait until the last rounds to draft my kicker and defense because I find myself streaming them whether I like it or not. I’d much rather take a flier earlier on players with upside than take a defense or kicker earlier. Butker could easily finish as the top kicker, and the Broncos could easily finish as a top-five defense too, so the values were tremendous here.
Final Thoughts
Overall I really like the balance of my team here. It’s hard not to like a team with an early pick because it feels like you get studs everywhere in this range. The grade I got was only an 86, probably because I took Goedert and Burks, but overall I’m a contender and in the hunt for the title. That’s all you can ask for when leaving your draft, so I’m not sweating it at all here. Good luck with your own draft, and let me know what you think of the players I got in mine here!
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