It is always drafting season here at FantasyPros, and thanks to the mock draft simulator, you can quickly simulate any scoring settings and play out the draft. In this article, we’re using the same settings as a fairly standard redraft point-per-reception (PPR) league.
We’ll be simulating based on 20 rounds, with a starting roster of QB, two RB, three WR, one TE, and then a flex (WR/RB/TE), along with 12 bench spots. For this mock, we’ll see how things play out with a Zero RB strategy. The Draft Wizard randomly assigned us pick five, but you can select whichever spot is most relevant to you.
- Snake Draft Pick Strategy: Early | Middle | Late
- Draft Targets for Every Round: Early | Middle | Late
- Fitz’s Draft Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
- 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
Mock Draft, Zero RB Strategy (2023 Fantasy Football)
Round 1
With a Zero RB strategy in mind, it was either Cooper Kupp or Travis Kelce here, and while Kelce is a true difference-maker at the position, Kupp is the pick. In 2022 Kupp was one of three receivers to have a target share of over 30%, with his 30.9% only behind Davante Adams‘s 32.5% and just ahead of Tyreek Hill‘s 30.7%. While the Rams spluttered and disappointed week after week, the same wasn’t true for Kupp, who averaged 90.2 yards per game (third most) on 10.9 targets per game (third most).
August 15 reminder that Cooper Kupp is good at football
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) August 16, 2023
Round 2
The second round is a sweet spot for wide receivers who could take the leap this year, and while it’s disappointing to see Garrett Wilson and Amon-Ra St. Brown go just ahead of our pick, Jaylen Waddle is a strong consolation prize. Waddle flashed elite upside at times last year but struggled in games without Tua Tagovailoa, seeing his PPR output drop by 6.3 points per game, as he saw 2.4 fewer targets and wasn’t able to score a single touchdown in those games with Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson at QB. With a healthy Tagovailoa in 2023, Waddle could smash.
Round 3
It’s still too early to take a running back in Zero RB. And why would we when we could take Keenan Allen, who looked great when healthy at the back end of 2022, averaging 17.2 PPR points from Week 11 onwards? Allen has been the model of consistency, averaging 16.3 PPR points over the last six seasons.
Round 4
Deebo Samuel seemed to be Brock Purdy‘s preferred target on many occasions. Samuel saw barely any drop-off in opportunities after Christian McCaffrey was acquired, putting up 8.0 touches per game before and 7.8 afterward, even while dealing with injuries.
Deebo Samuel's weekly target shares in four starts with Brock Purdy:
13. 24.3% (team-high)
14. 21.7% (tied for team-high)
18. 15% (first game back)
WC. 30% (team-high)— John Daigle (@notJDaigle) January 15, 2023
Round 5
The true elite tier of fantasy quarterbacks may be gone by this point, but Justin Fields belongs in a tier of his own for his athletic ability alone. Fields came within 63 yards of breaking the single-season rushing yardage record for a quarterback, and the crazy thing is, he was barely rushing for the first five weeks of the season.
After that point, Fields averaged 95 rushing yards per game over the rest of the season and had seven top-eight fantasy finishes. There are still question marks over his passing outlook, but that’s why we can scoop him in the fifth round.
Round 6
In Zero RB, this is around the area we want to start considering running backs, but the chance to grab one of the last top-tier tight ends is too good to pass up, and Dallas Goedert is the selection. Goedert saw more screen passes and receiving yardage from screen passes than any other tight end. The Eagles consistently draw up plays for him, and he’s a reliable fantasy option.
Round 7
With four wide receivers, we now have our starting wide receivers and flex spot all filled out, along with our starting QB and TE positions. David Montgomery might lack true RB1 upside, but the Lions love to run the ball, have an elite offensive line, and just handed the ball to Jamaal Williams with 46 rush attempts inside the 10-yard line, 18 more than any other player. If Montgomery can get half of the 17 touchdowns Williams scored, he’ll be a good pick.
Love Jahmyr Gibbs (RB16), but his 12 rankings above David Montgomery's ADP (RB28) insult Montgomery's value. Don't forget Montgomery has hands too. Personally, I think both eat as RB2s.#Lions
— ????? ???? (@Craig_Jeru) August 12, 2023
Round 8
We need running backs in this area of the draft, and it’s not a bad area for it. Here we get Antonio Gibson, who has flashed through his career and now finds himself in a committee with Brian Robinson. Gibson stands out in his work in the receiving game, averaging 3.9 targets per game compared to Robinson’s 1.0. We may see a bounceback year for Gibson with new offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy in charge.
Round 9
Khalil Herbert is picking up all the training camp hype you’d want for a player slowly creeping up draft boards. In 2022 he out carried David Montgomery 5.7 yards per carry to 4.0, with a big run rate of 5.88% compared to Montgomery’s 1.55%.
Round 10
We’re up to three running backs, but why stop there, Zach Charbonnet has huge upside this year with the Seahawks designing screen game plays for him, but the passing work isn’t Charbonnet’s only talent. He can be solid in the running game, and with Kenneth Walker, a very boom-or-bust player, Charbonnet could see his role grow when Walker fails to deliver in games.
Zach Charbonnet and Lewis Cine meet in the lane pic.twitter.com/m65VXhF8aQ
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 11, 2023
Round 11 & 12
DJ Chark (WR – CAR) & Jaylen Warren (RB – PIT)
We can’t completely ignore the wide receiver position now. Chark has the chance to lead the Panthers in targets, while Jaylen Warren is earning rave reviews in camp a year after outproducing Najee Harris in many metrics.
Rounds 13 & 14
Tank Bigsby (RB – JAC) & Anthony Richardson (QB – IND)
We continue to take shots at running backs with upside in the knowledge that not every back we take in this build will hit, but Bigsby has had positive hype in training camp and could be a good fit. Richardson is the starting quarterback for the Colts and possesses elite athletic traits. If he hits in Year 1, we’ll have a quarterback room with a huge ceiling.
Rounds 15 & 16
Darius Slayton (WR – NYG) & Sam LaPorta (TE – DET)
Slayton went from being largely unwanted in New York to a vital part of the Giants’ playoff push in 2022. The Giants have added slot receivers but still crave the outside presence Slayton can bring. As a bye-week fill-in, he’s a good option. LaPorta may struggle to make an impact in year one like most rookie tight ends, but we can stash him in redraft and take a look for several weeks before deciding whether to drop him to waivers.
Rounds 17 & 18
Zach Evans (RB – LAR) & Richie James (WR – KC)
Things are getting thin, so we can take an upside swing on Zach Evans carving out a role with the Rams and Richie James taking over slot duties for the Chiefs.
Rounds 19 & 20
Terrace Marshall (WR – CAR) & Evan Hull (RB – IND)
We already took DJ Chark earlier, and by taking Marshall now, it gives us a reasonable chance that we capture one of the Panthers’ reliable pass-catchers. Meanwhile, Evan Hull might start the season seeing meaningful snaps if Jonathan Taylor continues not to practice.
Conclusions
Zero RB is a fun strategy for redraft, it allows us to load up on wide receivers and other non-running back positions, and then we can be aggressive in waiver wire pickups for any running backs that slip through the cracks. This draft played out nicely, giving us a mix of elite talent and upside that could shine through as the season plays out.
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