While June is arguably the slowest month of the NFL calendar, it marks the beginning of mock draft season for the most dedicated fantasy football players.
There will be plenty of positional battles to sort out during July and August, but for the most part, we have a pretty solid sense of what these rosters and situations could look like during the 2024-25 campaign.
They say practice makes perfect, so here’s a walkthrough of a 12-team, half-PPR fantasy football mock draft, using the Draft Wizard.
- 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Fantasy Football Mock Draft
Note: I was randomly assigned the 7th overall pick in this fantasy football mock draft.
Pick 1.7: Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN)
I like being in the seventh position because it allows me the opportunity to bob and weave as the draft goes. I’m less sensitive to positional runs and can focus my efforts on taking the best player with fewer worries about drafting to fill needs.
With that all in mind, I’m grabbing Justin Jefferson with the seventh pick. He just got paid and he’ll have to find success with either Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy. However, I’m confident that talent and Kevin O’Connell’s coaching will prevail.
Pick 2.6: Kyren Williams (RB – LAR)
Is Kyren Williams an exceptional talent? I’m truly not sure. All I know is he was exceptionally productive in his first year, and we’ve seen Sean McVay ride running backs in the past. Blake Corum‘s presence is a little concerning and I do worry that I’m paying for Williams at his absolute highest ceiling, but it’s June and my opinions can change.
Pick 3.7: Josh Jacobs (RB – GB)
We entered Round 3 with Mike Evans aa the best player on the board and while I loved Evans in Rounds 5-7 last year, I’m not as bullish on him at this price. With a lot of receivers left on the board who I view similarly, I’ll take a shot on Jacobs, who I think could be primed for a huge year in Green Bay if he stays healthy. The scheme, the offensive line, and the ascendence of QB Jordan Love has me excited to grab Jacobs in the third round of drafts.
Pick 4.6: Jaylen Waddle (WR – MIA)
Despite dealing with injuries throughout the year and playing in only 14 games, Waddle still caught 72 balls and put up a 1,000-yard season. That’s a testament to not only Waddle’s talent, but his opportunity in Mike McDaniel’s offense. Waddle will mostly play second fiddle to Tyreek Hill in Miami, but with better injury luck, he should return to high-end WR2 range. I love the upside of my receiving duo.
Pick 5.7: Zay Flowers (WR – BAL)
This is an interesting point in the draft where I don’t love many of my options. I opted to take a stab on Flowers having a year two breakout, even though his mind-numbing turnover in the AFC title game still burns in my brain.
Pick 6.6: Joe Burrow (QB – CIN)
Burrow may be the quarterback I target the most in drafts, as I know he’s capable of elite production but isn’t coming at an elite price tag. It feels like people may be sleeping on Cincinnati this year given all that went wrong for the team last season, but I’m fully expecting a motivated Burrow to put up MVP-caliber numbers in 2024. And with the list of trustworthy QBs thinning out over the years, I’m more willing than ever to take one of the more trustworthy passers earlier in drafts.
Pick 7.7: Tank Dell (WR – HOU)
Running back is getting gnarly, but it’s hard to choose a guy like Devin Singletary over a true home-run-hitter in Dell. Sure, Stefon Diggs is there now, and Nico Collins is awesome. But Dell’s speed gives him a role that the other two won’t have in this offense and his burning potential gives me flexibility when I need more of an upside shot over the steadier Flowers.
Pick 8.6: Chase Brown (RB – CIN)
Brown is one of my top sleeper tailbacks entering drafts this year. He showed some skill while spelling Joe Mixon last season. Zack Moss is there, but I suspect Brown will overtake him. It’s alarming that Brown is my RB3, but I’d rather take someone with his upside than someone like Ezekiel Elliott in the same range.
Pick 9.7: David Njoku (TE – CLE)
I’d rather take a bet on Njoku repeating last year’s TE5 finish rather than bet on Kyle Pitts to do what Njoku did last season, and that’s the position where we’re at. The defense rests.
Pick 10.6: Rico Dowdle (RB – DAL)
If Dowdle was a thorn in the side of Tony Pollard all of last season, shouldn’t he be a sharp stick in the side of Ezekiel Elliott? While the Cowboys may give Elliott the starting duties out of nostalgia alone, I’m pretty confident that he’s cooked, which will open the door for Dowdle to get even more usage in 2024.
Pick 11.7: Jakobi Meyers (WR – LV)
Meyers is a guy I love to have at the end of my bench. Sure, Davante Adams is still there. Sure, the quarterback situation is unsettled. But it didn’t matter last year, as Meyers finished as the WR30. He works so hard to get open that he’s difficult to deny, and Gardner Minshew may offer even more stability on a weekly basis.
Pick 12.6: Josh Downs (WR – IND)
Downs’ rookie season was intriguing enough to make him a decent upside flyer this late in drafts. The receiving room in Indy is somewhat crowded and Anthony Richardson is far from a sure thing, but I suspect Downs will be a solid bet in this range of the draft.
Pick 13.7: Jayden Daniels (QB – WAS)
Taking a second QB isn’t a move I make often, but Burrow’s fragility is a real concern, so I’ll take a flyer on Daniels, who has the dual-threat traits to be Lamar Jackson-lite.
Pick 14.6: Malachi Corley (WR – NYJ)
Corley is a deep rookie sleeper to say the least. But he’s also the self-proclaimed “YAC king” and he could thrive as New York’s starting slot receiver if Aaron Rodgers can play more than four snaps in 2024.
Draft Wizard Grade: B (84/100)
What I’m learning early in mock draft season is that picking in the middle of drafts could be a difficult place to be in 2024. While I liked my first four picks, I do feel like I lost out on a lot of my favorite choices in between picks. While my top two running backs could be highly productive, I am pretty thin if neither Brown nor Dowdle breakout.
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