Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Half-PPR, Middle Pick (2024)

Summer is my favorite season for a variety of reasons. Warm weather, plenty of golf and an opportunity to catch up on the books, TV shows and movies I didn’t have time for during the busier sports seasons. It also gives me time to take a step back and detach from sports, as my interest in baseball has waned over the years.

Another reason I love summer? It’s the peak of fantasy football mock draft season. Today, I’m going to walk you through a mock draft I conducted for a half-PPR draft from the dead middle —pick No. 6 — using our FREE Draft Wizard tool.

Picking in the middle of drafts gives you an advantage in that you can react to and stay ahead of runs on certain positions. However, I’ve sometimes felt that the players available in the middle of rounds aren’t always the most attractive. Check out the results to see if both of my theories were correct.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Half-PPR, Middle Pick

Pick 1.06: Bijan Robinson (RB – ATL)

I was presented with an interesting choice from the jump: Take the best tailback left in Bijan Robinson or start my team with one of Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown or A.J. Brown.

Robinson did not exactly live up to the billing of a first-round pick during his rookie season, finishing as the RB12 while ranking 19th in rush attempts. However, I’m willing to attribute some of the blame to the now-fired Arthur Smith. Robinson also didn’t benefit from great quarterback play.

We’ll see if Kirk Cousins is a shell of himself after his Achilles injury, but I’m willing to bet on a bigger season from Robinson. If I had more confidence in Minnesota’s quarterback situation, Jefferson would be the no-brainer choice. But since I’m hesitant about trusting either J.J. McCarthy or Sam Darnold to make him an elite option again, I’ll start with Robinson and see who’s left at receiver in round two.

Pick 2.07: Davante Adams (WR – LV)

Watching Davante Adams in the Netflix documentary “Receiver” has been one of the more fascinating storylines of the show. It’s remarkable to see how frustrated he was with both head coach Josh McDaniels and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Both were equally awful and both are now no longer with the team.

While his numbers still weren’t incredible, Adams did garner 97 targets after McDaniels was fired on November 1. I’m not here to sell Gardner Minshew as a savior, but he’s more courageous than Garoppolo and should only be an upgrade when it comes to opportunities.

Plus, if things go south for Vegas, I could see Adams being traded to a contender with a much better situation. Is Adams an ideal WR1? Maybe not. But I’m still a big believer in his talent and don’t believe his disappointing 2023 campaign was any indication of a drop-off.

Pick 3.06: Isiah Pacheco (RB – KC)

I’m pretty happy to get Isiah Pacheco as my RB2. While the ground game will always be second fiddle in Kansas City, Pacheco is still a solid producer with a decent upside weekly. There were also plenty of capable WR2s on the board, while the options at running back were starting to get dicey. Pacheco gives me a steady RB2 to pair with Robinson’s upside.

Pick 4.07: DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI)

I’ve always been a fan of DeVonta Smith and I chose him over Cooper Kupp, Amari Cooper and Stefon Diggs as my WR2. Smith was far from elite last season, ranking 20th in fantasy points per game. And A.J. Brown is the primary weapon in the Eagles’ passing game. But Smith still garnered a 24% target share while ranking 23rd in the NFL in total targets. A lot hinges upon Jalen Hurts developing as a passer, but Smith serves as a solid WR2 with room for upward mobility.

Pick 5.06: Anthony Richardson (QB – IND)

After a pretty risk-averse start to this draft, I’m going to take a leap of faith in Anthony Richardson. We only got four games from Richardson during his rookie season and the threat of injury plays an enormous role in Richardson’s overall risk profile. But darn it, what we did see was a dynamic, dual-threat QB who could turn out to be this year’s fantasy football MVP. Richardson finished as the QB4 in Week 1 and as the QB2 in Week 3, with his other two starts impacted by injury. While we still don’t have the full picture of Richardson as a drop-back passer, we know the talent and the conducive environment are there.

Pick 6.07: Tank Dell (WR – HOU)

Tank Dell adds an explosive punch to my relatively conservative receiving group. Putting up 1,000 yards in only 10 games isn’t easy. But when you’ve got Tyreek Hill traits, it makes more sense. Of course, there’s injury risk at play with Dell and the arrival of Stefon Diggs could put a dent in his target share. But at least Dell’s role is defined. If he gets enough opportunities he should be an excellent upside option in the Flex.

Pick 7.06: Jonathon Brooks (RB – CAR)

This is a bit of a speculative pick, as Jonathon Brooks is working his way back from a torn ACL suffered in November. But I was a big believer in Brooks’ talent entering the draft and he landed in an ideal place to make an immediate impact. Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard are the only people standing in his way of a bell-cow role. While I admittedly may need to urge patience with Brooks as he returns to form, I’m more willing to take a long-term view with Robinson and Pacheco already entrenched as starters. He could be a key contributor down the stretch and offers more upside than guys like Zack Moss or Devin Singletary, even if their roles are more solidified.

Pick 8.07: Chris Godwin (WR – TB)

I love buying low on Chris Godwin at this price, even after a somewhat disappointing campaign. What’s fascinating is that in this draft, Mike Evans went in the middle of round two, while Godwin was taken six rounds later. Some may simply write that off as Evans finishing as the WR4 last year, while Godwin finished as the WR32. But a dive beneath the surface explains why Evans is being taken at an insane premium, while Godwin is coming at an insane discount. Just compare the numbers:

Evans – 79 catches on 136 targets, 1,255 yards, 13 touchdowns
Godwin – 83 catches on 130 targets, 1,024 yards, 2 touchdowns

Now, Evans is the touchdown-maker in the offense. But there’s plenty of reason to believe regression is coming from last year’s touchdown totals for both guys. There’s also a good chance Godwin plays primarily out of the slot under new offensive coordinator Liam Coen, which is where Godwin’s at his best.

I’m walking, not running to get this pick in.

Pick 9.06: Chase Brown (RB – CIN)

While I’m admittedly reaching down the board a bit to grab Chase Brown, the running back options are quickly getting thin. Brown intrigues me as more than a handcuff to Zack Moss.

Brown has some juice to him. Among 77 backs with at least 40 carries, Brown ranked 12th in yards after contact per attempt and 16th in missed tackles forced per attempt. Moss may play more of the early-down and goal-line back role initially, but I suspect Brown could see more opportunities as the year transpires. Plus, he should be the obvious pass-catching back. I’ll take a flier at a point in the draft where the viable options are few and far between.

Pick 10.07: George Kittle (TE – SF)

George Kittle in the 10th round? Sure, why the heck not? I was initially planning to wait out tight end and snag someone like Luke Musgrave late. But value is value. And while the ride isn’t always pretty with Kittle, he’s a safe bet to have some monstrous performances that win you a week. San Francisco’s offense is flush with fantasy weapons, but Kittle feels like a steal here.

Pick 11.06: Jaleel McLaughlin (RB – DEN)

Another running back flier with upside and intrigue, I’m convinced Jaleel McLaughlin has Sean Payton smitten. McLaughlin showed some flashes during his first season. Among all running backs with at least 50 rushing attempts or 20 targets, McLaughlin ranked 14th in explosive run rate, fifth in missed tackles forced per attempt, fourth in yards after contact per attempt and fourth in yards per route run.

Javonte Williams just might not be panning out. We know Samaje Perine is the definition of a workman back who doesn’t pose much threat. There’s a chance for McLaughlin to emerge in 2024.

Pick 12.07: Khalil Shakir (WR – BUF)

Khalil Shakir is another late-round target who I’m thrilled to get here. The target opportunity is evident with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis out of town. And while I like Keon Coleman, I also really liked what I saw from Shakir to close out the 2023 campaign. Over the last three games, he caught 16 out of 17 targets for 180 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his reliability and big-play ability. Shakir topped the NFL in catch rate (88%) and generated the highest passer rating (141.5) while leading the Bills in receiving EPA and ranking 16th overall in the league.

You can do a lot worse for your WR5.

Pick 13.06: Trevor Lawrence (QB – JAX)

I normally don’t advocate for taking two quarterbacks in your draft. But given Richardson’s injury risk, I felt the need to back him up. I initially wanted Jared Goff, but he was off the board two rounds earlier. So I took Trevor Lawrence, who is a fine option in case of emergency even though I don’t think he’s living up to the generational billing.

Pick 14.07: DeMario Douglas (WR – NE)

DeMario Douglas was one of the lone bright spots on a miserable Patriots offense last season. While New England drafted a couple of receivers this offseason, I still have faith Douglas could lead the team in targets. And to land a player with that type of potential in the last round is always a shot I’ll take.

Draft Wizard Grade: 94/100 (A)

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Fantasy Draft Advice Mock Drafts NFL Bijan Robinson Justin Jefferson Amon-Ra St. Brown A.J. Brown Kirk Cousins J.J. McCarthy Sam Darnold Davante Adams Jimmy Garoppolo Gardner Minshew Isiah Pacheco DeVonta Smith Cooper Kupp Amari Cooper Stefon Diggs Jalen Hurts Anthony Richardson Tank Dell Tyreek Hill Jonathon Brooks Miles Sanders Chuba Hubbard Zack Moss Devin Singletary Chris Godwin Chase Brown George Kittle Luke Musgrave Jaleel McLaughlin Javonte Williams Samaje Perine Khalil Shakir Gabe Davis Keon Coleman Trevor Lawrence Jared Goff DeMario Douglas