Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12 team, standard scoring
Written by: Jake Leicht
Last week, I completed a 12 team, 2QB standard scoring league mock draft while drafting from the 3rd overall position. I was elated with my results, and you can find this mock draft here. Today, I will be breaking down my 12 team standard scoring mock draft. This mock was completed using FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Wizard (https://draftwizard.fantasypros.com/football/mock-draft-simulator/settings/), and the roster settings are as follows: QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 1Flex (RB/WR/TE), D/ST (team defense), and K. I drafted 6 bench players as well. Make sure to check out last week’s mocks, and stay tuned later in the week for more!
Round 1:
1) Todd Gurley, RB (LAR)
2) Le’Veon Bell, RB (PIT)
3) Ezekiel Elliott, RB (DAL)
4) David Johnson, RB (ARI)
5) Antonio Brown, WR (PIT)
6) Alvin Kamara, RB (NO)
7) Saquon Barkley, RB (NYG)
8) Kareem Hunt, RB (KC)
9) Leonard Fournette, RB (JAX)
10) Deandre Hopkins, WR (HOU)
11) Odell Beckham Jr., WR (NYG)
12) Michael Thomas, WR (NO)
Analysis: I would have preferred to have landed either Todd Gurley or Le’Veon Bell with the the 3rd overall pick of the draft, but Ezekiel Elliott is a fine consolation prize. Elliott is one of the most talented backs in football, and he gets to run behind the best offensive line in the league as well. In a standard scoring league, drafting players with big time touchdown potential is a must, especially early in the draft. Elliott scored a total of 16 touchdowns, 15 on the ground and 1 in the air, in his rookie season. He also added 1,631 yards on the ground as well as 363 yards through the air.
Last season, Elliott was suspended for 6 total games due to domestic violence. He was in and out of the Cowboys’ backfield as his appeal played out. Ultimately, last season was still a relative success. In only 10 games, Elliott rushed for 983 yards and 7 touchdowns. The question is whether or not the Cowboys’ supporting cast will be good enough to warrant attention from opposing defenses. Dez Bryant and Jason Witten are no longer on the team. Will Elliott have to face 8 defensive players in the box on a game-by-game basis? Maybe, but he is still the 3rd best player on the board in a standard scoring league.
Round 2:
13) Keenan Allen, WR (LAC)
14) Jerick McKinnon, RB (SF)
15) Melvin Gordon, RB (LAC)
16) Julio Jones, WR (ATL)
17) Dalvin Cook, RB (MIN)
18) Jordan Howard, RB (CHI)
19) Davante Adams, WR (GB)
20) LeSean McCoy, RB (BUF)
21) A.J. Green, WR (CIN)
22) Mike Evans, WR (TB)
23) Christian McCaffrey, RB (CAR)
24) Doug Baldwin, WR (SEA)
Analysis: Mike Evans is one of the most talented wide receivers in the league. Standing at 6–5, Evans might be the best red zone wide receiver in the NFL. Again fantasy owners playing within a standard scoring league need to target players with high touchdown probability. Buccaneers’ quarterback Jameis Winston will often target Evans no matter the situation, but he definitely targets him close to the end zone.
The only reason that Evans is not ranked much higher in fantasy experts’ rankings is because he had a down year last year. He had only 71 catches for 1,001 yards and 5 touchdowns. I personally had Evans last season, and it was very frustrating to watch on a weekly basis. To be quite frank, Jameis Winston was not very good in 2017. He only threw for 19 touchdowns, 9 less than he did in 2016 which really hurt Evans’ production.
I look for Mike Evans to bounce back in a big way next season. In his 4 year career, Evans has had double digit touchdowns in 2 of those seasons: 2014 and 2016. I truly believe that he will have no less than 8 touchdowns with a schedule that is favorable for big, physical receivers. I am happy to take on the risk in 2018.
Round 3:
25) Adam Thielen, WR (MIN)
26) Tyreek Hill, WR (KC)
27) Devonta Freeman, RB (BUF)
28) Travis Kelce, TE (KC)
29) Rob Gronkowski, TE (NE)
30) Joe Mixon, RB (CIN)
31) Josh Gordon, WR (CLE)
32) Derrick Henry, RB (TEN)
33) Kenyan Drake, RB (MIA)
34) Aaron Rodgers, QB (GB)
35) T.Y. Hilton, WR (IND)
36) Stefon Diggs, WR (MIN)
Analysis: In a standard scoring league, I would favor drafting 2 running backs within the first 3 rounds, especially in a 12 team league. Running backs naturally get more touches close to the goal line. Devonta Freeman, like Mike Evans, did have a down year in 2017. He rushed for 865 yards and 7 touchdowns in 14 games. In the 2 previous seasons, Freeman had at least 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Freeman plays in a very explosive offense, and he should get many carries in 2018. Targeting players in good offenses gives you maximum exposure to touchdown opportunities. Freeman runs hard with quick cuts and great vision. I think that he is one of the top 10 running backs in the league. One problem for Freeman is that Tevin Coleman is also on the Falcons. Coleman is very talented, and he is also worthy of at least 10 touches per game on the ground and in the air. I did briefly consider drafting Rob Gronkowski here, but ultimately I felt more comfortable solidifying my running back position with Devonta Freeman. Having Elliott and Freeman as my starting running backs in a 12 team standard scoring league is a great start to the draft.
Round 4:
37) Brandin Cooks, WR (LAR)
38) Deshaun Watson, QB (HOU)
39) Zach Ertz, TE (PHI)
40) Allen Robinson, WR (CHI)
41) Alshon Jeffery, WR (PHI)
42) Amari Cooper, WR (OAK)
43) Jay Ajayi, RB (PHI)
44) Larry Fitzgerald, WR (ARI)
45) Rashaad Penny, RB (SEA)
46) Jarvis Landry, WR (CLE)
47) Demaryius Thomas, WR (DEN)
48) Mark Ingram, RB (NO)
Analysis: Last week, I also drafted Jarvis Landry in my 2QB standard scoring mock draft in which I had the number 2 overall pick. Here is what I wrote about Landry in that article:
“I was able to grab Jarvis Landry as my WR3 (WR 2 in this league). Landry’s upside is somewhat capped because this is a standard scoring league, but his talent level is definitely good enough to be a top 4 round pick at the very least. He is also playing on a team that wants to get him involved a ton, and this is probably Landry’s best offense that he has ever played in to this point in his career. The best way to win in fantasy football is to accumulate talent, and Jarvis Landry fits the bill here.”
Landry did have 9 touchdown catches last season, so he does have more upside in a standard scoring league than many fantasy owners realize.
Round 5:
49) Alex Collins, RB (BAL)
50) Derrius Guice, RB (WAS)
51) JuJu Smith-Schuster (PIT)
52) Marvin Jones Jr., WR (DET)
53) Golden Tate, WR (DET)
54) Devin Funchess, WR (CAR)
55) Jimmy Graham, TE (GB)
56) Julian Edelman, WR (NE)
57) Tom Brady, QB (NE)
58) Michael Crabtree, WR (BAL)
59) Royce Freeman, RB (DEN)
60) Lamar Miller, RB (HOU)
Analysis: I believe that many fantasy league championships will be won with the decisions fantasy players make between rounds 5–7. I will personally be drafting players with high ceilings during these pivotal rounds, because I draft to win leagues. I do not care if I care if I finish in 2nd place or 12th place, it is all the same to me. I want to win. JuJu Smith-Schuster is the perfect high ceiling prospect for me at this point.
First off, JuJu plays in one of the best offenses in football. The Steelers are known for their explosive offense with players like Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, two of the best five fantasy options this season. Smith-Schuster was exceptional in his rookie season. He played in 14 games and only started in 7, but JuJu still had 917 yards on 58 catches including 7 touchdowns. That is a phenomenal rookie season for the USC product. Now, I believe the Steelers will make JuJu a more vocal part of their offense. After the Steelers traded Martavis Bryant to the Raiders, it opened up even more opportunities for JuJu this upcoming season. I look for him to be a great option for teams around the 5th or 6th round of drafts this year.
Round 6:
61)Carson Wentz, QB (PHI)
62) Evan Engram, TE (NYG)
63) Robert Woods, WR (LAR)
64) Greg Olsen, TE (CAR)
65) Russell Wilson, QB (SEA)
66) Jordy Nelson, WR (OAK)
67) Cam Newton, QB (CAR)
68) Pierre Garcon, WR (SF)
69) Dion Lewis, RB (TEN)
70) Ronald Jones, RB (TB)
71) Delanie Walker, TE (TEN)
72) Chris Hogan, WR (NE)
Analysis: I think that Ronald Jones will be the starting running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Getting the USC rookie in the 6th round to pair with Elliott and Freeman is a great addition to my backfield. Last season at USC, Jones rushed for 1,550 yards and 19 touchdowns. I do have some questions about his playmaking ability out of the backfield due to the fact that he only had 32 receptions over his 3 seasons in college. His only competition for carries on the Bucs’ roster is Peyton Barber. Barber is okay, but the Bucs just used a 2nd round pick on RoJo in April, so it is apparent they are looking at him to lead their backfield for the next several seasons. I am all too happy to get a young starting running back in round 6.
Round 7:
73) Kyle Rudolph, TE (MIN)
74) Drew Brees, QB (NO)
75) Carlos Hyde, RB (CLE)
76) Kirk Cousins, QB (MIN)
77) Matthew Stafford, QB (DET)
78) Sammy Watkins, WR (KC)
79) Will Fuller, WR (HOU)
80) Corey Davis, WR (TEN)
81) Sony Michel, RB (NE)
82) Tevin Coleman, RB (ATL)
83) Marquise Goodwin, WR (SF)
84) Marlon Mack, RB (IND)
Analysis: If you read my columns, you know that I am a huge Cleveland Browns’ fan. Drafting 2 Browns with my first 7 picks will probably cause you to roll your eyes, but I did draft a couple of playmakers. Carlos Hyde is probably going to start at running back for the Cleveland Browns in 2018, or at least have the opportunity to win the starting job over incumbent rookie Nick Chubb.
I recently wrote an article on the Browns’ backfield situation that you can find right here. To summarize, I believe that Carlos Hyde has the best chance to do damage for the Browns on the ground and in the air. He may also see goal line carries, but I would assume the Browns’ will give those carries to Nick Chubb by at least midseason due to their investment in him. The Browns only gave Hyde a 1 year deal essentially, so they may run his into the ground with carries until the rookie is ready to be the primary back. I am a bit scared of his injury history, but I am currently drafting Hyde to be my #4 running back in this league. That is well worth the risk here.
Round 8:
85) Dez Bryant, WR (FA)
86) Mike Gesicki, TE (MIA)
87) Emmanuel Sanders, WR (DEN)
88) Robby Anderson, WR (NYJ)
89) Cooper Kupp, WR (LAR)
90) Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (SF)
91) Marshawn Lynch, RB (OAK)
92) Chris Thompson, RB (WAS)
93) Devante Parker, WR (MIA)
94) Jamison Crowder, WR (WAS)
95) Nelson Agholor, WR (PHI)
96) Ben Roethlisberger, QB (PIT)
Analysis: I have done several mock drafts over the past few weeks. I always find myself drafting Washington Redskins’ wide receiver, Jamison Crowder. Here is a paragraph from my previous mock draft article about him.
“Jamison Crowder is one of my favorite under-the-radar receivers in fantasy football this year. With Alex Smith at the helm, the Redskins’ offense will be more ball control oriented this year. They will rely less on wide receivers like Josh Doctson, and Smith will focus more on the middle intermediate zones of the field with targets like Crowder and Jordan Reed. Everyone knows how injury prone Reed is, so that leads me to believe that Jamison Crowder will have a big season for Washington. I love him in this format as my WR4. In fact, he would probably be a starter in my flex spot most weeks. D’onta Foreman intrigued me due to the fact that I already have Lamar Miller, but I am more than happy to add Crowder to my roster.”
Round 9:
97) Kelvin Benjamin, WR (CAR)
98) Jacksonville Jaguars, D/ST
99) Andrew Luck, QB (IND)
100) Kenny Stills, WR (MIA)
101) Los Angeles Rams, D/ST
102) Tarik Cohen, RB (CHI)
103) Aaron Jones, RB (GB)
104) Sterling Shepard, WR (NYG)
105) Randall Cobb, WR (GB)
106) Rex Burkhead, RB (NE)
107) Nick Chubb, RB (CLE)
108) D.J. Moore, WR (CAR)
Analysis: Again, I am a major risk taker in fantasy football. I want to win championships, and to do that you have to think outside the box. Andrew Luck is one of the best quarterbacks in the league for fantasy purposes when he is healthy. The question is, is he healthy? I honestly do not know the answer to that question, but he is finally throwing footballs at the Colts’ training facility again. That is a step in the right direction.
In round 9, all of the top tier quarterbacks are gone. The only quarterback left on the board with top 5 fantasy potential is Andrew Luck. I was confident that I could find a good backup option in the later rounds of this mock draft just in case Luck is not ready to go at the beginning of the season. When healthy, he has 35 touchdown potential. I will sign-up for that.
Round 10:
109) Calvin Ridley, WR (ATL)
110) Kerryon Johnson, RB (DET)
111) Isaiah Crowell, RB (NYJ)
112) Duke Johnson, RB (CLE)
113) Rishard Matthews, WR (TEN)
114) Legarrette Blount, RB (DET)
115) Jamaal Williams, RB (GB)
116) James White, NE (RB)
117) C.J. Anderson, RB (DEN)
118) Jordan Reed, TE (WAS)
119) Cameron Meredith, WR (NO)
120) D’onta Foreman, RB (HOU)
Analysis: This is my first pick that I made that I do not love. Like Luck, Jordan Reed is one of the best fantasy options in the league at his position. The problem is that Reed is even more injury-prone than Hyde and Luck. There are a couple of reasons that I like Reed at his current ADP.
Number 1, he is uber talented. Even with his injuries, Reed has still has solid numbers in his career to this point. In 2015, he had 11 touchdown catches to go along with 952 yards receiving. That was only two short years ago. He runs great routes, and he is a three down tight end in this league. Now he is getting an upgrade at the quarterback position, at least when it comes to tight end fantasy production, Alex Smith. Smith loves throwing the ball to tight ends over the middle of the field. Reed is not Travis Kelce, but Smith will still fall in love with him as a safety net over the middle of the field in 2018 if Reed is healthy. I knew once I took him, I was going to have to draft a TE2 in this draft, which I normally do not like to do.
Round 11:
121) Josh Doctson, WR (WAS)
122) Martavis Bryant, WR (OAK)
123) Kenny Golladay, WR (DET)
124) Marqise Lee, WR (JAX)
125) Devontae Booker, WR (DEN)
126) Allen Hurns, WR (DAL)
127) Minnesota Vikings, D/ST
128) DeSean Jackson, WR (TB)
129) Houston Texans, D/ST
130) Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST
131) Mike Williams, WR (LAC)
132) Michael Gallup, WR (DAL)
Analysis: I am all too happy to select Kenny Golladay with my 11th round pick. Golladay, aka Babytron, is a physically gifted receiver that has some serious jump ball capabilities. In his first NFL game, Babytron had 4 catches for 69 yards and 2 touchdowns. For the rest of the season, Golladay dealt with several injuries that forced him to sit out 5 games. In round 11, I am willing to take a risk on him simply for his ability to go up and make a play. Stafford is a gunslinger, and taking a shot on one of his most talented wide receivers to be my WR5.
Round 12:
133) Corey Coleman, WR (CLE)
134) Doug Martin, RB (OAK)
135) Ty Montgomery, RB (GB)
136) Tyler Lockett, WR (SEA)
137) Trey Burton, TE (CHI)
138) Jordan Matthews, WR (NE)
139) Latavius Murray, RB (MIN)
140) Giovani Bernard, RB (CIN)
141) Phillip Rivers, QB (LAC)
142) Jack Doyle, TE (IND)
143) Nyheim Hines, RB (IND)
144) Tyler Eifert, TE (CIN)
Analysis: Absolutely nothing flashy here, but Jack Doyle is a very safe TE2 for me. Finding a capable backup for Jordan Reed was a must since he will definitely miss a few weeks during the season due to injuries. Doyle is safe because Andrew Luck loves his tight ends. Even without Luck last year, he had 80 receptions for 690 yards and 4 touchdowns. Those are TE1 numbers in a 12 team league. Had I known he was going to be available in the 12th round, I probably would have passed on Reed in round 10 for either D’onta Foreman or Cam Meredith. It doesn’t matter, because I am happy to select a guy like Doyle that has a stable role in a decent offense this late in the draft.
Round 13:
145) Jared Goff, QB (LAR)
146) George Kittle, TE (SF)
147) Chris Carson, RB (SEA)
148) Corey Clement, RB (PHI)
149) Mohamed Sanu, WR (ATL)
150) O.J. Howard, TE (TB)
151) Matt Ryan, QB (ATL)
152) David Njoku, TE (CLE)
153) Charles Clay, TE (BUF)
154) Paul Richardson, WR (WAS)
155) Ted Ginn Jr., WR (NO)
156) Cameron Brate, TE (TB)
Analysis: Chris Carson is by no means a sexy pick. I do think he has more value in a PPR scoring league than he would have in a standard format. Last season, Carson only started 3 games, but he did have 208 yards on the ground and 59 yards through the air. He suffered a nasty ankle injury during week 4 last season against the Colts.
This pick comes down to two things. Number one, I do not think Rashaad Penny is going to be a great pro running back, so that would leave the door open for Carson to get a nice number of reps this year. Number two, I needed one more running back to solidify my RB position. Carson is my flier at the RB position.
Round 14:
157) Samaje Perine, RB (WAS)
158) Theo Riddick, RB (DET)
159) Bilal Powell, RB (NYJ)
160) Kenneth Dixon, RB (BAL)
161) Frank Gore, RB (MIA)
162) Spencer Ware, RB (KC)
163) Hayden Hurst, TE (BAL)
164) Dak Prescott, QB (DAL)
165) Anthony Miller, WR (CHI)
166) Patrick Mahomes, QB (KC)
167) Demarco Murray, RB (FA)
168) Peyton Barber, RB (TB)
Analysis: After two pretty safe and boring picks, I went with one of my favorite quarterbacks for this upcoming fantasy season, Pat Mahomes. If you haven’t Youtubed Mahomes’ college highlights, do yourself a favor and do that right now. He has one of the strongest arms in the NFL already, and he will be playing with some great playmakers in KC this season. The best thing about Mahomes is that he has the benefit of being in Andy Reid’s offensive system which is always conducive to nice fantasy numbers. Reid made Alex Smith fantasy relevant, what could he do with a talent like Mahomes? He is the perfect upside parring for my earlier quarterback selection, Andrew Luck. I am very excited to have him on this mock draft team, and I am planning to select him in my real fantasy drafts this summer.
Round 15:
169) Denver Broncos, D/ST
170) Keelan Cole, WR (JAX)
171) Los Angeles Chargers, D/ST
172) Baltimore Ravens, D/ST
173) Austin Ekeler, RB (LAC)
174) Seattle Seahawks, D/ST
175) Dede Westbrook, WR (JAX)
176) New England Patriots, D/ST
177) Mike Wallace, WR (PHI)
178) Danny Amendola, WR (MIA)
179) New Orleans Saints, D/ST
180) Atlanta Falcons, D/ST
Analysis: I do not normally draft defenses, because I like to stream them during the season. I did get a nice defense here in the Chargers. The Chargers have two of the best edge rushers in the NFL in Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. By taking the Chargers D, I am just chasing sacks and turnovers. The Broncos and Raiders do not have great offenses, so playing those two teams twice helps as well.
Round 16:
181) Stephen Gostkowski, K (NE)
182) Justin Tucker, K (BAL)
183) Greg Zuerlein, K (LAC)
184) Wil Lutz, K (NO)
185) Matt Bryant, K (ATL)
186) Jake Elliott, K (PHI)
187) Harrison Butker, K (KC)
188) Chris Boswell, K (PIT)
189) Matt Prater, K (DET)
190) Dan Bailey, K (DAL)
191) Robbie Gould, K (SF)
192) Mason Crosby, K (GB)
Analysis: I really do not like kickers in fantasy football.
Final Roster:
QB- Andrew Luck (IND)
RB- Ezekiel Elliott (DAL)
RB- Devonta Freeman (ATL)
WR- Mike Evans (TB)
WR- Demaryius Thomas (DEN)
WR- JuJu Smith-Schuster (PIT)
TE- Jordan Reed (WAS)
Flex- Carlos Hyde (CLE)
D/ST- Los Angeles Chargers
K- Dan Bailey (DAL)
BN: Ronald Jones (TB)
BN: Jamison Crowder (WAS)
BN: Kenny Golladay (DET)
BN: Jack Doyle (IND)
BN: Chris Carson (SEA)
BN: Patrick Mahomes (KC)
Final Thoughts: I am pretty pumped up about this particular mock draft team. Starting off my draft with Ezekiel Elliott set the tone for my running back depth. He is one of the most talented backs in the league behind the best offensive line in the NFL as well. Mike Evans was solid value in the 2nd round of a standard scoring league, but after the draft I learned that Jameis Winston will be serving a 3 game suspension to start the year. That hurts, but Evans’ touchdown upside was too much for me to pass on here. I was shocked that Devonta Freeman was there for me in the 3rd round, but he did have a down year last season. Again, I am banking on him getting back to his previous double digit touchdown totals. To round out my starting receiving corps, I attained Jarvis Landry and JuJu Smith-Schuster, 2 players that I believe will be targeted heavily in their respective offenses. At the tight end position, I took a chance on Jordan Reed, who is talented but very, very injury-prone. I was able to back him up with Jack Doyle, so I feel okay with the risk. My starting quarterback is currently Andrew Luck, and if he is healthy he has top 5 quarterback potential in fantasy this season due to his physical skills. Backing him up with the high upside quarterback like Pat Mahomes made my draft an even bigger success. I love Mahomes in Andy Reid’s offense this season.
Overall, I will always take more risks than most fantasy owners. That’s how you win. I make picks that will win me leagues. Those picks could just as easily sink my season. Hopefully you enjoyed my mock, and I will definitely be working on more mock drafts in the very near future!
