Fantasy Mock Pick #2: 12-team, 2QB Standard Scoring

By: Jake Leicht

As my colleague Alexander Amir wrote earlier this week, we’ll be drafting from pick by pick in our three different league types. Alexander completed his standard scoring mock draft from the #2 position on Monday and 0.5 PPR mock from #2 yesterday. Today, I will be breaking down my 2QB, 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: 2QB, 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) Le’Veon Bell, RB (PIT)

2) Todd Gurley, RB (LAR)

3) David Johnson, RB (ARI)

4) Antonio Brown, WR (PIT)

5) Ezekiel Elliott, RB (DAL)

6) Aaron Rodgers, QB (GB)

7) Deshaun Watson, QB (HOU)

8) Saquon Barkley, RB (NYG)

9) Deandre Hopkins, WR (HOU)

10) Russell Wilson, QB (SEA)

11) Tom Brady, QB (NE)

12) Alvin Kamara, RB (NO)

Analysis: I was elated to take Todd Gurley with the number 2 overall pick in this draft. As Alexander wrote earlier this week, the big debate is whether or not you would rather draft Le’Veon Bell or Todd Gurley at the top of the draft. I would personally rather have Gurley. Bell has been suspended a couple of times in his career for marijuana use, and he has a history of getting banged up during seasons. Gurley had by far the best year of his career last season, and I actually think he could raise his touchdown total (19) from last year as well. In the Rams’ offense, Gurley will absolutely be the focal point of their attack. He can make an impact in both the running and passing game, and I just feel like he is a safer pick than Bell. Luckily in this mock draft, Le’Veon Bell was selected first overall.

This being a league in which 2 quarterbacks start on a weekly basis, one of the major question marks I had coming in was how high the quarterbacks would go. There were 4 total quarterbacks selected in the first round (Rodgers, Watson, Wilson, and Brady). Rodgers was taken with the sixth overall pick. With the top players at the position already taken, many high level position players will be falling a round or two from their normal value.

Round 2:

13) Kareem Hunt, RB (KC)

14) Odell Beckham Jr., (NYG)

15) Melvin Gordon, RB (LAC)

16) Keenan Allen, WR (LAC)

17) Dalvin Cook, RB (MIN)

18) Julio Jones, WR (ATL)

19) Leonard Fournette, RB (JAX)

20) Drew Brees, QB (NO)

21) Mike Evans, WR (TB)

22) Davante Adams, WR (GB)

23) Michael Thomas, WR (NO)

24) Kirk Cousins, QB (MIN)

Analysis: I love getting Michael Thomas in the second round of a standard scoring league. Thomas only had 5 touchdown catches last season, so he can definitely get back to the 9 touchdowns he scored in 2016. He is Drew Brees’ favorite target in an explosive offense that will be sure to put up points in a hurry this year. Thomas is one of my favorite players to watch because he is able to run every route on the NFL route tree. I am shocked that wide receivers like Mike Evans and Davante Adams were picked before him. I could not be happier starting my team with Gurley and Thomas.

There were two quarterbacks taken in the second round (Brees and Cousins). I would have been semi-interested in Drew Brees with my second round pick due to the fact that he is a safe bet to be a top 7 quarterback this year. He is very steady on a yearly basis. However, one of the reasons that he is safe is because of his number one receiving target (Thomas) who I took instead. I had no interest in Cousins, and I was happy to see him taken before my third round pick.

Round 3:

25) Carson Wentz, QB (PHI)

26) A.J. Green, WR (CIN)

27) Lesean McCoy, RB (BUF)

28) Cam Newton, QB (CAR)

29) Doug Baldwin, WR (SEA)

30) Devonta Freeman, RB (ATL)

31) Christian McCaffrey, RB (CAR)

32) T.Y. Hilton, WR (IND)

33) Adam Thielen, WR (MIN)

34) Stefon Diggs, WR (MIN)

35) Derrick Henry, RB (TEN)

36) Jerick McKinnon, RB (SF)

Analysis: Well, I did not plan on going RB-WR-WR in this 2QB standard league. I also did not expect to be able to start my draft with Gurley, Thomas, and A.J. Green. Those three players would be a great start to a ten team league, let alone a twelve teamer. A.J. Green is one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL. He did have a down year last season due to some nagging injuries and horrific quarterback play from Andy Dalton. I was happy to bet on Green’s talent in the third round. I was a bit concerned that my second running back position would be weak, but I was not going to select McCoy or Freeman over Green due to the fact that we are starting 3 receivers in this format. I had still not picked a quarterback, but there were still some solid options on the board.

Round 4:

37) Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (SF)

38) Tyreek Hill, WR (KC)

39) Jordan Howard, RB (CHI)

40) Rob Gronkowski, TE (NE)

41) Travis Kelce, TE (KC)

42) Joe Mixon, RB (CIN)

43) Mark Ingram, RB (NO)

44) Zach Ertz, TE (PHI)

45) Alshon Jeffery, WR (PHI)

46) Allen Robinson, WR (CHI)

47) Matthew Stafford, QB (DET)

48) Kenyan Drake, RB (MIA)

Analysis: I am always higher on Matthew Stafford than others. I like the way he plays. He shows toughness on a game by game basis, and he has always been an absolute gunslinger. When it comes down to it, I believe that the Lions will be throwing the ball a ton. Stafford has some nice weapons at wide receiver in Golden Tate, Kenny Golladay, and Marvin Jones. I was down to either selecting Big Ben or Stafford at this point. Roethlisberger is obviously one of the all-time great quarterbacks, but his home and road splits are too much for me too handle. He also misses time every year, and in a two quarterback league that was simply too much risk to take in the fourth round.

Round 5:

49) Larry Fitzgerald, WR (ARI)

50) Derrius Guice, RB (WAS)

51) Ben Roethlisberger, QB (PIT)

52) Alex Collins, RB (BAL)

53) JuJu Smith-Schuster (PIT)

54) Brandin Cooks, WR (LAR)

55) Amari Cooper, WR (OAK)

56) Andrew Luck, QB (IND)

57) Jay Ajayi, RB (PHI)

58) Marvin Jones, WR (DET)

59) Dez Bryant, WR (FA)

60) Josh Gordon, WR (CLE)

Analysis: I went with Derrius Guice in the fifth round for a couple of reasons. The first is that I think he has an opportunity to be a top ten running back this year. He is the best back on the Redskins’ roster, and I am confident that Jay Gruden will build his offense around him immediately. I also needed a second starting running back, and I did not feel like Alex Collins or Jay Ajayi had very much upside. Guice can do it all. Again, I thought about drafting Big Ben and solidifying my number 2 starting quarterback, but there were too many intriguing quarterback options left. To me, this pick comes down to potential, and I love taking risks with my number 2 running backs.

Round 6:

61) Robert Woods, WR (LAR)

62) Jared Goff, QB (LAR)

63) Matt Ryan, QB (ATL)

64) Dak Prescott, QB (DAL)

65) Demaryius Thomas, WR (DEN)

66) Rashaad Penny, RB (SEA)

67) Sammy Watkins, WR (KC)

68) Sony Michel, RB (NE)

69) Evan Engram, TE (NYG)

70) Jimmy Graham, TE (GB)

71) Jarvis Landry, WR (CLE)

72) Golden Tate, WR (DET)

Analysis: I was really hoping that Matt Ryan fell to me in the sixth round. I love Ryan’s weapons, and he had some bad luck last year. I do believe he rebounds this season, and he would have been a great addition to Matthew Stafford on my roster. Instead, I was able to grab Jarvis Landry as my WR3. 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 5 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.

Round 7:

73) Greg Olsen, TE (CAR)

74) Lamar Miller, RB (HOU)

75) Devin Funchess, WR (CAR)

76) Royce Freeman, RB (DEN)

77) Chris Hogan, WR (NE)

78) Philip Rivers, QB (LAC)

79) Julian Edelman, WR (NE)

80) Jameis Winston, QB (TB)

81) Pierre Garcon, WR (SF)

82) Dion Lewis, RB (TEN)

83) Jordy Nelson, WR (OAK)

84) Patrick Mahomes, QB (KC)

Analysis: This was probably my least favorite pick in the draft. In fact, in most of the mocks that I have completed this year, I do not like the players that are normally available between rounds 6 and 9. There are just not a lot of players with upside. With this seventh round pick, I went with Lamar Miller. I do not love him, but I do think he is a veteran that is a little safer than some other running back options available at this point. This pick came down to Miller and Royce Freeman. Ultimately, I went with Miller just because I think his role is more defined at this point. I am not sure if Freeman will be able to edge Devontae Booker in the Broncos’ backfield, whereas I do think that Lamar Miller will at least start over D’onta Foreman at the beginning of the season.

Round 8:

85) Marquise Goodwin, WR (SF)

86) Carlos Hyde, RB (CLE)

87) Michael Crabtree, WR (BAL)

88) Ronald Jones, RB (TB)

89) Randall Cobb, WR (GB)

90) Marcus Mariota, QB (TEN)

91) Delanie Walker, TE (TEN)

92) Cooper Kupp, WR (LAR)

93) Trey Burton, TE (CHI)

94) Will Fuller, WR (HOU)

95) Kyle Rudolph, TE (MIN)

96) Corey Davis, WR (TEN)

Analysis: I was dying for Marcus Mariota to fall to me in round 8. In the back of my mind, I was targeting Mariota to be my QB2. He had an abysmal year last season, and he was injured early and often in the season. He still played, but he was never as effective as he could have been in 2017. I believe Mariota will bounce back this year and be a top 12 quarterback. Instead, I drafted Kyle Rudolph to be my TE1. Rudolph is a red-zone threat that scored 8 touchdowns last year, and his team just added a better quarterback than he had last year. Cousins is great in the red zone, and Rudolph is one of the better red zone tight end targets in the league. I am happy to have drafted him in the 8th round of a 12 team standard scoring league.

Round 9:

97) Robby Anderson, WR (NYJ)

98) Derek Carr, QB (OAK)

99) Alex Smith, QB (WAS)

100) Mitchell Trubisky, QB (CHI)

101) Eli Manning, QB (NYG)

102) Devante Parker, WR (MIA)

103) Emmanuel Sanders, WR (DEN)

104) Marshawn Lynch, RB (OAK)

105) Blake Bortles, QB (JAX)

106) Kelvin Benjamin, WR (BUF)

107) Duke Johnson, RB (CLE)

108) Nelson Agholor, WR (PHI)

Analysis: I finally grabbed my QB2 in Derek Carr in the ninth round. Like Marcus Mariota, Carr did not live up to what many fantasy owners believed he would be in his third year. Carr had a back fracture that caused him to miss several weeks in 2017. His weapons also regressed, as his best wide receiver, Amari Cooper, had more drops than usual as well. I am not sure that Jon Gruden will help him out, but Gruden has been vocal about how highly he thinks of Carr. While his touchdown total has regressed every year since 2015, Carr has the weapons and abilities to once again get to 30 touchdowns in 2018. He has some potential, and I am fine with adding him to Stafford on my roster. I wish I could have gotten Mariota, but Carr is a fine consolation prize.

Round 10:

109) Marlon Mack, RB (IND)

110) Aaron Jones, RB (GB)

111) Tevin Coleman, RB (ATL)

112) Isaiah Crowell, RB (NYJ)

113) Kenny Stills, WR (MIA)

114) Jamaal Williams, RB (GB)

115) Sterling Shepard, WR (NYG)

116) C.J. Anderson, RB (DEN)

117) Chris Thompson, RB (WAS)

118) Rex Burkhead, RB (NE)

119) Jamison Crowder, WR (WAS)

120) D’onta Foreman, RB (HOU)

Analysis: 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 11:

121) Rishard Matthews, WR (TEN)

122) Kerryon Johnson, RB (DET)

123) Case Keenum, QB (DEN)

124) Nick Chubb, RB (CLE)

125) Andy Dalton, QB (CIN)

126) Josh Doctson, WR (WAS)

127) D.J. Moore, WR (CAR)

128) Ryan Tannehill, QB (MIA)

129) Legarrette Blount, RB (DET)

130) Michael Gallup, WR (DAL)

131) Martavis Bryant, WR (OAK)

132) Allen Hurns, WR (DAL)

Analysis: In his first press conference as the head coach of the Detroit Lions, Matt Patricia vowed to be more of a smash-mouth football team on both sides of the ball. Over the past decade, the Lions have had one of the worst rushing teams in the NFL. They have not had a great running back since Barry Sanders, and going into the offseason the Lions needed to add a playmaker at the position. They decided to go with Kerryon Johnson in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Johnson fits the smash-mouth promise of Matt Patricia, and he is clearly the most talented running back on the roster. Getting a young starting running back with potential for a relatively high number of touchdowns in a standard format is huge for my team at this juncture of the draft.

Round 12:

133) Tyler Lockett, WR (SEA)

134) Cameron Meredith, WR (NO)

135) Doug Martin, RB (OAK)

136) Tyrod Taylor, QB (CLE)

137) Tyrell Williams, WR (LAC)

138) Danny Amendola, WR (MIA)

139) Chris Carson, RB (SEA)

140) Tarik Cohen, RB (CHI)

141) Teddy Bridgewater, QB (NYJ)

142) Bilal Powell, RB (NYJ)

143) Joe Flacco, QB (BAL)

144) Corey Clement, RB (PHI)

Analysis: I do not love drafting Joe Flacco. He is not a very good NFL quarterback anymore, and he was never a great fantasy option even in his best of days. The fact of the matter is that I needed a backup quarterback in a 2QB league that I felt like would start a majority of the year. I do believe that Flacco will hold off Lamar Jackson for as long as the Ravens can stay competitive this season. Flacco is barely a top 25 option, but he was the best option left at the position in round 12. Sam Bradford is much more talented, but I have a simple rule in fantasy football. Never draft the oft-injured Sam Bradford.

Round 13:

145) Josh Allen, QB (BUF)

146) Calvin Ridley, WR (ATL)

147) Marqise Lee, WR (JAX)

148) Dede Westbrook, WR (JAX)

149) Anthony Miller, WR (CHI)

150) Sam Bradford, QB (ARI)

151) Jordan Reed, TE (WAS)

152) Theo Riddick, RB (DET)

153) Devontae Booker, RB (DEN)

154) Tyler Eifert, TE (CIN)

155) Samaje Perine, RB (WAS)

156) Kenny Golladay, WR (DET)

Analysis: This is a complete upside pick. I really like Calvin Ridley in dynasty leagues. Coming into the draft, I felt like he was the best route runner in the class. Ridley was simply wasted most of his career at Alabama because he did not have great quarterback play. Now he will be either the number 2 or 3 option for the Atlanta Falcons’ prolific offense, and he has a chance to be special. If Julio Jones were to hold out until the regular season, Ridley’s stock will go through the roof during the preseason. I feel like he will go higher than this in about a month or two. Nice upside pick for me in the later rounds.

Round 14:

157) George Kittle, TE (SF)

158) Jack Doyle, TE (IND)

159) O.J. Howard, TE (TB)

160) Lamar Jackson, QB (BAL)

161) Baker Mayfield, QB (CLE)

162) Jacksonville Jaguars, DST

163) Cameron Brate, TE (TB)

164) James White, RB (NE)

165) Giovani Bernard, RB (CIN)

166) Josh McCown, QB (NYJ)

167) David Njoku, TE (CLE)

168) DeSean Jackson, WR (TB)

Analysis: I rarely draft two tight ends in fantasy football. In this case, I see a young tight end in a pass happy offensive scheme with a quarterback that has fallen in love with his former tight ends. David Njoku is a physical specimen. Last season, he was one of the Browns’ best red zone receivers. I think that he will have a great relationship with Tyrod Taylor, making him a very intriguing TE2 option.

Round 15:

169) Demarco Murray, RB (FA)

170) Josh Rosen, QB (ARI)

171) Frank Gore, RB (MIA)

172) Chris Godwin, WR (TB)

173) Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST

174) Wayne Gallman, RB (NYG)

175) Jonathan Stewart, RB (NYG)

176) Kenneth Dixon, RB (BAL)

177) Nyheim Hines, RB (IND)

178) A.J. McCarron, QB (BUF)

179) Eric Ebron, TE (IND)

180) Matt Breida, RB (SF)

Analysis: Earlier, I said that I never draft Sam Bradford under any circumstance in fantasy football. I was happy to take Bradford’s perceived rookie backup with my last position player pick. I think that Josh Rosen will end up being the rookie quarterback that starts the most games this year. In a 2QB league, I believe that Rosen may actually get drafted above Bradford the closer we get to the beginning of the year. He has a great arm, and he will have weapons to play with in Arizona. I do have some major question marks about his offensive line, and Rosen has been known to get injured as well. The fact of the matter is that I would much rather draft a rookie quarterback that could be a starter than a 4th or 5th string running back or receiver.

Round 16:

181) Minnesota Vikings, D/ST

182) Los Angeles Chargers, D/ST

183) Seattle Seahawks, D/ST

184) Los Angeles Rams, D/ST

185) Denver Broncos, D/ST

186) Charles clay, TE (BUF)

187) Houston Texans, D/ST

188) Ted Ginn, WR (NO)

189) Baltimore Ravens, D/ST

190) Pittsburgh Steelers, D/ST

191) Kansas City Chiefs, D/ST

192) Carolina Panthers, D/ST

Analysis: I do not love the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense. In fact, I would probably not even draft a defense this early in the offseason unless I was getting the Jaguars, Vikings, or Rams. I love streaming my defenses, and that often leads me to not wasting a draft pick on one. I could easily draft a young player that could break out during the pre-season. In this case, I drafted the Chiefs because of their secondary and pass rush. Nothing exciting about this pick.

Round 17:

193) Stephen Gostkowski, K (NE)

194) Justin Tucker, K (BAL)

195) Greg Zuerlein, K (LAR)

196) Matt Bryant, K (ATL)

197) Wil Lutz, K (NO)

198) Dan Bailey, K (DAL)

199) Jake Elliott, K (PHI)

200) Matt Prater, K (DET)

201) Harrison Butker, K (KC)

202) Mason Crosby, K (GB)

203) Chris Boswell, K (PIT)

204) Robbie Gould, K (SF)

Final Roster:

QB- Matthew Stafford (DET)

QB- Derek Carr (OAK)

RB- Todd Gurley (LAR)

RB- Derrius Guice (WAS)

WR- Michael Thomas (NO)

WR- A.J. Green (CIN)

WR- Jarvis Landry (CLE)

TE- Kyle Rudolph (MIN)

Flex- Lamar Miller (HOU)

D/ST- Kansas City Chiefs (KC)

K- Justin Tucker (BAL)

BN: Jamison Crowder (WAS)

BN: Kerryon Johnson (DET)

BN: Joe Flacco (BAL)

BN: Calvin Ridley (ATL)

BN: David Njoku (CLE)

BN: Josh Rosen (ARI)

Final Thoughts: I really could not be happier with the way that this draft turned out for me. In a 2QB format, I was able to grab Stafford, Carr, Flacco, and Rosen without having to use one of my top 3 picks on a quarterback. With my top 3 I obtained Todd Gurley, Michael Thomas, and A.J. Green. That is some serious offensive firepower in a 12 team league. To round out my running back corps, I drafted Derrius Guice, Lamar Miller, and Kerryon Johnson. Two of those players (Guice and Johnson) are rookies that have the potential to start most weeks on my team. I was also happy to grab Jarvis Landry as my WR3. For most people, Landry would probably be a high end WR2. Getting Jamison Crowder was also a steal. Lastly, I love getting Rudolph and Njoku in a standard scoring league. They are two players that will catch some touchdown passes this year in good offenses.

All-in-all, I do not usually like drafting high in fantasy football drafts. I normally like to pick towards the end of drafts, because I would rather have two really good players than a great one and an average one. I do like playing in 2QB leagues, but I rarely draft QBs early. Some people like to take the best ones like Rodgers and Wilson early, but I tend to think those rosters are very weak at the other positions. Of course, you can win fantasy football leagues in a variety of ways. Find your best strategy, and make it work for you!