Fantasy Mock Pick #2: 12-team Standard Scoring
By: Alexander Amir
This week we’ll be drafting from pick #2 in our three different league types. In case you missed last week’s installment of fantasy mock drafts, let me explain how we are organizing our Blitz mocks. Each week we will pick from a new draft position. Last week was with the first pick, this week is with the second pick, next week will be with the third pick, and so on. To further break it down for all those different league types out there, we’ll be releasing full mocks from each draft position for 12 team standard, 0.5 PPR, and 2QB standard leagues. These mocks were done using Fantasy Pros’ Mock Draft Wizard (https://draftwizard.fantasypros.com/football/mock-draft-simulator/settings/), and the roster settings are as follows: 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 1Flex (RB/WR/TE), D/ST (team defense), and K. 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) Ezekiel Elliott, RB (DAL)
4) David Johnson, RB (ARI)
5) Saquon Barkley, RB (NYG)
6) Antonio Brown, WR (PIT)
7) Alvin Kamara, RB (NO)
8) DeAndre Hopkins, WR (HOU)
9) Leonard Fournette, RB (JAX)
10) Odell Beckham JR., WR (NYG)
11) Julio Jones, WR (ATL)
12) Kareem Hunt, RB (KC)
Analysis: Bell and Gurley are really the only choices for picks #1 and #2. It essentially comes down to preference if you get to decide between them. Bell has shown more prolonged consistency, but Gurley had an absolutely monster season last year with 63 more fantasy points than Bell. I’m more than happy with Gurley at #2.
Saquon Barkley was a surprise at #5 overall, and I personally think that is much too high for him due to the playmakers around him on the Giants and more surefire options at the 5th pick.
Round 2:
13) Mike Evans, WR (TB)
14) Michael Thomas, WR (NO)
15) Melvin Gordon, RB (LAC)
16) Dalvin Cook, RB (MIN)
17) A.J. Green, WR (CIN)
18) LeSean McCoy, RB (BUF)
19) Keenan Allen, WR (LAC)
20) Davante Adams, WR (GB)
21) Larry Fitzgerald, WR (ARI)
22) Devonta Freeman, RB (ATL)
23) Tyreek Hill, WR (KC)
24) Rob Gronkowski, TE (NE)
Analysis: This wide receiver draft class is pretty top heavy, with few solid options in the later rounds, so I knew I had to go receiver here. But aside from that, Hill seemed like easily the best player on the board (an argument could be made for Gronk, but I’m not a fan of drafting tight ends this early). Larry Fitzgerald seemed to be picked a little too high in this round, so it seems like I got lucky with Tyreek Hill being available.
Round 3:
25) Christian McCaffrey, RB (CAR)
26) Stefon Diggs, WR (MIN)
27) Joe Mixon, RB (CIN)
28) Adam Thielen, WR (MIN)
29) Jordan Howard, RB (CHI)
30) Brandin Cooks, WR (LAR)
31) T.Y. Hilton, WR (IND)
32) Doug Baldwin, WR (SEA)
33) Travis Kelce, TE (KC)
34) Amari Cooper, WR (OAK)
35) Jerick McKinnon, RB (SF)
36) Derrick Henry, RB (TEN)
Analysis: I LOVE Stefon Diggs this year. He was fantasy’s 18th best receiver in 2017 while missing 2 games with injury, and both started and ended last season on a high note. Gunslinger Kirk Cousins is coming to town in Minnesota, and he should immediately fall in love with Diggs’ speed, quickness, and downfield ability. While the more conservative Case Keenum seemed to lean more on fellow receiver Adam Thielen last year, I forsee Diggs become the top target in 2018. This round also saw a lot of other high upside WR2 options taken off the board.
Round 4:
37) Alshon Jeffery, WR (PHI)
38) Zach Ertz, TE (PHI)
39) Rashaad Penny, RB (SEA)
40) Allen Robinson, WR (CHI)
41) Kenyan Drake, RB (MIA)
42) Josh Gordon, WR (CLE)
43) Carlos Hyde, RB (CLE)
44) Sony Michel, RB (NE)
45) JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR (PIT)
46) Aaron Rodgers, QB (GB)
47) Demaryius Thomas, WR (DEN)
48) Alex Collins, RB (BAL)
Analysis: While my 2nd running back slot was still open, since this is a three wide receiver league I decided to make that unit my team’s strength. According to PlayerProfiler.com, Demaryius Thomas has had a target share of over 25% the past 2 seasons. He finished as a borderline WR2 last season, and will see a clear upgrade at QB with Case Keenum coming to Denver. I knew I had a pick coming soon to take a running back with, so I was very happy to solidify my receiving unit.
Round 5:
49) Jarvis Landry, WR (CLE)
50) Jay Ajayi, RB (PHI)
51) Golden Tate, WR (DET)
52) Derrius Guice, RB (WAS)
53) Marvin Jones, WR (DET)
54) Dez Bryant, WR (FA)
55) Marshawn Lynch, RB (OAK)
56) Mark Ingram, RB (NO)
57) Jordy Nelson, WR (OAK)
58) Cam Newton, QB (CAR)
59) Russell Wilson, QB (SEA)
60) Drew Brees, QB (NO)
Analysis: To be honest, I don’t love my decision to take Ajayi. In retrospect, Marshawn Lynch is probably the safer option as the firmly entrenched top dog in Oakland, and Derrius Guice arguably has more upside than Ajayi. However, I do think Ajayi will see significant improvement from last season. He averaged a massive 5.8 yards per carry with Philadelphia in 2017, and that was after learning the playbook cold and competing with LeGarrette Blount for carries. While Corey Clement is still there to spell him on third downs, Ajayi should still have plenty of touches. If he can have even close to that yard per carry average from last season, he will be plenty productive.
Round 6:
61) Evan Engram, TE (NYG)
62) Greg Olsen, TE (CAR)
63) Dion Lewis, RB (TEN)
64) Deshaun Watson, QB (HOU)
65) Julian Edelman, WR (NE)
66) Tom Brady, QB (NE)
67) Carson Wentz, QB (PHI)
68) Devante Parker, WR (MIA)
69) Sammy Watkins, WR (KC)
70) Robert Woods, WR (LAR)
71) Jimmy Graham, TE (GB)
72) Michael Crabtree, WR (BAL)
Analysis: With my RBs and WRs set, this pick was pretty close to a no brainer for me. Graham has immense upside in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers, especially considering the team just lost receiver Jordy Nelson, who has averaged 98 targets, 940 yards, and 9 touchdowns per year over the past 7 seasons. Those footballs have to go somewhere, and Devante Adams can’t take them all. Graham will be an elite red-zone threat, and I expect him to challenge Gronk at the top of the tight end rankings this year.
We’ve also seen a run on QBs in the past couple rounds, which means I should start looking for my own.
Round 7:
73) Kirk Cousins, QB (MIN)
74) Ronald Jones, RB (TB)
75) Marquise Goodwin, WR (SF)
76) Andrew Luck, QB (IND)
77) Delanie Walker, TE (TEN)
78) Duke Johnson, RB (CLE)
79) Corey Davis, WR (TEN)
80) Matthew Stafford, QB (DET)
81) C.J. Anderson, RB (CAR)
82) Robby Anderson, WR (NYJ)
83) Jamison Crowder, WR (WAS)
84) Chris Hogan, WR (NE)
Analysis: I took Ronald Jones in my last mock draft too, and I’m a big fan of his upside on a much improved Tampa Bay team. He could be a legitimate number 2 RB by season’s end, but he is too volatile at this point to be drafted as such. Flex is the perfect position for him. I also wasn’t a big fan of the other running back options, as Duke Johnson is primarily a pass catching back, C.J. Anderson will take a backseat to Christian McCaffrey, and Royce Freeman and Aaron Jones are unknown in terms of number of touches.
Round 8:
85) Royce Freeman, RB (DEN)
86) Aaron Jones, RB (GB)
87) Tevin Coleman, RB (ATL)
88) Pierre Garcon, WR (SF)
89) Devin Funchess, WR (CAR)
90) Emmanuel Sanders, WR (DEN)
91) Chris Thompson, RB (WAS)
92) Jameis Winston, QB (TB)
93) Cooper Kupp, WR (LAR)
94) Marlon Mack, RB (IND)
95) Lamar Miller, RB (HOU)
96) Will Fuller, WR (HOU)
Analysis: I was very pleased that Lamar Miller dropped this far, as he seems to be the last running back available that has at least a relatively firm grasp on the starting job. As my friend and colleague George Haraktsis wrote in his recent mock draft, Miller had a “moderate career resurrection with Deshaun Watson under center,” and he very quietly was the 14th best running back in standard scoring by season’s end. Miller will definitely be seeing time in my lineup, and offers great insurance if Ajayi or Jones don’t work out.
Round 9:
97) Sterling Shepard, WR (NYG)
98) Matt Ryan, QB (ATL)
99) Kyle Rudolph, TE (MIN)
100) Kenny Stills, WR (MIA)
101) Randall Cobb, WR (GB)
102) Josh Doctson, WR (WAS)
103) Rishard Matthews, WR (TEN)
104) Isaiah Crowell, RB (NYJ)
105) Kelvin Benjamin, WR (BUF)
106) Spencer Ware, RB (KC)
107) Tarik Cohen, RB (CHI)
108) Dede Westbrook, WR (JAC)
Analysis: Once again, I have Matt Ryan fall to me in a late round. Like I wrote in my earlier mock, Ryan is due for a bounce back year with Offensive Coordinator Steve Sarkisian in his 2nd year with the club. The team has loads of offensive playmakers with the newly drafted Alabama receiver Calvin Ridley joining, so Ryan’s potential is limitless. Ryan will fall in your drafts due to his low year, and you can cash in by playing it smart and snagging him late.
Round 10:
109) Rex Burkhead, RB (NE)
110) D’Onta Foreman, RB (HOU)
111) Marqise Lee, WR (JAX)
112) Cameron Meredith, WR (NO)
113) Nelson Agholor, WR (PHI)
114) Desean Jackson, WR (TB)
115) Martavis Bryant, WR (OAK)
116) Kerryon Johnson, RB (DET)
117) Jordan Reed, TE (WAS)
118) Christian Kirk, WR (ARI)
119) D.J. Moore, WR (CAR)
120) Anthony Miller, WR (CHI)
Analysis: With my starting lineup basically set, it became time to build depth with high upside players. Rookie D.J. Moore will be competing only with Devin Funchess, a solid but unspectacular player, for the top receiver role. I expect Moore to quickly become Cam Newton’s favorite target, though his upside is limited due to the run-first offense the Panthers run. Again, since this is a 3-receiver league, it was important to me to build depth at that position.
Round 11:
121) Jamaal Williams, RB (GB)
122) Allen Hurns, WR (DAL)
123) Jacksonville Jaguars, D/ST
124) Bilal Powell, RB (NYJ)
125) Calvin Ridley, WR (ATL)
126) Chris Carson, RB (SEA)
127) Nick Chubb, RB (CLE)
128) Trey Burton, TE (CHI)
129) Samaje Perine, RB (WAS)
130) Donte Moncrief, WR (JAX)
131) Chris Godwin, WR (TB)
132) Michael Gallup, WR (DAL)
Analysis: Another high upside receiver, Allen Hurns will be joining an offense that just lost franchise great Dez Bryant and future Hall of Famer Jason Witten. Hurns is an automatic starter on the outside for Dallas, and while he too is in a run-oriented offense, he will not have a hard time garnering targets from QB Dak Prescott. Remember, Hurns is only 3 years removed from a 1,000 yard, 10 TD season.
Round 12:
133) Jack Doyle, TE (IND)
134) Doug Martin, RB (OAK)
135) Kenny Golladay, WR (DET)
136) Minnesota Vikings, D/ST
137) LeGarrette Blount, RB (DET)
138) Mike Williams, WR (LAC)
139) Eric Ebron, TE (IND)
140) O.J. Howard, TE (TB)
141) Corey Clement, RB (PHI)
142) Ted Ginn, WR (NO)
143) Tyrell Williams, WR (LAC)
144) Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST
Analysis: Let’s go with one more receiver to close out the position group. The LA Chargers offense is loaded with playmakers, offering limited targets for Tyrell Williams. However, with the injury to tight end Hunter Henry, expect the team to run much more 3-receiver sets than previously expected, meaning Williams should see plenty of time on the field.
Round 13:
145) Tyler Lockett, WR (SEA)
146) Los Angeles Rams, D/ST
147) Tyler Eifert, TE (CIN)
148) Vance McDonald, TE (PIT)
149) Ben Roethlisberger, QB (PIT)
150) David Njoku, TE (CLE)
151) Charles Clay, TE (BUF)
152) Theo Riddick, RB (DET)
153) Corey Clement, WR (TE)
154) Benjamin Watson, TE (NO)
155) Geronimo Allison, WR (GB)
156) Giovani Bernard, RB (CIN)
Analysis: While I rarely draft a defense before round 15, I really wasn’t a huge fan of any of the running backs available at this value. While it remains to be seen how the LA Rams defense performs after acquiring the star power they did this offseason, their roster is too talented to not take a flier on. Their schedule is also pretty easy from a defensive standpoint in the beginning and end of the season, with games against Arizona, Oakland, Denver, and Chicago on tap.
Round 14:
157) Jordan Matthews, WR (NE)
158) Darren Sproles, RB (PHI)
159) Denver Broncos, D/ST
160) DeMarco Murray, RB (FA)
161) George Kittle, TE (SF)
162) Devontae Booker, RB (DEN)
163) Ty Montgomery, RB (GB)
164) James White, RB (NE)
165) Kenneth Dixon, RB (BAL)
166) Latavius Murray, RB (MIN)
167) Peyton Barber, RB (TB)
168) Austin Ekeler, RB (LAC)
Analysis: Peyton Barber will likely not be starting for the Bucs anytime soon, and that’s the point. I know that if Ronald Jones goes down with injury Barber is the next man up, and I will be able to slide him right into my starting lineup. Handcuffs are extremely important in fantasy, and if you play your cards right, you can get solid backups at incredible value.
Round 15:
169) Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (SF)
170) Philip Rivers, QB (LAC)
171) Mohamed Sanu, WR (ATL)
172) Seattle Seahawks, D/ST
173) Los Angeles Chargers, D/ST
174) Houston Texans, D/ST
175) Baltimore Ravens, D/ST
176) Carolina Panthers, D/ST
177) Jared Goff, QB (LAR)
178) Cameron Brate, TE (TB)
179) Buffalo Bills, D/ST
180) New Orleans Saints, D/ST
Analysis: Phillip Rivers was too tempting to pass up on here. He has finished as a top 15 QB since 2013 and ranked 8th last year. This year he has arguably his best offensive squad ever, and I expect him to post even better, more consistent numbers than last year. If Matt Ryan proves me wrong, Rivers is an excellent consolation prize. As always, the final round is reserved for kickers. You should not be picking one any earlier than that.
Round 16:
181) Stephen Gostkowski, K (NE)
182) Greg Zuerlein, K (LAR)
183) Justin Tucker, K (BAL)
184) Matt Bryant, K (ATL)
185) Jake Elliott, K (PHI)
186) Wil Lutz, K (NO)
187) Blair Walsh, K (FA)
188) Mason Crosby, K (GB)
189) Dan Bailey, K (DAL)
190) Matt Prater, K (DET)
191) Chris Boswell, K (PIT)
192) Harrison Butker, K (KC)
Final Roster:
QB- Matt Ryan (ATL)
RB- Todd Gurley (LAR)
RB- Jay Ajayi (PHI)
WR- Tyreek Hill (KC)
WR- Stefon Diggs (MIN)
WR- Demaryius Thomas (DEN)
TE- Jimmy Graham (GB)
Flex- Ronald Jones (TB)
D/ST- Los Angeles Rams (LAR)
K- Chris Boswell (PIT)
BN: Lamar Miller (HOU)
BN: D.J. Moore (CAR)
BN: Allen Hurns (DAL)
BN: Tyrell Williams (LAC)
BN: Peyton Barber (TB)
BN: Phillip Rivers (LAC)
Final Thoughts:
While I hate picking anywhere close to the top of the draft, I’m extremely happy with this roster. I have perfectly viable QBs with lots of upside, and I have a very solid wide receiving corps. The running back situation is a bit weak, but I am confident that at least one of Ajayi, Jones, or Miller will become a solid fantasy starter. And if not, I trust Todd Gurley to carry me through. Jimmy Graham will be an absolute stud, and I have excellent depth all across the roster. Most importantly, I stuck to my pre-draft strategy of QB late, receiver depth early, and a blend of consistency and upside at running back. Keep to this formula, and you will see success!
