Mock Draft!

By: Josh Frey-Sam

The mock drafts have gone from fun to functional.

From informational to imperative.

Amusing to all-important.

It’s officially draft month, folks, and now is when the casual fantasy player wakes from hibernation and begins preparing for their home leagues.

I decided to play around with format, draft position and roster construction for today’s mock draft. We have a 12-team, half-PPR, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 1FLX format, and I’m picking from the two-hole.

Let’s get into it. Explanation for picks are below.

1.02: In a three-WR league, Ja’Marr Chase warrants some consideration at the 1.02, but Gibbs’ work in the receiving game gives you enough value where you can afford to take an RB here.

2.11: We got freaky here. Let the record show that I do not draft quarterbacks early, and that I find this year is an especially strong year to wait on your starting QB. But mock drafts are about trying different things. Allen is the clear No. 1 option and is nearly a positional advantage over the rest of the field.

3.02: The only reason I would even consider taking QB early is that the WR pool is so deep. Nabers might not last this long in your leagues, or perhaps he’ll slide past his ADP because people are fearful of his knee. I’m happy to reach and assume the risk. We’re talking about a potential top-five option at the position.

4.11: Waddle is going to start heating up this month, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see his ADP climb a touch. He’s earned the praises of Sean Payton and is going to be a huge target earner.

5.02: Speaking of stock risers, I’d be shocked if Tuten didn’t climb into a fourth-round ADP in the next few weeks. It’s beginning to look like he could assume a bell-cow role, and his price makes him the perfect RB2 for any roster.

6.11: Don’t worry about the drops. What I’m buying into more is that there are numerous reports of Mike LaFleur’s offence scheming open Harrison Jr. There are a lot of clips of MHJ running free across the middle of the field.

7.02: Washington might be the winner of training camp through one week. He’s Trevor Lawrence’s favourite target, and he’s catching absolutely everything. Everyone is raving about him. It’s really wheels up.

8.11: Corum is an elite handcuff with league-winning upside. Perfect for my roster, which already has two steady RBs to plug in every week.

9.02: We had a Kincaid scare on Monday, but he just got hit in the “family jewels.” He’s one of my favourite picks at TE this season, and stacking him with Allen makes him all the better.

10.11: Nico Collins gave Jayden Higgens a ringing endorsement over the weekend, calling him “the future of the franchise.” Higgins is going to play a ton this year, and I’m expecting a bounce-back from CJ Stroud. Higgins is an interesting dart throw.

11.02: Stribling is one of the biggest winners from the first week. Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk and Mike Evans are all on the shelf already. The path is wide open for Stribling to command targets.

12.11: Ferguson has become one of my favourite late-round targets, regardless of format. He’s effectively going to be the Los Angeles Rams’ WR3 this season, and I’m fully bought in on a breakout for the second-year pro. His upside is massive.

13.02: Bigsby is another high-upside handcuff to give me excellent RB depth.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh