The 2020 NFL season is just around the corner, and that means its time to do more mock drafts. Here at The Scorecrow, 10 of our fantasy football writers have come together for our first redraft mock draft of the season. Our 10 writers did a 20 round mock draft using PPR scoring. The lineup is one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, two flex, one super flex, one D/ST, one kicker, and 10 bench spots.
Each writer will break down their best value, biggest regret, and an overall summary of their team. If you have any questions regarding this mock draft or fantasy football in general, feel free to reach out to any of the writers or The Scorecrow itself on Twitter. Without further ado, let’s take a look at this mock draft.
Steve Seufert (draft slot #1)
Best Value: O.J. Howard (20.10)
Bruce Arians‘ base offense is out of 12 personnel. He’s used it since his days in Pittsburgh but his tight end usage has always been sub-optimal for fantasy football. He’s also never had a trio like Rob Gronkowski, Cameron Brate, and Howard. I’m just not buying the Gronk hype in 2020. He left the game because he was brutalized. He even admitted he couldn’t get out of bed. Can he hold up? With my last pick, I believe I drafted a guy with top-eight fantasy upside in PPR formats.
Biggest Regret: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (2.10)
When I look back on this pick, guys like Kenny Golladay and George Kittle really standout. I could’ve solidified my tight end position by selecting Kittle, a guy that will be a perennial tight end one. The same can be said with Golladay, a guy that is hitting his stride and looking like a perennial top 10 receiver. Edwards-Helaire is good for dynasty but for 2020, he will have to fend off Damien Williams for touches.
Team Summary
I love how I handcuffed Sony Michel with Damien Harris. I think Josh McDaniels will rely on the run game with Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer at the helm. You’ll also notice that I paired one of my quarterbacks with their receiver which isn’t always easy to do. I love Marvin Jones as a player and with a healthy Matthew Stafford, they should thrive together. I’m loaded at receiver with guys that I think are on the verge of stardom in, Terry McLaurin, A.J. Brown, Calvin Ridley, and Curtis Samuel. Let’s not forget about Kyler Murray, who I think could be a surprise MVP candidate on a revamped Cardinals team.
Mike Fanelli (draft slot #2)
Best Value: Allen Lazard (19.02)
Yes, the Packers added Devin Funchess in the offseason, and yes their draft class screams, “we hate Aaron Rodgers!” However, let’s not pretend that Rodgers is going to turn into a game manager. Are his days as a top-three quarterback over? Probably. But someone besides Davante Adams has to catch the ball. Last season, Lazard finished second on the team in catches, yards, and touchdowns among wide receivers in just 12 games. This late, I’ll take a shot on Lazard in hopes that the number two receiver in Green Bay has fantasy value this season.
Biggest Regret: Travis Kelce (3.02)
Not that Kelce isn’t worth the early third-round pick, but I typically punt on tight end and stream the position. Especially this year with several mid and late-round tight ends that could have weekly starting upside. In hindsight, I should have waited on a tight end, especially when guys like Hunter Henry and Tyler Higbee went in the double-digit rounds. I don’t love having David Johnson as my RB2 and should have taken Kenyan Drake with this pick instead.
Team Summary
I wanted to leave the draft with a balanced roster. Obviously, with Kelce, I didn’t need to take a second tight end. My quarterbacks are a nice blend of safe floor and upside. Dak Prescott has plenty of weapons and should build off his big 2019 season. Meanwhile, Matt Ryan and Ryan Tannehill don’t offer the same upside but have a nice floor for different reasons. Taking a fourth quarterback in a super flex league might seem like a waste but if Stidham turns out to be good, I’ll have a great trade chip in either him or another one of my quarterbacks.
MJ Hurley (draft slot #3)
Best Value: Brandon Aiyuk (17.03)
We were drafting when the Deebo Samuel broken foot news broke. If we were playing this league out, getting Aiyuk at 17.03 is an absolute steal. While he is a rookie and Kittle is clearly the top receiving option, Aiyuk is now the top 49er wide receiver. With Deebo out for a while, Aiyuk will have a much larger role in the 49ers’ offense.
Biggest Regret: Rob Gronkowski (10.07)
I told myself I was not going to take Gronk, especially after taking Kittle earlier. But when Gronkowski fell to me in the 10th round, I had to take the chance. If Tom Brady and Gronk can connect again in Tampa Bay, I won’t regret it. However, with the variety of other weapons available to Brady there, I doubt Gronkowski’s will be worth that pick, especially with Kittle already on my team.
Team Summary
Putting an emphasis on receivers and running backs early, allowed me to wait and snag Drew Brees in the sixth round. After a less productive season last year due to injury, Brees is set for a comeback and will be able to lead my team along with Amari Cooper and Derrick Henry. Kittle also gives me a true star at each position and should give me consistent points throughout the season.
Joey Ricotta (draft slot #4)
Best Value: Adam Thielen (5.04)
I think my best value is a toss-up between Thielen and Denzel Mims. Thielen was one of my auto drafts, but he’s the clear cut number one option in Minnesota with Stefon Diggs out of the picture. Certainly, that can be looked at as a positive in terms of target share. Thielen’s ADP is lower than it should due to the injuries he dealt with last season. However, before that, Thielen has been a consistent top 12 finisher in PPR, so I’ll take the value in the fifth round.
Biggest Regret: Deebo Samuel (7.04)
Due to work and time constraints, I have many regrets in this draft. I auto-drafted more than I ever have before, with three selections not being of my choosing. However, for the sake of upholding some integrity to this article, my biggest regret will be one of my actual chosen players, Samuel. He suffered a fracture in his foot and underwent successful surgery, but it could keep him out for the early part of the season.
Team Summary
As aforementioned, I wasn’t able to fully focus on this mock draft like I normally do. With that said, there are some things I would’ve done differently. I would not have drafted either a defense or a kicker with any of my picks. Even if you don’t believe Lamar Jackson will be able to sustain his absurd rushing totals, I got him at a steal. However, I’m not high on Aaron Jones. I’m hoping the Green Bay Packers ride him until the wheels fall off in what could be his last year with the team before he becomes a free agent in 2021.
Mason Thompson (draft slot #5)
Best Value: Marquise Brown (9.05)
Instead of selecting Rodgers for this spot, I have chosen Brown. He is on one of the league’s most explosive offenses and can flip your fantasy week with one big play. The Ravens only threw 439 passes last year, and while Brown only played 14 games, he still finished as a top-50 receiver in his rookie year and should improve upon that this year.
Biggest Regret: Austin Ekeler (2.06)
While Ekeler will have more opportunities this year, the Chargers aren’t going to be as deadly of a passing team, making teams key in on the rushing attack. He had over 1,500 scrimmage yards last year and could either turn out to be a steal or bust depending on how the Chargers use him in the rushing attack. For this team, I hope he’s a steal but could see it going the other way.
Team Summary
This draft worked pretty well considering my original strategy. I wanted to get a few running backs who could catch a high number of passes. I wanted my receivers to be the first or second options on their teams. Russell Wilson and Rodgers is a solid quarterback tandem, but I should’ve done a better job at getting depth behind them.
Brady Podloski (draft slot #6)
Best Value: Kenyan Drake (3.06)
I picked Drake in the third round, and he has the upside to be an RB1 with the dynamic offense in Arizona. The scheme is about getting players more space, and Drake’s quickness and ability to make people’s people miss will give him a significant opportunity. His ability makes me confident that he’s going to be a steady producer and my RB1.
Biggest Regret: No running back in the first two rounds
My biggest mistake was not drafting a running back in the first two rounds. Running backs after the second round don’t typically have the workload and upside. While I was lucky to get Drake, the question for my team is, can Adams produce and be more consistent than the round two running back? Also, another mistake is not drafting Jordan Howard, who I think will get 240 carries and be a viable RB2 or flex option.
Team Summary
Build a team that can win early, while adding rookies and second half of the year breakout candidates. Players like Marlon Mack and Mark Ingram will have strong showings early in the year due to workload. For players like Mack, who start strong and have their roles taken by rookies, they either offer early trade assets or cut candidates in the midseason. Then by drafting some rookies, once they begin to take over the workload, you’ll have a strong team for all 16 games by adapting to workload.
Raul Vazquez (draft slot #7)
Best Value: Tyler Boyd (7.07)
Getting Boyd in the seventh round was easily my favorite pick. The Bengals get back A.J. Green this year, taking away a lot of the defense’s attention off of Boyd. Joe Burrow is an upgrade over Andy Dalton and should make the Bengals’ offense more explosive. Quarterbacks tend to rely on their slot receivers early in their career, and that’s good news for Boyd. In a full PPR scoring league, Boyd in the seventh round is two rounds too late and a steal.
Biggest Regret: Jonathan Taylor (6.04)
Looking back now, I wish I had added more running backs earlier in the draft. After taking Nick Chubb, I waited till the sixth round to grab Taylor. As much as I love Taylor, Mack is still going to get touches and limit Taylor’s upside. Ideally, I wish I had taken my RB2 a few rounds earlier and had Taylor as my RB3.
Team Summary
I ultimately decided to attack the depth around the league at wide receiver. With the first pick, I wanted to go with a stud running back to start off to be able to mitigate the lack of depth there. Overall, I am very happy with my team. I think there is a great mix of upside and proven stars on the team. But in hindsight, I wish I focused on more running back in the earlier rounds.
Josh Livi (draft slot #8)
Best Value: Dwayne Haskins (13.08)
The pick with the greatest upside is Haskins in the 13th round. He should have a monster year, along with his sensational wide receiver McLaurin. Hopefully, Derrius Guice can stay healthy and provide a consistent running threat. Haskins didn’t have a good rookie season but played much better over the last few weeks of the season. He had his best game of the year week 15 against the Eagles where he threw for 261 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Haskins is one of my favorite picks going into the 2020 season, and I will be targeting him In the later rounds in all my leagues.
Biggest Regret: Phillip Lindsay (10.03)
In hindsight, I should have passed on Lindsay in the 10th round. Yes, he is a very talented player and had a good season last year. However, the new addition of Melvin Gordon severely limits Lindsay’s upside this season. I should have targeted a running back with more upside at this point in the draft. Lindsay was easily my biggest regret during this mock draft.
Team Summary
Overall I am very happy with my draft. I have depth as well on my bench with talented running backs such as Devin Singletary and J.K. Dobbins. My bench is good enough to start on bye weeks, and I feel comfortable plugging in anyone on my bench to start given any week. I have my most important positions solidified with star power so I can now focus on using my waiver FAAB or priority on streaming positions.
Brandon Braasch (draft slot #9)
Best Value: Dalvin Cook (2.02)
I was able to get Cook in the second round as the ninth overall running back. I’m not worried about him holding out, and if he does, I got his handcuff in Alexander Mattison. Last year Cook was the fifth-ranked running back despite missing two games. The Vikings are a run-first football team, and they will feed Cook all year. I expect him to light it up again this year and be a top-five back for the second year in a row.
Biggest Regret: No quarterback/wide receiver stack
I really wanted to get the Josh Allen and Diggs stack. I took Chris Carson hoping Allen would fall to my next pick. If I could go back I would have probably gone Allen then Zach Ertz or Carson. I like Carson this year, but since I already had Todd Gurley and Cook, I should have risked Carson falling to my next pick instead of Allen. That would have given me Allen with Diggs and then Brady as my QB2.
Team Summary
My strategy was to go running back first pick. However, I wasn’t a huge fan of the running backs left and didn’t want to miss out on Julio Jones. He is one of the most reliable receivers, so I knew he would anchor my receiving core. I then got Cook and paired him with Mattison just in case of injury or any holdout. Even though I missed out on Allen I was glad to snag Brady and Jared Goff. Looking back I like my team a lot thanks to the mix of consistent players that will score points week in and week out.
Joshua Abbe (draft slot #10)
Best Value: Jerry Jeudy (10.01) & Justin Jefferson (11.10)
I’m going to cheat and pick two players. Despite being a redraft mock, both guys are good values where I got them. They should be viewed as flex options in PPR scoring as both will start as rookies and see plenty of targets as they fill critical roles in their team’s offense. Both receivers won’t be forced to be the top guy on their team and shouldn’t see a double team very often. With defenses focusing on the veteran across from them, expect both of these rookies to get the trust of their quarterback early this season.
Biggest Regret: Not waiting longer on a tight end
This was a hard decision considering how much I like this team. If anything, I should have waited longer on a tight end. Hayden Hurst at the end of the ninth round is a solid value now that he is in one of the most pass-happy offenses in the league. Given that Austin Hooper was the number one tight end in fantasy during the first half of last season, Hurst walks into a role with plenty of upside. However, with guys like Noah Fant lasting till the 14th round and Jack Doyle making it to the 15th round, I could have grabbed a running back where I took Hurst and still be solid at tight end.
Team Summary
I love picking on the turn. Going running back with my first two picks was great. With Odell Beckham Jr. and Cooper Kupp falling to me at the three/four turn, I have a nice blend of upside and safe floor at wide receiver. Kupp is Goff’s favorite target and is a PPPR machine. Meanwhile, we all know what OBJ can do when healthy. To fill out my flex and bench spots, I targeted guys that will be in a pass-happy offense and should see plenty of targets. I am very happy with my Jefferson/Kirk Cousins stack. The two of them should connect early and often this season.
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