Splash’s Fantasy Mock Draft 1.0

It may be the middle of July, but it is never too early to take a look at fantasy football mock drafts. This league was 14 teams with point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

*Denotes my selections

Round 1:

1. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas
2. Saquon Barkley, RB, NY Giants
3. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans
4. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina
5. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston
6. Le’Veon Bell, RB, NY Jets
7. Melvin Gordon, RB, LA Chargers
8. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay
9. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans*
10. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City
11.  Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta
12. James Conner, RB, Pittsburgh
13. David Johnson, RB, Arizona
14. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati

Thomas is a PPR monster and is the clear-cut number one target in an impressive Saints offense. Thomas will be a lock to start every week barring injury. 

Round 2:

1. Odell Beckham, WR, Cleveland
2. Todd Gurley, RB, LA Rams
3. Antonio Brown, WR, Oakland
4. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh
5. TY Hilton, WR, Indianapolis
6. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco*
7. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota
8. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City
9. Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta
10. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay
11. Keenan Allen, WR, LA Chargers
12. Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas
13. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville
14. Julian Edelman, WR, New England

Kittle had a breakout 2018 campaign, setting the record for most receiving yards by a tight end just moments after Travis Kelce took control of the record. With a healthy running attack and a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo, Kittle should be able to replicate his season and add more touchdowns to the equation.

Round 3:

1. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland
2. Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia
3. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota
4. Josh Jacobs, RB, Oakland
5. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee
6. Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston
7. Brandin Cooks, WR, LA Rams
8. AJ Green, WR, Cincinnati
9. Marlon Mack, RB, Indianapolis*
10. Damien Williams, RB, Kansas City
11. Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota
12. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay
13. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay
14. Cooper Kupp, WR, LA Rams

Mack in the third round might have been a tad early, but he is the number one running back in a highly effective offense. Mack should be a lock for 1,000 yards on the ground and enough touchdowns and receiving yards to be a routine starter in fantasy.

Round 4:

1. Philip Lindsay, RB, Denver
2. Kerryon Johnson, RB, Detroit
3. DJ Moore, WR, Carolina
4. James White, RB, New England
5. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle
6. Sony Michel, RB, New England*
7. Tarik Cohen, RB, Chicago
8. Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit
9. Mark Ingram, RB, Baltimore
10. David Montgomery, RB, Chicago
11. Robert Woods, WR, LA Rams
12. Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago
13. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia
14. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City

Michel offers enigmatic potential as the number one rusher in New England. With Brady moving deeper into his 40’s, there is a chance that Bill Belichick bestows more of the offense on the second year running back.

Round 5:

1. Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis
2. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay
3. Evan Engram, RB, NY Giants
4. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans
5. Derrius Guice, RB, Washington
6. Jarvis Landry, WR, Cleveland
7. Kenyan Drake, RB, Miami
8. Lamar Miller, RB, Houston
9. Sammy Watkins, WR, Kansas City*
10. Mike Williams, WR, LA Chargers
11. Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia
12. Hunter Henry, TE, LA Chargers
13. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta
14. LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo

Taking Watkins is a sign that I trust the Kansas City offense enough for Watkins to produce more than 1,000 yards and a solid tally of touchdowns during the season. With Tyreek Hill’s status still unknown, I took a chance on Watkins.

Round 6:

1. Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle
2. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle
3. Tevin Coleman, RB, San Francisco
4. OJ Howard, TE, Tampa Bay
5. Robby Anderson, WR, NY Jets
6. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta*
7. Dede Westbrook, WR, Jacksonville
8. Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati
9. Will Fuller, WR, Houston
10. Jared Cook, TE, New Orleans
11. Delanie Walker, TE, Tennessee
12. Christian Kirk, WR, Arizona
13. Marvin Jones, WR, Detroit
14. Sterling Shepard, WR, NY Giants

Taking a quarterback before pick #100 is always a risk, but the selection of Ryan is a calculated risk based on the weapons around him, his consistency, and an improved offensive line. Ryan will be a must-start almost every week, and he will generally be matchup-proof.

Round 7:

1. Vance McDonald, TE, Pittsburgh
2. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina
3. Jordan Howard, RB, Philadelphia
4. Latavius Murray, RB, New Orleans
5. Baker Mayfield, WR, Cleveland
6. Golden Tate, WR, NY Giants
7. David Njoku, TE, Cleveland
8. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona
9. Austin Ekeler, RB, LA Chargers*
10. Nyheim Hines, RB, Indianapolis
11. Dante Pettis, WR, San Francisco
12. Donte Moncrief, WR, Pittsburgh
13. N’Keal Harry, WR, New England
14. DeSean Jackson, WR, Philadelphia

With Melvin Gordon currently contemplating a holdout, Ekeler’s value has increased dramatically. Ekeler was effective in fairly limited snaps in 2018, and he would be even more effective as a no-doubt No.1 back. Ekeler was worth a fantasy start even as the second option.

Round 8:

1. Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia
2. Darrell Henderson, RB, LA Rams
3. Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas
4. Corey Davis, WR, Tennessee
5. Keke Coutee, WR, Houston
6. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona*
7. Eric Ebron, TE, Indianapolis
8. Peyton Barber, RB, Tampa Bay
9. Trey Burton, TE, Chicago
10. Ronald Jones, RB, Tampa Bay
11. Geronimo Allison, WR, Green Bay
12. Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver
13. Jerick McKinnon, RB, San Francisco
14. Curtis Samuel, WR, Carolina

Two quarterbacks taken in eight rounds seems like a dumb move to do, but both quarterbacks could be utilized as potential trade pieces due to name recognition and the high floor of points associated with both players. Murray should have a solid floor based on rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, so he could be a valuable trade asset.

Round 9:

1. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Denver
2. Michael Gallup, WR, Dallas
3. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle
4. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota
5. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh
6. D’Onta Foreman, RB, Houston
7. Royce Freeman, RB, Denver
8. Jared Goff, QB, LA Rams
9. Marquise Brown, WR, Baltimore*
10. Tom Brady, QB, New England
11. Mitchell Trubisky, QB, Chicago
12. Bears D/ST
13. Tyrell Williams, WR, Oakland
14. Noah Fant, TE, Denver

Brown is a prototypical boom-or-bust player for fantasy. He will have a handful of strong weeks with a touchdown or more than 100 yards, but he will also have games in which he might fail to haul in a pass. He will be a solid FLEX option at a minimum.

Round 10:

1. Broncos D/ST
2. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle
3. Jalen Richard, RB, Oakland
4. Carlos Hyde, RB, Kansas City
5. James Washington, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
6. Anthony Miller, WR, Chicago Bears*
7. Matt Brieda, RB, San Francisco
8. Jaguars D/ST
9. Damien Harris, RB, New England
10. Rams D/ST
11. Nick Foles, QB, Jacksonville
12. Greg Olsen, TE, Carolina
13. Bills D/ST
14. Vikings D/ST

Miller is the number two option in Chicago’s receiving corps, and any improvement from Mitch Trubisky should expand Miller’s role in the offense. Chicago will lean on the run, but Miller should provide ample opportunity to be utilized as a WR2 or FLEX option.

Round 11:

1. DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Denver
2. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Green Bay
3. Chris Thompson, RB, Washington
4. Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland
5. Jamison Crowder, WR, NY Jets
6. Saints D/ST
7. Greg Zuerlein, K, LA Rams
8. Chargers D/ST
9. Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco*
10. Dion Lewis, RB, Tennessee
11. Patriots D/ST
12. Derek Carr, QB, Oakland
13. Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay
14. Devin Funchess, WR, Indianapolis

It is always useful to pick up at least one rookie without a clearly defined role. While this mock includes multiple picks like that, Samuel has the highest upside of the picks due to the lack of a true WR1 in San Francisco. George Kittle will eat up a significant share of the targets, but Samuel will be there to be a game-breaker.

Round 12:

1. Justin Tucker, K, Baltimore
2. Adrian Peterson, RB, Washington
3. Harrison Butker, K, Kansas City
4. Adam Humphries, WR, Tennessee
5. Parris Campbell, WR, Indianapolis
6. Giovani Bernard, RB, Cincinnati*
7. Stephen Gostkowski, K, New England
8. Jack Doyle, TE, Indianapolis
9. Wil Lutz, K, New Orleans
10. Austin Hooper, TE, Atlanta
11. Colts D/ST
12. Ka’imi Fairbairn, K, Houston
13. Robbie Gould, K, San Francisco
14. Mecole Hardman, WR, Kansas City

In a PPR league, Bernard offers extra value due to his versatility out of the backfield. He will not take many rushing attempts away from lead-back Joe Mixon, but he will produce in the pass-catching game with receptions, yards, and the occasional touchdown.

Round 13:

1. Michael Badgley, K, LA Chargers
2. Philip Rivers, QB, LA Chargers
3. Adam Vinatieri, K, Indianapolis
4. Brett Maher, K, Dallas
5. Albert Wilson, WR, Miami
6. Kenny Stills, WR, Miami
7. Paul Richardson, WR, Washington
8. Mohamed Sanu, WR, Atlanta
9. TJ Hockenson, TE, Detroit*
10. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, San Francisco
11. DJ Chark, WR, Jacksonville
12. Cole Beasley, WR, Buffalo
13. Jimmy Graham, TE, Green Bay
14. Jordan Reed, TE, Washington

Rookie tight ends are notoriously terrible for fantasy purposes as only one has recorded 1,000 yards as a rookie (Mike Ditka) and only two have recorded 10 touchdowns (Ditka and Rob Gronkowski). While Hockenson could break that trend, he will likely be a boom-or-bust player as a rookie. His trade value could be high early if he scores a touchdown in September.

Round 14:

1. Matt Prater, K, Detroit
2. Marquise Goodwin, WR, San Francisco
3. Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit
4. Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville
5. Browns D/ST
6. AJ Brown, WR, Tennessee*
7. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore
8. Kalen Ballage, RB, Miami
9. Jamaal Williams, RB, Green Bay
10. Jake Elliott, K, Philadelphia
11. Duke Johnson, RB, Cleveland
12. Texans D/ST
13. Chris Herndon, TE, NY Jets
14. Andy Isabella, WR, Arizona

Similar to Marquise Brown and Deebo Samuel, AJ Brown offers a mysterious upside although he has yet to step on an NFL field. Likely the third passing option in a run-heavy offense, Brown probably will not be a factor, but he has significant upside, especially in dynasty leagues.

Round 15:

1. Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota
2. Tre’Quan Smith, WR, New Orleans
3. Hakeem Butler, WR, Arizona
4. Ito Smith, RB, Atlanta
5. Jaylen Samuels, RB, Pittsburgh
6. Titans D/ST
7. Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota
8. Ted Ginn, WR, New Orleans
9. Ravens D/ST*
10. CJ Anderson, RB, Detroit
11. Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore
12. Randall Cobb, WR, Dallas
13. Graham Gano, K, Carolina
14. Devin Singletary, RB, Buffalo

Defenses should be waited on until the second-to-last round. While it may be enticing to reach for a good defense in the middle-to-late rounds, defenses that have been taken that high hurt your team in terms of depth. Fill out your roster and bench before taking a defense

Round 16:

1. Darwin Thompson, RB, Kansas City
2. Redskins D/ST
3. Mike Davis, RB, Chicago
4. Mason Crosby, K, Green Bay
5. Austin Seibert, K, Cleveland
6. Ryan Succop, K, Tennessee*
7. Benny Snell, RB, Pittsburgh
8. Justice Hill, RB, Baltimore
9. Chase Edmonds, RB, Arizona
10. Doug Martin, RB, Oakland
11. Rex Burkhead, RB, New England
12. Wayne Gallman, RB, NY Giants
13. Mike Gesicki, TE, Miami
14. Sam Darnold, QB, NY Jets

No deep analysis with the kicker here, but do not waste an early pick on a kicker when every single kicker falls prey to the matchup that their team plays. The kicker should always be your last selection.

My Team:

QB: Matt Ryan (ATL)

RB1: Marlon Mack (IND)

RB2: Sony Michel (NE)

WR1: Michael Thomas (NO)

WR2: Sammy Watkins (KC)

TE: George Kittle (SF)

FLEX: Austin Ekeler (LAC)

D/ST: Baltimore Ravens

K: Ryan Succop (TEN)

Bench: Kyler Murray (QB-ARI)

Bench: Marquise Brown (WR-BAL)

Bench: Anthony Miller (WR-CHI)

Bench: Deebo Samuel (WR-SF)

Bench: Giovani Bernard (RB-CIN)

Bench: TJ Hockenson (TE-DET)

Bench: AJ Brown (WR-TEN)