Fantasy Football: First PPR Mock Draft With 2018 Rookies
The Fantasy Footballers put together their first PPR mock draft since the conclusion of the NFL draft. After all the pre-draft groping in the dark, this is our first look at Andy, Mike, and Jason‘s thought process after finding out where this draft class has landed. Mock drafts are the perfect opportunity to test draft strategies and get an idea of where your target players are typically going. The show started off somber as Jason, the show’s resident Mark Ingram truther, had to declare Ingram nearly undraftable in 2018 following his 4 game suspension.
You can listen to the full mock draft episode here and view the full draft results on Sleeperbot.
Draft settings will be 12 team – Full PPR scoring – 1 QB-2 RB-2WR-1 TE-1 Flex-1 K-1 DEF-5 bench
Round 1, Pick 7
Players Considered: Saquon Barkley, Leonard Fournette, DeAndre Hopkins, Odell Beckham Jr
Selection: Odell Beckham Jr., WR
Five RBs went before the guys made their first pick. With the top tier RBs gone, Jason was leaning towards staying with RB but Mike proposed going against the normal RB early strategy and taking a top tier WR. Rather than gamble on a RB jumping a tier, they decided that another RB from this tier would likely fall to Round 2. The vote was for Beckham and then Jason’s hopes of Dalvin Cook falling to them in Round 2 were immediately dashed.
Round 2, Pick 6
Players Considered: LeSean McCoy, Keenan Allen, Rob Gronkowski
Selection: LeSean McCoy, RB
With Keenan Allen and his full PPR goodness sitting there for the taking, the guys considered going 2 WRs to start the draft but Jason’s impassioned speech for the Slippery Fish won the round. With McCoy almost guaranteed for 300+ touches, his value as an elite RB with excellent pass-catching ability was too much to pass up on in PPR.
Round 3, Pick 7
Players Considered: Rashaad Penny, Doug Baldwin, Larry Fitzgerald
Selection: Rashaad Penny, RB
After staring at what might have happened if they had gone WR-WR, the guys discussed the overinflated price of Derrick Henry right now before looking at who was available for them. They talked the voice of public opinion off of the QB ledge and came back to Jason’s need for a Seattle Seahawk and went with the draft day shocker, new Seattle RB Rashaad Penny, and his 3 down upside.
Round 4, Pick 6
Players Considered: Larry Fitzgerald, Alex Collins, Sony Michel
Selection: Larry Fitzgerald, WR
This pick was at the end of a WR run that saw all of the WRs that were considered in Round 3 taken…except one…Arizona’s own PPR stud, Larry Fitzgerald. There was no debate here. Fitzgerald is almost always undervalued and, in a PPR league, provides WR1 upside in the 4th round.
Round 5, Pick 7
Players Considered: Dion Lewis, Greg Olson, Sony Michel
Selection: Sony Michel, RB
Andy remarked that they had just missed on last year’s social media darling, JuJu Smith-Schuster. They are in full buy mode on JuJu as a WR2 in 2018 but missed on him in this mock draft. Jason thought the go-to was Lewis but Andy and Mike called in Judge Giamatti. The judge went with the majority and the guys ended up with the new pass catcher in New England, Sony Michel.
Round 6, Pick 6
Players Considered: Corey Davis, Marvin Jones, Randall Cobb
Selection: Marvin Jones, WR
With 2 WR and 3 RB on the roster, the thought here was WR is a must. Mike was cool with taking Jones in the 5th, so he was the easy pick here. His low catch total is made up for by his TD potential.
Round 7, Pick 7
Players Considered: Trey Burton, Pierre Garcon
Selection: Pierre Garcon, WR
As QBs and TEs start falling off the board, Jason wanted you to know that this is the best thing that could happen in your league. As the rest of the draft fills starting positions, be sure you are grabbing the best player available. While a TE was discussed, Andy guaranteeing that Trey Burton would be gone before their next pick sparked their curiosity and they took Garcon.
Round 8, Pick 6
Players Considered: Sammy Watkins, Andrew Luck, Royce Freeman, Marshawn Lynch
Selection: Royce Freeman, RB
Burton was taken. The guys lamented. With Andrew Luck still not seeing the practice field, he was deemed hands off. Mike and Jason both saw Freeman as a steal here based on their current projections but Andy disagreed on his ADP. After discussion, the guys decided the value and upside of the rookie RB was too much to pass on. More TE lamenting ensued.
Round 9, Pick 7
Players Considered: Randall Cobb
Selection: Randall Cobb, WR
With the loss of Jordy Nelson and the Aaron Rodgers factor, there was no debate here.
Round 10, Pick 6
Players Considered: Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Calvin Ridley, DJ Moore
Selection: Philip Rivers, QB
While the thought of “Angry” Ben Roethlisberger was almost too much to pass on, the guys agreed that they aren’t altogether confident in projecting Big Ben. Mike made Philip Rivers their QB instead.
Round 11, Pick 7
Players Considered: George Kittle, Vance McDonald
Selection: Vance McDonald, TE
Time to take a TE and with the top tier guys gone, the guys discussed their TE sleepers. Mike made the pick and after his playoff “paprika-ing” of targets, McDonald was the pick.
Round 12, Pick 6
Players Considered: Corey Clement
Selection: Corey Clement, RB
The thought here was that a sleeper RB was what was needed to fill that last bench spot. Andy made the pick and the Eagles’ Corey Clement makes the team.
Rounds 13 and 14
Selections: New Orleans Saints DEF/ST and Chris Boswell, K
The last rounds are for defense and kickers.
The guys described their team as old WRs and young RBs and that is a great PPR recipe. The only “ragret” was missing on Burton. See where being petty gets you, kids! If you haven’t signed up for the Ultimate Draft Kit yet, head over there now to avoid missing out on your favorite guys come fantasy draft season. Happy mocking FootClan!