Fantasy Football: July Half PPR Mock Draft Recap
On the latest episode of The Fantasy Footballers Podcast… Andy, Mike, and Jason once again sought shelter from the scorching Arizona heat, in the cool, crisp shower of a Sleeperbot mock draft. Drafting from the seventh position (Jason’s least favorite) in a 12-team, half-PPR setting, the Fantasy Footballers trio put together an impressively balanced lineup to tackle an imaginary, imaginary football league.
To get the full experience you can access the full draft results on Sleeperbot and check out the entire Mock Draft episode. You can also check out some Tips and Tricks to Mock Draft Like a Champ.
Draft settings: 12 team / Half-PPR scoring / 1 QB, 2 RB, 2WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex, 1 K, 1 DEF, 5 bench
1.07 – Melvin Gordon, RB
Other Players Considered: Saquon Barkley
With the elite four and Alvin Kamara off the board, as well as Antonio Brown, the guys were faced with a tough choice between Gordon and Jason’s suggestion of Barkley. In the end, they chose to side with the better NFL team in the Los Angeles Chargers and forego Barkley and his New York Giants.
2.06 – Devonta Freeman, RB
Other Players Considered: Christian McCaffrey
The guys quickly identified a break in tier at the running back position, with only Freeman and McCaffrey left, versus a host of great wideouts. They also touched on the relative lack of depth at the running back position and chose to lock up their corps with the elite combo of Gordon and Freeman.
3.07 – Adam Thielen, WR
Other Players Considered: None
Betting on the depth of the great receiver tier paid off, as Adam Thielen was available here in the third (along with Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, and Larry Fitzgerald). It was an easy decision for the guys, who were (and are) hooked on a Thielen.
4.06 – Larry Fitzgerald, WR
Other Players Considered: None
Is anyone surprised? Mike proudly defied recent criticism of the Ballers’ love for Larry, even declining to wear the Hate-Blockers as he recited Fitz’s three-year seasonal average of 108 catches, over 1,100 yards, and 7 touchdowns. This was a lock from the get-go, and the guys secured an excellent starting four at the key positions.
5.07 – Marvin Jones, WR
Other Players Considered: Royce Freeman, Greg Olsen, Kerryon Johnson
Quarterback, as is usually the case, was still not an option here in Round 5. After debating Freeman’s risk, an early TE selection in Olsen, and a potential reach for Johnson, Jason suggested Marvin Jones. As the least disliked player on the table, he somehow found his way onto the Ballers roster as a high-upside FLEX option.
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6.06 – Greg Olsen, TE
Other Players Considered: None
After nearly making the cut in Round 5, Olsen fell to the Ballers in the sixth round after a small run on quarterbacks. The value was clear and, despite Mike’s vocal displeasure, the crew picked Olsen to get a feel for a final roster with an earlier tight end. The pick started a run at the position, with Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph following immediately after.
7.07 – Rex Burkhead, RB
Players Considered: Isaiah Crowell
With only two RBs entering the seventh round, Andy and Mike jumped towards drafting a third player at the position. They passed on a plodding option like Isaiah Crowell for the potentially massive upside of Burkhead, given the security in their already elite starting pair.
8.06 – C.J. Anderson, RB
Other Players Considered: Robby Anderson, Ty Montgomery
Andy and Jason saw clear favorites in Robby Anderson and Montgomery, respectively, but both believed their guys could make it back in Round 9. Instead, they went with Mike’s suggestion of CJ Anderson, who would apparently serve as the team’s reliable “peanut butter & banana sandwich,” topped with Burkhead’s upside frosting.
9.07 – Robby Anderson, WR
Other Players Considered: None
As expected, Robby Anderson was available at the 9.07, and Jets’ No. 1 receiver was an easy pick with an extremely high ceiling. He made the roster as the WR4 and completed a nice “Anderson” stack in Rounds 8 and 9.
10.06 – Philip Rivers, QB
Other Players Considered: Ben Roethlisberger, Marcus Mariota
It was finally time to consider a quarterback, and Jason was given the pick. He debated personal favorites of Roethlisberger and Mariota, but went with the more consensus choice in Rivers.
11.07 – DeSean Jackson, WR
Other Players Considered: Rishard Matthews, Geronimo Allison, Jordan Matthews
Entering dart-throw sleeper territory, Mike considered a wide gamut of receivers with his selection in Round 11. Eventually he settled on the much higher upside of Jackson, over a more steady option like one of the Matthews brothers. (NOTE: They’re not really brothers).
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12.06 – Latavius Murray, RB
Other Players Considered: Michael Gallup, Tyler Lockett, Dede Westbrook, Paul Richardson, Devontae Booker, Chris Ivory
Andy took the final pick of the draft and determined to use it on a player who could flash a productive role in Week 1. The guys looked briefly at Booker, but Andy would not take the risk of “double regret” if Royce Freeman won the job, having passed on Freeman earlier. Instead, they took the potential goal-line back and HANNNNNDcuff in Minnesota.
Post-Draft Thoughts
It was clearly a very balanced draft for the guys, with solid starters at every position and a mix of reliable floor and sky-high ceiling on the bench. The only minor regret was passing on Freeman to select Olsen, but the stable of running backs on the roster was strong regardless.
One interesting point of discussion was whether there is any drawback in having a quarterback (Rivers) and running back (Gordon) from the same team. In this case, the Ballers were perfectly happy with their pairing thanks to Gordon’s chops in the passing game.
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!