RADIO
This is my updated and final one-man mock exercise of the preseason. I put myself in the draft chairs and minds of every participant in an advance look at the 2020 campaign.
The four rounds of this early one-man mock are based on a 12-team, full PPR format. I have considered roster structure for each spot when I make the choices. The format is based on the standard four points for a TD pass and helps you build the corel of your starting lineup.
The results here are based on a blend of my own personal rankings and the flow of the draft itself. This one-man mock drill reflects that where players are ranked and when they may be picked are two different angles you must consider. I incorporate where players are going off the board in the majority of the many drafts I have completed so far. There are several instances where I may have my top-ranked player available at the time, but I may be able to wait another round or so on him. There will also be instances where need and drop-off at a position will dictate the choice.
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Round One
1. Christian McCaffrey: He may see a slight dip in overall volume as the Carolina offense establishes more balance, but he will still be the best pick for the most possible quality touches in the game.
2. Saquon Barkley: If he stays healthy, Barkley could finish as the best RB in fantasy football, because no one has more upside. Jason Garrett will maximize his tremendous potential.
3. Alvin Kamara: He is going to regain elite status now that he is healthy. The most efficient dual-threat in fantasy football, he should score 14 or more times. I ma not moving him down yet because of the holdout concerns.
4. Ezekiel Elliott: The workload could be trimmed a bit, as Mike McCarthy likes to emphasize the passing game and he has the weaponry to change the scope of the offense. But Elliott will still score a ton to finish off many drives.
5. Michael Thomas: There is a slight drop-off at running back after the Top 4 off the board, so it’s fine to pivot away from the RB position here and address it in the next round.
6. Derrick Henry: He is entering his prime as the most dominant pure runner in the league. The monster rushing and TD totals combined will somewhat compensate for the lack of receiving output. Don’t let the PPR critics steer you away from this choice.
7. Dalvin Cook: If he could somehow avoid injuries, he would challenge Barkley for the No. 2 overall spot. You know the drill, get Alexander Mattison in the double-digit rounds.
8. Miles Sanders: Don’t be concerned about the preseason injury, there is no indication it will be a lingering factor when the season begins. You should never drop the better players on your draft board based on temporary health situations.
9. Clyde Edwards-Helaire: The rookie is not a recommended mid first-rounder to me when I prefer more established performers. If you take him as early as sixth, though, I don’t consider it crazy. More on CEH here.
10. Joe Mixon: Has fallen a bit in drafts in recently, yet there are no major indicators Mixon is not a solid pick by this point. The offense will certainly improve this season and he should provide better numbers after earning every yard last year.
11. Kenyan Drake: An injury report has also dropped his stock slightly, but passing on Drake would be regrettable. He is still set to be a true feature back for the first time ever and is on the verge of a significant breakout to RB1 levels.
12. Davante Adams: He is slipping into the second round, even late, in some recent drafts I have been in. If you can land Green Bay’s best offensive player past this point you are getting a great early round value. Outside of Thomas, no other WR will dominate his team’s target share like Adams.
Round Two
13. Josh Jacobs: He averaged 4.8 yards per attempt as a rookie and can prove he is a true fantasy RB1 this season. The signing of Theo Riddick has no impact on his outlook. There is still the possibility he improves as a pass-catcher.
14. Nick Chubb: The presence of Kareem Hunt certainly dents his appeal as a possible RB1. If you go RB/RB in the first two rounds, though, Chubb becomes a real luxury as your second starter at the position.
15. Austin Ekeler: He is not a first-rounder, as the QB change and more defensive attention will cut into his overall production and he may share rushing touches with Joshua Kelley. Yet he is still a fine RB2 pick here.
16. Tyreek Hill: Once the prime dozen-plus RBs are gone, you can wait on your second starter for at least one more round while opting for elite WRs. Hill starts to change the positional flow at this point.
17. Julio Jones: He was second in the NFL in receiving yards last season and 31 is not “old” for a WR as FantasyPros outlines here.
18. Travis Kelce: The Chiefs superstar gives you WR1 production at the thinnest position in fantasy football. Last season, only eight WRs scored more fantasy points than Kelce.
19. Aaron Jones: He could be in his final season with the Pack and likely wants to prove last year was no fluke. The drafting of A.J. Dillon may hurt him more in the future than this season, even if a few goal-line carries are stolen. A solid RB2 target.
20. Jonathan Taylor: He is not quite my highest-ranked RB at this point, but Taylor is stirring a lot of buzz and this is where you may have to take him in some drafts.
21. Chris Godwin: The Buccaneers won’t throw as frequently as they did with Jameis Winston, but the offense should be better overall and Godwin will be Tom Brady’s top target. He may not finish as fantasy WR2 again, yet he only should place a few spots lower.
22. George Kittle: He had a quiet postseason, but Kittle clearly remains in a tier of his own as the No. 2 TE in fantasy football. You have to love getting 80 catches and 1,000 yards at his position. Kittle soared past those markers last year while missing two games.
23. Lamar Jackson: Other experts tell you to wait on a QB. Well, I say wait on all the others. No other quarterback gives you RB production with respectable passing production. Others say he will regress. If he "drops" to 900-plus rushing yards there is still no one else as unique as Jackson at QB.
24. DeAndre Hopkins: So many Fantasy players are expecting notable slippage, yet he will still be a top star target for a rising young QB. Hopkins still sits on the fantasy WR1/2 cusp.
Round Three
25. James Conner: He has started to suddenly regain respect over the past few weeks. Just two years ago, he had well over 1,450 yards from scrimmage with 13 TDs and 55 receptions. Grab Benny Snell as the insurance pick in the final rounds.
26. Kenny Golladay: The young and exciting Lions WR led the NFL in TD receptions last year and now gets a healthy Matthew Stafford back. He was seventh in Contested Catch Rate last year, according to playerprofiler.com. Golladay had six of his 11 TD catches in the red zone.
27. JuJu Smith-Schuster: He will playing for a payday, as the Steelers have a history of parting with their top wideouts after awhile, and JJSS is in a contract year.
28. Allen Robinson: I have so much admiration for Robinson, as he finished as WR8 last year despite wildly erratic QB play from Mitchell Trubisky. Nick Foles should ensure that the Chicago passing game will at least command basic defensive respect and may even boost A-Rob’s outlook a bit.
29. Chris Carson: I actually have him ranked as RB13, but you can wait until at least this range to take Carson. The team that drafted Jonathan Taylor can use Carson as the RB1 and Taylor as the RB2 even though Taylor had to be picked earlier to ensure landing him. Carson was fifth in the NFL in rushing yards last year despite missing a game and a good chunk of two others. Carlos Hyde is the essential fantasy backup when you draft Carson. More on Carson here.
30. Adam Thielen: He does not seem like much of an upside pick, yet he can show off his best form again with Stefon Diggs done. We also remind you that 30 is not “old” for a WR.
31. Melvin Gordon: Preseason health concerns have revived worries about his durability. Yet he can still play at close to an RB1 level when healthy and you just need to grab Phillip Lindsay later for the backup insurance.
32. D.J. Moore: Nearly reached 1,100 yards and 90 catches last year despite QB issues, and now gets an obvious upgrade at the position. Defense may force the offense to throw frequently.
33. Patrick Mahomes: This team combines Tyreek Hill and Mahomes for the ultimate fantasy scoring connection. It is a proven winning strategy when you don’t fully give into the RB demand early on.
34. Odell Beckham Jr.: A hopeful pick based on a new coaching staff trying to spark Baker Mayfield. Beckham is still a superstar talent.
35. Cooper Kupp: Jared Goff’s favorite target, especially for TDs. That is not going to change.
36. Mike Evans: Should be the lesser WR of the top two in Tampa Bay with Brady, yet still capable of being a quality fantasy WR2.
Round Four
37. Cam Akers: Can make the quickest impact of any rookie other than Edwards-Helaire.
38. DK Metcalf: His ceiling is as a higher-end WR2. More on Metcalf here.
39. Tyler Lockett: He is an underrated fantasy WR2.
40. David Johnson: This is a “need” pick. Get some RB depth behind Johnson, a real risk to fail with the Texans.
41.Todd Gurley: Another RB “need” pick.
42. Amari Cooper: Is he falling too far? You will still get 75 catches and 1,100 yards.
43. D.J. Chark: Could vault into back-end fantasy WR1 territory this year.
44. A.J. Brown: Often goes ahead of Metcalf, but not in this mock.
45. Kareem Hunt: If you find yourself in need of an RB at this point, it's not too early to gun for Hunt.
46. Terry McLaurin: Could rise even more in Year Two.
47. Calvin Ridley: Julio gets the big yardage, and he is the prime Atlanta TD threat in the passing game.
48. DeVante Parker: He is actually my WR15, yet you can wait until this range to get good value on Parker.
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