With the 2019 NFL Draft behind us, the table is mostly set for the upcoming fantasy football season, which means the preparation for drafts has already begun.
Though it is still May and plenty of things will change in the next few months, running through mock drafts is arguably the best way to get ready for your upcoming draft in the fall.
Using the FantasyPros simulator, we ran a mock draft in a 12-team league from the seventh spot using half-PPR scoring format. There is analysis as to why we made each pick with the full list of selections to give context.
Here’s a look at our five-round fantasy mock draft:
Round 1
1.01: RB Ezekiel Elliot, Dallas Cowboys
1.02: RB Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
1.03: RB Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
1.04: RB Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams
1.05: RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
1.06: WR DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans
1.07: RB Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers
1.08: RB David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
1.09: RB Le’Veon Bell, New York Jets
1.10: WR Devante Adams, Green Bay Packers
1.11: QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
1.12: WR Juju Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers
Analysis: After five straight running backs to kick off the draft, I felt it necessary to grab a talent like Gordon’s to solidify my team. The Wisconsin product was always knocked for efficiency but changed that narrative in 2018 averaging 5.1 yards per carry en route to 1,375 scrimmage yards and 14 total touchdowns. There might be some injury risk with Gordon, but he’s an elite talent that gets a full workload each week he’s on the field. He’s in consideration for a top-five pick, so I would feel very comfortable starting the draft with him.
Round 2
2.01: RB Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
2.02: WR Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
2.03: RB James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers
2.04: RB Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
2.05: WR Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
2.06: WR Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns
2.07: TE Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
2.08: RB Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
2.09: WR Antonio Brown, Oakland Raiders
2.10: TE Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles
2.11: WR Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs
2.12: TE George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
Analysis: There are several intriguing options on the board here. However, the best talent available was Beckham Jr. by far. Of course, there are some concerns having been traded to a new offense and the injury risks that hit him hard throughout his career. However, the talent in what is projected to be an enticing offense is too good to pass up at any point in the second round. Drafting Beckham Jr. as the sixth wide receiver when he has a chance to be the WR1 when the 2019 season is done should come with extreme confidence starting this mock draft.
Round 3
3.01: WR Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3.02: WR T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts
3.03: RB Sony Michel, New England Patriots
3.04: WR A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
3.05: WR Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
3.06: RB Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
3.07: WR Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
3.08: RB Damien Williams, Kansas City Chiefs
3.09: WR Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys
3.10: RB Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts
3.11: RB Phillip Lindsay, Denver Broncos
3.12: RB Josh Jacobs, Oakland Raiders
Analysis: Entering the third round, there are a lot of players with high upside, which makes this a difficult but fun round to choose in. In hindsight, I probably should have gone with Williams over Thielen. However, having my top wide receivers as two players that could easily make a stake to be a top-five option at the position makes me feel a little better about the pick. Thielen had a monstrous first half of the season but cooled off terribly in the second half, recording just one 100-yard game from Week 9 on. Still, Thielen is a boss, and I’ll happily take him in the third round.
Round 4
4.01: WR Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings
4.02: RB Derrius Guice, Washington Redskins
4.03: WR Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams
4.04: WR Julian Edelman, New England Patriots
4.05: WR Brandin Cooks, Los Angeles Rams
4.06: RB Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars
4.07: WR Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
4.08: WR Sammy Watkins, Kansas City Chiefs
4.09: RB Mark Ingram, Baltimore Ravens
4.10: QB Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
4.11: RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
4.12: WR Kenny Golladay, Detriot Lions
Analysis: This might be another risky pick but if Fournette keeps his job, this could wind up being one of the best running back duos in whatever league you’re in. There is an inherent risk with Fournette’s injuries, efficiency issues and recent off-the-field beefs with the front office but if he truly is getting a clean slate, Fournette could bounce back in a big way. Even if he still only averages 4.0 yards per carry, he should have enough volume and touchdown upside to be a solid RB2 with RB1 upside each week. Couple that with the fact that he should get his offensive line healthy after most of the unit was missing in 2018 and this could be a steal.
Round 5
5.01: WR Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5.02: QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
5.03: WR Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears
5.04: WR Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons
5.05: WR Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
5.06: WR Alshon Jeffery, Philadelphia Eagles
5.07: RB Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons
5.08: WR Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns
5.09: WR Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans
5.10: TE O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5.11: WR Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals
5.12: WR D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers
Analysis: If all goes according to plan, this might be one of the best picks in the draft. Sure, Freeman has dealt with some injuries in his career, but he’s still just 27 years old and should be ready for OTAs. With Dirk Koetter taking over as offensive coordinator, the expectation is that the Falcons want to run the ball more. If Freeman winds up playing a full season, or close to it, he would be an absolute bargain in the fifth round.
Overview
Round 1: RB Melvin Gordon
Round 2: WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Round 3: WR Adam Thielen
Round 4: RB Leonard Fournette
Round 5: RB Devonta Freeman
Analysis: Through the first five rounds, there is a nice balance to this team. There is a nice floor with the running backs with Gordon leading the charge but also some upside with Fournette and Freeman. The wide receivers don’t get much better than Beckham Jr. and Thielen, both of which should provide WR1 upside each week as long as they are healthy. With a solid foundation at the skill positions, I would then be able to focus on either adding a top quarterback or continue adding depth to the running back and wide receiver positions.
