It is mid-May, and fantasy football drafts are gaining steam. A recent industry mock is the source for this recap. Out of respect for the hosts of this draft, no reference will be made to its identity so the content remains fresh on their end, nor will the entire draft results be published here.
The blurbs about my team below were provided to the draft host and will appear in a magazine as part of a larger evaluation of the draft. Before getting into my individual picks (we didn’t have to select kickers or defensive teams), here are a few general observations from a 12-team, PPR draft.
- Drafting in the middle of Round 1 wasn’t a detriment. The placement afforded the ability to build either two strong running backs, a blend of prominent RBs and receivers, or loading up on a pair of wideouts. Flexibility is key, and it’s tough to go wrong picking fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh in 2024.
- It’s not too often, even in an experts league, no quarterbacks come off the board in the first three rounds. Personally, I love to see it, and that’s how gamers should draft … in an ideal world. I suspect the delay in addressing the position is a byproduct of gamers being burned by the rash of QB injuries in 2023.
- Eight of the first 24 picks were running backs in this PPR format, which isn’t a huge surprise, but the notable takeaway here is this draft went all the way until the 32nd pick before a different position came off the board.
- Six of the 19 total quarterbacks who were drafted came in Rounds 4 and 5 alone, which shows the ability to wait on the position if you don’t buy into a top-heavy position.
- Five TEs going in the first six rounds is normal, though the eight who went over the following four rounds are mostly interchangeable. Much like with quarterback, gamers should make a predraft decision about whether they prefer to invest early or wait, and a good deal of these trends are due to the RB and WR selection spree atop the draft.
- The positional breakdown is as follows: 19 QBs, 60 RBs, 79 WRs, and 18 TEs.
Here’s a snapshot of the first 10 rounds broken down by number of positional picks:
1st: 4 RBs, 8 WRs
2nd: 4 RBs, 8 WRs
3rd: 6 RBs, 4 WRs, 2 TEs
4th: 2 QBs, 3 RBs, 6 WRs, 1 TE
5th: 4 QBs, 2 RBs, 6 WRs
6th: 1 QB, 7 RBs, 2 WRs, 2 TEs
7th: 1 QB, 2 RBs, 6 WRs, 3 TEs
8th: 7 RBs, 3 WRs, 2 TEs
9th: 4 RBs, 7 WRs, 1 TE
10th: 4 RBs, 6 WRs, 2 TEs
My team
We were asked to write 35 words per pick to give a little insight as to our draft thoughts:
- RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons: I considered Ja’Marr Chase, but Robinson has RB1 overall upside and will anchor my roster. The do-all Texas product no longer will be hampered by the silly utilization games played by former head coach Arthur Smith.
- WR Stefon Diggs, Houston Texans: I’m banking on one last big season from the well-seasoned veteran with a final huge payday at stake. Houston didn’t acquire him to be a decoy. This loaded offense can support multiple top-flight fantasy targets.
- RB Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers: If he can stay healthy, Jacobs has RB1 written all over him in Green Bay. The Packers paid a hefty sum for his services, and the versatile veteran will command the lion’s share of this backfield’s touches.
- WR Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns: There’s no question that I am skeptical about Cooper staying healthy and Deshaun Watson rebounding, but the only real-life WR1 remaining I considered was Zay Flowers. My strong RB corps leaves me comfortable with Cooper as my WR2.
- QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles: I wasn’t inclined to land a QB here, but the value of Hurts in Round 5 was far too tantalizing to ignore. Between a stacked receiving corps and his rushing talents, Hurts will challenge for QB1 overall.
- RB Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders: I’m comfortable with Ekeler as a third back, and he has upside in PPR since Brian Robinson Jr. is more of a two-downer. Being reasonable, the former Charger is probably a matchup play instead of a lock.
- WR Marquise Brown, Kansas City Chiefs: As my third receiver, Hollywood catching passes from Patrick Mahomes is exciting and will make up for a lack of volume. Rashee Rice could miss games — perhaps the entire year — giving Brown serious upside.
- WR DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans: Despite crossing my fingers in hopes of Christian Watson coming back to me, Nuk is a WR4 with viable weekly lineup consideration – a nice consolation. I’m expecting enough work to go around in this revamped offense.
- TE T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings: I gambled on Jake Ferguson lasting, missing out by a few picks. While Hockenson might rest early, rookie QBs tend to lean on TEs, and this selection had a playoff push in mind.
- RB Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons: Expecting a lesser role than last year’s 209 utilizations, the sole purpose here was to insure my Round 1 selection of Bijan Robinson. Nothing more, nothing less.
- TE Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans: T.J. Hockenson was a strategic gamble two rounds ago, and Schultz will be a stop-gap if he misses action as well as an insurance policy should the former Detroit Lion not regain form in 2024.
- WR Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons: A late-round flier who could rebound after falling on hard times the last two years, Mooney gets a QB upgrade and a friendlier system. He has even more value if TE Kyle Pitts doesn’t pan out again.
- RB Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rookie RBs who are an injury away from a No. 1 role always enter my late-round draft plans. Irving even could muster enough action for a fill-in role if Tampa chooses to scale back Rachaad White‘s workload.
- QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars: Even though the retooled receiving corps isn’t as appealing on paper, volume alone puts Lawrence into the top-12 conversation. A likely QB1 as my backup in Round 14? Sign me up!
Bonus draft recap!
As part of the magazine mock draft participation agreement, we also took part in a non-PPR version. Here’s my team review for that one:
1) RB Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts: I briefly considered Saquon Barkley, but Taylor’s fantasy scoring and TD upside is greater in non-PPR. There’s top-3 potential from the former rushing champ.
2) RB Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers: I was hoping for Derrick Henry here, but Jacobs is a quality consolation prize. He should threaten RB1 status as my No. 2 in a Green Bay offense that will ride its new bell cow.
3) WR Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: While he’s not a value buy this year, and regression is a real risk, double-digit TD potential remains high. Evans is a so-so WR1.
4) QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles: I really wanted Cooper Kupp here, but Hurts’ rushing TD upside was far too tempting in non-PPR. This is much earlier than I tend to draft a QB, and the scoring system made the difference here.
5) WR George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers: He’s one of my favorites for a true breakout season, and I’ll be surprised Pickens doesn’t finish as a borderline WR1. There’s some concern with Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith, however, but talent usually wins out.
6) RB Zack Moss, Cincinnati Bengals: I’m higher on him than most, but there’s legit 10-TD potential in sight as my third back. Moss has flashed starting-caliber ability at times in his career, and he now gets a chance to run away with the gig.
7) TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons: Was this a reach? Maybe. If Pitts cannot ascend in 2024, all hope is lost for his future. I’m optimistic that Kirk Cousins and a better offensive system will work wonders.
8) WR Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos: Denver is lacking receiving options, and rookie QB Bo Nix has the collegiate experience to hit the ground running. He should be good for WR3 or flex utility more often than not.
9) WR Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers: There’s tremendous upside in Watson if the hammy can hold up for more than 30 minutes. That said, he could get lost in the mix some weeks if the deep receiving corps plays to its potential.
10) RB Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks: We saw enough from the former as a rookie to suggest he’ll be involved in this new offense. As my RB4, Charbonnet is a decent flier for RB2 returns if Kenneth Walker goes down.
11) WR Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers: Let’s face it, Johnston was abysmal in 2023, but LA needs a WR to step up, and why not him? He has the QB and offensive line to create damage with limited targets.
12) QB Jared Goff, Detroit Lions: Aside from a bye week, Goff probably won’t see my lineup, but he’s awesome insurance for Hurts.
13) TE Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints: Mike Gesicki was a consideration, but Johnson has a clearer path to scoring fantasy points. If Pitts is solid, Johnson won’t crack my lineup often anyway.
14) RB Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Irving is a worthy flier for a late-round RB5 gamble, and he has weekly flex worth if Rachaad White gets injured.