2018 fantasy football mock draft No. 2: 10-team, PPR

Published: Jun 22, 2018 at 06:19 AM

Summer is officially upon us and soon millions of people across the world will begin day-dreaming about winning a fantasy championship this fall. Draft guides will be purchased. Articles will be consumed. Rankings will be scrutinized. And hopefully, countless mock drafts will be performed (all on NFL.com, of course).

Seeing as it'd been over a month since our last mock, we figured it was high time to rally the troops and run another practice draft for your reading pleasure. We could have ventured outside and seen the world, but instead, we stayed locked up inside with our computers, finishing this mock just for you jackals online clamoring for more content. (Just kidding, we love all of you and thank you for reading and following our work!)

The PPR scoring, 10-team, 16-round mock draft consisted of our best analysts and writers from NFL Fantasy LIVE and NFL.com. Teams did not need to draft a full roster, so several teams went without a kicker or defense. I provide some brief thoughts about most rounds below and have included the FULL teams for each drafter at the bottom of the article.

Now, with that out of the way, let's get to it.

Draft order

Cynthia Frelund (@cfrelund) - NFL Fantasy LIVE analytics expert
T.J. Hernandez (@TJHernandez) - Director of DFS, 4for4.com
Alex Gelhar (@AlexGelhar)- NFL Fantasy Writer/Editor
Graham Barfield (@GrahamBarfield) - Senior Fantasy analyst, FantsyGuru.com
Dylan Milner (@DMilner13) - Senior producer, NFL Network
Michael Fabiano (@MichaelFabiano)- NFL Senior Fantasy Analyst
Matt "Money" Smith (@MattMoneySmith)- NFL Fantasy LIVE host
Marcas Grant (@MarcasG)- NFL Fantasy Editor
Adam Rank (@adamrank)- NFL Fantasy LIVE analyst
James Koh (@JamesDKoh) - NFL Fantasy LIVE host

ROUND 1

Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys (RB1) - Frelund
Le'Veon Bell, Steelers (RB2) - Hernandez
Todd Gurley, Rams (RB3) - Gelhar
David Johnson, Cardinals (RB4) - Barfield
Antonio Brown, Steelers (WR1) - Milner
Alvin Kamara, Saints (RB5) - Fabiano
Kareem Hunt, Chiefs (RB6) - Money
DeAndre Hopkins, Texans (WR2) - Grant
Saquon Barkley, Giants (RB7) - Rank
Odell Beckham Jr., Giants (WR3) - Koh

This was the first time I've seen Zeke go before Bell/Gurley in a mock, but this is exactly what mocks are for: testing things out. Zeke is going to have to carry the Cowboys offense this year and that could turn into an epic fantasy campaign.

ROUND 2

Michael Thomas, Saints (WR4) - Koh
Keenan Allen, Chargers (WR5) - Rank
Julio Jones, Falcons (WR6) - Grant
Melvin Gordon, Chargers (RB8) - Money
Dalvin Cook, Vikings (RB9) - Fabiano
Devonta Freeman, Falcons (RB10) - Milner
Leonard Fournette, Jaguars (RB11) - Barfield
Davante Adams, Packers (WR7) - Gelhar
A.J. Green, Bengals (WR8) - Hernandez
Mike Evans, Buccaneers (WR9) - Frelund

I debated between Adams and Green at my pick but ultimately decided to go with the Packers' new No. 1 wideout. The Green Bay offense as a whole should be a higher scoring unit than the Bengals, and Adams has a very good chance to post a campaign in the 1,300-yard, 12-plus touchdown range.

ROUND 3

Adam Thielen, Vikings (WR10) - Frelund
Jerick McKinnon, 49ers (RB12) - Hernandez
Christian McCaffrey, Panthers (RB13) - Gelhar
LeSean McCoy, Bills (RB14) - Barfield
Travis Kelce, Chiefs (TE1) - Milner
T.Y. Hilton, Colts (WR11) - Fabiano
Rob Gronkowski, Patriots (TE2) - Money
Jordan Howard, Bears (RB15) - Grant
Tyreek Hill, Chiefs (WR12) - Rank
Deshaun Watson, Texans (QB1) - Koh

Jerick McKinnon may end up as a second-round lock come August. His athletic profile combined with Kyle Shanahan's RB-friendly offense have fantasy analysts salivating at his potential. Don't forget, Carlos Hyde was the RB8 in PPR and RB11 in standard last year for a 49ers offense that didn't boast the talent it does now. T.Y. Hilton worries me at this point in drafts. If Andrew Luck is back under center for a full 16 games, a WR11 asking price for Hilton isn't that outrageous. However, with questions still swirling around Luck's health and outlook, I'd err on the side of caution when it comes to drafting Hilton -- especially if there are guys like Stefon Diggs, Larry Fitzgerald, and Doug Baldwin still on the board.

ROUND 4

Jay Ajayi, Eagles (RB16) - Koh
Stefon Diggs, Vikings (WR13) - Rank
JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers (WR14) - Grant
Josh Gordon, Browns (WR15) - Money
Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (WR16) - Fabiano
Brandin Cooks, Rams (WR17) - Milner
Doug Baldwin, Seahawks (WR18) - Barfield
Allen Robinson, Bears (WR19) - Gelhar
Joe Mixon, Bengals (RB17) - Hernandez
Golden Tate, Lions (WR20) - Frelund

Eight of the 10 picks in this round were wide receivers, which really just speaks to how drafters are tending to favor running backs early in 2018. I wrote a bit about how you can use this to your competitive advantage in drafts during my recent Mock Draft Monday exercise.

ROUND 5

DeVante Parker, Dolphins (WR21) - Frelund
Demaryius Thomas, Broncos (WR22) - Hernandez
Marvin Jones, Lions (WR23) - Gelhar
Zach Ertz, Eagles (TE3) - Barfield
Ronald Jones, Buccaneers (RB18) - Milner
Kenyan Drake, Dolphins (RB19) - Fabiano
Sony Michel, Patriots (RB20) - Money
Derrius Guice, Redskins (RB21) - Grant
Rashaad Penny, Seahawks (RB22) - Rank
Jimmy Graham, Packers (TE4) - Koh

I talked about this on the latest episode of the NFL Fantasy LIVE podcast, but I want to give some more love to Marvin Jones here as well. Jones is quickly becoming one of my favorite mid-round picks as a WR2 or WR3. He was a top-12 fantasy wide receiver last year in both PPR and standard formats and he only saw 107 targets. Granted, he benefited from some good touchdown luck, as he was one of just eight wide receivers to score a touchdown on more than eight percent of their targets (min. 50 targets). While that pace may be tough to keep up, he could see more volume thanks to the departure of Eric Ebron this offseason and his 86 targets. Kenny Golladay certainly could command more looks, but Jones shouldn't see a true downtick in volume. He's a solid bet to return value in this range.

ROUND 6

Derrick Henry, Titans (RB23) - Koh
Duke Johnson, Browns (RB24) - Rank
Alshon Jeffery, Eagles (WR24) - Grant
Aaron Rodgers, Packers (QB2) - Money
Amari Cooper, Raiders (WR25) - Fabiano
Jarvis Landry, Browns (WR26) - Milner
Chris Hogan, Patriots (WR27) - Barfield
Lamar Miller, Texans (RB25) - Gelhar
Michael Crabtree, Ravens (WR28) - Hernandez
Carson Wentz, Eagles (QB3) - Frelund

I'm finding myself drafting Lamar Miller almost automatically if he falls this far in drafts. He has little competition for touches and averaged around 15 PPR fantasy points per game in Deshaun Watson's starts last year. He's not going to draw any "Oooohs" or "Aaaaahs" on draft day, but he'll be a relatively stable weekly contributor.

ROUND 7

Corey Clement, Eagles (RB26) - Frelund
Mark Ingram, Saints (RB27) - Hernandez
Alex Collins, Ravens (RB28) - Gelhar
Dion Lewis, Titans (RB29) - Barfield
Marlon Mack, Colts (RB30) - Milner
Royce Freeman, Broncos (RB31) - Fabiano
Will Fuller, Texans (WR29) - Money
Tevin Coleman, Falcons (RB32) - Grant
Evan Engram, Giants (TE5) - Rank
Corey Davis, Titans (WR30) - Koh

I love all of the backs that went in this round except for Corey Clement. I really like Clement as a deep sleeper, but Round 7 feels way too rich for my blood.

ROUND 8

Aaron Jones, Packers (RB33) - Koh
Cooper Kupp, Rams (WR31) - Rank
Sterling Shepard, Giants (WR32) - Grant
Kerryon Johnson, Lions (RB34) - Money
Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos (WR33) - Fabiano
Isaiah Crowell, Jets (RB35) - Milner
Pierre Garcon, 49ers (WR34) - Barfield
Greg Olsen, Panthers (TE6) - Gelhar
Devin Funchess, Panthers (WR35) - Hernandez
Kyle Rudolph, Vikings (TE7) - Frelund

Pierre Garcon as the WR34 in a PPR league is highway robbery.

ROUND 9

Trey Burton, Bears (TE8) - Frelund
Marquise Goodwin, 49ers (WR36) - Hernandez
Randall Cobb, Packers (WR37) - Gelhar
Robert Woods, Rams (WR38) - Barfield
Sammy Watkins, Chiefs (WR39) - Milner
Delanie Walker, Titans (TE9) - Fabiano
Jordy Nelson, Raiders (WR40) - Money
Julian Edelman, Patriots (WR41) - Grant
Russell Wilson, Seahawks (QB4) - Rank
Marshawn Lynch, Raiders (RB36) - Koh

I drafted Randall Cobb confidently here even though I already have Davante Adams on my roster. That may sound counter-intuitive, but we've seen many examples in recent years of multiple wide receivers thriving in fantasy football from the same offense. Golden Tate and Marvin Jones. Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. And just two years ago, Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams. Having more players on your roster catching passes from Aaron Rodgers is never a bad thing.

ROUND 10

D.J. Moore, Panthers (WR42) - Koh
Calvin Ridley, Falcons (WR43) - Rank
Nick Chubb, Browns (RB37) - Grant
Tarik Cohen, Bears (RB38) - Money
Tom Brady, Patriots (QB5) - Fabiano
Cam Newton, Panthers (QB6) - Milner
Chris Thompson, Redskins (RB39) - Barfield
Kirk Cousins, Vikings (QB7) - Gelhar
Rishard Matthews, Titans (WR44) - Hernandez
Nelson Agholor, Eagles (WR45) - Frelund

I jump for joy every time Kirk Cousins falls to me this late in a draft. His fantasy finishes the last three years are QB6, QB5, and QB8. You could also make the argument (rather easily) that he'll be playing with the best supporting cast of his career this year in Minnesota.

ROUND 11

Carlos Hyde, Browns (RB40) - Frelund
Rex Burkhead, Patriots (RB41) - Hernandez
Jamaal Williams, Packers (RB42) - Gelhar
Drew Brees, Saints (QB8) - Barfield
Allen Hurns, Cowboys (WR46) - Milner
Jordan Reed, Redskins (TE10) - Fabiano
Jamison Crowder, Redskins (WR47) - Money
Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers (QB9) - Grant
Mike Williams, Chargers (WR48) - Rank
Tyler Lockett, Seahawks (WR49) - Koh

I love the wide receiver value in this round. Jamison Crowder could be a PPR maven, Allen Hurns is set to be the top option for the Cowboys, and Tyler Lockett is fully healthy and in an offense with a lot of open targets from last year.

ROUND 12

Jacksonville Jaguars D/ST (DEF1) - Koh
Josh Doctson, Redskins (WR50) - Rank
Philadelphia Eagles D/ST (DEF2) - Grant
David Njoku, Browns (TE11) - Money
Robby Anderson, Jets (WR51) - Fabiano
Ty Montgomery, Packers (RB43) - Milner
DeSean Jackson, Buccaneers (WR52) - Barfield
Paul Richardson, Redskins (WR53) - Gelhar
O.J. Howard, Buccaneers (TE12) - Hernandez
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs (QB10) - Frelund

The Washington receivers as a whole are falling too low if you ask me. Alex Smith is still a capable fantasy quarterback who can keep the fantasy value of his pass-catchers afloat. The uncertainty over whom he'll connect with is certainly driving down their draft prices. Someone could start climbing if we gain any sort of clarity here in training camp, but until then I'm a big fan of taking shots on the likes of Paul Richardson and Josh Doctson late.

ROUND 13

Mike Gesicki, Dolphins (TE13) - Frelund
Cameron Meredith, Saints (WR54) - Hernandez
Devontae Booker, Broncos (RB44) - Gelhar
George Kittle, 49ers (TE14) - Barfield
Marqise Lee, Jaguars (WR55) - Milner
James White, Patriots (RB45) - Fabiano
Justin Tucker, Ravens (PK1) - Money
Christian Kirk, Cardinals (WR56) - Grant
C.J. Anderson, Panthers (RB46) - Rank
LeGarrette Blount, Lions (RB47) - Koh

George Kittle is a name to circle if you miss out on the initial run of tight ends on draft day. He finished 2017 strong with Jimmy Garoppolo under center, averaging roughly four catches for 65 yards per game over the final three weeks of the season. He's athletic, young and could be attached to an ascending offense.

ROUND 14

Austin Ekeler, Chargers (RB48) - Koh
Matt Breida, 49ers (RB49) - Rank
Nyheim Hines, Colts (RB50) - Grant
Los Angeles Chargers D/ST (DEF3) - Money
Kelvin Benjamin, Bills (WR57) - Fabiano
Frank Gore, Dolphins (RB51) - Milner
Kenny Stills, Dolphins (WR58) - Barfield
Kenny Golladay, Lions (WR59) - Gelhar
Giovani Bernard, Bengals (RB52) - Hernandez
Ted Ginn Jr., Saints (WR60) - Frelund

It's hard to tell what you're getting when you draft Kelvin Benjamin right now. He battled injuries and changed teams mid-season last year. However, he figures to be the clear-cut No. 1 wideout for the Bills, and that should be worth something. Pretty nice value as the WR57 for Fabiano here.

ROUND 15

D'Onta Foreman, Texans (RB53) - Frelund
Matthew Stafford, Lions (QB11) - Hernandez
Los Angeles Rams D/ST (DEF4) - Gelhar
Michael Gallup, Cowboys (WR61) - Barfield
Jared Goff, Rams (QB12) - Milner
Theo Riddick, Lions (RB54) - Fabiano
Albert Wilson, Dolphins (WR62) - Money
Javorius Allen, Ravens (RB55) - Grant
Jordan Matthews, Patriots (WR63) - Rank
Terrelle Pryor, Jets (WR64) - Koh

Matthew Stafford is surprisingly overlooked among quarterbacks in drafts right now. He lacks the flash of hot new things like Jimmy Garoppolo and Patrick Mahomes, but over the last three years, he's finished as the QB7, QB7, and QB9.

ROUND 16

Philip Rivers, Chargers (QB13) - Koh
Chicago Bears D/ST (DEF5) - Rank
Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (K2) - Grant
Doug Martin, Raiders (RB56) - Money
Andrew Luck, Colts (QB14) - Fabiano
Dez Bryant, free agent (WR65) - Milner
Tyrell Williams, Chargers (WR66) - Barfield
Chris Carson, Seahawks (RB57) - Gelhar
Chris Godwin, Buccaneers (WR67) - Hernandez
Ameer Abdullah, Lions (RB58) - Frelund

Hope you all enjoyed reading our latest mock draft. The full teams are below. Tell us how wrong we all are in the comments or on Twitter. Until next time.

FULL ROSTERS

Cynthia Frelund (Pick 1)
QB: Carson Wentz, Eagles
RB: Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys
RB: Carlos Hyde, Browns
WR: Mike Evans, Buccaneers
WR: Adam Thielen, Vikings
WR: Golden Tate, Lions
TE: Kyle Rudolph, Vikings
FLEX: DeVante Paker, Dolphins
DEF: n/a
K: n/a
BENCH: Corey Clement, RB, Eagles
BENCH: D'Onta Foreman, RB, Texans
BECNH: Ameer Abdullah, RB, Lions
BENCH: Nelson Agholor, WR, Eagles
BENCH: Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Saints
BENCH: Trey Burton, TE, Bears
BENCH: Mike Gesicki, TE, Dolphins
BENCH: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs

T.J. Hernandez (Pick 2)
QB: Matthew Stafford, Lions
RB: Le'Veon Bell, Steelers
RB: Jerick McKinnon, 49ers
WR: A.J. Green, Bengals
WR: Demaryius Thomas, Broncos
WR: Devin Funchess, Panthers
TE: O.J. Howard, Buccaneers
FLEX: Joe Mixon, Bengals
DEF: n/a
K: n/a
BENCH: Mark Ingram, RB, Saints
BENCH: Giovani Bernard, RB, Bengals
BENCH: Rex Burkhead, RB, Patriots
BENCH: Michael Crabtree, WR, Ravens
BENCH: Rishard Matthews, WR, Titans
BENCH: Marquise Goodwin, WR, 49ers
BENCH: Cameron Meredith, WR, Saints
BENCH: Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers

Alex Gelhar (Pick 3)
QB: Kirk Cousins, Vikings
RB: Todd Gurley, Rams
RB: Christian McCaffrey, Panthers
WR: Davante Adams, Packers
WR: Allen Robinson, Bears
WR: Marvin Jones, Lions
TE: Greg Olsen, Panthers
FLEX: Lamar Miller, Texans
DEF: Los Angeles Rams D/ST
K: n/a
BENCH: Alex Collins, RB, Ravens
BENCH: Jamaal Williams, RB, Packers
BENCH: Devontae Booker, RB, Broncos
BENCH: Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks
BENCH: Randall Cobb, WR, Packers
BENCH: Paul Richardson, WR, Redskins
BENCH: Kenny Golladay, WR, Lions

Graham Barfield (Pick 4)
QB: Drew Brees, Saints
RB: David Johnson, Cardinals
RB: Leonard Fournette, Jaguars
WR: Doug Baldwin, Seahawks
WR: Chris Hogan, Patriots
WR: Pierre Garcon, 49ers
TE: Zach Ertz, Eagles
FLEX: LeSean McCoy, Bills
DEF: n/a
K: n/a
BENCH: Dion Lewis, RB, Titans
BENCH: Chris Thompson, RB, Redskins
BENCH: Robert Woods, WR, Rams
BENCH: DeSean Jackson, WR, Buccaneers
BENCH: Kenny Stills, WR, Dolphins
BENCH: Michael Gallup, WR, Cowboys
BENCH: Tyrell Williams, WR, Chargers
BENCH: George Kittle, TE, 49ers

Dylan Milner (Pick 5)
QB: Cam Newton, Panthers
RB: Devonta Freeman, Falcons
RB: Ronald Jones, Buccaneers
WR: Antonio Brown, Steelers
WR: Brandin Cooks, Rams
WR: Jarvis Landry, Browns
TE: Travis Kelce, Chiefs
FLEX: Marlon Mack, Colts
DEF: n/a
K: n/a
BENCH: Isaiah Crowell, RB, Jets
BENCH: Ty Montgomery, RB, Packers
BENCH: Frank Gore, RB, Dolphins
BENCH: Allen Hurns, WR, Cowboys
BENCH: Sammy Watkins, WR, Chiefs
BENCH: Marqise Lee, WR, Jaguars
BENCH: Dez Bryant, WR, free agent
BENCH: Jared Goff, QB, Rams

Michael Fabiano (Pick 6)
QB: Tom Brady, Patriots
RB: Alvin Kamara, Saints
RB: Dalvin Cook, Vikings
WR: T.Y. Hilton, Colts
WR: Amari Cooper, Raiders
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
TE: Delanie Walker, Titans
FLEX: Kenyan Drake, Dolphins
DEF: n/a
K: n/a
BENCH: Royce Freeman, RB, Broncos
BENCH: Theo Riddick, RB, Lions
BENCH: James White, RB, Patriots
BENCH: Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Broncos
BENCH: Robby Anderson, WR, Jets
BENCH: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Bills
BENCH: Jordan Reed, TE, Redskins
BECNH: Andrew Luck, QB, Colts

Matt "Money" Smith (Pick 7)
QB: Aaron Rodgers, Packers
RB: Kareem Hunt, Chiefs
RB: Melvin Gordon, Chargers
WR: Josh Gordon, Browns
WR: Jamison Crowder, Redskins
WR: Will Fuller, Texans
TE: Rob Gronkowski, Patriots
FLEX: Sony Michel, Patriots
DEF: Los Angeles Chargers D/ST
K: Justin Tucker, Ravens
BENCH: Kerryon Johnson, RB, Lions
BENCH: Tarik Cohen, RB, Bears
BENCH: Doug Martin, RB, Raiders
BENCH: Jordy Nelson, WR, Raiders
BENCH: Albert Wilson, WR, Dolphins
BENCH: David Njoku, TE, Browns

Marcas Grant (Pick 8)
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers
RB: Jordan Howard, Bears
RB: Derrius Guice, Redskins
WR: DeAndre Hopkins, Texans
WR: Julio Jones, Falcons
WR: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers
TE: n/a
FLEX: Alshon Jeffery, Eagles
DEF: Philadelphia Eagles D/ST
K: Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots
BENCH: Nick Chubb, RB, Browns
BENCH: Tevin Coleman, RB, Falcons
BENCH: Nyheim Hines, RB, Colts
BENCH: Javorius Allen, RB, Ravens
BENCH: Julian Edelman, WR, Patriots
BENCH: Sterling Shepard, WR, Giants
BENCH: Christian Kirk, WR, Cardinals

Adam Rank (Pick 9)
QB: Russell Wilson, Seahawks
RB: Saquon Barkley, Giants
RB: Rashaad Penny, Seahawks
WR: Keenan Allen, Chargers
WR: Stefon Diggs, Vikings
WR: Tyreek Hill, Chiefs
TE: Evan Engram, Giants
FLEX: Duke Johnson, Browns
DEF: Chicago Bears D/ST
K: n/a
BENCH: C.J. Anderson, RB, Panthers
BENCH: Matt Breida, RB, 49ers
BENCH: Josh Doctson, WR, Redskins
BENCH: Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams
BENCH: Calvin Ridley, WR, Falcons
BENCH: Mike Williams, WR, Chargers
BENCH: Jordan Matthews, WR, Patriots

James Koh (Pick 10)
QB: Deshaun Watson, Texans
RB: Jay Ajayi, Eagles
RB: Derrick Henry, Titans
WR: Odell Beckham Jr., Giants
WR: Michael Thomas, Saints
WR: Corey Davis, Titans
TE: Jimmy Graham, Packers
FLEX: Marshawn Lynch, Raiders
DEF: Jacksonville Jaguars D/ST
K: n/a
BENCH: Aaron Jones, RB, Packers
BENCH: LeGarrette Blount, RB, Lions
BENCH: Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers
BENCH: Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks
BENCH: D.J. Moore, WR, Panthers
BENCH: Terrelle Pryor, WR, Jets
BENCH: Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers

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