Draft time is officially here for Fantasy Football owners. To help, we present version 2.0 of this 10-team, five-round fantasy mock draft.
Fantasy Football is officially here as drafts are underway and teams are being formed. If you haven’t already drafted, though, let this final fantasy football mock draft help guide your way through your actual draft, whenever it may be.
5 rounds, 10 teams, PPR. This is a chance to get a sneak preview of your fantasy football draft before you even begin it, giving you a leg up on your competition. Seeing where the best value is, how teams may look and who you may want to select at your spot when the time comes.
Let’s dig in as holdouts, injuries, and great camps have dramatically changed the draft already. Starting off with the first round and a new first overall choice in version 2.0 of my fantasy football mock draft.
Note: All rankings and ADP data are courtesy of Fantasy Pros.
Round 1
When 1.0 was put out back in July, Saquon Barkley was going second to Ezekiel Elliott as I believed Zeke had everything Barkley could offer on a far better team. One month later, a lot has changed as Zeke continues to hold out and Barkley is ready to go in his second season. The Giants running back should be and will be the first player off the board in all drafts, as 400 touches is a real possibility for the leading PPR running back a season ago.
For a long time after Ezekiel Elliott fell down boards, it seemed only fitting for Christian McCaffrey to get the recognition of being the second off the board after being number two in PPR last year. But instead, we roll with Alvin Kamara. Kamara is far away in the best situation out of all running backs on the board with the amazing ability of the Saints offense.
With Mark Ingram out of the way and Latavius Murray being a much lesser version of that, expect Kamara to not only be a top fantasy football running back once again, but possibly even rival the top spot as he attempts a 1,000/1,000 season as the Saints head back.
Run CMC. The only thing hurting the value of Christian McCaffrey is his unbelievable stats a season ago that are almost impossible to match again this season. CMC totaled 107 catches last season, a running back record that will be difficult to hit again with the improved receiving corps of the Panthers. Don’t overlook McCaffrey in any way though, as he is still one of the elite talents in fantasy and should remain in the top three of drafts on draft day in PPR.
Most people would agree that David Johnson’s 2018 season was an overall disappointment as he was the average third overall choice in fantasy drafts. And while that is fair due to his lack of production at times, he still finished as the RB9 in PPR, totaling 246.6 points in an offense that was overall terrible.
This season, that all changes with head coach Kliff Kingsbury taking over and Kyler Murray at the helm. With the amount of plays this team looks to run, DJ has a legitimate shot at 100 catches as he looks to prove the doubters wrong. Take him in the top five and enjoy the bounce back season.
Taking Le’Veon Bell this season will be a tough pill to swallow for most fantasy owners following a season where he didn’t play a single snap due to contract issues with the Pittsburgh Steelers. No need to fear, however, as the Jets and Bell look ready to roll.
Bell has been seen in clips hitting his vintage moves in practice and, while that may just be practice, he is going to be the centerpiece of Adam Gase’s offense. An offense that looks to move a lot faster than last season when he was coaching the Dolphins. Bell is primed for a huge season for the Jets and your fantasy squad, he is a top-five selection.
After just getting done discussing Le’Veon Bell, his name returns again. But this time for the wrong reason. “The Le’Veon Bell Effect” is in full force when it comes to Ezekiel Elliott. Now with reports that the Cowboys have offered him a contract to be the second-highest-paid running back in the league behind Todd Gurley is encouraging, it will not be enough to bring him back.
He remains a mid first round pick due to what he brings to the table week in and week out, but be warned as the 1.0 first overall choice is now falling in most drafts with the scare of missing games just two weeks out from Week 1.
There is not a better receiver in football than DeAndre Hopkins right now. And with that being said, there is also not a better one in fantasy football either. Nuk was the WR1 last season as he got his first chance at playing with Deshaun Watson for a full season. As they enter yet another, be prepared to enjoy the riches of Hopkins as he is on track to repeat once again. If the “Big 5” of RBs are gone and you’re not sure about Zeke, Hopkins is just a fine choice here.
Julio Jones only gets better and better every season. And this season he is going to be great once again. It seemed to finally happen last year, which was Matt Ryan learning how to throw Julio Jones a touchdown. Jones has a huge goal this season, saying he is ready to go for 3,000 yards. And while that is almost impossible, having a goal like that means Julio is ready to shatter some records. He is a first round talent once again this season, so enjoy the beast on your team.
111 catches, 13 touchdowns and Aaron Rodgers. These three points should all sell you on why Davante Adams is a first round talent. He brought in 111 catches and yet, Rodgers made the comment in the offseason that he needs even more. That seems like a selling point in itself. Being Rodgers’ WR1 almost always leads to a top-five wide receiver season, so take Adams in the first round an experience how good he really is.
A season ago, James Conner showed he had all the tools to be a Pro Bowl-caliber running back, which is exactly what he was. Conner produced 280 PPR points on his way to being the RB6 while missing three games. A full 16 game season would have had him in the top five and is being completely overlooked this season compared to those five men in front of him.
In no way should Conner fall much lower than the first round and, if you’re smart, you will select him at the end to guarantee yourself an RB1 with a smaller price tag than the others.