Fantasy Football Mock Draft 2021: Travis Kelce in first round for 12-team PPR?

A fantasy football mock draft for the 2021 season in a 12-team PPR league to see if going with Travis Kelce in the first round can pay off. 

While there are still a few weeks until the start of NFL training camp, it may well be time for your fantasy football leagues to start getting underway. And that means your drafts are approaching. There is research to be done and an opinion or two that can be formed still. However, one of the best ways managers can prepare is to dive into a fantasy football mock draft to see how other managers are approaching the 2021 season.

One of the areas I frequently struggle to draft in is at the back-middle of the first round. So with that in mind, that’s where I wanted to start with the first fantasy football mock draft for 2021: picking at No. 8 in a 12-team PPR league. Moreover, I adopted a bit of a bold strategy by spurning running back or wide receiver in the first round to see how things would turn out from there.

So, from a mock draft compiled with 11 other users on ESPN Fantasy’s platform, we’re going round-by-round through this fantasy football draft to see how our team ended up and what the order of business was. All stats are courtesy of ESPN Fantasy.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 1

• Team 1 (1.01): Derrick Henry, RB, Titans
• Team 2 (1.02): Christian McCaffrey, RB, Panthers
• Team 3 (1.03): Dalvin Cook, RB, Vikings
• Team 4 (1.04): Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants
• Team 5 (1.05): Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints
• Team 6 (1.06): Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts
• Team 7 (1.07): Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys
• Team 8** (1.08): Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs
• Team 9 (1.09): Davante Adams, WR, Packers
• Team 10 (1.10): Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs
• Team 11 (1.11): Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers
• Team 12 (1.12): Stefon Diggs, WR, Bills

In the first round, the bold strategy is going with Travis Kelce over some low-tier RB1 candidates and the top wide receivers like Davante Adams. My reasoning for that is that the top of the tight end ground is substantially more separated from the next tier of players at the position than at running back or wide receiver.

Last season, Kelce average 20.9 fantasy points per game. Only two other tight ends averaged more than 12.5 points per game and the closes to the Chiefs star was Darren Waller at 17.4. That’s a substantial matchup advantage that, to me, is worth making Kelce a first-round pick.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 2

• Team 12 (2.01): Aaron Jones, RB, Packers
• Team 11 (2.02): DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Cardinals
• Team 10 (2.03): Nick Chubb, RB, Browns
• Team 9 (2.04): Cam Akers, RB, Rams
• Team 8** (2.05): D’Andre Swift, RB, Lions
• Team 7 (2.06): Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals
• Team 6 (2.07): Calvin Ridley, WR, Falcons
• Team 5 (2.08): A.J. Brown, WR, Titans
• Team 4 (2.09): Najee Harris, RB, Steelers
• Team 3 (2.10): DK Metcalf, WR, Seahawks
• Team 2 (2.11): Antonio Gibson, RB, WFT
• Team 1 (2.12): Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs

After a miscue in his first career NFL game got him off to a bad start, D’Andre Swift came around in a big way to really finish up strong and show that he can be a big fantasy football asset in just his second season — even if you don’t believe in the Lions offense after this tumultuous offseason.

Swift will still be behind an offensive line that is solid and has a ton of value as a dual-threat player out of the backfield. When he got the work last year, he almost always produced. Now, there is no one standing in the way of a huge workload, which makes him worthy of a second-round pick this season after he finished last year as the RB18.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 3

• Team 1 (3.01): Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons
• Team 2 (3.02): Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
• Team 3 (3.03): Darren Waller, TE, Raiders
• Team 4 (3.04): Mile Sanders, RB, Eagles
• Team 5 (3.05): Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers
• Team 6 (3.06): Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders
• Team 7 (3.07): Michael Thomas, WR, Saints
• Team 8** (3.08): J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ravens
• Team 9 (3.09): Georg Kittle, TE, 49ers
• Team 10 (3.10): Terry McLaurin, WR, WFT
• Team 11 (3.11): Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs
• Team 12 (3.12): Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks

Despite a ton of hype coming into the year, J.K. Dobbins was a bit of a disappointment as a rookie in 2020, finishing the season as the RB24 in fantasy. Having said that, the only reason he was a bit of a letdwon was the fact that he didn’t get the work he needed, totaling just 134 carries and 18 receptions.

On a per-touch basis, Dobbins looked every bit like a star in the making who could make a ton of noise if given more work. In his second season, he should be able to take up more of the touches and, with a bigger role, he legitimately has RB1 upside in fantasy football for the 2021 season.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 4

• Team 12 (4.01): David Montgomery, RB, Bears
• Team 11 (4.02): Allen Robinson, WR, Bears
• Team 10 (4.03): Amari Cooper, WR, Cowboys
• Team 9 (4.04): Myles Gaskin, RB, Dolphins
• Team 8** (4.05): Robert Woods, WR, Rams
• Team 7 (4.06): Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers
• Team 6 (4.07): Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens
• Team 5 (4.08): CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
• Team 4 (4.09): Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings
• Team 3 (4.10): Julio Jones, WR, Titans
• Team 2 (4.11): Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers
• Team 1 (4.12): Mike Davis, RB, Falcons

Robert Woods has been pretty darn consistent as a part of Sean McVay’s offense with the Rams, even when Jared Goff has been his quarterback. Last season alone, he quietly finished as the WR13 in fantasy football, something that you probably didn’t realize. And now he should be in line to make a bigger leap forward.

We can’t underrated the upgrade the Rams are making going from Goff to Matthew Stafford. In that offense, Woods should remain the top pass-catching offense and, frankly, he should be a natural match for Stafford. That could make getting him at 4.05 in this mock draft one of the biggest steals overall.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 5

• Team 1 (5.01): Kenny Golladay, WR, Giants
• Team 2 (5.02): Diontae Johnson, WR, Steelers
• Team 3 (5.03): Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks
• Team 4 (5.04): DJ Moore, WR, Panthers
• Team 5 (5.05): Josh Allen, QB, Bills
• Team 6 (5.06): Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams
• Team 7 (5.07): Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Browns
• Team 8** (5.08): Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos
• Team 9 (5.09): Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
• Team 10 (5.10): Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals
• Team 11 (5.11): JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Steelers
• Team 12 (5.12): Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys

Courtland Sutton’s 2020 season ended after just three catches and 66 yards in his first game of the season. However, he came into the year with a ton of hype as the clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver in the Broncos offense and a player who can threaten at every level of the field.

A big second season from Jerry Jeudy could diminish some of the target share for Sutton and, frankly, there is some of a concern when it comes to a player coming off a bad knee injury. Having said that, he offers a different skill-set and could still easily be a WR2 in fantasy football.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 6

• Team 12 (6.01): T.J. Hockenson, TE, Lions
• Team 11 (6.02): Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
• Team 10 (6.03): Chase Edmonds, RB, Cardinals
• Team 9 (6.04): DJ Chark, WR, Jaguars
• Team 8** (6.05): Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 49ers
• Team 7 (6.06): Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
• Team 6 (6.07): Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers
• Team 5 (6.08): Travis Etienne, RB, Jaguars
• Team 4 (6.09): Brandin Cooks, WR, Texans
• Team 3 (6.10): Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks
• Team 2 (6.11): Robby Anderson, WR, Panthers
• Team 1 (6.12): Kareem Hunt, RB, Browns

Because he missed some time last season as a rookie with the 49ers, Brandon Aiyuk only finished as the WR35 in the 2020 campaign, which is somewhat concerning. From a per-game perspective, though, the first-round pick actually was a top-20 wide receiver. It was simply his time off the field that held him back.

The injury luck for Aiyuk and the 49ers isn’t going to repeat itself and they should be able to stay on the field with much more consistency. He’s clearly already a huge part of the Kyle Shanahan offense and, as such, that should make him a big-time PPR threat with the touches he’s going to get from all over the alignments.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 7

• Team 1 (7.01): Will Fuller, WR, Dolphins
• Team 2 (7.02): Chase Claypool, WR, Steelers
• Team 3 (7.03): Leonard Fournette, RB, Buccaneers
• Team 4 (7.04): Logan Thomas, TE, WFT
• Team 5 (7.05): Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals
• Team 6 (7.06): Raheem Mostert, RB, 49ers
• Team 7 (7.07): Dallas Goedert, TE, Eagles
• Team 8** (7.08): Curtis Samuel, WR, WFT
• Team 9 (7.09): Tom Brady, QB, Buccaneers
• Team 10 (7.10): Tyler Boyd, WR, Bengals
• Team 11 (7.11): Jerry Jeudy, WR, Broncos
• Team 12 (7.12): Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers

Watching Washington’s offense last season, they were clearly missing a player exactly like Curtis Samuel. They didn’t have the versatile playmaker who could line up all over the offense and touch the ball in a variety of different manners. Hence why they went out and signed him in free agency.

Samuel will never be the WR1 with the Football Team with Terry McLaurin in the fold. Having said that, if Ron Rivera and the coaching staff are able to utilize Samuel better than they did in Carolina, he could be a nice PPR player for fantasy football as he will simply gobble up touches in the nation’s capital.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 8

• Team 12 (8.01): David Johnson, RB, Texans
• Team 11 (8.02): DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles
• Team 10 (8.03): Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Jaguars
• Team 9 (8.04): Marquise Brown, WR, Ravens
• Team 8** (8.05): Javonte Williams, RB, Broncos
• Team 7 (8.06): Jarvis Landry, WR, Browns
• Team 6 (8.07): Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins
• Team 5 (8.08): Kenyan Drake, RB, Raiders
• Team 4 (8.09): Ryan Tannehill, QB, Titans
• Team 3 (8.10): Melvin Gordon, RB, Broncos
• Team 2 (8.11): Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles
• Team 1 (8.12): Michael Gallup, WR, Cowboys

While veteran Melvin Gordon went after rookie Javonte Williams in this mock draft, I’m a bigger fan of the upside of the second-round pick than Gordon simply being what we always expect from him — a low-end RB2 or high-end RB3. Williams, on the other hand, could be electric.

Denver wouldn’t use a second-round pick on a player they didn’t have big plans for and indications out of the offseason workouts for the Broncos are that Williams could end up taking the starting running back role come Week 1. Having said that, he’s available in the eighth round simply because that’s not a certainty at this point.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 9

• Team 1 (9.01): Corey Davis, WR, Jets
• Team 2 (9.02): Robert Tonyan, TE, Packers
• Team 3 (9.03): Damien Harris, RB, Patriots
• Team 4 (9.04): James Robinson, RB, Jaguars
• Team 5 (9.05): Noah Fant, TE, Broncos
• Team 6 (9.06): Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams
• Team 7 (9.07): Antonio Brown, WR, Buccaneers
• Team 8** (9.08): Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
• Team 9 (9.09): Buccaneers D/ST
• Team 10 (9.10): Mike Gesicki, TE, Dolphins
• Team 11 (9.11): Irv Smith Jr., TE, Vikings
• Team 12 (9.12): Henry Ruggs III, WR, Raiders

Full disclosure, I was banking on Matthew Stafford — who I’m quite high on with the Rams — falling to me at 9.08. So when he didn’t, I had to make an unfortunate pivot that I’m less confident in but still happy with as I selected Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

On a per-game basis last season, Burrow was just the QB19 in fantasy. But not every rookie is Justin Herbert and, moreover, his ability to flash with big games likely would’ve raised that average if not for the torn ACL. With better passing weapons and a slightly aided offensive line, we should see Burrow return at full health in 2021 and stay on an upward trajectory. That would put him in starter territory for a 12-team league.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 10

• Team 12 (10.01): Jalen Reagor, WR, Eagles
• Team 11 (10.02): Marvin Jones Jr., WR, Jaguars
• Team 10 (10.03): Cole Beasley, WR, Bills
• Team 9 (10.04): Matt Gay, K, Rams
• Team 8** (10.05): Devin Singletary, RB, Bills
• Team 7 (10.06): Mike Williams, WR, Chargers
• Team 6 (10.07): Ronald Jones II, RB, Buccaneers
• Team 5 (10.08): James Conner, RB, Cardinals
• Team 4 (10.09): AJ Dillon, RB, Packers
• Team 3 (10.10): Steelers D/ST
• Team 2 (10.11): Nyheim Hines, RB, Colts
• Team 1 (10.12): T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts

Honestly, I wasn’t sure where to go in the 10th round as I wasn’t particularly excited about any of the players on the board or even the ones who were drafted before 10.05. In the end, I landed on going through the perilous path that is taking Devin Singletary.

Look, the Bills rushing attack and backfield was exceedingly frustrating last season and Singletary was a part of that, especially since he didn’t separate himself from Zack Moss. With that said, Buffalo has to move the ball with someone out of the backfield and Singletary simply looked better than Moss to me.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 11

• Team 1 (11.01): Jamison Crowder, WR, Jets
• Team 2 (11.02): DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins
• Team 3 (11.03): Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots
• Team 4 (11.04): Jonnu Smith, TE, Patriots
• Team 5 (11.05): Eric Ebron, TE, Steelers
• Team 6 (11.06): Tyrell Williams, WR, Lions
• Team 7 (11.07): Evan Engram, TE, Giants
• Team 8** (11.08): Tevin Coleman, RB, Jets
• Team 9 (11.09): Washington D/ST
• Team 10 (11.10): Rob Gronkowski, TE, Buccaneers
• Team 11 (11.11): Zack Moss, RB, BIlls
• Team 12 (11.12): J.D. McKissic, RB, WFT

There are really two reasons why Tevin Coleman isn’t going until the 11th round of fantasy football mock drafts. First, he hasn’t exactly been able to stay on the field as well as you’d like in recent years. Secondly, the Jets just drafted Michael Carter in the fourth round, which will take away some of Coleman’s touches.

With that said, head coach Robert Saleh is familiar with Coleman and will surely use him at least in a 1A-1B situation with Carter given the latter’s lack of feature back ability. That could make Coleman an interesting sleeper behind an increasingly strong offensive line.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 12

• Team 12 (12.01): Mecole Hardman, WR, Chiefs
• Team 11 (12.02): Jamaal Williams, RB, Lions
• Team 10 (12.03): Tarik Cohen, RB, Bears
• Team 9 (12.04): Harrison Butker, K, Chiefs
• Team 8** (12.05): Rashod Bateman, WR, Ravens
• Team 7 (12.06): James White, RB, Patriots
• Team 6 (12.07): Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons
• Team 5 (12.08): Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts
• Team 4 (12.09): Parris Campbell, WR, Colts
• Team 3 (12.10): Darnell Mooney, WR, Bears
• Team 2 (12.11): Russell Gage, WR, Falcons
• Team 1 (12.12): Nelson Agholor, WR, Patriots

Anyone who has had Marquise Brown on their fantasy football roster over the past two years can attest to the fact that the Ravens passing game has been frustratingly inconsistent. But I’m betting on Rashod Bateman not only being a huge help for that but possibly having a Justin Jefferson-type rookie campaign.

Bateman is a perfect fit in Baltimore with his ability to work space open and attack in the middle of the field. Taking him at 12.05 doesn’t incur much risk but allows you to bank on the upside that he can be a high-end wide receiver right out of the gate.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 13

• Team 1 (13.01): Michael Carter, RB, Jets
• Team 2 (13.02): Trey Sermon, RB, 49ers
• Team 3 (13.03): Latavius Murray, RB, Saints
• Team 4 (13.04): Alexander Mattison, RB, Vikings
• Team 5 (13.05): Tony Pollard, RB, Cowboys
• Team 6 (13.06): Gus Edwards, RB, Ravens
• Team 7 (13.07): Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Rams
• Team 8** (13.08): Chuba Hubbard, RB, Panthers
• Team 9 (13.09): Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, WFT
• Team 10 (13.10): Austin Hooper, TE, Browns
• Team 11 (13.11): Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars
• Team 12 (13.12): Tyler Higbee, TE, Rams

When Christian McCaffrey went down last season with an injury, Mike Davis came in and, though he wasn’t the top player in fantasy football, he did finish as the RB12 simply because of how much the Panthers prefer to involve their backs in the offense, especially in the passing game.

Now that Davis is gone and rookie Chuba Hubbard appears to be CMC’s primary backup, he’s worth drafting in the late rounds as the handcuff in Carolina. That opens up so many doors with a player who could be valuable if McCaffrey gets hurt, both as a starter or a trade chip. And the worst-case scenario is that he’s as unstartable as any other back taken in this range.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 14

• Team 12 (14.01): 49ers D/ST
• Team 11 (14.02): Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins
• Team 10 (14.03): Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers
• Team 9 (14.04): Phillip Lindsay, RB, Texans
• Team 8** (14.05): John Brown, WR, Raiders
• Team 7 (14.06): Darrel Williams, RB, Chiefs
• Team 6 (14.07): Sony Michel, RB, Patriots
• Team 5 (14.08): Ravens D/ST
• Team 4 (14.09): Breshad Perriman, WR, Lions
• Team 3 (14.10): Allen Lazard, WR, Packers
• Team 2 (14.11): Bills D/ST
• Team 1 (14.12): Broncos D/ST

John Brown is the perfect late-round flyer to take at this point when there aren’t any real needs and you’re looking for the boom-or-bust type player. Last season with the Raiders, Nelson Agholor finished as WR34 due to averaging 18.7 yards per reception and scoring eight times.

If he can stay healthy, that’s something Brown can replicate. His ability to take the top off of defenses has never been called into question and that’s the role he’ll occupy in Vegas, especially now that Agholor is gone to New England. And if he doesn’t, there should be a fine option on the waiver wire to replace him with. That said, he’s worth the early test drive.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 15

• Team 1 (15.01): A.J. Green, WR, Cardinals
• Team 2 (15.02): Gabriel Davis, WR, Bills
• Team 3 (15.03): Darrynton Evans, RB, Titans
• Team 4 (15.04): Rams D/ST
• Team 5 (15.05): Rashaad Penny
• Team 6 (15.06): Patriots D/ST
• Team 7 (15.07): Browns D/ST
• Team 8** (15.08): Justin Tucker, K, Ravens
• Team 9 (15.09): Salvon Ahmed, RB, Dolphins
• Team 10 (15.10): Colts D/ST
• Team 11 (15.11): Saints D/ST
• Team 12 (15.12): Daniel Jones, QB, Giants

My only advice when it comes to kickers is to wait on them as we did here (either in the next-to-last or last round) and then find a player who is both secure in his spot as his team’s kicker and who is a part of an overall good offense.

Justin Tucker has been arguably the best kicker in the NFL for the last five years or so, if not longer. Ever-consistent and now supplementing an attack that should take a step forward after some quality offseason moves to improve, Tucker should be a set it and forget it type of player at the kicker spot.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 16

• Team 12 (16.01): Jason Myers, K, Seahawks
• Team 11 (16.02): Brandon McManus, K, Broncos
• Team 10 (16.03): Jason Sanders, K, Dolphins
• Team 9 (16.04): Cole Kmet, TE, Bears
• Team 8** (16.05): Dolphins D/ST
• Team 7 (16.06): Younghoe Koo, K, Falcons
• Team 6 (16.07): Graham Gano, K, Giants
• Team 5 (16.08): Greg Zuerlein, K, Cowboys
• Team 4 (16.09): Josh Lambo, K, Jaguars
• Team 3 (16.10): Tyler Bass, K, Bills
• Team 2 (16.11): Matt Prater, K, Cardinals
• Team 1 (16.12): Daniel Carlson, K, Raiders

While understanding that there are obviously some defenses that are better than others, this shouldn’t be a roster spot you’re rushing to fill. The volatility of turnovers in relation to how much they count in fantasy football makes streaming defenses the better option.

Or you could get lucky and get one of the better defenses of last season — one which could only get better this year — in the final round. The Dolphins have playmakers and ballhawks that showed up all of last year and should continue to do so in the 2021 campaign.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Recap, Roster Evaluation

• QB: Joe Burrow
• RB: D’Andre Swift
• RB: J.K. Dobbins
• WR: Robert Woods
• WR: Courtland Sutton
• FLEX: Brandon Aiyuk
• TE: Travis Kelce
• K: Justin Tucker
• D/ST: Miami Dolphins
• Bench: Curtis Samuel
• Bench: Javonte Williams
• Bench: Devin Singletary
• Bench: Tevin Coleman
• Bench: Rashod Bateman
• Bench: Chuba Hubbard
• Bench: John Brown

My big takeway from this roster from this fantasy football mock draft is that we’re looking at a high-ceiling, low-floor type of team. If D’Andre Swift and J.K. Dobbins both take on more consistent and larger roles in their respective offenses, this team could very well compete for a championship, especially if Javonte Williams and Joe Burrow can build on some offseason hype.

With that said, I’m confident in the floor of this group while I admit that there is plenty of variance that could prove me wrong. Woods has been a long-time underrated receiver and now upgraded at quarterback with Stafford. Sutton and Aiyuk will demand plenty of touches in their own offenses as well.

All told, the crux of this roster’s success will come down to Burrow taking a step forward in year two while the young running backs also step up. Even then, this is a strong lineup after starting with Kelce in the first round.