You’ve studied the players. You’ve studied the teams. You know the offenses and you know the defenses. You know the depth charts, the schedules, the projections and there is not a single stone left unturned after you’ve completed your research. But while your prep work isn’t quite done yet, it is time to implement all of that knowledge.
Welcome to the mock draft.
For me, one of the best tools available to help you best prepare for your draft is the mock draft. You can do all the research in the world, know every stat and every projection, but if you don’t know when to draft those players you covet so much, you could be in for a real long day when your actual draft arrives and an even longer season if you botch your draft. Understanding public perception of players is probably as important, if not more so, as knowing the players themselves. Stats and projections are one thing, but understanding what the masses like or dislike about a player can be a revelation when it comes to knowing exactly when he should or shouldn’t be taken.
This is why doing a series of mocks, not just one or two, but a series of them, is so vital. Doing one or two mocks may give you a broad idea of each player’s ADP (Average Draft Position), but doing a series of them allows you to not only see a broader sample size, but it is also a way to test out a variety of draft strategies. It also provides a look into the experience of drafting from different positions.
One of the biggest mistakes people often make, aside from not doing enough mock drafts, is that they don’t properly take advantage of the tool they have in front of them. They may do a few mocks prior to their actual draft, but they continually use their one strategy and draft the same players in the same rounds. There’s no variety. There’s no way to tell how you will react if, in your real draft, your competitors zig when you were expecting them to zag. You need to mix things up. You need to let some of your favorite players go by to see if they fall further than you may have expected. The number of permutations in a draft is enormous and you need to try and experience as many of them as you can.
As the founder of the Mock Draft Army, I open the doors to mocks even wider for you during the offseason. Not only do I give you the opportunity to take part in competitive mock drafts, but I also serve up a number of fantasy experts to you so that you can ask questions and understand why certain drafts go the way they do. You can reach out to me on Twitter (@rotobuzzguy) or through email (howard@fantasyalarm.com) and I can add you to list for draft announcements. Those drafts are written up and examined on the Fantasy Alarm website (http://www.fantasyalarm.com) and you’ll be able to gather a multitude of added opinions on players and strategies.
To help get you started, we put together a 12-team PPR mock draft for the magazine and asked those experts participating to share some of their thoughts. They were asked to discuss strategy first and from there, they were asked to share their thoughts on a favorite someone else drafted as well as the one pick they ended up making that they just weren’t happy with. This way, we don’t have a series of self-serving paragraphs where our experts simply beat their chests and proclaim their dominance over the rest. Strategy is one thing, but we all walk away from a draft coveting an opponent’s selection and we all make that one pick that we just wish we didn’t.
So without further ado, here’s what our 12 experts had to say about their experience in the Fantasy Alarm Mock Draft.
THE RULES
12-team PPR Draft; 15 rounds in a standard snake-style order; Starting Rosters – 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 K, 1 Team Defense, 5 Bench; Draft order determined one hour prior to draft.
ROUND | DAVE KERR Staff Writer | MATTHEW BECK Staff Writer | COLBY CONWAY Staff Writer | JEFF RATCLIFFE Pro Football Fantasy Focus | MARK KAPLAN Video Producer Editor | MIKE CLAY Pro Football Fantasy Focus |
1 | Le’Veon PIT BELL | Antonio PIT BROWN | Eddie GB LACY | Adrian MIN PETERSON | Odell NYG BECKHAM, JR. | Rob NE GRONKOWSKI |
2 | Randall GB COBB | Aaron GB RODGERS | T.Y. IND HILTON | Mike TAM EVANS | Alshon CHI JEFFREY | Arian HOU FOSTER |
3 | C.J. DEN ANDERSON | Jeremy CIN HILL | Mark NO INGRAM | Frank IND GORE | Latavius OAK MURRAY | Brandon NO COOKS |
4 | Jeremy KC MACLIN | Joique DET BELL | Sammy BUF WATKINS | T.J. JAC YELDON | Golden DET TATE | Emmanuel DEN SANDERS |
5 | Julian NE EDELMAN | Michael ARI FLOYD | Joseph DAL RANDLE | Keenan SD ALLEN | Travis KC KELCE | Carlos SF HYDE |
6 | Jarvis MIA LANDRY | Andre NYG WILLIAMS | Brandon NE LaFELL | Roddy ATL WHITE | Devonta ATL FREEMAN | Shane NYG VEREEN |
7 | Martellus CHI BENNETT | Zach PHI ERTZ | DeVante MIA PARKER | Ameer DET ABDULLAH | Pierre WAS GARCON | Russell SEA WILSON |
8 | Isaiah CLE CROWELL | Mike MIN WALLACE | Bishop TEN SANKEY | Eric NYJ DECKER | Charles TB SIMS | Allen JAC ROBINSON |
9 | Ben PIT ROETHLISBERGER | Darren PHI SPROLES | Ryan MIA TANNEHILL | Antonio SD GATES | Doug TB MARTIN | Breshad BAL PERRIMAN |
10 | Steve BAL SMITH | Percy BUF HARVIN | Kendall TEN WRIGHT | Kenny MA STILLS | Tony DAL ROMO | John ARI BROWN |
11 | Julius JAC THOMAS | STL RAMS | Delanie TEN WALKER | Tom NE BRADY | Jordan MIA CAMERON | Marques NO COLSTON |
12 | SEA SEAHAWKS | Jaelen HOU STRONG | NY JETS | Teddy MIN BRIDGEWATER | Andy CIN DALTON | Davente GB ADAMS |
13 | Fred BUF JACKSON | Roy OAK HELU | Larry NYG DONNELL | Dorial TEN GREEN-BECKHAM | Sam PHI BRADFORD | Javorius BAL ALLEN |
14 | Joe BAL FLACCO | Justin BAL TUCKER | Mason GB CROSBY | GB PACKERS | Adam IND VINATIERI | DET LIONS |
15 | Cody PHI PARKEY | Colin SF KAEPERNICK | Alfred HOU BLUE | Dan DAL BAILEY | NE PATRIOTS | Connor DEN BARTH |
2015 Fantasy Alarm Mock Draft
12-Team, PPR Draft, 15 Rounds
ROUND | JEFF MANS EVP Operations | RAY FLOWERS EVP Product Development | HOWARD BENDER Managing Editor | DOMENICK MURTHA Staff Writer | TED SCHUSTER Radio Host SR Staff Writer | JON IMPEMBA Staff Writer |
1 | Jamaal KC CHARLES | LeSean BUF McCOY | Marshawn SEA LYNCH | Matt CHI FORTE | Dez DAL BRYANT | DeMarco PHI MURRAY |
2 | Jordy GB NELSON | A.J. CIN GREEN | Demaryius DEN THOMAS | Andrew IND LUCK | Julio ATL JONES | Calvin DET JOHNSON |
3 | Darren DAL McFADDEN | Justin BAL FORSETT | Andre ARI ELLINGTON | Kelvin CAR BENJAMIN | Melvin SD GORDON | Jimmy SEA GRAHAM |
4 | C.J. NO SPILLER | Jordan PHI MATTHEWS | DeAndre HOU HOPKINS | Alfred WAS MORRIS | Todd STL GURLEY | Lamar MIA MILLER |
5 | Andre IND JOHNSON | Giovani CIN BERNARD | Tevin ATL COLEMAN | Amari OAK COOPER | LeGarrette NE BLOUNT | Jonathan CAR STWEART |
6 | Drew NO BREES | Brandon NYJ MARSHALL | Greg CAR OLSEN | Vincent TB JACKSON | Kevin CHI WHITE | Martavis PIT BRYANT |
7 | Owen DEN DANIELS | Charles MIN JOHNSON | Larry ARI FITZGERALD | Duke CLE JOHNSON | David ARI JOHNSON | Cam CAR NEWTON |
8 | Knile KC DAVIS | Peyton DEN MANNING | Matt ATL RYAN | Chris NYJ IVORY | Rashad NYG JENNINGS | DeSean WAS JACKSON |
9 | Marquess CHI WILSON | Jay MIA AJAYI | Terrance DAL WILLIAMS | Coby IND FLEENER | Matthew DET STAFFORD | Reggie SF BUSH |
10 | Josh NO HILL | Ryan PHI MATHEWS | Tre STL MASON | Torrey SF SMITH | Victor NYG CRUZ | BUF BILLS |
11 | DeAngelo PIT WILLIAMS | Rueben NYG RANDLE | Michael OAK CRABTREE | Philip SD RIVERS | Vernon SF DAVIS | Anquan SF BOLDIN |
12 | HOU TEXANS | David TEN COBB | Eli NYG MANNING | Cody DEN LATIMER | Nelson PHI AGHOLOR | Jason DAL WITTEN |
13 | Cordarrelle MIN PATTERSON | Dwayne IND ALLEN | Danny SD WOODHEAD | ARI CARDINALS | James NE WHITE | Denard JAC ROBINSON |
14 | Brian STL QUICK | BAL RAVENS | Stephen NE GOSTKOWSKI | Jordan WAS REED | DEN BRONCOS | Derek OAK CARR |
15 | Greg STL ZUERLEIN | Steven SEA HAUSCHKA | MIA DOLPHINS | Blair MIN WALSH | Caleb MIA STURGIS | Matt ATL BRYANT |
1 - Dave Kerr – Fantasy Alarm Staff Writer
Strategy
I went into this draft with the same strategy I always use. Stack running backs and wide receivers early, look for value at tight end and punt quarterback, kicker and defense until late in the draft. I ended up grabbing the always underrated Ben Roethlisberger in the ninth round and found a serviceable tight end combo of Martellus Bennett and Julius Thomas. There is absolutely no reason to reach for either position.
Favorite pick of someone else
Andre Johnson, WR IND (5.07) - He’s going to ball big time in Indianapolis with Andrew Luck. Terrific value for his draft position.
Least favorite pick you made
Martellus Bennett, TE CHI (7.01) - He had a fantastic year last season, but it was an outlier compared to everything he had done in the past. While I am hoping for something close to a repeat in 2015, I am definitely not counting on it.
2 - Matthew Beck – Fantasy Alarm Staff Writer
Strategy
I am all about best player available. To me Antonio Brown was No. 1 overall in this format and I landed him.
Favorite pick of someone else
Darren McFadden, RB DAL (3.07) - He is going to be a beast in Dallas IF he can actually stay healthy.
Least favorite pick you made
Andre Williams, RB NYG (6.11) - It was a panic pick considering there are three mouths to feed out of the Giants’ backfield.
3 - Colby Conway – Fantasy Alarm Staff Writer
Strategy
My strategy was to target some proven guys early on and then grab some players who have higher upsides. This team has the potential to be really good, but it has an equal likelihood of turning out to be unimpressive. The potential of this team makes it extremely intriguing.
Favorite pick of someone else
John Brown, WR ARI (12.07) - Brown is very comparable to T.Y. Hilton in terms of size and speed. He also has the luxury of playing for Bruce Arians, who coached Hilton in Indianapolis. Brown will easily exceed his 10.07 round value in 2015 and a full season with Carson Palmer at the helm bodes well for the speedy receiver.
Least favorite pick you made
Bishop Sankey, RB TEN (8.10) - I was happy to grab a starting back in the eighth round but perhaps a tight end like Coby Fleener would have helped the team more at this selection. Sankey’s disappointing 2014 looms large in the minds of many, ultimately leading to the questioning of this pick. He can’t disappoint two years in a row right?
4 - Jeff Ratcliffe – Pro Football Fantasy Focus
Strategy
My strategy for this draft was relatively simple. I planned to load up on running backs and wide receivers through the early and middle rounds while waiting at quarterback and tight end. After the first eight rounds, I had four running backs and four wide receivers. This approach gives me solid offensive depth while still having competitive starters at quarterback and tight end.
Favorite pick of someone else
Russell Wilson, QB SEA (7.06) - Getting fantasy’s No. 3 quarterback at that point in the draft was an absolute steal.
Least favorite pick you made
Dorial Green-Beckham, WR TEN (13.04) - He’s an unproven rookie in a rebuilding offense, and that never bodes positively for fantasy value. However, he does ooze with upside, so it’s tough to completely hate the pick.
Strategy
Quick and simple; wait on a quarterback and go heavy wide receiver since it’s a PPR league and you can start four wideouts each week.
Favorite pick of someone else
Julius Thomas, TE JAC (11.01) – Too much negative talk about leaving Peyton Manning. Blake Bortles is obviously inferior, but he’ll use Thomas as a red zone target as much as he can.
Least favorite pick you made
Travis Kelce, TE KC (5.05) -- Yes the ceiling is high, but there were plenty of tight ends still on the board and most of them are better options than Kelce.
Christian Petersen / Getty Images
6 - Mike Clay – Pro Football Fantasy Focus
Strategy
In a PPR league with three wide receivers and a flex, wideout has to be a priority, but of course, great values cannot be ignored. After taking Rob Gronkowski and Arian Foster in the first two rounds, I was able to snag a pair of Top 15 PPR wide receivers in Brandin Cooks and Emmanuel Sanders. Allen Robinson, John Brown, Breshad Perriman, Davante Adams and Marques Colston supply me with a ton of depth and upside at the position. Carlos Hyde (fifth round) and Russell Wilson (seventh) fill out a strong group of starters.
Favorite pick of someone else
The Round 2/3 turn - No one wants to pick first overall this year, but what’s overlooked are the major values at the 2/3 turn. Team Kerr started with Le’Veon Bell and came back with Randall Cobb (24th) and CJ Anderson (25th). There’s a clear “Top 23” overall tier this year and Kerr is the only team armed with three of those 23.
Least favorite pick you made
Javorius Allen, RB BAL (13.06) - It’s hard to truly hate a late-round pick, but Allen was nothing more than an upside flier when there was little left on the board. If 30-year-old Forsett goes down, Allen and Lorenzo Taliaferro will share the Baltimore backfield, with Allen doing big-time damage on passing downs.
7 - Jeff Mans – The Big Cheese and
EVP of Operations for Fantasy Alarm
Strategy
My strategy going into this draft was to grab two of the top wide receivers early since the running backs that I really like, Darren McFadden and C.J. Spiller to name two, can be drafted later. I also made sure that I logged into the draft room early and filled up my queue with players who were buried in the default player ranks. This allows me to always have “my players” in front of me.
Favorite pick of someone else
Breshad Perriman, WR BAL (9.06) - I really like Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman this year and believe he gives QB Joe Flacco his first true franchise type receiver. Mike Clay snagged Perriman the pick before me in the 9th round (102nd overall) and think that he got a true breakout candidate for 2015.
Least favorite pick you made
Cordarrelle Patterson, WR MIN (13.07) - This is one of the few drafts in which I really like the majority of my picks. The one that will no doubt turn out the worst is Cordarrelle Patterson in the 13th round. It is a shot in the dark. I’m hoping that if he can learn how to catch the ball with his hands, he could turn into a productive fantasy player.
8 - Ray “The Oracle” Flowers – EVP of Product Development for Fantasy Alarm
Strategy
Trying to mix veterans with youngsters is always a key (like when you chose your whiskey). I won’t be afraid to target guys coming off a down season if the risk/reward is worth it.
Favorite pick of someone else
DeAndre Hopkins, WR HOU (4.04) – His selection by Howard Bender had me reaching for the bottle and then when Jeff Mans did it to me again the following round with Andre Johnson, I was ordering up another.
Least favorite pick you made
Peyton Manning, QB DEN (8.05) – Better here than the first two rounds as in previous years, but I’m still not overly thrilled with the thought of relying on Peyton after he looked like Mark Sanchez in the month of December.
9 - Howard Bender – Fantasy Alarm Managing Editor
Strategy
Whether it’s PPR or standard, my main strategy always remains the same – with my first five picks, it’s always 2 running backs/3 wide receivers or 3 running backs/2 wide receivers. I like to wait on tight ends and quarterbacks. I also wanted to try my theory of drafting players with the same bye week so that I had only one week of scrubs to worry about. It started fairly well, but I didn’t want to leave a far superior player on the board in service of this somewhat out-of-the-box plan. In the end, the first part went off without a hitch, but the one bye week attempt soon fizzled when the board offered so many other strong choices.
Favorite pick of someone else
Breshad Perriman, WR BAL (9.06) – I had him queued up to take in this round and actually thought about grabbing him in the eighth, but thought he might last. He’s got great size, phenomenal speed and while there was a knock on his hands during college and the combine, reports out of OTAs were fantastic. And just to show you even those who do this for a living can get rattled…
Least favorite pick you made
Terrance Williams, WR DAL (9.09) – I was so stupidly confident that Perriman would fall to me that I had no back-up plan for the round and frantically sifted through some less than desirable names searching for another option. The clock ran out and I was stuck with Williams, a guy in whom I just don’t believe.
10 - Domenick Murtha – Fantasy Alarm Staff Writer
Strategy
Considering I was saddled with the 10th pick in the draft, I had to let the board come to me. I was all set on taking Andrew Luck with my first pick (9th rated on the board) but to my surprise, the PPR machine himself, Matt Forte, was still there. I pulled the trigger on him and “Luckily” (pun intended), I was able to snag Luck on the backslide in the second round. From there I just played the board knowing I had two studs with my first two picks. I took a couple of chances on some youngsters and might have the best backup QB in the game in Philip Rivers. Overall, pretty solid draft with a medley of blended strategies, if I must say so myself.
Favorite pick of someone else
Tevin Coleman, RB ATL (5.09) – He was ultra-productive in college and played behind a not so stellar offensive line with a borderline terrible supporting cast at Indiana. In Atlanta, Coleman will enter a star-studded offense led by new offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, who famously focuses on one-cut running
Least favorite pick you made
Amari Cooper, WR OAK (5.10) – It was a bit of a reach pick and one that has the most risk out of my top-5. Cooper has an unpolished QB throwing him the ball, in a bottom 15 offense, not to mention that he has yet to play a down in the NFL. Too many risks here with this pick despite my gut telling me that he’ll be just fine.
11 - Ted Schuster – SiriusXM Radio Host/Senior Staff Writer
Strategy
Picking at the back end of the first round, I expected that I would go two wide receivers first and then fill in with running backs. I took a chance on the rookies as they had the most upside compared to what was left. Rashad Jennings was a nice value as he is still the best running back in New York. I always wait on a quarterback and Matthew Stafford will do just fine as a ninth round pick.
Favorite pick of someone else
Duke Johnson, RB CLE (7.10) – Had him all lined up but had to settle for the other D. Johnson, David, who I still think will be better than Andre Ellington anyway. Duke should earn the job outright as the season rolls on.
Least favorite pick you made
LeGarrette Blount, RB NE (5.11) – For whatever reason, the Patriots seem to trust him so couldn’t pass up a starter at RB still on the board. But trusting a Patriots running back is always a risky proposition.
Strategy
With this being a PPR league, the strategy for me was to try and land players that will see a high amount of targets which can lead to a high amount of receptions. Players like Calvin Johnson and Jimmy Graham have the potential to lead their position in catches while all five running backs that I drafted also have pass catching ability which increases their value.
Favorite pick of someone else
Latavius Murray, RB OAK (3.05) – I think the Raiders may surprise some people this season as QB Derek Carr takes the next step in his development and Murray gets a full season as the team’s every down back. He’s going to put his sub-4.40 speed on display while also showing some versatility in the passing game, making him an even more attractive player in the PPR format.
Least favorite pick you made
Jason Witten, TE DAL (12.12) – I drafted him to fill in for Jimmy Graham’s Week 9 bye and seeing as I have zero reason, baring injury, to ever start Witten over Graham, he will be burning a hole on my bench for over half the season. He then gets one start and goes back to his burnt bench hole for the second half as well.