August always goes quickly for us here at ESPN Fantasy. One reason for that: our weekly mock drafts that we look forward to conducting as a staff. While I can't speak for our other analysts, one thing I make sure to do in each mock is to try a different approach, even if it's something I might be extremely hesitant to do when my actual drafts roll around.
Since I knew I would be writing the recap for this one, I decided to "get crazy" and stay away from the running back position for at least the first three rounds to see how things turned out. It wasn't a true "zero RB" strategy that I've seen others employ this summer, but since it's truly something I've never done in an actual draft in my 30-plus years playing fantasy football, I figured it would give me a new perspective on what it's like to scrounge at the position. Needless to say: mission accomplished.
If there was one common theme from the draft, it's that depth at wide receiver made many of us feel that you must get involved in the running back derby early on.
For this latest mock draft, we went with a 12-team standard setup, and instead of breaking down each round with extended analysis, we'll give you a glimpse inside the draft room by simply including some of the comments made mostly in the chat area. Here are the 12 owners -- a combination of fantasy writers, editors and NFL Nation reporters -- listed in order of draft position: Tristan H. Cockcroft, Matthew Berry, Jim McCormick, Tom Carpenter, Mike Triplett, Mike Clay, Dan Graziano, Matt Williamson, myself, KC Joyner, Joe Kaiser and Field Yates.
Before revealing the round-by-round picks and all of the comments, here's a quick rundown of the final team to select each of the four skill positions:
QB: Williamson (Ryan Tannehill, 113th overall)
RB: Lipscomb (Joseph Randle, 40th overall)
WR: Triplett (DeSean Jackson, 53rd overall)
TE: Lipscomb (Dwayne Allen, 153rd overall)
NOTE: News of DeSean Jackson's shoulder injury broke just after the completion of this mock draft.
Round 1
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Notable thoughts and observations
• Cockcroft: "In 10- and 12-team standard leagues ... increasingly feeling like [Le'Veon] Bell and [Adrian] Peterson are the correct first two, as the per-game upside plays considering what you'll inevitably get at 20-21 or 24-25 ... and remember this comes from an AP pessimist."
• Clay: "I debated [Antonio] Brown over [C.J.] Anderson (at No. 6). Tough call."
• Graziano: "I debated Brown at No. 7 as well, but I feel like the WR1 selection at 18 is going to be better than the RB1 selection at 18."
• Williamson: "I'm not reaching for a RB; give me the sure stud instead. I want to see what happens with a Gronk start."
Since I knew I would be writing the recap for this one, I decided to "get crazy" and stay away from the running back position for at least the first three rounds to see how things turned out. It wasn't a true "zero RB" strategy that I've seen others employ this summer, but since it's truly something I've never done in an actual draft in my 30-plus years playing fantasy football, I figured it would give me a new perspective on what it's like to scrounge at the position. Needless to say: mission accomplished.
If there was one common theme from the draft, it's that depth at wide receiver made many of us feel that you must get involved in the running back derby early on.
For this latest mock draft, we went with a 12-team standard setup, and instead of breaking down each round with extended analysis, we'll give you a glimpse inside the draft room by simply including some of the comments made mostly in the chat area. Here are the 12 owners -- a combination of fantasy writers, editors and NFL Nation reporters -- listed in order of draft position: Tristan H. Cockcroft, Matthew Berry, Jim McCormick, Tom Carpenter, Mike Triplett, Mike Clay, Dan Graziano, Matt Williamson, myself, KC Joyner, Joe Kaiser and Field Yates.
Before revealing the round-by-round picks and all of the comments, here's a quick rundown of the final team to select each of the four skill positions:
QB: Williamson (Ryan Tannehill, 113th overall)
RB: Lipscomb (Joseph Randle, 40th overall)
WR: Triplett (DeSean Jackson, 53rd overall)
TE: Lipscomb (Dwayne Allen, 153rd overall)
NOTE: News of DeSean Jackson's shoulder injury broke just after the completion of this mock draft.
Round 1
| Pick | Overall | By | Player | Pos Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Cockcroft | Le'Veon Bell, Pit RB | RB1 |
| 2 | 2 | Berry | Adrian Peterson, Min RB | RB2 |
| 3 | 3 | McCormick | Eddie Lacy, GB RB | RB3 |
| 4 | 4 | Carpenter | Jamaal Charles, KC RB | RB4 |
| 5 | 5 | Triplett | Marshawn Lynch, Sea RB | RB5 |
| 6 | 6 | Clay | C.J. Anderson, Den RB | RB6 |
| 7 | 7 | Graziano | LeSean McCoy, Buf RB | RB7 |
| 8 | 8 | Williamson | Rob Gronkowski, NE TE | TE1 |
| 9 | 9 | Lipscomb | Antonio Brown, Pit WR | WR1 |
| 10 | 10 | Joyner | Matt Forte, Chi RB | RB8 |
| 11 | 11 | Kaiser | Demaryius Thomas, Den WR | WR2 |
| 12 | 12 | Yates | Jeremy Hill, Cin RB | RB9 |
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</tbody>
Notable thoughts and observations
• Cockcroft: "In 10- and 12-team standard leagues ... increasingly feeling like [Le'Veon] Bell and [Adrian] Peterson are the correct first two, as the per-game upside plays considering what you'll inevitably get at 20-21 or 24-25 ... and remember this comes from an AP pessimist."
• Clay: "I debated [Antonio] Brown over [C.J.] Anderson (at No. 6). Tough call."
• Graziano: "I debated Brown at No. 7 as well, but I feel like the WR1 selection at 18 is going to be better than the RB1 selection at 18."
• Williamson: "I'm not reaching for a RB; give me the sure stud instead. I want to see what happens with a Gronk start."
