2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Team PPR

It’s time to run it back with another 12-team PPR mock draft. In this particular article, I’m going to be picking out of the No. 9 spot.

This mock draft took place on Sleeper. I’ll be providing analysis for every pick along with full round-by-round results. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

Round 1, Pick 9: Saquon Barkley

Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Other top available players:

• Stefon Diggs
• A.J. Brown
• Nick Chubb

After agreeing to an adjusted one-year deal, Barkley is back in action for the Giants and will be heavily featured once again in New York’s upcoming campaign. After a couple disappointing years, Saquon put together his best season since 2018, rushing 295 times for 1,312 yards while catching 57 balls in 2022.

Those numbers were good enough for a PPR RB5 finish, which put him firmly back in the mix among other first-round fantasy running backs. To be clear, I’m much higher on Bijan Robinson in this range than Barkley — he was just off the board by No. 9 — so if you have the choice between those two in your draft, I would take the rookie.

The Giants clearly don’t view Saquon as a real part of their long-term future, which is unfortunate considering the current RB landscape across the league when it comes to contracts.

However, it does mean New York will likely utilize him as a legitimate workhorse this year, as there will be no repercussions for the franchise in future seasons. Barkley is a serious contender for the overall RB1 finish in 2023.

Round 1 Results

Round 2, Pick 4: Amon-Ra St. Brown

Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images

Other top available players:

• Patrick Mahomes
• Derrick Henry
• Garrett Wilson

The Lions are one team most people expect to take a major step forward this season, staking their claim as the new powerhouse in the NFC North with Aaron Rodgers gone. If that’s going to happen, St. Brown will have to play a significant role in it.

The 22-year-old is coming off a fantastic sophomore campaign in which he recorded 106 receptions for 1,161 yards and six touchdowns, finishing as PPR WR7. Jared Goff may not be a phenomenal quarterback but he gets the job done, and the veteran has established a great rapport with his top receiver.

T.J. Hockenson is no longer in the equation and Jameson Williams has been suspended for the first six games of the season, so St. Brown could come out of the gates extremely hot. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Goff target him 160-plus times, and he could be a top-three fantasy wideout.

Round 2 Results

Round 3, Pick 9: Travis Etienne

Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Other top available players:

• Joe Burrow
• Breece Hall
• Joe Mixon

I experimented with stacking in this particular mock draft. As you’re going to find out, I want as many pieces from this Jaguars offense as possible, specifically because I love the ADP value of a bunch of their players.

Etienne is the first example of that.

Landing a 24-year-old back who racked up 1,125 rushing yards and 35 receptions last season at the end of the third round? I’ll take that any day of the week.

There’s a chance that Etienne’s usage could take a slight dip this season with Tank Bigsby in the equation, but the projected boost we’ll see from Jacksonville’s offense should offset a decrease in touches. The receptions and touchdowns should increase as well, giving us plenty of reason for optimism about Etienne’s prospects.

Round 3 Results

Round 4, Pick 4: Calvin Ridley

Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images

Other top available players:

• Justin Herbert
• Aaron Jones
• T.J. Hockenson

Another Jacksonville player!

Ridley is my favorite Jaguar of the bunch in terms of ADP value, as I absolutely love his upside in the fourth round. There are some obvious concerns about the star receiver heading into the 2023 season, mainly that he didn’t play football last year.

However, considering what we’ve seen from Ridley out of Jacksonville’s camp throughout preseason, it looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. The 28-year-old is entering an already-productive offense, and will look to take it to the next level as Trevor Lawrence’s new No. 1 option.

Compared to other receivers available at this spot like Amari Cooper and DeAndre Hopkins, rolling with Ridley was a no-brainer.

Round 4 Results

Round 5, Pick 9: D.J. Moore

Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images

Other top available players:

• Cam Akers
• Christian Watson
• James Conner

Was I enticed into picking Moore after watching his first preseason game with the Bears?

No. That would be foolish. However, it does give me an excuse to show Moore’s 62-yard score off a screen:

I’ve been a DJM truther for years now, and things are finally shaping up for the star receiver to reach his potential in a much-improved Chicago offense.

Now, I’m not expecting him to rack up 1,300-plus yards on 110 receptions. That’s just unrealistic considering who’s throwing him the ball, as a large part of the Bears’ gameplan will be getting Justin Fields going on the ground.

That said, Fields is a huge upgrade compared to the talent Moore was working with under center in Carolina over the last few years. He should establish himself as the clear top option in Chicago and has potential to put together a career year.

Round 5 Results

Round 6, Pick 4: Trevor Lawrence

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

Other top available players:

• Alvin Kamara
• Michael Pittman
• Darren Waller

You probably knew this was coming.

For what it’s worth, stacking the Jaguars isn’t a strategy I head into every draft looking to implement. However, I like the value a lot for these guys out of the No. 9 spot in 12-team PPR leagues, and if I’m taking Etienne and Ridley early, I’m going to do my best to complete the stack.

Trevor Lawrence is a popular MVP pick heading into this year, and the logic behind that is relatively straightforward. He’s coming off the best season of his young career while playing for a good team that many expect to handily win their division.

The overall lack of competition in the AFC for Jacksonville plays a huge role in the appeal of drafting Lawrence and company, as they’re guaranteed multiple “easy” matchups this season.

After finishing as QB8 in 2022, T-Law should push for a top-five campaign this time around.

Round 6 Results

Round 7, Pick 9: Rachaad White

Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Other top available players:

• James Cook
• Diontae Johnson
• Mike Williams

Volume is king for fantasy running backs.

While I don’t love the situation White finds himself in — which is the nice way of saying the Bucs are going to be a train wreck next year — he’s going to see a TON of touches as things currently stand.

There seems to be a lot of confidence within Tampa Bay’s organization that the 24-year-old can serve as a true three-down back this year. If that’s the case, then it doesn’t matter who’s under center for the Bucs, White is a steal in the seventh round.

Round 7 Results

Round 8, Pick 4: Pat Freiermuth

Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Other top available players:

• Jordan Addison
• Antonio Gibson
• Michael Thomas

I passed up on grabbing a fourth member of the Jaguars’ offense last round in Evan Engram. While I do expect the veteran to have a great year, that would have been putting too many eggs in one basket.

As a result of passing on Engram, I needed a tight end at this spot in the draft, and Freirmuth has decent value in the eighth round. The Steeler is coming off a strong sophomore campaign in which he racked up 63 receptions for 732 yards and two touchdowns, finishing as PPR TE7.

Assuming Kenny Pickett takes another step forward after a solid rookie season, Freiermuth should continue to produce at a high level.

Round 8 Results

Round 9, Pick 9: Khalil Herbert

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Other top available players:

• Quentin Johnston
• Cole Kmet
• Kirk Cousins

I grabbed another member of this (potentially) much-improved Bears offense, and the logic behind drafting Herbert is similar to why I grabbed Rachaad White.

If you can find running backs who could handle a significant workload in the later rounds of drafts, take advantage of those opportunities. The 25-year-old will be competing with D’Onta Foreman for carries in Chicago this year, and while I expect it to be a split, Herbert has a ton of upside in an even marginally expanded role. He could be a deadly backfield compliment to Justin Fields this year.

Round 9 Results

Round 10, Pick 4: Courtland Sutton

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Other top available players:

• Zach Charbonnet
• Dalton Schultz
• Devon Achane

At this stage in the draft, I felt quite comfortable taking a gamble on Sutton, whose fantasy prospects rely on a bounce-back season from Russell Wilson.

With Sean Payton running the show in Denver, the Broncos’ offense HAS to be smoother than the disaster we saw last year… right? At just 27-years-old, Sutton has legitimate 1,000-yard potential if Payton can figure out how to unlock Wilson.

Round 10 Results

Round 11, Pick 9: Skyy Moore

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Other top available players:

• Rashod Bateman
• Ezekiel Elliott
• Elijah Mitchell

Moore appeared in my recent article as a top fantasy sleeper for the 2023 season. Find that excerpt below:

“I’m sure many of my readers let out an audible groan when they scrolled down to see this pick. We all know the sentiment shared around the boom-or-bust potential of Chiefs receivers over the years, typically resulting in them not living up to the hype.

This time, things could be different.

Travis Kelce is obviously the No. 1 receiving threat in this offense and Patrick Mahomes’ go-to guy, but after him, the role as second option is up for grabs.

Kadarius Toney has all the potential in the world, but can’t seem to stay healthy. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is a one-dimensional deep threat. Justyn Ross has potential, but it’s too early to put any real stock in his hype train. Out of the current candidates on the roster, Moore has arguably the best chance of stepping into a significantly expanded role this season.

Anytime you can draft a guy who should be catching passes from Mahomes consistently after the 10th round, you take advantage of that opportunity.”

Round 11 Results

Round 12, Pick 4: Patriots D/ST

Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images

I selected the best D/ST unit available with this pick.

Round 12 Results

Round 13, Pick 9: Sam LaPorta

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images

Other top available players:

• Rashee Rice
• Russell Wilson
• Tank Bigsby

As is typically the case, I grabbed a backup tight end in one of the last rounds of the draft. LaPorta has serious upside to contribute right away in a Lions offense that could be surprisingly explosive this season.

Round 13 Results

Round 14, Pick 4: Jason Myers

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

I went with the best kicker available to round out my squad.

Round 14 Results

Final Roster

1.9: Saquon Barkley

2.4: Amon-Ra St. Brown

3.9: Travis Etienne

4.4: Calvin Ridley

5.9: D.J. Moore

6.4: Trevor Lawrence

7.9: Rachaad White

8.4: Pat Freiermuth

9.9: Khalil Herbert

10.4: Courtland Sutton

11.9: Skyy Moore

12.4: Patriots D/ST

13.9: Sam LaPorta

14.4: Jason Myers

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