Fantasy football mock draft for a 12-team PPR ESPN League in 2023 NFL season

The NFL preseason is underway, meaning fantasy football drafting season is in full swing. One of the best ways to prepare is to review or take part in mock drafts to get a sense of which players fall into certain rounds and slots.

In this article, we’ll break down a fantasy football mock draft for a 12-team PPR league while drafting from the No. 6 spot. Rosters are comprised of 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 FLEX, 1 DST, 1 K, and six bench positions.

2023 Fantasy football mock draft review: 12-team PPR

Strategy

There are plenty of ways to go in the 1.06 spot of a 12-team PPR league. It’s likely that Christian McCaffrey, Justin Jefferson, and Ja’Marr Chase are off the board. My strategy going in is to take either Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins, Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams, or Austin Ekeler of the Los Angeles Chargers — in that order of preference.

Luckily, Hill was still available when I was on the clock with the sixth overall pick. From here, I took a look at the draft board, and Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions was easily the best available player for my second overall pick at No. 19 overall. I could’ve selected three straight WRs to open the draft, as guys like Chris Olave, DeVonta Smith, and DK Metcalf were still available in the third round. However, I snatched up RB Joe Mixon of the Cincinnati Bengals to spearhead my backfield.

Best picks

1.06 — Tyreek Hill
2.07 — Amon-Ra St. Brown
7.06 — James Cook

I love the fact that I was able to snag a pair of PPR-monster receivers with my first two picks. That really takes the pressure off and lets me focus on depth at the running back and WR3 positions.

Speaking of depth, RB James Cook of the Buffalo Bills is someone who could outperform his seventh-round draft capital. Yes, Damien Harris and Josh Allen could take away his goal-line work, but Cook should be a three-down back with plenty of looks in the receiving game along with big-play potential.

Worst picks

4.07 — Miles Sanders
6.07 — Diontae Johnson
9.06 — Quentin Johnston

Taking Sanders in the fourth round isn’t terrible, as he could be a legitimate three-down back for the Carolina Panthers. However, if I had a mulligan, I may have gone with a tight end like George Kittle or T.J. Hockenson (both were available) in this spot. Then, I would’ve looked toward someone like Alexander Mattison as my RB2 in the fifth or sixth.

Johnson could have a bounce-back season for the Pittsburgh Steelers...at least I hope. The guy is a target monster, and last year’s touchdown-less campaign was a fluke, right? The thought process here is that Kenny Pickett will improve, and Johnson’s touchdowns should fall back into a normal range of 5-8 this season. The targets and receptions will still be there. On top of that, I feel that I have enough depth at WR to take a chance on Johnson, even if there’s an opportunity cost by selecting him in the sixth round.

I stand by my pick of Chargers rookie WR Quentin Johnston in the ninth round. I believe he’s a sleeper that could make a difference in fantasy this season. Pairing him with Justin Herbert at QB could be a boon to my squad. However, I overpaid and took Johnston a fair amount above ADP.

Final thoughts

My starting lineup works out to QB Justin Herbert, RB Joe Mixon, RB Miles Sanders, WR Tyreek Hill, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, TE Pat Freiermuth, FLEX Diontae Johnson, K Tyler Bass, DEF Kansas City.

Part of me wishes that I invested in a top-five tight end, but I’m feeling great about my entire lineup outside of the tight end position. I have a ton of potential on the bench too, as James Cook, Jordan Addison, Quentin Johnston, Jerick McKinnon, or Devin Singletary could easily slot into my FLEX spot, depending on how things shake out.

Full mock draft results

1.06 — Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
2.07 — Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions
3.06 — Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
4.07 — Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers
5.06 — Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
6.07 — Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
7.06 — James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
8.07 — Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings
9.06 — Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
10.07 — Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
11.06 — Jerick McKinnon, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
12.07 — Devin Singletary, RB, Houston Texans
13.06 — Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts
14.07 — Tyler Bass, K, Buffalo Bills
15.06 — Kansas City Chiefs, DEF