Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-team PPR

I’m back with another 12-team PPR mock draft! In case you missed my first one, find it here for full analysis out of the No. 3 spot. This time around, the public voted and we will be drafting with the ninth pick.

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.

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Round 1, Pick 9: Joe Mixon

Other top available players:

• Ja’Marr Chase
• Travis Kelce
• Alvin Kamara

It was a difficult choice between two Bengals for my first pick of the draft, but I ultimately gave the edge to the running back — as I typically do — and selected Mixon. The 26-year-old finally turned the corner last season after years of tiptoeing the edge of elite fantasy production, finishing as PPR RB4. I expect more of the same from Mixon this season as Cincinnati once again boasts a top-5 offensive unit in the league.

Round 1 Results

1. Jonathan Taylor
2. Christian McCaffrey
3. Derrick Henry
4. Austin Ekeler
5. Cooper Kupp
6. Justin Jefferson
7. Dalvin Cook
8. Najee Harris
9. Joe Mixon
10. Travis Kelce
11. Ja’Marr Chase
12. Alvin Kamara

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Round 2, Pick 4: Nick Chubb

Other top available players:

• CeeDee Lamb
• Aaron Jones
• Tyreek Hill

It’s important to clarify that I’m partial towards Nick Chubb, as he has been my favorite NFL player for years now. If I have the chance to draft him in the second round, I’m going to take it nine times out of 10.

Putting my love for Chubb aside, there’s a lot to like about his fantasy prospects this year. Assuming Deshaun Watson is going to miss significant time, the Browns will continue to rely on the running game as the focal point of their offense. Kareem Hunt’s situation is as cloudy as ever, and even if he does play for Cleveland, Chubb could easily finish as a top-5 running back.

Round 2 Results

1. Davante Adams
2. D’Andre Swift
3. Stefon Diggs
4. Nick Chubb
5. Tyreek Hill
6. CeeDee Lamb
7. Mark Andrews
8. Saquon Barkley
9. A.J. Brown
10. Deebo Samuel
11. Aaron Jones
12. Leonard Fournette

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Round 3, Pick 9: Michael Pittman

Other top available players:

• Tee Higgins
• George Kittle
• Cam Akers

Pittman is not someone I usually target at this stage in drafts, but I wanted to try something new and see how the roster looked. It’s easy to see the appeal of the third-year receiver. He’s playing with the best quarterback of his young career, and is the undisputed top target in the Colts’ passing attack. I could definitely see 100+ receptions and 1,200+ yards for Pittman this season, so the value is solid at the end of Round 3.

Round 3 Results

1. Josh Allen
2. Mike Evans
3. Ezekiel Elliott
4. James Conner
5. Javonte Williams
6. Keenan Allen
7. Kyle Pitts
8. Patrick Mahomes
9. Michael Pittman
10. Tee Higgins
11. George Kittle
12. Justin Herbert

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Round 4, Pick 4: DJ Moore

Other top available players:

• Diontae Johnson
• Jaylen Waddle
• Breece Hall

Moore is another one of my guys, and I was very happy to scoop him in the fourth round. Just like Pittman, DJ is playing with the best quarterback of his career this season in Baker Mayfield (which is pretty sad, but at least it’s an upgrade over what he’s been working with). The 25-year-old is coming off a phenomenal season in which he racked up 93 catches for 1,157 yards. I’d like to see his touchdown total (four last season) go up a little bit, but other than that you can’t ask for much more from your WR2 at this stage in drafts.

*My typical draft strategy is to take three running backs in my first four picks, but I wanted to mix things up for this mock.*

Round 4 Results

1. Cam Akers
2. David Montgomery
3. Terry McLaurin
4. DJ Moore
5. Darren Waller
6. Diontae Johnson
7. DK Metcalf
8. Courtland Sutton
9. Travis Etienne
10. Antonio Gibson
11. Breece Hall
12. Jaylen Waddle

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Round 5, Pick 9: Elijah Mitchell

Other top available players:

• Amari Cooper
• Marquise Brown
• Clyde Edwards-Helaire

VALUE ALERT!

A starting running back for Kyle Shanahan at the end of the fifth round? Sign me up! I still don’t understand why Mitchell’s ADP is so low, but I’ll continue to take him at this point in drafts if he’s there. While the second-year back is reportedly dealing with a hamstring issue, his availability for Week 1 does not appear to be in doubt. We could easily see a top-15 campaign for Mitchell this year.

Round 5 Results

1. J.K. Dobbins
2. Lamar Jackson
3. Mike Williams
4. Joe Burrow
5. Josh Jacobs
6. Kyler Murray
7. Jerry Jeudy
8. Chris Godwin
9. Elijah Mitchell
10. AJ Dillon
11. Marquise Brown
12. Amon-Ra St. Brown

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Round 6, Pick 4: Michael Thomas

Other top available players:

• Amari Cooper
• Dalton Schultz
• Brandin Cooks

Boom or bust in Round 6.

The risk that comes with drafting Thomas is obvious, as is the upside. After all, the 29-year-old did just set the single-season receptions record in 2019. Assuming he can stay healthy — which is a pretty big “if” — Thomas could easily find himself back in the range of elite fantasy production this season. He’s working with a quarterback in Jameis Winston who will likely target him a LOT, and could be the beneficiary of a revamped Saints offense. I’m comfortable taking this gamble in the sixth round.

Round 6 Results

1. T.J. Hockenson
2. Allen Robinson
3. Jalen Hurts
4. Michael Thomas
5. Amari Cooper
6. Miles Sanders
7. Clyde Edwards-Helaire
8. Dalton Schultz
9. Darnell Mooney
10. JuJu Smith-Schuster
11. Brandin Cooks
12. Adam Thielen

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Round 7, Pick 9: Gabriel Davis

Other top available players:

• Dallas Goedert
• Drake London
• Tony Pollard

Similar to Pittman, Davis is not a player I have been drafting much in mocks, but I understand the appeal and took a shot on him this time around. I’m not completely sold on the 23-year-old, as I do think recency bias is playing a role in the hype surrounding him after an incredible Divisional Round performance. That being said, Davis is stepping into Buffalo’s WR2 role and should see a significant uptick in targets from one of the league’s best quarterbacks. That’s enough to warrant drafting him this high.

Round 7 Results

1. Kareem Hunt
2. Damien Harris
3. Tom Brady
4. Rashod Bateman
5. Russell Wilson
6. Kenneth Walker
7. Dak Prescott
8. Cordarrelle Patterson
9. Gabriel Davis
10. Tony Pollard
11. Aaron Rodgers
12. DeAndre Hopkins

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Round 8, Pick 4: Dallas Goedert

Other top available players:

• Zach Ertz
• Dawson Knox
• DeVonta Smith

Sound the alarms, it’s another VALUE ALERT!

It was very fortunate that Goedert fell to me in the eighth round, which is noticeably lower than his current ADP. Taking Dawson Knox or Zach Ertz at this stage in the draft would have been fine, but Goedert is clearly in a higher tier than those guys. I like to hone in on Rounds 7 and 8 for tight ends, and it paid off this time around.

Round 8 Results

1. Tyler Lockett
2. Hunter Renfrow
3. Drake London
4. Dallas Goedert
5. DeVonta Smith
6. Devin Singletary
7. Chase Edmonds
8. Treylon Burks
9. Brandon Aiyuk
10. Rashaad Penny
11. Elijah Moore
12. Zach Ertz

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Round 9, Pick 9: Derek Carr

Other top available players:

• Justin Fields
• Allen Lazard
• Kirk Cousins

If you read my other mock draft, you’re probably noticing a trend at this point. I don’t draft tight ends or quarterbacks early. ESPECIALLY quarterbacks. The value just doesn’t make sense when you could select a potential top-10 QB in Derek Carr in the ninth round. The same goes for players like Trey Lance, Matthew Stafford or even Kirk Cousins.

If there’s one piece of advice you take away from this article, it is to avoid wasting your early picks on quarterbacks.

Round 9 Results

1. James Cook
2. Dawson Knox
3. Chris Olave
4. Matthew Stafford
5. Trey Lance
6. Pat Freiermuth
7. Melvin Gordon
8. Garrett Wilson
9. Derek Carr
10. Allen Lazard
11. Christian Kirk
12. Mike Gesicki

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Round 10, Pick 4: Rhamondre Stevenson

Other top available players:

• James Robinson
• Kadarius Toney
• Tyler Boyd

There isn’t much more to say about Stevenson that hasn’t already been covered in my fantasy steals article or previous mock draft. The value is just absurd for a player who will likely be the best RB in New England’s backfield this season.

Round 10 Results

1. Robert Woods
2. Michael Carter
3. Chase Claypool
4. Rhamondre Stevenson
5. Kadarius Toney
6. Isaiah Spiller
7. Tyler Boyd
8. Skyy Moore
9. Cole Kmet
10. Russell Gage
11. Alexander Mattison
12. James Robinson

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Round 11, Pick 9: Dameon Pierce

Other top available players:

• Marquez Valdes-Scantling
• Christian Watson
• Jarvis Landry

I went hunting for upside with this pick, which isn’t typically my draft strategy but there’s a potentially significant return on investment with Pierce. It sounds very likely that the rookie will win the starting job for Houston at an early stage in the season, as he continues to impress in preseason. The Texans aren’t going to be a fantasy-relevant team this year, but volume is king for running backs and Pierce could see a ton of touches.

Round 11 Results

1. Albert Okwuegbunam
2. Hunter Henry
3. Kirk Cousins
4. Rams D/ST
5. Evan McPherson
6. Buccaneers D/ST
7. Chargers D/ST
8. 49ers D/ST
9. Dameon Pierce
10. Justin Tucker
11. Bills D/ST
12. Harrison Butker

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Round 12, Pick 4: Rondale Moore

Other top available players:

• Jarvis Landry
• Christian Watson
• Ronald Jones

Moore was another one of the players on my top five steals list. The Cardinals expect him to fill Christian Kirk’s role this season, and he could see an even stronger bump in targets with DeAndre Hopkins suspended for the beginning of the year. Find my full analysis on Kirk below:

Round 12 Results

1. Saints D/ST
2. Matt Gay
3. Ravens D/ST
4. Rondale Moore
5. Dan Carlson
6. Tyler Bass
7. Marquez Valdes-Scantling
8. Jarvis Landry
9. Michael Gallup
10. Irv Smith Jr.
11. Christian Watson
12. Tua Tagovailoa

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Round 13, Pick 9: Colts D/ST

Per usual, I took the best D/ST unit available at this point in the draft.

Round 13 Results

1. Packers D/ST
2. Matt Prater
3. Cowboys D/ST
4. George Pickens
5. Darrell Henderson
6. Nyheim Hines
7. Ronald Jones
8. Tyler Allgeier
9. Colts D/ST
10. Rachaad White
11. Tyler Higbee
12. Deshaun Watson

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Round 14, Pick 4: Nick Folk

Same thing as the D/ST pick, I took the best kicker available to round out my team.

Round 14 Results

1. Jamaal Williams
2. J.D. McKissic
3. Kenneth Gainwell
4. Nick Folk
5. Justin Fields
6. David Njoku
7. Younghoe Koo
8. Broncos D/ST
9. Brandon McManus
10. Rodrigo Blankenship
11. Patriots D/ST
12. Robbie Gould

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Final Roster

1.9 - Joe Mixon

2.4 - Nick Chubb

3.9 - Michael Pittman

4.4 - DJ Moore

5.9 - Elijah Mitchell

6.4 - Michael Thomas

7.9 - Gabriel Davis

8.4 - Dallas Goedert

9.9 - Derek Carr

10.4 - Rhamondre Stevenson

11.9 - Dameon Pierce

12.4 - Rondale Moore

13.9 - Colts D/ST

14.4 - Nick Folk

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