July 3, 2012.
This is a 2012 Fantasy Football Mock Draft I took part in with 11 other members of the forum. As usual, I’ll have analysis of my picks, as well as the best and worst selections from each two rounds.
Just a heads up that we have 2012 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts every Wednesday evening. Check out the fantasy mock draft thread for details.
Oh, and you can see our chat log here.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 1-2: If this were a normal draft, I probably would have gone with Aaron Rodgers at No. 3, but I’ve waited on running backs in my previous two mocks, so I wanted to take one early. Also, I wouldn’t be too concerned about Hakeem Nicks. It sounds like he’ll be ready to go Week 1.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 1-2: I’m worried about Calvin Johnson because of the Madden Curse, but there’s no doubt that he’s a steal at No. 10. Another major touchdown producer, Rob Gronkowski, went one pick before me in the second round. I would have taken him if he were available.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 1-2: You can’t win fantasy leagues in the first two rounds, but you sure as hell can lose them there by drafting busts. Darren McFadden, DeMarco Murray, Jamaal Charles and Matt Forte are all very risky (especially Charles). I’d rather go with a more sure bet.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 3-4: I hate going with running back-receiver tandems from the same team, but Ahmad Bradshaw was the top player available on my board, and once again, I wanted to pick running backs early to see how that would turn out. I will note that I was “kielbasaed” by Kielbasa Dreamin’, as Matthew Stafford would have been my choice if he were available.
Tony Romo was the pick in Round 4 because he was the top player available on my 2012 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet, but considering the caliber of quarterbacks that was available in Round 6, I wish I would have waited.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 3-4: I already praised the Ser Stafford selection. Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson were steals at 3.10 and 4.05, respectively, and I also really liked the Jeremy Maclin pick.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 3-4: There’s nothing I really hate here, aside from perhaps Mike Wallace because he’s holding out. I’m also not a huge fan of Darren Sproles at 4.03 of a standard league.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 5-6: Dwayne Bowe is pretty good value at 5.03. He should be a solid WR2 as long as Matt Cassel can stay healthy. Chris Wells, meanwhile, can be a decent flex if he stays healthy. That always seems to be an issue though.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 5-6: Brandon Lloyd was a steal at 5.09. Eli Manning was also taken way too late (6.02).
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 5-6: I loved MD4L’s Round 5 pick, but I hate his next selection. You can’t rely on QB Dog Killer as a starting fantasy quarterback because he’s guaranteed to miss at least four games.
Ben Tate should have gone at least one round later. There were plenty of starters still available to take a backup, no matter how good he is.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 7-8: I don’t like DeSean Jackson at all, but I couldn’t resist him in Round 7. There’s a chance he can return to pre-concussion form. Mark Ingram was also worth a gamble at 8.10. He can score a bunch of touchdowns if he actually stays healthy.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 7-8: Take a starting running back if you can get one in Round 7. Willis McGahee and Shonn Greene both fit into that category. I want to include Jonathan Stewart as well because Ron Rivera may finally realize that he’s way more talented than DeAngelo Williams.
I’d also like to note that Denarius Moore was an outstanding selection at 8.09. There’s no reason he should have gone three rounds after Darrius Heyward-Bey.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 7-8: It’s a little too early for Reggie Wayne, who is old man playing with a new starting quarterback for the first time in his career. It’s REALLY early for Fred Davis, who is entrenched in a bizarre legal battle.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 9-10: Jay Cutler should have gone earlier than Round 9, so I’m happy to be getting him there as a great backup just in case Tony Romo gets hurt. As for my next pick, I’m not a big fan of Sidney Rice because he can’t stay healthy, but he’s worth a gamble in the 10th round.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 9-10: What I said about Rice also applies to Peyton Manning – those neck surgeries are very disconcerting – but there’s no question that he’s worth the risk in the same round that Brian Quick and Greg Little were selected. Just don’t count on Manning lasting this long in a real draft because someone will reach for him.
I also liked a number of running backs chosen in these two rounds, including Toby Gerhart, Stevan Ridley, David Wilson and Pierre Thomas. They’re all worth a shot at this juncture.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 9-10: I mentioned Quick. I can’t see a raw rookie having much success with a spooked Sam Bradford. Alshon Jeffery and Kendall Wright were also taken too early. Michael Floyd went off the board in Round 12!
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 11-12: I waited on a tight end and still landed Brent Celek. Not bad. Kevin Smith has some upside as a late-round running back choice because Jahvid Best always gets hurt, while Mikel Leshoure is coming off an Achilles.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 11-12: Shane Vereen, Ronnie Hillman and Andrew Luck are all young players who were worth a shot in this area. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a hell of a backup quarterback to obtain in Round 12. And of course, there’s Michael Floyd, whom I mentioned already.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 11-12: Stay away from Mike Williams. He was out of shape last year and fell asleep in team meetings. He does not care about football, so you shouldn’t care about owning him. That’s the only pick I really dislike this round, though I’m not a huge fan of Brandon LaFell and Emmanuel Sanders.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 13-15: Backup tight end. Arizona plays Seattle at home in Week 1. Alex Henery didn’t miss in the second half of the season, and the Eagles suck in the red zone.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 13-15: I was going to take Tony Gonzalez over Owen Daniels, but I was once again kielbasa’ed. Oh well. One of the two Raider running back picks in Round 15 will pan out considering Darren McFadden’s durability issues.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 13-15: I can’t see Robert Turbin having much of a role on the Seahawks this year unless Marshawn Lynch goes down, so he’d be dumped in a real league pretty quickly. And Brian Leonard? Yeeesh.
My Fantasy Team:
QB – Tony Romo, Cowboys
RB – Ray Rice, Ravens
RB – Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants
WR – Hakeem Nicks, Giants
WR – Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs
RB/WR – Chris Wells, Cardinals
TE – Brent Celek, Eagles
K – Alex Henery, Eagles
DEF – Cardinals Defense
BN – DeSean Jackson, Eagles WR
BN – Mark Ingram, Saints RB
BN – Jay Cutler, Bears QB
BN – Sidney Rice, Seahawks WR
BN – Kevin Smith, Lions RB
BN – Owen Daniels, Texans TE
I don’t think this is that bad. My running backs are better than they usually are – check out my previous fantasy mocks here and here. However, they all carry tons of risk. Ray Rice is holding out and consequently could have a down year. Ahmad Bradshaw and Chris Wells, meanwhile, are both injury-prone. Unless I can get a running back I like in a good spot, I’d prefer drafting stud receivers (or Aaron Rodgers) early.
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More 2012 Fantasy Football Articles:
2012 Fantasy Football: Home
2012 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2012 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 9/2 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/3 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/2 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 9/2 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 6/2 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 6/3 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Downloadable Spreadsheets - 9/2 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Auction Values - 7/28 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings (Re-Draft) - 5/6 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings (Dynasty) - 5/6 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Playoff Rankings - 1/2 (Walt)
Week 17 Fantasy Football Rankings - 12/27 (Walt)
Week 17 Fantasy Football Injury Reports - 12/27 (Walt)
Week 17 Fantasy Football Start Em, Sit Em - 12/27 (Walt)
Week 16 Fantasy Football Start Em, Sit Em - 12/20 (Walt)
WalterFootball.com $1,000 Contest on FanDuel.com - 11/4
2012 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets:
2012 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Traditional Scoring - 9/4 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: PPR Scoring - 9/4 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Touchdown Scoring - 9/4 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: 2-QB Format - 9/4 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Traditional Scoring PRINTABLE - 9/4 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: PPR Scoring PRINTABLE - 9/4 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Touchdown Scoring PRINTABLE - 9/4 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: 2-QB Format PRINTABLE - 9/4 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
2012 Fantasy Football PPR Mock Draft - 8/23 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 8/16 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Forum 2-QB PPR Mock Draft - 8/9 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Auction Mock Draft - 8/2 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Forum PPR Mock Draft - 7/27 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Forum 2-QB Mock Draft - 7/17 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Forum Standard 14-Team Mock Draft - 7/12 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Forum PPR Mock Draft - 7/6 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Forum Touchdown-Format Mock Draft - 7/4 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Forum Standard Mock Draft - 7/3 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Forum PPR Mock Draft - 6/22 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Forum Mock Draft - 6/14 (Walt)
The Four-Man PPR Fantasy Mock Draft - 5/18 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Articles:
2012 Fantasy Football Stock: Training Camp, OTAs - 9/3 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Preseason Stock - 8/31 (Walt)
2012 NFL Preseason Recap, Fantasy Football Notes - 8/31 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football: Quarterback Targets - 8/31 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football: 20 Sleepers - 8/28 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football: Round-by-Round Strategy - 8/21 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Busts - 6/5 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Sleepers (Early-Middle Rounds) - 6/5 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football All-Value Team - 5/26 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Quarterbacks - 5/8 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Running Backs - 5/8 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Wide Receivers - 5/8 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Quarterbacks, Tight Ends - 4/3 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Running Backs - 4/3 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Wide Receivers - 4/3 (Walt)
2012 Fantasy Football: First-Round Bust History - 2/17 (Walt)
Running Backs with Most Carries - 2/17 (Walt)
NFL Picks - Dec. 13
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Dec. 11
NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 9
2026 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 29
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
