July 21, 2016.
This is a standard 2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft I took part in with 11 other members of the forum and followers on Twitter (@walterfootball. As usual, I’ll have analysis of my picks, as well as the best and worst selections every two rounds.
Just a heads up that we have 2016 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts every Wednesday afternoon or evening. Check out the forum or follow me on Twitter to find out when the next mock draft will be.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 1-2: I love doing fantasy mock drafts. Not only are they fun; they’re very informative. I learn so much from my first couple of fantasy mocks each summer. If you don’t do your own fantasy football mock drafts, I strongly recommend that you being doing so.
One of the things I picked up is how incredibly thin the receiver position is this year. That was the case in 2015, but it seems to be even worse now. Fantasy football has changed a ton in the past decade. Running back used to be the premium position. Because the NFL is so pass-happy now, receivers are the new running backs.
With that in mind, I don’t regret my first pick. Le’Veon Bell was the best player available, and I’d take him every time at No. 6 overall. As for the second choice, well, I think I could’ve waited on Cam Newton. Maybe Amari Cooper or Keenan Allen would’ve been better. I’m not sure. I don’t hate the pick.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 1-2: I made a mental note to list Aaron Rodgers as one of the top choices. He’s going to have a bounce-back year and could easily be the No. 1 quarterback overall. Also, I feel as though I should mention Cooper and Allen, especially the former. Cooper seems like a steal at 2.10.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 1-2: When’s the last time a rookie was chosen in the first round? I can’t remember. I recall drafting Adrian Peterson in the sixth round. Ezekiel Elliott could be great in his first year, but it seems crazy to use a first-round choice on him. I know the Cowboys will give him carries behind a great offensive line, and Elliott could easily enjoy a terrific 2016 campaign, but he’s just a rookie. Proceed with caution.
Also, I know the computer made this pick, but Fat Eddie Lacy should be chosen later than 2.02. Even if he’s now Formerly Fat Eddie Lacy. I can’t trust him enough to take him that early.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 3-4: Two receivers I’m happy to get in Rounds 3-4. I actually considered Kelvin Benjamin at 2.07, so getting him at 3.06 might be my best pick of the entire draft after getting Bell in the middle of the first frame. I’m not as thrilled about Allen Hurns, but 4.07 seems like the right range for him.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 3-4: How the hell did Thomas Rawls fall to 3.08? Someone named Tommy actually took him there, but he left the draft by the time my page reloaded. So, don’t think a computer has suddenly gotten smart, or anything!
Randall Cobb also seems like a steal. He struggled with a shoulder injury for most of 2015, so like Rodgers, he’s going to enjoy a rebound season.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 3-4: BCB told me that he knew I’d hate the Matt Forte pick, but defended it by saying that Forte won’t have much competition. That might be true, but I’m not sure. If Forte has declined, the Jets will definitely get some of their other backs in the mix.
,br> Latavius Murray was the other worst pick in these two rounds. The coaching staff doesn’t like him and will be quick to bench him if someone else on the team steps up, like DeAndre Washington.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 5-6: It was surprising to me to see Ameer Abdullah fall to the middle of Round 6. I couldn’t pass him up, as he seems poised for a big year. I’m less shocked about DeMarco Murray, given the bad stigma around him, but this seems like a great opportunity to buy low. Chip Kelly screwed him over last year by putting him in a horrible offense that didn’t fit his skill set. The Titans sound like they’re actually going to take advantage of what Murray does best, which is running north and south.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 5-6: I was going to consider Doug Baldwin at 5.06, so Pretzeljammer made my decision easier. Let’s just move on to the worst picks, because there are a lot of them.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 5-6: Holy crap, so many to choose from. The first two stick out right away. Tyler Eifert is hurt, while Frank Gore is decaying as you’re reading this. And then there’s Tom Brady, who won’t be around until Week 5, and Coby Fleener, who disappointed with another elite quarterback.
However, the absolute worst selections belong to “9,” who took a pair of backup running backs in Rounds 5-6. T.J. Yeldon should be drafted before Chris Ivory for sure, while Ajayi probably shouldn’t even be taken in any round with Arian Foster now on the team.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 7-8: Larry Fitzgerald is old, but perhaps he has another solid season remaining in the tank. I’m fine with him as my third receiver, and I think the seventh round is the right range for him.
I’m not crazy about Gary Barnidge in the eighth, since he’s an obvious sell-high candidate, but the pick could work out.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 7-8: It’s crazy that Jacksonville’s starting running back was chosen about 20 picks later than the backup. Once again, Pretzeljammer saved me from a difficult decision. Another great value choice is Philip Rivers at 8.11. Rivers is always a risky proposition, but if his offensive line remains healthy, he could be a top-five fantasy quarterback.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 7-8: I don’t mind Sterling Shepard at all, but in the seventh round? That’s way too early for an unknown receiver who doesn’t possess an elite skill set. A selection that could be just as bad is Torrey Smith at 8.03. Smith is at an absolute low in terms of expected value, so taking a chance on him in the final couple of rounds could be a decent decision. The eighth round, however, is way too early to do that.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 9-10: The Derrick Henry pick was not my decision, I swear! My fiancee called me, and I had my laptop on mute, so I didn’t hear that it was my turn to draft. It gave me Henry as a result. I wouldn’t have taken him, though I can’t say for sure who my other option would’ve been.
As for Tavon Austin, I like him as a sleeper. He’s the Rams’ only legitimate offensive threat outside of Todd Gurley, so they’ll feed him the ball frequently.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 9-10: Charles Sims could end up being a great pick in the 10th round. Doug Martin’s outlook is iffy this year because of his new contract, and the coaching staff has discussed giving Sims more of a workload. Travis Benjamin is probably my second-favorite pick.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 9-10: Do I even have to say it? Why are people taking kickers and defenses in the first 10 rounds? Come on, guys. That’s just being lazy. Draft value and/or sleeper running backs and receivers here. Taking replaceable commodities at low-level positions is an easy way to suck in your fantasy league.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 11-12: There was some discussion in the draft chat about taking backup quarterbacks as early as Round 9. I understand the point that you’re only using your QB2 just once in an ideal situation, but things are seldom ideal in fantasy. What if your starting quarterback gets hurt? What do you do then? You have no idea how many times a strong QB2 has saved my season.
As for my 12th-round pick, I was wondering how late Josh Gordon would go. I couldn’t pass up on him in the 12th frame. Sure, he may not play at all, but there’s a chance he’ll be reinstated in August. If so, I’ll have a high-end WR2 that I snatched up in the 12th round, which is kind of nuts. BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 11-12: Matthew Stafford is another great backup quarterback. Also, I should list the players I have on my Fantasy Football Sleepers list: Willie Snead, C.J. Prosise, Kamar Aiken and Michael Thomas.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 11-12: I don’t hate defenses this early, so I won’t focus on them. What I will point out are some players with low upside like Bilal Powell (would be different if this were a PPR league) and Laquon Treadwell (too much of a run-heavy offense).
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 13-15: Another guy from my sleepers list, Josh Ferguson could definitely emerge as Indianapolis’ starting running back in November or December. Frank Gore is falling apart, so it’ll be surprising if he lasts two months. After that, defense, kicker, who cares.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 13-15: High-upside picks include: Dwayne Allen, Devin Funchess, Zach Miller, Jordan Howard, Devontae Booker, DeAndre Washington.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 13-15: Low-upside picks include: Vincent Jackson, Theo Riddick, Jerick McKinnon and Chris Johnson. Remember, in the final few rounds, swing for the fences if you’re not taking a kicker and/or defense.
‘ll be adjusting some of my Fantasy Football Rankings based on these draft results, so check them out. Also, we’ll be doing mock drafts every Wednesday evening, so come join us!
My Fantasy Team:
QB – Cam Newton, QB, Panthers
RB – Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers
RB – DeMarco Murray, RB, Titans
WR – Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Panthers
WR – Allen Hurns, WR, Jaguars
RB/WR – Ameer Abdullah, RB, Lions
TE – Gary Barnidge, TE, Browns
K – Mason Crosby, K, Packers
DEF – Bengals Defense
BN – Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals
BN – Derrick Henry, RB, Titans
BN – Tavon Austin, WR, Rams
BN – Jameis Winston, QB, Buccaneers
BN – Josh Gordon, WR, Browns
BN – Josh Ferguson, RB, Colts
I don’t think this is a bad first team. I can’t say I have any real regrets about this outside of the Derrick Henry debacle. I’m definitely not weak anywhere, and I seem especially strong at quarterback and running back. Receiver is probably my weakest position, but that probably could’ve been remedied if I had taken someone else besides Henry in the ninth round.
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