July 26, 2018.
This is a 2018 Fantasy Football PPR Mock Draft I took part in with 11 friends on Facebook 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 2018 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 went with the ninth pick because that’s generally where I end up drafting in most of my leagues. As I said in our draft chat, I’ve been in 150-200 fantasy leagues in my lifetime, and I’ve only had the top pick once or twice.
Anyway, Odell Beckham Jr. is going to have a great bounce-back season, and he was the best player on my cheat sheet. I doubled up on receivers in the second round, selecting Keenan Allen. Wide receivers bust less frequently than running backs, but Allen was my highest-rated player available anyway.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 1-2: No picks really stick out as the best, as most of the choices made sense in these two rounds. I’ll say though that I was hoping DeAndre Hopkins and Michael Thomas would fall to me with my two picks.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 1-2: I would avoid most Buccaneers. That sort of includes Mike Evans. I’d pick him in the third round, but the second frame might be too early for him because that team is going to be a mess this year. Also, Julio Jones could end up being a great pick at 2.03, but not if he holds out well into August. I’m bearish on him.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 3-4: Kenyan Drake’s ADP is much lower than 3.09, so perhaps I could’ve obtained him in the fourth round. However, Drake is the unquestioned starter on the team, and he has been in great shape this offseason. I like him this year.
JuJu Smith-Schuster is my third receiver/flex. He was a monster to close out his rookie campaign, so that should carry over into 2018.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 3-4: Joe Mixon seems like a steal at 3.05. He could be a top-eight fantasy back this year; he’s in great shape, and his offensive line has improved. Meanwhile, LeSean McCoy has tremendous upside at 3.04, though there are possible legal issues. If he’s allowed to play every game, team “4” will be really happy about taking him in the third frame.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 3-4: Don’t draft Lamar Miller. The Texans don’t believe in him, so you shouldn’t either.
I’m not happy with the Jimmy Graham pick either. Graham could score a ton of touchdowns, but he had trouble separating last year. I wouldn’t take a tight end not named Rob Gronkowski, Zach Ertz or Travis Kelce in the first four rounds.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 5-6: I was hoping for Sony Michel or Dion Lewis, but both backs were taken ahead of my pick. I had to settle for Kerryon Johnson, but he’s a nice consolation prize. Johnson should catch a healthy number of passes from Matthew Stafford.
Evan Engram is a decent pick in Round 6, though in hindsight, I wish I would’ve gone with Kyle Rudolph because of the conflict I’d have with Odell Beckham Jr.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 5-6: I mentioned Michel and Lewis, and I considered Tarik Cohen at 6.04. I also loved the Mark Ingram pick. Ingram is going to be suspended, but he should be very productive upon his return.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 5-6: Demaryius Thomas’ diet has ruined his career, so I wouldn’t touch him in the fifth round. It also seems way too early for Chris Hogan.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 7-8: I can’t say I’m thrilled about Marshawn Lynch, but I needed a third running back, and he was the best player available in the 2018 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings. I could see Doug Martin supplanting him, so I wish I could’ve gotten Lynch later.
Cam Newton will be my starting quarterback. I like Newton this year, as he’ll have two better targets to throw to this year. A first-round pick was used on D.J. Moore – more on him later – and Greg Olsen will be back from injury after missing most of 2017.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 7-8: If I didn’t need a running back, I may have considered Will Fuller at 7.09. I actually may have taken him anyway had he been available; like I said earlier, Deshaun Watson is going to have a big year. Also, C.J. Anderson is a nice bargain at 8.12. The Panthers like him and will be giving him a healthy amount of early-down work.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 7-8: Aaron Jones before Jamaal Williams seems odd. Jones is a better player, but he’ll be serving a suspension to begin the year, so Williams will have a chance to keep the starting job.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 9-10: D.J. Moore is the top player in my Fantasy Football Sleepers list. Moore has been outstanding this offseason, and he appears to be Carolina’s new No. 1 receiver. I also like Mike Williams, as the No. 7 overall pick from 2017 is finally healthy.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 9-10: Jimmy Garoppolo, Andrew Luck and Patrick Mahomes were nice value picks, and it goes to show that you can wait on a quarterback. I was going to take Mahomes myself at 10.04, but he was chosen one pick earlier. I like Robby Anderson as a bargain at the end of the 10th frame as well.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 9-10: Don’t take a defense in the first 10 rounds. That seems like the worst pick in these two rounds. I’m not high on Kirk Cousins either, though the ninth round isn’t as bad as the seventh, which is where he’s usually been going.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 11-12: I needed a pair of running backs. Nyheim Hines figures to be Indianapolis’ top pass-catching running back. Meanwhile, it’s possible that Nick Chubb could emerge as Cleveland’s starter.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 11-12: I wanted to take Devontae Booker, as he could be Denver’s starting running back. There’s a chance Chris Carson could start as well. I liked the Rishard Matthews pick, too, as Marcus Mariota’s favorite receiver should have been chosen prior to the end of the 12th round.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 11-12: I think the very earliest I would take a defense is the 12th round, and that seems like it would be too early. As for real players, nothing really stands out. All of the other picks seem reasonable.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 13-15: Another running back. There’s a chance Peyton Barber will be Tampa’s starting running back, so he provides tremendous value in the 13th round.
I went with the Ravens’ defense because Baltimore battles Buffalo in Week 1. As for my kicker, I chose Matthew McCrane. I have no idea who he is, but I love his name.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 13-15: High-upside picks include: Doug Martin, Michael Gallup, Kenny Golladay, Dede Westbrook and Paul Richardson.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 13-15: Low-upside picks include: Chris Ivory and Keelan Cole.
‘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 afternoon or evening, so come join us!
My Fantasy Team:
QB – Cam Newton, Panthers
RB – Kenyan Drake, Dolphins
RB – Kerryon Johnson, Lions
WR – Odell Beckham Jr., Giants
WR – Keenan Allen, Chargers
RB/WR – JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers
TE – Evan Engram, Giants
K – Matthew McCrane, Cardinals
DEF – Ravens Defense
BN – Marshawn Lynch, RB, Raiders
BN – D.J. Moore, WR, Panthers
BN – Mike Williams, WR, Chargers
BN – Nyheim Hines, RB, Colts
BN – Nick Chubb, RB, Browns
BN – Peyton Barber, RB, Buccaneers
I’m usually disappointed with my first mock draft, but I think this team is OK. I wish I had a better top running back, but I’d rather use early resources on receivers. Late-round running back options will emerge in August, and I’ll be able to recommend someone like Alvin Kamara, which is what I did last year.
If you’re wondering why I don’t have a backup quarterback, I considered taking one in the 13th round, but felt as though Peyton Barber had more upside. Here’s the thing: If you miss out on all the top backup quarterbacks (i.e. Patrick Mahomes, Jimmy Garoppolo, Andrew Luck), don’t draft a backup. Go with high-upside players at other positions because if they emerge, your team will be better off. If they don’t, you can just cut them and pick up a similar-caliber quarterback you could have obtained in the late rounds.
More 2018 Fantasy Football Articles:
Fantasy Football Rankings
2018 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2018 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 9/5 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings - 8/29 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/5 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings - 8/29 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/5 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings - 8/29 (Chet)
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Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings - 8/29 (Chet)
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Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 8/22 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 8/16 (Walt)
Fantasy Football PPR Mock Draft - 8/9 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 8/2 (Walt)
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2018 Fantasy Football Spreadsheets - 9/5 (Walt)
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2018 Fantasy Football Sleepers - 9/5 (Walt)
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2018 Fantasy Football Mid-Round Values - 9/5 (Walt)
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2018 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Preseason Games - 8/31 (Walt)
2018 Fantasy Football Notes - 8/31 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football Quarterback Preseason Targets Tracker - 8/30 (Walt)
2018 Fantasy Football D/ST Drafting - 8/28 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football ADP Values: Running Backs - 8/16 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football Round-by-Round Strategy Guide - 8/15 (Walt)
2018 Fantasy Football ADP Values: Quarterbacks - 8/15 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football Tight Ends to Target - 8/9 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football - PPR Draft Strategy: Rounds 1 and 2 - 7/27 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football: Doug Baldwin's Value - 7/25 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football: Chris Hogan's Value - 7/18 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football: Alvin Kamara's Value - 7/16 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule: Tight Ends - 7/11 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule: Wide Receivers - 7/6 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule: Running Backs - 7/5 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule: Quarterbacks - 7/4 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football Tight Ends Better Than ADP - 6/29 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football Wide Receivers Better Than ADP - 6/28 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football Target Shares - 6/22 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Points Per Game - 6/13 (Chet)
2018 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator - 6/2
2018 Fantasy Football Value Players - 5/25 (Chet)
2017 Fantasy Football Quarterback Look-Back - 1/28 (Walt)
2018 Fantasy Football: Running Backs with the Most Carries - 1/28 (Walt)
2024 NFL Mock Draft - April 23
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