Fantasy football draft season is now in full swing, as managers are preparing for any number of upcoming drafts (if you’re me, at least 14) in an effort to achieve what is the ultimate goal … winning a 2023 fantasy league championship.
In the countless best-ball and mock drafts I’ve already done, one thing is becoming abundantly clear: The wide receiver position is going to be even more prominent than ever in the first and second rounds. What’s more, you can now wait a few more rounds on running backs and still get a good group with real potential.
Now, let’s get to the real nuts and bolts of my latest one-man, 10-round mock draft.
This mock draft includes 12 teams and is based on typical PPR scoring. Each team used different “strategies” in their builds with their first three overall picks so you can see how the roster is built at the top. These builds include what is famously called a “Zero-RB strategy” and also, a more and more popular “Hero-RB strategy.”
Team 1: Wide receiver, running back, running back,
Team 2: Wide receiver, quarterback, running back
Team 3: Running back, tight end, quarterback
Team 4: Running back, wide receiver, wide receiver (Hero RB)
Team 5: Wide receiver, running back, quarterback
Team 6: Wide receiver, wide receiver, running back
Teams 7, 12: Running back, wide receiver, running back
Team 8: Running back, running back, wide receiver
Team 9: Running back, running back, running back
Team 10: Tight end, wide receiver, running back
Team 11: Wide receiver, wide receiver, wide receiver (Zero RB)
Jason Parkhurst/USA Today Sports
ROUND 1
1.1. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
1.2. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
1.3. Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers
1.4. Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers
1.5. Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams
1.6. Tyreek Hill, WR, Dolphins
1.7. Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants
1.8. Nick Chubb, RB, Browns
1.9. Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons
1.10. Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs
1.11. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
1.12. Derrick Henry, RB, Titans
Notes: Jefferson remains the consensus top pick in most drafts, and that’s the case in this mock. The top four will be pretty chalk, with Jefferson, Chase, McCaffrey and Ekeler getting called. I haven’t moved Kupp down despite his injured hamstring, but he has fallen in some drafts (but not out of the first round). The biggest mover in this round is Chubb, who I now have ranked among the top five backs. Lamb has moved up a bit, too, as I now project him as a late first-rounder. Robinson is going as high as the top three in some mocks, but he’s a locked-in first-rounder regardless. Henry, who has fallen to the second round in other drafts, remains a top-12 pick for me. In all, six running backs and five wideouts (and Kelce) were selected.
ROUND 2
2.13. A.J. Brown, WR, Eagles
2.14. Stefon Diggs, WR, Bills
2.15. Davante Adams, WR, Raiders
2.16. Tony Pollard, RB, Cowboys
2.17. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts
2.18. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions
2.19. Garrett Wilson, WR, Jets
2.20. Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots
2.21. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins
2.22. Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens
2.23. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
2.24. Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals
Notes: This round starts with three straight wide receivers, as Brown, Diggs and Adams come off the board. The most notable pick in this round is Taylor, who has fallen out of the first round because of his ankle and contract issues. He might be the biggest risk in the top 24 picks. Andrews will be the consensus second tight end off the board, and Mahomes was the first quarterback. I’ve also moved Mixon up compared to previous mocks. Some folks might think 2.24 is too high, but he’s a featured back in his prime running behind a solid offensive line.
ROUND 3
3.25. Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders
3.26. Najee Harris, RB, Steelers
3.27. Josh Allen, QB, Bills
3.28. Chris Olave, WR, Saints
3.29. Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles
3.30. Aaron Jones, RB, Packers
3.31. DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles
3.32. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions
3.33. Breece Hall, RB, Jets
3.34. Travis Etienne, RB, Jaguars
3.35. Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers
3.36. DK Metcalf, WR, Seahawks
Notes: This round was loaded with running backs, as a total of six came off the board. That includes Jacobs, who remains mired in a holdout, and Hall, who could end up in a committee to start the season coming off a torn ACL. Allen and Hurts won’t last beyond the third round in most drafts, and we could see both of them go in Round 2 (in some order) along with or maybe ahead of Mahomes. Gibbs, who is moving up in the high stakes world, is now a third-rounder in this mock. Two veteran receivers, Allen and Metcalf, finish up the top 36 overall selections.
Jeff Dean/AP
ROUND 4
4.37. Alexander Mattison, RB, Vikings
4.38. Amari Cooper, WR, Browns
4.39. Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals
4.40. Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
4.41. Calvin Ridley, WR, Jaguars
4.42. Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers
4.43. Miles Sanders, RB, Panthers
4.44. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seahawks
4.45. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Titans
4.46. Javonte Williams, RB, Broncos
4.47. Terry McLaurin, WR, Commanders
4.48. T.J. Hockenson, TE, Vikings
Notes: Wide receivers dominated this round, as six came off the board. That list of players includes Cooper, Higgins, Ridley, Samuel, Hopkins and McLaurin. Ridley, who hasn’t played in a long while due to a suspension, is projected as a high-end No. 2 fantasy wideout. There’s definitely some risk there, though. I like what I’m hearing about Hopkins in Titans camp, so I have him in my top 50 picks. Burrow, who is nursing a calf injury, remains my No. 4 fantasy quarterback (for now). The Broncos will be using Williams in the preseason, and camp reports about his knee have been positive. That pushed him back into the top four rounds.
ROUND 5
5.49. Lamar Jackson, RB, Ravens
5.50. James Conner, RB, Cardinals
5.51. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 49ers
5.52. Diontae Johnson, WR, Steelers
5.53. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks
5.54. Mike Williams, WR, Chargers
5.55. Dameon Pierce, RB, Texans
5.56. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Broncos
5.57. Christian Kirk, WR, Jaguars|
5.58. Cam Akers, RB, Rams
5.59. Rachaad White, RB, Buccaneers
5.60. Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers
Notes: Jackson, my fifth-ranked quarterback, is the first player off the board in this round. Conner could be a bargain, as he’s a featured runner with little competition. He’s a nice target for those who want to go with wideouts, a tight end or a field general in the first four rounds. I’ve moved Johnson up based on positive camp reports surrounding his quarterback, Kenny Pickett, and I’m loving Akers and White late in the round. Both backs could easily outperform their draft position. The sixth quarterback off my draft board, Herbert, wraps up the fifth stanza.
ROUND 6
6.61. George Kittle, TE, 49ers
6.62. J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ravens
6.63. Justin Fields, QB, Bears
6.64. Marquise Brown, WR, Cardinals
6.65. Christian Watson, WR, Packers
6.66. Dallas Goedert, TE, Eagles
6.67. Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers
6.68. D’Andre Swift, RB, Eagles
6.69. DJ Moore, WR, Bears
6.70. Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers
6.71. Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints
6.72. James Cook, RB, Bills
Notes: Kittle is a nice potential bargain in the sixth round, which is where he’s going on average in NFFC drafts. Fields is going a round higher in some other mocks, but he lands in the sixth round in this one. I guess some of my old school “wait on your quarterback” philosophy remains. It’s hard to rank Dobbins based on absence from Ravens camp, but I still have him listed as a low No. 2 runner. Kamara, who will miss the first three games due to a league-imposed suspension, has moved into Round 6. Cook, who is getting huge buzz in Bills camp, has moved up in this mock.
Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports
ROUND 7
7.73. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts
7.74. Darren Waller, TE, Giants
7.75. David Montgomery, RB, Lions
7.76. Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons
7.77. Isiah Pacheco, RB, Chiefs
7.78. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars
7.79. Jahan Dotson, WR, Commanders
7.80. Dalvin Cook, RB, free agent
7.81. De’Von Achane, RB, Dolphins
7.82. AJ Dillon, RB, Packers
7.83. Antonio Gibson, RB, Commanders
7.84. Drake London, WR, Falcons
Notes: Much like Fields, Lawrence is getting picked a round earlier in some other mocks. He’s a big-time breakout candidate, and he’ll be a higher pick in leagues where quarterbacks are more valuable (or there’s a bigger run at the position). I’ve moved Waller ahead of Pitts among tight ends, but they’ll be picked in pretty close proximity in most drafts. Cook, who remains a free agent at the time of this mock, is worth a seventh-round pick as a potential flex starter with upside. I’ve been drafting a lot of Achane in PPR formats, as I see him having a big role in the passing game in what will be a committee in Miami. The round ends with London, who could be on the verge of a breakout season if Desmond Ridder succeeds in Atlanta.
ROUND 8
8.85. Jamaal Williams, RB, Saints
8.86. Evan Engram, TE, Jaguars
8.87. Michael Thomas, WR, Saints
8.88. Pat Freiermuth, TE, Steelers
8.89. Brandin Cooks, WR, Cowboys
8.90. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Patriots
8.91. Jerick McKinnon, RB, Chiefs
8.92. George Pickens, WR, Steelers
8.93. Khalil Herbert, RB, Bears
8.94. Jordan Addison, WR, Vikings
8.95. Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos
8.96. Jakobi Meyers, WR, Raiders
Notes: Williams, who projects to be the Saints top runner for the first three weeks, begins the round. I’ve moved Thomas up in my rankings, but he’s still more of a low-end No. 3 fantasy wideout with No. 2 upside. Cooks has had a good camp for the Cowboys and could be a nice bargain, and Pickens is drawing positive reviews for the Steelers. This round sees the first rookie wideout, Addison, come off the board. McKinnon’s ADP is much lower than this on NFFC’s site, but I can’t help but think he'll be a big part of the Chiefs offense, especially as a receiver.
ROUND 9
9.97. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks
9.98. Brian Robinson, RB, Commanders
9.99. Samaje Perine, RB, Broncos
9.100. Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seahawks
9.101. David Njoku, TE, Browns
9.102. Gabe Davis, WR, Bills
9.103. Rashaad Penny, RB, Eagles
9.104. Tyler Higbee, TE, Rams|
9.105. Tyler Allgeier, RB, Falcons
9.106. Devin Singletary, RB, Texans
9.107. Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys
9.108. Treylon Burks, WR, Titans
Notes: The round begins with the draft’s second rookie wideout, Smith-Njigba. We’re also seeing backs with upside coming off the board, including Robinson, Charbonnet and Penny. I like Higbee more than most, which is a surprise since he’s one of the Rams’ few reliable options in the passing game behind Kupp. I like him as a low-end No. 1 fantasy tight end. Burks’s stock had dropped a bit with the addition of Hopkins, but he has been getting good reviews during Titans camp.
ROUND 10
10.109. Raheem Mostert, RB, Dolphins
10.110. Damien Harris, RB, Bills
10.111. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Ravens
10.112. Kadarius Toney, WR, Chiefs
10.113. Deshaun Watson, QB, Browns
10.114. Daniel Jones, QB, Giants
10.115. Dalton Schultz, TE, Texans
10.116. Romeo Doubs, WR, Packers
10.117. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins
10.118. Elijah Mitchell, RB, 49ers
10.119. Jaylen Warren, RB, Steelers
10.120. Gus Edwards, RB, Ravens
