It wasn’t too long ago when all a fantasy player used to prepare for a football draft was to look at the previous season’s stats and possibly buy one of the many fantasy football publications on sale at most corner stores.
Today, in the era of the internet, fantasy football players have almost as much information at their fingertips as real general managers do. From expert analysis online to the advent of mock fantasy drafts, getting ready for the season is easier and more confusing than ever.
I recently took part in a mock fantasy draft on Fantasy Football Calculator. It was a 14-team draft, where I took the 11th slot. The scoring of this mock league is standard and each owner was allotted 15 selections.
My philosophy going in is to acquire the best talent available. Ideally, with my spot in the picking order I should be able to load up on impact players who aren’t top tier running backs. If I can get a top-of-the-line wide receiver and quarterback with my first two picks and then get a running back or two with my next three picks, I should be in good shape.
Let’s see how it all turns out:
First Round #11 Overall:
Larry Fitzgerald: With all of the top running backs off the board it was important I took a player who can be productive from another position. Fitz fits that bill. While the quarterback situation in Arizona is less than ideal, the guy still manages to put up good numbers. Plus, with the addition of Michael Floyd, Fitzgerald should see fewer double and triple coverages.
Second Round: 18th
Rob Gronkowski: Never in a million years would I have imagined taking a tight end in the second round of a draft, but I did. You can’t argue with Gronkowski’s record-setting numbers from a season ago. According to My Fantasy League his Average Draft Position (ADP) is 11, so getting him 18th overall was a steal. And my theory to take a tight end this high was validated when the next player taken was the Saints’ Jimmy Graham, the other highly-sought tight end.
Third Round: #39
Roy Helu: A pure reach, but my hands were tied. With 17 running backs already selected, I needed to take a rusher. Of all the guys available, Helu caught my eye because he came on strong last season under run-first Head Coach Mike Shanahan. Plus, with Robert Griffin III at quarterback, you can bet the Redskins will use plenty of running plays to keep the pressure off their rookie quarterback.
Fourth Round: #46
Peyton Manning: With a half-dozen quarterbacks already off the board, I needed to add one. Manning was the pick over Tony Romo and Ben Roethlisberger. Sure, he missed all of last season with a serious injury, but he’s still Peyton Manning, one of the best fantasy quarterback of all-time. Manning has a lot to prove, but with a young and talented group of receivers at his disposal, he could be the steal of my draft.
Fifth Round: #67
Antonio Brown: A good value pick: With an ADP of 56, getting Brown 67th overall is something to make you smile. Brown often gets lost in the shuffle, because he plays with the more-popular Mike Wallace. However, Brown had a better 2011 season than Wallace did and his upside appears to be much greater too.
Sixth Round: #74
Donald Brown: Because I went WR, TE in my first two picks, it is imperative I take a running back here. Brown could be set for a great season. With Andrew Luck under center, the Colts must protect their rookie passer, and Brown appears to be the benefactor of this approach. Again, I reached for a running back, but I feel that I got a bit of value here.
Seventh Round: #95
Sidney Rice: It’s been a tough couple of years for Sidney Rice since he joined the Seahawks. But, with Matt Flynn taking over for the erratic Tavaris Jackson, Rice should see many more opportunities this season. Plus, he appears to be in good health for the first time since he headed to Seattle. With Fitzgerald and Brown already on my team, Rice poses very little risk to my overall success.
Eighth Round: #102
Toby Gerhardt: I’ll admit it this was a bit of a desperation pick. I needed another running back and Gerhardt appeared to be the best one left on the board. I’m a Vikings’ fan, so I have heard the numerous Tweets and Facebook posts from Adrian Peterson saying he will be ready to go in Week One against the Jaguars. I highly doubt the Vikings are going to take an aggressive approach to get him on the field, especially when they aren’t expected to win more than five games. Gerhardt will get plenty of carries early on and could become great trade bait once Peterson takes over.
Ninth round: #123
Isaiah Pead: I’m not convinced Steven Jackson will ever be the back he once was. Getting Pead to add to my stockpile just makes sense.
10th Round #130
Michael Floyd: Getting Floyd here was a steal. He will feel considerably less pressure than most rookies because he has Larry Fitzgerald lining up opposite him. Floyd is a good enough receiver to make an impact. Didn’t necessarily need a WR here, but Floyd was too good to pass up.
11th Round #151
Rueben Randle: Randle landed in one of the best places a rookie receiver could end up. He will be a third receiver this season behind Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. Cruz has had foot trouble recently and Eli Manning has a reputation for incorporating many receivers into his act.
12th Round #158
Alex Smith: I like Smith a lot and to get him in the 12th round is awesome. He doesn’t put up mind-blowing numbers, but I believe he and Coach Jim Harbaugh are working on making him a bigger threat in this offense. Plus, the 49ers went out and got WRs Mario Manningham and Randy Moss. Mix in Michael Crabtree and breakout pass catcher Kyle Williams and Smith has as many weapons as any other QB in the league.
13th Round: #179
Alex Henery: A consistent kicker on a team that scores a lot of points this late in the draft? Yes, please.
14th round: #186
Denver Defense: Best available defense.
15th Round: #207
Kyle Rudolph: With Gronkowski in the fold, I didn’t need to get a great tight end. However, I feel as though I got the steal of the draft in Rudolph. He has built a great chemistry with Christian Ponder and he is bound to get his hands on the ball often now that he is the team’s co-starter with free agent John Carlson.
Overall, I’m happy with this mock draft. I did reach in a few places, especially at the running back spot, but I also feel much more prepared going into my real drafts. That’s why mock drafts are great for fantasy players. You can play with the possibilities without it hurting your real team.
I encourage you to take part in numerous mock drafts. Put yourself in different draft positions, take on different draft strategies and most importantly: observe your fellow drafters to discover trends that could help when you draft for real.
Blair Reynolds is a freelance writer and fantasy football expert living in Minnesota.
