Fantasy Football Staff Mock Draft Results (July)

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Standard Scoring Staff Mock Draft

The Gridiron Experts staff organized a 12 team Mock Draft for the month of July. The results of that draft along with staff recap and thoughts are listed below. Click on the tab button to see a recap of each team as a complete roster. We did draft Kickers or Team Defense’s this time and drafted under the assumption that the starting lineup would be QB, 2RB, 3WR, Flex, TE, K, DEF.

 

 

Thoughts and Insight

[avatar user=”Derek Brown” size=”70″ align=”left” /]

Taking Sammy Watkins at 5.08 who is currently drafted on average at 6.05 in 12 team standard leagues felt like a no-brainer. The loose narrative is that volume is king and while that is true in standard formats touchdowns are reign supreme. With a talented depth chart around him, Watkins can still stake his claim this season in the red zone. Watkins outpaced Travis Kelce last season in catch rate near the goal line at 70% to Kelce’s 50%. Watkins matched Kelce’s eight touchdowns last season on merely 70 targets total. To further illustrate Watkins end zone dance prowess he matched Kelce’s production on half the red zone volume with ten targets inside the 20-yard line versus Kelce’s 20 targets. Tyreek Hill has not entered the conversation so far for a host of reasons. Hill measures in at 5”10 185 as a player who garnered merely four red zone targets and one red zone reception on a total of 105 targets. Hill’s looks to reprise his 2017 role as a deep threat and field stretcher. While immensely skilled Hill profiles as a distant fourth on the red zone totem pole behind Kelce, Watkins, and Kareem Hunt. Watkins will be the king of Kansas City pay dirt in 2018. – DBro_FFB

[avatar user=”Derek Wiley” size=”70″ align=”left” /]

Derek Wiley – I drafted David Njoku at 9.10 while his ADP is 13.09 mainly because I needed to fill my starting TE position and the position was drying up quickly. However, I do think Njoku has high upside in an offense run by Tyrod Taylor. So much attention will be paid to Landry and Gordon that Njoku could get lost in the mix and find himself open often. At 6’4” 247lbs Njoku is going to be a huge mismatch on the field but primarily in the red zone. In a standard league, touchdowns matter more than the yard totals. Njoku could easily be an 8-10 TD guy. He brings upside and excitement to a position in need of exciting talent and I’ll take my chances on an athletic guy like Njoku in the 9th. – @dwiley1223

[avatar user=”Andrew Fleischer” size=”70″ align=”left” /]

Andrew Fleischer  Marshawn Lynch’s ADP was 11.06 (126 overall) at draft time, and I ended up taking him at 8.11 (95th overall). I had him ranked as the RB23 for standard-scoring leagues, and at that point there had already been 11 RBs taken that i’d ranked lower than Lynch. ADP is a useful tool to give you a general idea of how a player is valued, but you have to allow for variance in any given draft, and I assumed someone else had him ranked well above his ADP. Per PFF, Lynch’s 68.0 elusive rating was the fourth-highest among 28 RBs with at least 165 attempts. I expect him to excel in the power running scheme that Jon Gruden’s expected to install.   @afleischer

[avatar user=”John Ferguson” size=”70″ align=”left” /]

John Ferguson – I took Deshaun Watson at 3.07 as the overall QB2 behind only Aaron Rodgers. I catch a lot of flak for my love of Watson. I have him ranked as the overall QB1 this season. The cool thing to do is wait on a quarterback in drafts, and it’s a sound strategy when you have guys like Stafford and Rivers going in the 10th and 11th rounds. While both of those quarterbacks offer safe, back-end top-10 QB potential, neither really offer the league winning upside of Watson. Not only does Watson offer a safe floor with his rushing ability, but he also had the highest percentage of his passes go for more than 20 yards last season. Sure, there is a small sample size, but Watson finished with an average of 24.1 points per game last season. Cam Newton finished with 24.3 points per game when he was the QB1 in 2015. So it’s not impossible to think Watson can achieve similar numbers. – @FantasyFerguson

[avatar user=”Marc Mathyk” size=”70″ align=”left” /]

Marc Mathyk – I took Spencer Ware at 9.12, way before his 17.02 ADP. I believe that Ware, who was solid as the Chiefs starter, won’t be idle. I do think Hunt, who was the rushing champion last year, would be even better if Ware was in the mix. Ware has proven to be a competent all-purpose back and Hunt could get sophomoritis or if he were to get injured then Ware would automatically be a RB1. Worst case scenario, he will probably garner 10-12 touches per game. – @Masterjune70

[avatar user=”Zach12345″ size=”70″ align=”left” /]

Zach Greubel – Jamison Crowder isn’t supposed to be selected in the seventh round, at least not in non-PPR drafts. It was a little early, admittedly, but I am big on Crowder this year and I drafted him as my WR4 and as the overall WR32 anyway. That overall status is more attainable with PPR scoring, but Crowder will serve as Alex Smith’s favorite target and is a prime candidate to lead the Redskins in at least targets and catches. His touchdown total will be closer to the seven he tallied in 2016 than the three he managed in 2017. Achieving WR3 numbers is a realistic expectation for Crowder, even in standard setups.  – @ZachGreubel

 

 

[avatar user=”Jason Willan” size=”70″ align=”left” /]

Jason Willan – I think Pierre Garcon in the eighth round was my favorite pick of this draft. I almost pulled the trigger on him as my WR3 in the previous round, so to land Garcon 15 picks later as a WR4 is a great value. He was on his way to a 1,000-yard season in 2017 before a neck injury shut him down in October, and that was before the arrival of Jimmy Garoppolo. With a full season of Garoppolo under center and as the number-one pass-catching option in an offense on the rise, Garcon offers a ton of fantasy upside at a minimal cost. – @ConsultFantasy

[avatar user=”Andrew Fleischer” size=”70″ align=”left” /]

Andrew Fleischer –  Landing Rob Gronkowski at 2.11 was my favorite move. There was a time when the Patriots were careful with Gronkowski’s reps, electing to reduce his injury exposure during the regular season, but I think that time has passed. He played 2017 on an incentive-laden contract that rewarded playing time. With Edelman slated to miss the first four games, Gronk’s targets should only increase. An injury is always a concern with Gronkowski, but his touchdown ceiling is right on par with most of the elite receivers selected before him. I rank him in a tier of his own at TE this season. As an added bonus, my first article for Gridiron Experts this season detailed Gronkowski’s value, so this pick is very #onbrand.   @afleischer

[avatar user=”John Ferguson” size=”70″ align=”left” /]

John Ferguson –  There are a couple picks in here that I liked a lot, especially towards the tail-end. I’m a big fan of Matt Breida this season. I also think De’Angelo Henderson could be a dark horse for complementary work in the Denver backfield. But my overall favorite pick is probably Chargers wideout, Tyrell Williams. Recency bias allowed me to take Williams all the way down at 15.07 as the fifth wide receiver on my roster. There is no denying Williams was a huge bust last season, but the guy just finished as WR18 in PPR leagues in 2016. He is still a huge deep threat for Philip Rivers, as he ranked fourth amongst wideouts last season in yards per target. Mike Williams had a lost rookie year, giving Tyrell the inside track for WR2 duties again this season. The Chargers also have a gaping hole at tight end right now and it doesn’t take more than stubbing a toe to send injury-prone Keenan Allen to I.R. I see a pretty clear path to solid opportunity for Tyrell Williams this season.  – @FantasyFerguson

[avatar user=”Derek Wiley” size=”70″ align=”left” /]

Derek Wiley – My favorite pick has to be Dalvin Cook. I love the talent and potential he brings to the table and to get him at 2.03 is great. I get to pair him with Fournette and allows me to start one of the best duos in this draft. Cook averaged 4.8 YPC and 13.6 standard fantasy points per game, which ranked 9th in the NFL. He now gets a quarterback that will help open the field more for Cook as teams will be paying more attention to the passing attack. Cook is primed for a big year 2 in Minnesota and is a steal to have as my RB2.  – @dwiley1223

[avatar user=”Marc Mathyk” size=”70″ align=”left” /]

Marc Mathyk –  I like my Ben Watson pick at 17.12. Tethered to his old buddy Brees, Watson looks to find the magic he had when he was a Saint a few years ago. His ADP is low, most likely because he is older but many are banking on unproven guys like Trey Burton (8.05), David Njoku (9.10), and George Kittle (10.03). None of them have ever eclipsed 600 yards. I like younger guys and rookies for other positions but at tight end, give me the wiley veteran I can pick up 8-10 rounds later who plays with a future hall of famer.  – @Masterjune70

[avatar user=”Zach12345″ size=”70″ align=”left” /]

Zach Greubel – Taking quarterbacks late in drafts is an advisable and beneficial strategy. It enables you to stock up talent at key positions like running back and wide receiver and more often than not there will be a potential QB1 waiting for you once the double-digit rounds arrive. This strategy worked out well for me this draft, at least on paper, as I was able to snag Matt Ryan in the 12th round and Jameis Winston in the 13th round. Ryan is primed for a rebound campaign after a disappointing MVP follow-up. Winston is abeyant for the first three games of the season, but he has weekly QB1 upside if he can keep his act together.  – @ZachGreubel

 

 

[avatar user=”Andrew Fleischer” size=”70″ align=”left” /]

Andrew Fleischer – I’m happy to have landed some key pieces of the Patriots offense in Brady, Gronkowski, and White. Going with an RB/TE took me out of the running for one of the Tier One WRs, but I like Thielen’s potential to join that elite group with Cousins at the helm. I also like the value of Tyler Lockett as my WR5, as I think he could have a career-year with the increased opportunity from Paul Richardson’s move to the Redskins. Among the rookie RBs, I think Royce Freeman might return the most value at his ADP. He joins a Bronco’s running back group in which he immediately assumes the role of most talented RB. I like Denver offense to rebound sharply behind the underrated Case Keenum, and per Warren Sharp, they face the 13th-easiest schedule of run defense efficiency. I loved getting the Baltimore Ravens D/ST as the fifth defense off the board. There were the 2nd-highest scoring unit last season, and while they didn’t make any significant additions in free agency, the didn’t have any significant losses either, and they return Tavon Young from an ACL tear that cost him the 2017 season. Finally, I love Cameron Brate as my TE2. He’s unlikely to start for me outside of Gronk’s Week 11 bye, but should Gronk succumb to injury at any point, I like Brate to return top-10 TE numbers. I think this squad’s a contender.   @afleischer

[avatar user=”John Ferguson” size=”70″ align=”left” /]

John Ferguson  This was actually my first mock draft on the MFL format this season. I spend a lot of time doing mock’s on FantasyFootballCalculator.com. Some of the ADP’s on MFL threw me off at first, leading me to take Robert Woods in the sixth round. While I like Woods this season, that was an unnecessary reach on my part and I wasn’t properly prepared to make my pick. These are the kinds of mistakes that are great to iron out in mocks before the season starts. Each fantasy format has players ranked differently and knowing when and where you can reach and wait based on format is key to successful drafting. I was planning on grabbing Kelce in the third and Ingram in the fourth but both were selected immediately before my turn. Curse you, snipers! I hate having middle of the draft picks where you don’t ever get that quick turn around. I find it harder to get players to fall to you in the next round. I loved getting Devonta Freeman in the mid-second round as my RB1. I also think the stack of Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins could single handedly win me weeks. Jimmy Graham is a bit of a risk in the fifth round, but in a standard scoring format, his touchdown potential on the Packers is great enough to warrant it. I was also content grabbing Jordy Nelson and Emmanuel Sanders in the 7th and 8th rounds. Both offer 1,000-yard upside with Nelson also posing a potential double-digit touchdown threat. I would prefer a stronger starting running back stable. With a team like this, I am really hoping some of my later round lottery tickets like Jamaal Williams, Doug Martin or Matt Breida pay off, which is entirely possible. I will probably be filling flex spots with wide receivers to start the season, however. All in all, this is a bit of a riskier team than I generally prefer to draft, but sometimes it takes that risk/reward approach to pay off big. I was able to get a good amount of players from high scoring offenses like the Packers, Patriots, Chargers, and Rams. I am confident that with solid in-season management and aggressive trade negotiations, this team could easily be a high scoring unit. – @FantasyFerguson

[avatar user=”Jason Willan” size=”70″ align=”left” /]

Jason Willan – I like my team okay in this one, but in hindsight, I probably should have addressed quarterback and tight end a little earlier. I think there is a lot of depth at both positions, but when you are drafting against a group like this, it pays to get ahead of the curve on guys you are targeting. In this case, I got sniped by just a few picks on both Trey Burton and Matthew Stafford, two guys I was hoping to land in rounds 7-10. While I like Jimmy Jordan Reed and Jimmy Garoppolo, I would have felt better with the other QB/TE pairing. I’m generally not taking a lot of wide receivers early in 2018 drafts and breaking a bit from that strategy here didn’t leave me with the optimal outcome. @ConsultFantasy

[avatar user=”Marc Mathyk” size=”70″ align=”left” /]

Marc Mathyk @Masterjune I am generally satisfied with my team. I think my wide receiving corps are outstanding with Julio Jones and Michael Thomas as my two starters. T.Y. Hilton looks to be my flex. I think Rishard Matthews is a consistent bench option. Jordan Matthews stock looks to be rising and who knows? Maybe Corey Coleman can finally come good. My quarterbacks are exciting. Brees is strong and Mahomes is potentially explosive. My tight ends are solid. The only concerns I have are my running backs. I am a big believer in Derrius Guice but he’s essentially a rookie so I took a gamble on him. Lamar Miller looks to be my RB2 and with D’Onta Foreman’s injury outlook not looking promising, I feel good about Miller. My bench has upside but ultimately could be my Achilles’ heel. Chubb’s situation isn’t formidable but he could rise and be the star there. Peyton Barber is just a guy but could see work. Spencer Ware is my dark horse but could fall flat. I took a chance on Jeremy Hill revitalizing his career in New England but he might not even make the team. And my gamble on DeMarco Murray looks to be a wasted pick as he decided a week after our draft to retire. Oh well, waiver wire, here I come!  – @Masterjune70

[avatar user=”Zach12345″ size=”70″ align=”left” /]

Zach Greubel – I thought I could have done better, particularly in the early rounds. I’m low on Alshon Jeffery and LeSean McCoy. McCoy’s prospects have dropped since the draft with his name linked to a domestic dispute. Jeffery caught nine touchdowns last year, but he hasn’t caught more than 57 passes or gained more than 1,000 yards since 2014. While the first portion of my draft could have been of higher quality, I did like some of my later picks. Randall Cobb, Sterling Shepard and Chris Thompson seemed like favorable value picks in the eighth, ninth and tenth rounds, respectively. All three players possess more PPR upside, but players valued more in PPR formats can slip in standard drafts. Thompson, for example, was the RB30 in 10 games last year and I was able to draft him as the RB44 here. Suffice it to say, my bench is more gratifying than my starters.  – @ZachGreubel

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