Starting on July 7th, we began drafting (at least) one fantasy football team per day using the 2018 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator and we will continue to do so up until the start of the 2018 NFL season.
Each day, we will switch things up -- e.g., PPR vs. standard scoring, league size, draft slot, 2-QB leagues, auction leagues, etc.
In addition, we will centralize links to our daily fantasy football mock drafts for an easy way to keep track of our mock drafts.
Details of today's mock draft:
- Scoring: Point-per-reception (PPR) scoring
- # of Teams: 12
- Draft Slot: 2
- Starters: QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, Flex (RB/WR/TE), K, DST
- Bench Size: 6
With that said, here are the results of today's mock draft:
1.02 - Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams: What a difference a year (coach) makes! Leading all running backs in fantasy points scored, Gurley compiled 2,093 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns, both of which led the NFL. Repeating those lofty numbers in back-to-back seasons may be unreasonable for Gurley (or any NFL player), but he remains a top-two pick with Le'Veon Bell.
2.11 - Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Even though he posted a career-low 1,001 yards last season, Evans has now begun his career with four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Only two other players — Randy Moss and A.J. Green — have started their careers with four 1,000-yard seasons. Over his four NFL seasons, Evans has 32 touchdowns and a pair of 12-score campaigns.
3.02 - Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals: Down to 218 pounds (compared to 238 last rookie minicamp), Mixon is poised for bigger things in his sophomore campaign. The versatile back averaged just 3.5 yards per carry last season behind one of the league's worst offensive lines, but offseason upgrades at left tackle and center should help.
4.11 - Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears: Turning 25 on August 24th, Robinson had an 80/1,400/14 season (2015) under his belt, but he was lost for (almost) all of 2017 with a torn ACL sustained in Week 1. The good news is that he's been a full-go for the start of training camp as he attempts to learn a new offense.
5.02 - Jay Ajayi, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: Getting limited regular-season touches (70 carries and 10 receptions in seven games), Ajayi averaged 5.8 yards per carry and 9.1 yards per reception. Ajayi saw a postseason workload bump with 42 carries and six receptions over three playoff games and he's poised for a (much) larger workload heading into 2018 with LeGarrette Blount now in Detroit.
6.11 - Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Denver Broncos: While Sanders missed four games, his 2017 numbers (47/555/2) were nearly half of his 2016 production (79/1,032/5). Before last season, Sanders had three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and there is a reasonable chance that he approaches that level of production with Denver's most stable quarterback situation since Peyton Manning.
7.02 - Delanie Walker, TE, Tennessee Titans: Extending his streak of 800-yard seasons to four, Walker finished as PPR's TE6 in his age-33 season. The veteran tight end has finished as a top-12 fantasy tight end in all five of his seasons with the Titans and should do so again.
8.11 - Sterling Shepard, WR, New York Giants: Even though he missed five games, Shepard posted a career high in receiving yards (731) and set a career high in receptions on a per-game basis (5.36). Shepard will have an opportunity to post full-season career highs as the team's WR2.
9.02 - Kenny Stills, WR, Miami Dolphins: Over the past two seasons, Stills has 100 catches for 1,573 yards and 15 touchdowns and he's finished as a top-30 receiver in standard-scoring formats both seasons. There may be some game-to-game volatility, but I think he will outproduce perennial underperformer DeVante Parker.
10.11 - Giovani Bernard, RB, Cincinnati Bengals: Mixon missed a couple of December games, but Bernard was highly productive down the stretch. Gio had 507 YFS, averaged 4.75 YPC with 24 receptions and two scores across five December games. Gio offers late-round value as a back that could return flex value.
11.02 - Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions: Interestingly enough, Stafford's lone Pro Bowl season (2014) was the last time that he finished outside the top-10 fantasy quarterbacks. Not counting that QB15 finish in 2014, Stafford has finished as a top-12 fantasy quarterback in the other six of the past seven seasons. Part of that consistent production is aided by his durability (no missed games over past seven seasons) and the team's reliance on the passing game, but he actually set a seven-year low in pass attempts (565) in 2017. Even so, Stafford threw for 4,446 yards, a four-year high, and 29 touchdowns, tied for the third-most in his career.
12.11 - Philip Rivers, QB, Los Angeles Chargers: Except for 2012 (21st) and 2016 (14th), Rivers has finished as a top-12 fantasy quarterback in the eight of his past 10 NFL seasons. On my list of 12 Undervalued Players Compared to Fantasy ADP, Rivers has thrown for at least 4,286 yards and 28 touchdowns in each of the past five seasons.
13.02 - Peyton Barber, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tampa's leading rusher in 2017, Barber had 335 rushing yards (15th-most in the NFL) on 78 carries (4.29 YPC) from Weeks 13 to 17. At least for now, Barber goes into the season as the starter even though he will likely cede that role at some point this season.
14.11 - Los Angeles Chargers D/ST
15.02 - Tyrell Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers: With Keenan Allen out for virtually of 2016, Williams had a breakout season with 69 catches for 1,059 yards and seven touchdowns. With Allen healthy, Williams had 43/728/4 in 2017 — and that level of production is a more reasonable expectation barring an Allen injury in 2018.
16.11 - Matt Prater, K, Detroit Lions
- View full mock draft results here
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