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 with Super Flex
- # of Teams: 10
- Draft Slot: 5
- Starters: QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, Super Flex (QB/RB/WR/TE), K, DST
- Bench Size: 6
With that said, here are the results of today's mock draft:
1.05 - Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys: The rushing champion as a rookie, Elliott served a six-game suspension in 2017 but led the league in rushing yards per game (98.3) with a larger workload (24.2 carries per game) in his sophomore campaign. With limited weapons in the passing game, Elliott and the Cowboys will face many eight-men fronts, but the former Buckeye should get north of 300 carries with a chance for another rushing title.
2.06 - Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers: Playing just eight games in 2015 and one game in 2016, Allen won the AP Comeback of the Year award as he posted career numbers (102/1,393/6) in a healthy 16-game campaign. From Weeks 11 to 17, Allen was absolutely dominant with five 100-yard games during that seven-game span. No player had more receptions (58) or receiving yards (797) and only Antonio Brown (six) scored more touchdowns (five) than Allen over that stretch.
3.05 - Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings: Before having his rookie season cut short by a torn ACL, the Florida State product carried the ball 74 times for 354 yards (4.78 YPC) and two touchdowns with 11 catches for 90 yards. Cook was on a 16-game pace of 1,776 yards from scrimmage, 44 catches and eight touchdowns. If he's able to stay healthy, Cook has top-five upside in what should be a run-heavy offense.
4.06 - Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings: Thielen has only 10 touchdowns in his four NFL seasons, but the former UDFA built upon his breakout 2016 season to lead the team in targets (142), receptions (91) and receiving yards (1,276). Only Brown, Julio Jones, Allen and DeAndre Hopkins had more yards than Thielen last season.
- MORE: Minnesota Vikings 2018 Fantasy Football Projections
5.05 - Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos: Thomas is coming off his worst season (83/949/5) since breaking out in 2012. Signing Case Keenum may not return Thomas to the days of 90/1,400/10 numbers he posted from 2012 to 2014, but a bounce-back campaign to the tune of 90 catches and 1,200 yards seems reasonable with steadier quarterback play.
6.06 - 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. In addition, Rivers has thrown for at least 4,286 yards and 28 touchdowns in each of the past five seasons.
7.05 - Michael Crabtree, WR, Baltimore Ravens: As part of a 1-2 punch with Amari Cooper in Oakland, Crabtree had three (well, two if you don't count 2017) productive seasons as a Raider. During that span, Crabtree has 25 touchdowns -- eight-plus in each of the past three seasons. The move to Baltimore means that Crabtree now becomes his team's clear No. 1 wideout.
- MORE: Michael Crabtree 2018 Fantasy Football Profile
8.06 - Alex Collins, RB, Baltimore Ravens: Collins had double-digit carries in the final 12 games of the season, but he didn't get his first reception until Week 8. From Week 8 to 17, the second-year back had the eighth-most fantasy points among running backs.
9.05 - Pierre Garcon, WR, San Francisco 49ers: Garcon (neck) missed half the season and was on pace for an 80/1,000 season before the injury. His last full season (2013) playing in Kyle Shanahan's offense, he posted a career-best 113/1,346/5 stat line. Unlikely to repeat those numbers, a 1,000-yard season is certainly within reach.
10.06 - Delanie Walker, TE, Tennessee Titans: Extending his streak of 800-yard seasons to four, Walker finished as fantasy's TE7 (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.
11.05 - Jordan Reed, TE, Washington Redskins: If he ever puts together a 16-team season, Reed has the potential to lead all tight ends in fantasy points. Unfortunately, he has missed at least four games in four of his five NFL seasons including 10 missed games last season. In his healthiest season (14 games in 2015), Reed had a monster 87/952/11 line.
12.06 - Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars: Despite five interceptions in the last two regular-season games, Bortles played extremely well down the stretch with multiple passing scores and 300-plus yards in three of the four games through Week 16. Over the past three seasons, Bortles has finished as the QB4 (2015), QB10 (2016) and QB13 (2017) and he has the potential to once again outperform his ADP.
13.05 - Rex Burkhead, RB, New England Patriots: Missing six games in his first season with the Patriots, Burkhead scored eight touchdowns as he rushed for 264 yards and added 30 catches for 254 yards. Even though the Patriots drafted Georgia's Sony Michel in the first round, I'd expect Burkhead to lead the backfield in touchdowns and we've seen LeGarrette Blount rush for 18 touchdowns only two seasons ago.
14.06 - Mitch Trubisky, QB, Chicago Bears: There is plenty of reason for optimism going into Trubisky's second NFL season. Upgrading their pass-catchers and offensive line in free agency and the draft, the Bears also signed ex-Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy as head coach. Even if we don't see the same type of second-year jump we saw from Jared Goff, we have seen the difference better coaching and an improved supporting cast can make going into a quarterback's second season.
15.05 - Houston Texans D/ST
16.06 - Matt Prater, K, Detroit Lions
- View full mock draft results here
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