2019 College Fantasy Football Mock Draft Analysis

For teachers, there are not many better feelings than hitting Submit on Final Grades for the year in PowerSchool. I finished my 13th year at my high school and am so thrilled for summer vacation. It is time to sleep late, cook outside on the grill, enjoy time with the family and prepare for both the NFL and college fantasy football seasons. In order to kick off the upcoming crusade, I amassed the finest CFF fanatics in the industry and we held the first College Fantasy Football Mock Draft of the season. The results and accompanying analysis offer great insight into what you can expect your drafts to look like in the coming months.

Ready to give College Fantasy Football a go? Head on over to Fantrax.com to see what it’s all about.

2019 College Fantasy Football Mock Draft

All of the CFF All-Americans are listed below along with their Twitter accounts:

• Nicholas Ian Allen, @CFBWinningEdge
• Mike Bainbridge, @MBainbridgeCFF
• Scott Bogman, @BogmanSports
• Josh Chevalier, @CFFguys
• Joe DiSalvo, @theCFFsite
• Zach Hall, @CFFChamps
• Justin Heiesey, @JustinHeisey
• John Laub, @GridironSchol91
• Mark R. Lindquist, @markrlindquist
• Nathan Marchese, @CFFNate
• John McKechnie, @Johnnymckechs
• Blasé Sinopoli, @lord_blaser

After the completion of the sixth annual Summa Cum Laude College Fantasy Football Mock Draft we put the screws to the drafters with three pressing questions for additional insight for readers.

1. Other than your club, pinpoint the owner with the best draft.

“This might sound like I’m sucking up to the guy who put all this together, but I was particularly impressed with the roster put together by John Laub, the Gridiron Scholar himself. It’s a solid group from top to bottom. Starting at the top, Sam Ehlinger and Tua Tagovailoa are arguably the best 1-2 QB punch in the league, and I have both Collin Johnson and Justyn Ross as Top 15 receivers in my CFB Winning Edge CFF player rankings. Albert Okwuegbunam was my No. 2 tight end and John picked him in the eighth round and fourth at the position. Also, Andre Szmyt is arguably the top kicker in America, and Georgia has one of the most talented defenses in the country.

Personally, I think running back is John’s weakest position group (and he likely does as well given the fact he drafted five), but I think he’s got some potential breakout stars at the position. I’m a little lower on Salvon Ahmed than most (No. 52 overall and No. 18 among RBs on my draft board), but he’s explosive and has a chance to have a huge year. Jermar Jefferson (No. 14 on my list) and Stevie Scott (No. 20) were two of the most productive freshmen in the country last season, and Darrynton Evans—a former receiver—has a great all-around skillset. Plus, you nabbed the Power 5 freshman with the best opportunity to start in 2019 in Michigan’s Zach Charbonnet.” — Nicholas Allen

“It’s never a bad strategy to land multiple players from Oklahoma State and Hawaii in CFF and Josh Chevalier was able to do that with a number of high-upside talent in Spencer Sanders, Cole McDonald, and Chuba Hubbard. Surround those guys with the likes of Adrian Martinez, who Josh landed at pick 1.11, and you are looking at a team that can score a ton of points if this season plays out the way most expect it to. Josh did have to use multiple picks on UCF quarterbacks, but that is worth it in the later rounds as the offense is one of the best in college football, even without McKenzie Milton.” — Mike Bainbridge

“I really liked Zach Hall’s draft overall. In particular, I thought his first five picks were incredible. His only weakness to me is his second quarterback, but that would be easy to solidify on the waiver wire if we were playing this league out.” — Joshua Chevalier

“In a full-FBS draft consisting of twelve teams with only sixteen roster spots, I had a very difficult time identifying a team that really stood out in the group, but I do like what John McKechnie did through the first six rounds. I believe each of those six guys will undoubtedly be weekly fantasy starters in 2019. However, Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders will be the ultimate wildcard in 2019. Expectations are high, and he’ll likely be selected within the first 3-5 rounds in a majority of college fantasy football drafts this year. If Sanders fulfills his potential, I will look back on Nathan Marchese’s draft and give him the nod, as he jumped on Sanders in round three after selecting Memphis RB Patrick Taylor and UCLA RB Joshua Kelley in rounds one and two.” — Joe DiSalvo

“My favorite QB drafts were Mark, Josh, John, Mike, Nate. Mark got two of my favorite QBs, John got two of my Top 10, and the rest of the guys landed 2-3 in my top 25.

My favorite RB drafts were Joe, Nate, and Mike. Between those three, they cleaned up on my Top 10. I like what Bogman did as well and think he has solid depth.

My favorite WR drafts were Josh, Justin, Mike, Scott. I think Mike built the best depth here but all these guys landed a few of my Top 25.

Overall though, I give it to Mike Bainbridge in this early college fantasy football mock. He was solid across the board. Fields and Mond are two guys I think will be really good (Top 10 good) and the chance he took on Blackman could pay off. Great third quarterback. Each runner he took I had targeted for this draft (except Eno because I knew I wasn’t getting him) but he got to them before I did. Two Top 10 guys at RB, my No. 1 in Eno and Corbin who should see plenty of carries. I also like what he did at WR. I think he has really good depth. Not sure he has a bunch of every week Top 10 guys, but he would be able to plug and play those guys depending on matchups and put up good numbers from this position. He was able to get five receivers that fell in my Top 40. And lastly, he was able to get a Top 10 TE in Ferguson who has as much potential as any tight out there.” — Zach Hall

“If I can’t pick my own draft, I have to go with my CFF: On Campus podcast partner Scott Bogman’s team. I expected him to follow through with his duo-receiver draft strategy but he instead went with Michael Warren with his second pick. Despite passing up on a second receiver, he still came away with Marquez Stevenson in the third round. He also landed JK Dobbins and Najee Harris to complement Warren and took Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins at tight end without having to overpay. I should also mention that he stole Jaret Patterson from me.” — Justin Heisey

“I would determine the winner of a college fantasy football mock draft by answering two questions: Who ended up consistently sniping players from me that I hoped to draft? And who has the well-rounded roster with which you would like to start a season? I really liked the rosters that Mark Lindquist, John Laub, and Justin Heisey put together, but I will give the nod to Zach Hall of CFFnews.com. I ranked each owner’s draft as a positional unit (QB, RB, WR, TE/D/ST), and I felt Zach’s roster had a Top 5-ranked unit at QB, RB, and TE/D/ST, and was just outside the Top 5 at WR. I think his roster has a good mix of both consistent and high ceiling players.” — Nate Marchese

“While drafting, I always put two or three players in my Que for my next pick. Throughout the draft, I kept getting snipped by Blasé Sinopoli, who selected one pick before me at No. 5 overall. He took my top running back target, Travis Etienne, and he continued to snatch players I coveted. Sinopoli acquired Holton Ahlers and Jordan Love, two of my Top 10 quarterbacks in the third and fourth rounds, and assembled a terrific backfield with Etienne, Jordan Cronkite, Isaiah Bowser and B.J. Smith. I am a little envious of the squad amassed by Sinopoli.” — John Laub

“John Laub plucked several of ‘my dudes’ during the mock. Especially at quarterback and running back. I’m a big believer in Sam Ehlinger’s potential to level up this fall, while we already know what Tua can do. My one slight cause for pause with Tagovailoa is that Alabama blows out so many opponents that he ends up sitting quarters. But obviously, when he is on the field, he is a magician.

On the running backs side of Laub’s roster, Salvon Ahmed and Jermar Jefferson are two Pac-12 players who I think will have monster seasons. I was waiting to draft Jefferson and ended up waiting just a touch too long. Throw in Darrynton Evans and Stevie Scott, plus a flier on Michigan freshman Zach Charbonnet and that’s a stacked grouping. I’m less enamored with the upside for John’s receiving corp, but his quarterbacks and running backs, aces.” — Mark Lindquist

“This was a tough one to decide because I felt that everyone, especially CFB Winning Edge, Laub, Bogman, and Nate all had outstanding drafts. I have to go with Bogman here though. Starting things off with two receivers in the first three rounds that could post Top-5 production at the position is huge, especially when the top tier of receivers is thinner than I anticipated coming into this draft.

Beyond that, pairing Caleb Evans and Zac Thomas in a two-quarterback format is very strong. I also really liked Bogman’s running back strategy of betting on blue-chip talent; Najee Harris and J.K. Dobbins are both likely 2020 NFL Draft picks who enter this season with far less competition for carries than they faced a year ago. Put another way, Harris and Dobbins are about to be unleashed, so getting both of them is huge.

Rounding things out, I liked how Bogman navigated the end-game as well. Getting the likely wide receiver No. 1 for Washington State never hurts and nabbing guys like Jaret Patterson and Trey Ragas is a great way to round out a bench. And I always respect going the homer route at defense and kicker. Ok cool, Hook ‘Em!” — John McKechnie

“Nate Marchese’s team has some running backs I really, really like (P. Taylor & J. Kelley), and I am much higher on QB Trevor Lawrence this year than most. Quarterback Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State) is definitely a gamble, but I felt he got great value from Matt Corral as he was a target of mine for quarterback three as well. Great depth and talent at every position.” — Blasé Sinopoli

2. Identify the top sleeper candidate this season.

“The top sleeper candidate in my mind is Colorado State receiver Nate Craig-Myers. I jumped the gun a little early picking him in the eleventh round, especially since he won’t be eligible to play until Week 3 this season after his transfer from Auburn, but I just couldn’t help myself. Craig-Myers was once the No. 1 receiver recruit in the country and spent almost his entire high school career as a five-star prospect. He’s my No. 33 ranked CFF wide receiver in part because he has a 99.67 overall player rating in our VGR+ system. Only 10 FBS receivers are more highly rated according to our numbers, and only one (SMU’s James Proche) competes in the Group of Five.

Things didn’t work out for Craig-Myers with the Tigers, but he still has a ton of untapped potential, and CSU head coach Mike Bobo isn’t shy about getting his top receiver the football. For instance, last year the Rams targeted Preston Williams (another former SEC five-star recruit) 35.73 percent of the time. Only Minnesota’s Tyler Johnson (my fourth-round pick), earned a higher percentage among FBS pass catchers. It’s understandable for CFF players to see leading returning receiver (and 6-foot-6 target) Warren Jackson—whom Josh Chevalier selected in the fifth round—as the most likely heir apparent to Williams for that role, but Craig-Myers is more athletic, and a better receiver overall, in my opinion. It might sound crazy because he’ll play two fewer games, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Craig-Myers comes close to replicating Williams’ numbers (96 catches, 1,1345 yards, 14 TDs) in 2019.” — Nicholas Allen

“I’m fully aboard the WR Keylon Stokes hype train in 2019 with the hopes that new quarterback Zach Smith can turn around this once prolific passing attack. During the 2015-16 season with Dane Evans at QB, the WR No. 1 for Tulsa averaged 86-1,384-11.5 per season. Stokes is the clear top target for the Golden Hurricane and can likely be had in the middle rounds in CFF drafts this early in the offseason.” — Mike Bainbridge

“AJ Rose (Kentucky) has breakaway speed and is dynamic with the ball in his hands. I do not think he will be nearly as efficient as Snell, but I do think he will be much more explosive. He is going to be fun to watch.” — Joshua Chevalier

“Tommy DeVito is taking over at quarterback for Syracuse and I expect that passing game to be a bit more vertical in 2019, so don’t sleep on wide receiver Taj Harris in 2019.” — Joe DiSalvo

“I don’t know if he qualifies as a sleeper but I think people are going to be gun-shy to draft Khalil Tate after getting burned last year as a top pick. There are going to be guys that are able to snag him as their third quarterback, and he’s got the potential to be one of the better fantasy signal callers. (Although he was a third rounder in this college fantasy football mock draft). I’ve been burned by my end of year trends but when you look at what Tate did at the end of the year compared to the beginning, he was 11 ppg better. That puts him in that 10-15 spot but I think potential to be even higher.

Now my real sleeper: I think it’s Zach Smith at Tulsa. Schedule-wise Smith is going to face a bunch of defenses that gave up points above the season average for quarterbacks faced. I hope I don’t lose you here but what this means is that over the course of the season these defenses gave up more points to a QB than what his average was. In fact, nine of the defenses did that in the majority of their games last year. It’s also been a few years since Montgomery had a relevant CFF QB but if you go back and look what he did with Dane Evans and Bryce Petty you have to think there is potential here for Smith to be a guy that surprises people.” — Zach Hall

“There are a few guys I like as sleepers for the 2019 season, but none more than Trey Knox at Arkansas. Chad Morris’ offensive system plays very favorably into the hands of its wide receivers, and if you remember Trey Quinn at SMU, you’ll know it finds those hands often. I expect Trey Knox to have plenty of receptions this year with improved quarterback play.” — Justin Heisey

“Too many great options for me to just pick one…so, I’ll pick two. First is Minnesota receiver Tyler Johnson. He finished 2018 in the top seven among returning wideouts but was taken as WR No. 12 in our mock and will likely be selected post fifth round in most drafts. He’s improved every year, a proven dominator rankings guy, QB likely to be better in 2019, and the Golden Gophers avoids crossover games vs OSU, MSU, and UM. And we all know what Fleck can do for talented WRs (see Corey Davis).

My second is Washington State RB Max Borghi. Anyone that follows me on twitter knows I have been an Etienne truther from early in the 2017 season and hyped him hard going into last season. Borghi is going to take over that role for me in 2019. Some experienced owners, such as Zach who took him at the end of round two, understand his ability and upside with Williams moving on, but many are still sleeping on Borghi, and he will be a steal in most drafts. He’s a PPR monster, has a nose for the end zone, and will be relied upon early and often for Mike Leach.” — Nate Marchese

“I’m old enough to remember watching the original triplets in Dallas: Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin. It is not hyperbole to proclaim that Appalachian State employs a modern triumvirate with QB Zac Thomas, RB Darrynton Evans and WR Corey Sutton. The Mountaineers’ offense scored over 37 points per game last year, and the starting unit returns four O-linemen and nine upperclassmen. At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Sutton earned All-Sun Belt second team last year after snatching 44 passes for 773 yards and 10 touchdowns. Blasé Sinopoli acquired a stud game breaker in the eighth round of the draft. I am acquiring the junior as often as possible in 2019.” — John Laub

[Editor’s Note: Just before publishing, Sutton was charged with marijuana possession and will appear in court on July 22, 2019.]

“My top sleeper was not even drafted in this exercise, but he could go very high next year. That would be Nebraska freshman WR/RB Wan’Dale Robinson, Scott Frost’s answer to Purdue’s Rondale Moore. Robinson is going to be playing in an attacking offense with a quarterback who has been bandied about on the Heisman fringes. I think Robinson goes off early and often.” — Mark Lindquist

“Going to point to my own team here, and I have to toss in some disclaimers, but Joey Gatewood (QB, Auburn) could be an absolute force this season. Obviously, he has to beat out five-star enrollee Bo Nix, but if Gatewood wins the job, look out. He’s huge—6-foot-5 and 234 pounds to be exact—with athleticism and a cannon arm to match. Gatewood was rated the No.1 athlete in the 2018 recruiting class and having a year under his belt in Auburn’s system helps his understanding of the system and his position-specific skills.

Speaking of the system, Gus Malzahn taking back over as the play-caller makes me bullish on Auburn’s offense as a whole. Whoever wins the job, be it Gatewood or Nix, will be in position to post elite fantasy numbers. I just happen to believe it’ll be Gatewood thanks to his rare blend of size, athleticism, and arm talent.

Looking further down, Quentin Harris out of Duke didn’t even get drafted in this 16-rounder but in deeper or Power 5-only formats, he’s worth a look. He’s locked in as the starter, has proven rushing ability and is going to develop further as a passer with David Cutcliffe’s full attention. He’s someone you can nab late and stash for weeks where you get hit hard by bye weeks or injury. The potential for double-digit rushing touchdowns for basically no cost on draft day is enough to make Harris someone I’ll have near the top of my sleeper lists all draft season.” — John McKechnie

“I really think Cam Akers can have a bounce back year so it was a great pick by Nick. I think the Florida State junior going this late in the draft could be a big sleeper for a running back that may end up as an every-week starter if the O-line can come together this year.” — Blasé Sinopoli

3. Select one player who will become a weekly CFF starter drafted in the tenth round or later this season.

“There’s been plenty of talk about the lack of depth in the tight end talent pool this year, but I think Brevin Jordan has a chance to develop into one of the top two players at the position in 2019. Though I officially have Hunter Bryant ranked No. 4 among tight ends on my draft board, I was pleasantly surprised to see Joe DiSalvo take him first and in the fifth round. I think he has crazy athleticism for the position, and he’s a difference-maker with the ball in his hands. Jordan is built similarly (6-foot-3, 250 pounds) and could be even more dynamic. The good folks at 247Sports assigned Jordan a .9820 grade as a high school recruit, which is the second highest among all current FBS tight ends (behind only Stanford’s Colby Parkinson at .9826). For reference, that’s a higher grade than Jake Fromm (.9794) and Bo Nix (.9777), among many others, and well higher than Texas A&M freshman tight end darling Baylor Cupp (.9700).

Jordan started eleven games as a true freshman last season, and though he missed spring practice following a minor knee injury, and he’ll have to learn a new offense, that might actually be a blessing in disguise. Dan Enos was the offensive coordinator at Arkansas under Bret Bielema from 2015-18, and during that time, he helped orchestrate a passing attack that made great use of players like Hunter Henry, Jeremy Sprinkle and Jeremy Patton. Also of note, though Enos wasn’t the play-caller at Alabama last year, he played a role in game-planning ways for the Tide to utilize Irv Smith, Jr. Enos has a proven track record implementing two TE sets effectively, which is great news given Will Mallory’s presence. Expect Miami to use the 6-foot-5 Mallory as a more traditional tight end on the end of the line of scrimmage, and to move Jordan around as an H-back, in the slot, or in other ways to set up mismatches.

One final thought: Jordan was high school teammates with new Miami quarterback Tate Martell. If Martell is able to win the starting job (a big if despite his ballyhooed arrival), he’ll have a longstanding rapport with his top tight end.” — Nicholas Allen

“I nabbed Wisconsin tight end Jake Ferguson in the twelfth round of this college fantasy football mock, and that is phenomenal value in my opinion for a TE that is solidly in my preseason Top 5 at the position. As a redshirt freshman, Ferguson finished second on the team with 36 receptions and four touchdowns, and should only improve going into his sophomore season.” — Mike Bainbridge

“Quarterback Armani Rogers (UNLV) has the talent to be a league winner for those who draft him IF he can improve his accuracy and stay healthy for the whole season.” — Joshua Chevalier

“Josh Chevalier drafted both UCF quarterbacks in rounds eleven and twelve, Darriel Mack and Brandon Wimbush. One of those guys will likely be a weekly fantasy starter in 2019.” — Joe DiSalvo

“When Josh picked up Darriel Mack and then Brandon Wimbush, it was a steal monopolizing the UCF quarterbacks. If there is no clarity on the starter come draft day for you and you can do what Josh did in this draft in Round 12, you probably just won the late rounds in your draft. That QB is going to have value. I understand the concerns with accuracy, but a dual-threat playmaker in that system is going to score points and there wasn’t any quarterback with more upside taken that late in my opinion.” — Zach Hall

“Hands down it’s Troy RB BJ Smith in the fourteenth round. Smith kept falling and falling and falling and I’m not entirely sure why. Neal Brown leaving Troy is a huge loss for the team but Smith managed to run for 1,100 yards and 13 touchdowns a year ago. New coach Chip Lindsey has produced money at the running back position in the past several seasons as offensive coordinator at Auburn and Kansas. If I had had more roster spots, I would’ve gladly added Smith in the fourteenth round.” — Justin Heisey

“The beauty of CFF is that numerous players inevitably come out of nowhere each season to play a key producer. Great options can be found late in drafts and even as UDFAs. Hell, quality players such as Keytaon Thompson, Ian Book, Pooka Williams, Shane Buechele, and Ronnie Rivers all went undrafted and could become weekly starters. The selection I want to highlight is Jafar Armstrong by Josh Chevalier of CFFguys in Round 10. He was RB No. 42 in this draft and is very likely to outperform his ADP this year. We saw the potential of a Notre Dame runner once Book took over at QB and he opened run lanes for Dex Williams. Armstrong has the hands of a receiver (which he played at an elite level in high school), but at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, he has the size to run between the tackles too.” — Nate Marchese

“In 2015, I attended the Navy-UConn game at the Rent in West Hartford, CT and witnessed QB Keenan Reynolds slice and dice the Huskies’ run defense. The senior captain rushed for 142 yards and totaled four touchdowns. Coach Ken Niumatalolo’s offense is one of the most exciting in college football but failed to set sail in 2018. In the offseason, Niumatalolo proclaimed that senior quarterback Malcolm Perry will be handed the steering wheel of the Midshipmen’s triple-option offense. Perry easily surpasses 1,000 yards rushing for the third consecutive campaign, and Navy’s quarterbacks are fantasy gold at the goal line. He is a stupendous value in early CFF drafts.” — John Laub

“I like Wan’Dale Robinson all the more for the offense he plays in, same general idea with Boise State RB Andrew Van Buren, drafted by Joe DiSalvo in the ninth round. Whoever wins the starting job in Boise steps into a traditionally killer position. Beyond that, with BSU breaking in a new quarterback, it wouldn’t stun if the running game was leaned upon early in the season.” — Mark Lindquist

“There are tons of right answers here, but I’ll go with WR Elijah Moore out of Ole Miss. His 36 catches on 50 targets for 398 yards and two touchdowns went largely unnoticed last year, but those are solid numbers for a true freshman working behind several future NFL players. Moore should be the No.1 guy in Oxford this year ahead of Braylon Sanders, who also projects for solid production in the new offense headed up by the talented Matt Corral.” — John McKechnie

The Summa Cum Laude All-CFF Undrafted Team

QB Kelvin Hopkins, Jr., Army
QB Ryan Willis, Virginia Tech
RB Lamical Perine, Florida
RB Ronnie Rivers, Fresno State
WR Justin Jefferson, LSU
WR Darnell Mooney, Tulane
WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
TE Mitchell Wilcox, South Florida

Full College Fantasy Football Mock Draft Results

You can view the mock round by round by using the navigation arrows at the bottom right of the table. You can also sort by position by click the top of that column.

Got a beef with some of the picks in our early College Fantasy Football Mock Draft? Take to Twitter to air it out with John Laub.

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