While we wait for some teams to report to training camp, others are beginning to get underway. We are even starting to see some highlight catch videos that will undoubtedly impact the value of players in each mock draft. You’re likely still four or five weeks away from your league’s real draft so, if you haven’t already, familiarizing yourself with player values and where they’re coming off of the board is a good place to start in regards to preparation.
Every Monday, until the start of the NFL season, I will be completing a fantasy football mock draft on what I like to call “Mock Draft Monday.” This series is a favorite of mine and one of the articles I look forward to the most during fantasy football draft season. I encourage you to review these mock drafts and complete some of your own!
Each week, I will select a mock draft team selecting players from a different draft spot with an analysis as to why I picked each player where I did and when I did. As I break down the results of each mock draft, I guarantee my reasoning for every pick will help guide your own decision-making process when it comes time to select your teams for the upcoming fantasy football season. So, follow along all summer long!
Picking Fourth Overall in the Fourth Mock Draft
The following mock draft was completed, simulating my strategy and results for a 10-team, 1 quarterback, Points Per Reception league. The hypothetical roster consists of 3 wide receivers, 2 running backs, 1 tight end, and 1 RB/WR/TE Flex position. I drafted from the fourth overall pick in this mock draft and will make selections from different draft positions each week. For this mock draft, I will break down just the first 10 of the total 16 rounds as many Average Draft Positions, particularly for the later rounds, are bound to change once NFL training camps begin. As always, I spend my final two picks on a Defense/Special Teams and Kicker so they won’t be included as we focus on individual player analysis.
ROUND ONE
1.01- Christian McCaffrey (SF RB)
1.02- CeeDee Lamb (DAL WR)
1.03- Tyreek Hill (MIA WR)
1.04- Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET WR)
1.05- Ja’Marr Chase (CIN WR)
1.06- Justin Jefferson (MIN WR)
1.07- A.J. Brown (PHI WR)
1.08- Puka Nacua (LAR WR)
1.09- Bijan Robinson (ATL RB)
1.10- Breece Hall (NYJ RB)
MY PICK: Amon-Ra St. Brown
As expected, the “big three” of Christian McCaffrey, CeeDee Lamb, and Tyreek Hill come off of the board first. As we start to move into the middle of the round picks of these mock drafts, who to select in the first round becomes increasingly difficult. Not to be so dramatic, but this first pick feels like it sets the tone for the rest of the draft. Never did I think picks two through eight would all be wide receivers, but it’s certainly possible as some fantasy football managers feel safer investing high draft capital in that position.
This makes Bijan Robinson and Breece Hall apparent values at the end of this round. I’m sure the managers with the ninth and 10th overall picks were expecting to choose between a select few wide receivers but elected to zag and go running back instead, as would I.
As far as my pick, I’m not sure if Amon-Ra St. Brown would be my decision in a real draft at fourth overall. However, in this mock draft, taking him over Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson is a direct result of watching St. Brown on a few episodes of Netflix’s “Receiver” this past weekend. This mock draft is not an official ad for the series, but you should watch the show nonetheless.
ROUND TWO
2.01 – Jahmyr Gibbs (DET RB)
2.02- Garrett Wilson (NYJ WR)
2.03- Davante Adams (LV WR)
2.04- Chris Olave (NO WR)
2.05- Jonathan Taylor (IND RB)
2.06- Drake London (ATL WR)
2.07- Marvin Harrison Jr. (ARI WR)
2.08- Nico Collins (HOU WR)
2.09- Saquon Barkley (PHI RB)
2.10- Brandon Aiyuk (SF WR)
MY PICK: Marvin Harrison Jr.
I would likely take Saquon Barkley if this mock draft were the real thing. By the time Saquon is coming off of the board in this mock draft, 13 of the first 18 picks are wide receivers, so his RB6 value isn’t so crazy.
Instead, I want to emphasize how confident I am in Marvin Harrison Jr. as a rookie. We’ve seen rookie wide receivers like Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, and even Puka Nacua finish as a WR1 in fantasy football in their rookie seasons. However, their draft capital did not reflect that sort of value by any means ahead of their first season. So, seeing Marvin Harrison coming off of the board this high feels risky and overpriced.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is not only an arguably better prospect coming into the league than those mentioned above, but he doesn’t have the concerns each did when entering the league. Simply put, Justin Jefferson was viewed as a slot receiver, Ja’Marr Chase took a year off from football, and Puka Nacua was a fifth-round NFL Draft pick.
Marvin Harrison Jr. has the talent, lack of target competition, and a good quarterback to embark on his NFL career. He can be your 2024 fantasy football team’s WR1. I’m able to pair him with Amon-Ra St. Brown as my WR2.
ROUND THREE
3.01- Jaylen Waddle (MIA WR)
3.02- Mike Evans (TB WR)
3.03- Deebo Samuel (SF WR)
3.04- Michael Pittman Jr. (IND WR)
3.05- Cooper Kupp (LAR WR)
3.06- Josh Allen (BUF QB)
3.07- Sam LaPorta (DET TE)
3.08- Jalen Hurts (PHI QB)
3.09- Travis Etienne (JAX RB)
3.10- Travis Kelce (KC TE)
MY PICK: Michael Pittman Jr.
I continuously find myself drafting Michael Pittman Jr. in these mock drafts. It’s not intentional, but I am admittedly higher than most on the Indianapolis Colts this season. If Anthony Richardson stays healthy, I think the Colts can be a top-five scoring offense with their run game, pass game weapons, and coaching. Michael Pittman is the de facto WR1 for the team in this vision and I love taking him as my fantasy team’s WR3.
ROUND FOUR
4.01- D.J. Moore (CHI WR)
4.02- James Cook (BUF RB)
4.03- DK Metcalf (SEA WR)
4.04- Patrick Mahomes (KC QB)
4.05- Kyren Williams (LAR RB)
4.06- De’Von Achane (MIA RB)
4.07- Derrick Henry (BAL RB)
4.08- Isiah Pacheco (KC RB)
4.09- Stefon Diggs (HOU WR)
4.10- DeVonta Smith (PHI WR)
MY PICK: Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry coming off of the board as RB11 isn’t out of the ordinary. However, seeing him available in the fourth round is. So far in this mock draft, there is an obvious emphasis on wide receivers, but then we see the first two tight ends and first three quarterbacks taken at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth rounds. That specifically pushes the remainder of the top-12 running backs down a bit, affording me the ability to draft Derrick Henry.
I know the risks with Henry. He is 30 years old with 2,186 career rush attempts. On paper, that’s enough for any fantasy football manager to fade a running back. Derrick Henry is just different and landing on the Baltimore Ravens should pique everyone’s interest.
As the lead back, Henry has a chance to not only be the Ravens’ first running back to lead the team in rushing since 2018, but score over 20 rushing touchdowns, as well. Gus Edwards (13), Justice Hill (3), Keaton Mitchell (2), Melvin Gordon (1), and J.K. Dobbins (1) combined for 20 last season. Only Hill and Mitchell remain with Mitchell recovering from a Week 15 ACL tear. Derrick Henry is about to get fed.
ROUND FIVE
5.01- Josh Jacobs (GB RB)
5.02- Rachaad White (TB RB)
5.03- Joe Mixon (HOU RB)
5.04- Lamar Jackson (BAL QB)
5.05- Malik Nabers (NYG WR)
5.06- Amari Cooper (CLE WR)
5.07- Alvin Kamara (NO RB)
5.08- Kenneth Walker (SEA RB)
5.09- Zay Flowers (BAL WR)
5.10- Keenan Allen (CHI WR)
MY PICK: Lamar Jackson
The best player available at this point in the mock draft is Lamar Jackson. By selecting him, I now guarantee as close to 100% of the Ravens’ rushing production as I can. That’s close to 100% of the rushing production of a team that’s led the league in rush attempts in three of the last five NFL seasons, only finishing as low as 7th-most in the league.
Lamar Jackson’s pass game weapons aren’t much different than the 2023 season, but he did set a career-high in passing yards (3,678) last season and log his second-best quarterback rating (102.7) of his career. Jackson is capable of averaging close to, if not more than, 24.0 or 25.0 fantasy points per game. That’s worth investing in compared to the players coming off of the board here, especially one round after taking Derrick Henry.
The quarterback/running back stack isn’t something that many talk about, but there are a lot of good ones out there. Jalen Hurts/Saquon Barkley, Anthony Richardson/Jonathan Taylor, and Patrick Mahomes/Isiah Pacheco are three others that come to mind, but all come at pretty steep prices.
ROUND SIX
6.01- David Montgomery (DET RB)
6.02- Dak Prescott (DAL QB)
6.03- Tee Higgins (CIN WR)
6.04- Chris Godwin (TB WR)
6.05- Christian Kirk (JAX WR)
6.06- Trey McBride (ARI TE)
6.07- Aaron Jones (MIN RB)
6.08- Tank Dell (HOU WR)
6.09- Mark Andrews (BAL TE)
6.10- George Pickens (PIT WR)
MY PICK: Aaron Jones
Before selecting Aaron Jones, I had to convince myself that having a starting running back duo with an average age of 29.5 years old isn’t a bad idea. Especially in a 10-team league, I’m confident in my ability to hedge the risky pairing of Derrick Henry and Aaron Jones, which you’ll see as the mock draft progresses.
Aaron Jones continues to be a value just inside the top-20 running backs for the 2024 fantasy football season. He’s not only one of the best pass catching backs in the league, but clearly still has juice in the run game. His 116.8 yards per game average in his final five contests with the Green Bay Packers last season, on an average of 20.4 rush attempts per game, is evidence of that. Health is the only thing in the way of Jones pushing for consistent weekly RB1 numbers.
ROUND SEVEN
7.01- Dalton Kincaid (BUF TE)
7.02- Anthony Richardson (IND QB)
7.03- Kyle Pitts (ATL TE)
7.04- Terry McLaurin (WAS WR)
7.05- C.J. Stroud (HOU QB)
7.06- Rhamondre Stevenson (NE RB)
7.07- James Conner (ARI RB)
7.08- Evan Engram (JAX TE)
7.09- Jayden Reed (GB WR)
7.10- Diontae Johnson (CAR WR)
George Kittle (SF TE)
MY PICK: Terry McLaurin
As mentioned in Mock Draft 3.0, Terry McLaurin should be Jayden Daniels’ WR1 in Washington which is arguably the best quarterback he’s ever had. His four straight 1,000+ yard seasons with poor quarterback play are encouraging. Nobody in your league is going to have a big reaction when you draft McLaurin as your flex, but it could be “the pick of the draft” when you reflect on how things went mid-season or so. This is the cheapest he’s ever been in regards to draft capital and he could set career numbers across the board.
ROUND EIGHT
8.01- Calvin Ridley (TEN WR)
8.02- Austin Ekeler (WAS RB)
8.03- D’Andre Swift (CHI RB)
8.04- DeAndre Hopkins (TEN WR)
8.05- Zamir White (LV RB)
8.06- Jaylen Warren (PIT RB)
8.07- Najee Harris (PIT RB)
8.08- Kyler Murray (ARI QB)
8.09- Nick Chubb (CLE RB)
8.10- Joe Burrow (CIN QB)
MY PICK: Najee Harris
After solidifying my starting lineup, it’s time to attack the running back position. Since my two starting running backs are 29 and 30 years old, having quality depth at the position is a priority. In back-to-back mock drafts, we see again Najee Harris come off of the board right after teammate Jaylen Warren. Harris’ value has taken a major dip, but he has three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons to his name.
Perhaps Najee Harris is just priced more accurately heading into 2024. We’ve all admittedly been chasing his rookie receiving numbers over the past two seasons, but not only have they been unattainable during the Kenny Pickett Era, but the offensive line hasn’t been good enough either for Harris to make up for it in the run game. He is probably the RB2 for most fantasy football teams that draft him to start the 2024 season. This mock draft team has an opportunity to bench him early on until we see how this Pittsburgh Steelers team looks with the quarterback and offensive coordinator changes.
ROUND NINE
9.01- Jonathan Brooks (CAR RB)
9.02- Brian Robinson Jr. (WAS RB)
9.03- Zack Moss (CIN RB)
9.04- Tony Pollard (TEN RB)
9.05- Raheem Mostert (MIA RB)
9.06- Rashee Rice (KC WR)
9.07- Javonte Williams (DEN RB)
9.08- Tyjae Spears (TEN RB)
9.09- Xavier Worthy (KC WR)
9.10- Jordan Love (GB QB)
My Pick: Tony Pollard
Tony Pollard is one of my favorite running back picks to target if you wait to draft the position in 2024. While I didn’t quite do that, he’s a good player to have with the age and health risks baked into Derrick Henry and Aaron Jones’ profiles. Pollard is capable of handling 250 or more touches and could do so as the potential lead back for a new-look Tennessee Titans. Like Najee Harris before him, I can take a wait-and-see approach with Pollard early on while Henry and Jones are at their healthiest.
ROUND 10
10.01- Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA WR)
10.02- Hollywood Brown (KC WR)
10.03- Devin Singletary (NYG RB)
10.04- Ezekiel Elliott (DAL RB)
10.05- Jordan Addison (MIN WR)
10.06- Jerome Ford (CLE RB)
10.07- Christian Watson (GB WR)
10.08- Trey Benson (ARI RB)
10.09- Rome Odunze (CHI WR)
10.10- Gus Edwards (LAC RB)
MY PICK: Christian Watson
Christian Watson is a complete upside play. That seems to be the theme of the players all taken in the 10th Round of this mock draft. I’m confident in the starting trio of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Michael Pittman Jr., but if Terry McLaurin doesn’t quite hit, then Watson probably slides in as a high-upside flex play. He and all of the Green Bay Packers pass catchers fall into that pool of potential, though I believe Watson has the highest ceiling, though he’s coming off of the board rounds after Jayden Reed.
STARTING LINEUP
QB – Lamar Jackson
RB – Derrick Henry, Aaron Jones
WR – Amon-Ra St. Brown, Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Pittman Jr.
TE – David Njoku (12.07)
FLEX – Terry McLaurin
BENCH: Najee Harris, Tony Pollard, Christian Watson, Ladd McConkey (11.04), Ty Chandler (13.04), J0shua Palmer (14.07)
Mock Draft 4.0 CONCLUSION
I’m generally happy with the build of this mock draft team. It’s another wide receiver-heavy roster, emphasizing the position with each of my first three picks. Two-thirds of the first three rounds consist of wide receiver picks. While I do promote looking at other positions when everyone is targeting the same, I liked the players available to me when I was on the clock.
Drafting Derrick Henry and Aaron Jones as my starting running backs is risky. They’re both old with a lot of wear and tear on their bodies. However, I like both of their landing spots playing for new teams in 2024, and both seemingly only with each respective team for this season. I’m less worried about the position after prioritizing depth sooner than later, while also adding Ty Chandler later on in case Aaron Jones goes down.
One of my favorite player groups to target in mock drafts right now are Los Angeles Chargers wide receivers. While I didn’t get a chance to talk about them earlier, you can see I selected Ladd McConkey and Joshua Palmer as late-round dart throws. The expectation that the Chargers will be a run-heavy team is a bit overblown. One of Herbert’s receivers will exceed their draft capital in value so having a few lotto tickets there is something I want to do.
Who’s your favorite dark horse QB1? Drop some names in the comments below and then make sure to check out our 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit for more great rankings and analysis.