The 2024 NFL preseason is over. We are a little more than one week away from the first regular season game. By 4:00 p.m. today, all 32 rosters will be cut down from 90 players to 53, though some tweaking could occur as teams evaluate which players are all of the sudden available around the league, as well. While this could have a slight impact on current player values, this is still the best time to mock draft and prepare for a real draft with a good sense of what a team could look like from a specific draft slot.
Every Monday for the last couple of months I have been 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 Ninth Overall in the Ninth 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 ninth overall pick in this mock draft and will make selections from different draft positions each week. For this mock draft, I’m breaking down 14 of 16 rounds. We are in the thick of draft season, so we might as well practice completing a full mock draft. 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- Breece Hall (NYJ RB)
1.03- CeeDee Lamb (DAL WR)
1.04- Ja’Marr Chase (CIN WR)
1.05- Tyreek Hill (MIA WR)
1.06- Bijan Robinson (ATL RB)
1.07- Justin Jefferson (MIN WR)
1.08- Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET WR)
1.09- A.J. Brown (PHI WR)
1.10- Jonathan Taylor (IND RB)
MY PICK: A.J. Brown
CeeDee Lamb is firmly inside the top three of this mock draft and should be just about everywhere after (finally) receiving a hefty contract extension. Congratulations if you got Lamb much lower in any drafts prior to this news. The 2023 league leader in targets has a chance to do so again with an elite combination of talent, opportunity, and a quarterback entering the final year of his own deal looking for a massive payday next March.
With the 1.09 in a 10-team mock draft, I’ll let the manager at the turn decide my fate of which running backs I have a choice from in the second round. A.J. Brown has back-to-back 1,400+ yard seasons and 18 total regular-season touchdowns in two years with the Philadelphia Eagles. He is the top receiver in a projected high-scoring offense. I’ve considered the eight players before him as an elite group I want a player from heading into the 2024 season, but Brown should probably be lumped in and arguably taken over Justin Jefferson with consideration to the quarterback each receiver plays with.
ROUND TWO
2.01 – Saquon Barkley (PHI RB)
2.02- Garrett Wilson (NYJ WR)
2.03- Jahmyr Gibbs (DET RB)
2.04- Puka Nacua (LAR WR)
2.05- Travis Etienne (JAX RB)
2.06- Kyren Williams (LAR RB)
2.07- Marvin Harrison Jr. (ARI WR)
2.08- Davante Adams (LV WR)
2.09- Derrick Henry (BAL RB)
2.10- Drake London (ATL WR)
MY PICK: Garrett Wilson
Seeing two running backs come off of the board is a bit of a shock. I fully expected the manager at the turn to select Garrett Wilson or Puka Nacua in addition to a running back of their choice. Rather than worry about my roster build and give in to the idea that I need to leave the first two rounds with one wide receiver and one running back, I simply go with the best player available. Following my Top-200 Points Per Reception rankings, I take Garrett Wilson who I have as a top-10 player. It’s better to worry about positions of need and depth as the draft progresses. For now, I simply want to establish a core of really solid studs on a team with the highest ceiling possible.
ROUND THREE
3.01- De’Von Achane (MIA RB)
3.02- Travis Kelce (KC TE)
3.03- Chris Olave (NO WR)
3.04- Isiah Pacheco (KC RB)
3.05- Michael Pittman Jr. (IND WR)
3.06- Sam LaPorta (DET TE)
3.07- Brandon Aiyuk (SF WR)
3.08- Josh Allen (BUF QB)
3.09- Nico Collins (HOU WR)
3.10- Patrick Mahomes (KC QB)
MY PICK: Nico Collins
I’m committing to the heavy wide receiver build three rounds into the mock draft. Joe Mixon, Josh Jacobs, and Alvin Kamara all have solid volume coming their way this season. As a result, they all present a very safe floor as this mock draft team’s RB1. I just feel the upside with the wide receivers available to me at this draft slot gives my team a higher weekly ceiling than the running backs available.
Nico Collins is behind D.J. Moore in my rankings. However, I know Moore is lower is most consensus rankings. With just one manager making back-to-back picks before I’m up again, I take Collins here with the expectation that Moore is likelier to still be there for my next pick. This proves to be correct. Had I taken Moore, the manager drafting at the turn may have double-tapped wide receiver and gone Nico Collins and Mike Evans. Even though I have Moore ranked higher (by two spots) than Collins, I use general consensus rankings to my advantage.
ROUND FOUR
4.01- Mike Evans (TB WR)
4.02- D.J. Moore (CHI WR)
4.03- Josh Jacobs (GB RB)
4.04- Joe Mixon (HOU RB)
4.05- Deebo Samuel (SF WR)
4.06- Alvin Kamara (NO RB)
4.07- Malik Nabers (NYG WR)
4.08- Jaylen Waddle (MIA WR)
4.09- James Cook (BUF RB)
4.10- Rachaad White (TB RB)
MY PICK: D.J. Moore
Four rounds and four wide receivers. What a rush. I now have four players in the top 13 of my rankings at their positions and four players in my top 20 overall through 32 picks of this mock draft. While some people wouldn’t agree with how I laid that out, at the end of the day it’s important to remember that fantasy football drafts are for your team. You can read and listen to all of the advice in the world, but you make the managerial decisions when it’s time to do so. Even if you don’t take the time to create your own set of rankings or tiers, it’s important to jot down some notes on whichever rankings sheet you use that help guide you along the way.
ROUND FIVE
5.01- Stefon Diggs (HOU WR)
5.02- Cooper Kupp (LAR WR)
5.03- Kenneth Walker (SEA RB)
5.04- Lamar Jackson (BAL QB)
5.05- DK Metcalf (SEA WR)
5.06- DeVonta Smith (PHI WR)
5.07- James Conner (ARI RB)
5.08- Zay Flowers (BAL WR)
5.09- Jalen Hurts (PHI QB)
5.10- Chris Godwin (TB WR)
MY PICK: Jalen Hurts
We’ve come this far in the mock draft without drafting a running back. Why start now? Instead, let’s draft a mobile quarterback who stacks nicely with my first round pick and comes off of the board a round later than he probably should have. In two seasons, the Jalen Hurts/A.J. Brown fantasy football stack has averaged a combined 44.7 and 40.0 points per game together. No other QB/WR stack has averaged above 40.0 combined points per game in both 2022 and 2023.
Now, consider the fact that Jalen Hurts has DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Saquon Barkley, and newcomer Jahan Dotson in his passing game this season. If Hurts falls outside the top-three quarterbacks and/or into the fifth round of a 1QB draft, don’t hesitate to draft him. I feel much more confident in Hurts, especially with his rushing upside than the running backs remaining. That short list includes Aaron Jones, D’Andre Swift, and Rhamondre Stevenson.
ROUND SIX
6.01- Tank Dell (HOU WR)
6.02- Mark Andrews (BAL TE)
6.03- Trey McBride (ARI TE)
6.04- C.J. Stroud (HOU QB)
6.05- George Pickens (PIT WR)
6.06- Amari Cooper (CLE WR)
6.07- Kyle Pitts (ATL TE)
6.08- Anthony Richardson (IND QB)
6.09- Tee Higgins (CIN WR)
6.10- Dalton Kincaid (BUF TE)
MY PICK: Mark Andrews
Let me be clear: I want at least one running back in the first seven rounds. I believe I made this known in one of my previous mock drafts during the preseason. However, with consideration to draft slot and players remaining, it’s never felt like the best possible pick to select one with consideration to players at other positions still on the board. That’s especially true here.
Typically, the top-ranked tight ends start to come off of the board in Round Four of mock drafts I’ve done. Once Travis Kelce and Sam LaPorta are drafted, it’s not long after before Mark Andrews, Trey McBride, and Dalton Kincaid are taken. This all happens typically by the end of Round Five.
When it comes to quarterbacks and tight ends this season, I am more often than not going to let the board dictate when and who I take. Very rarely am I the first manager of any mock draft or real draft to set the market and select an elite option at either position first. In this mock draft, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes come off the board in Round Three, then it’s not until Round Five that we see QB3 Lamar Jackson followed by my Jalen Hurts pick. Similarly, Travis Kelce and Sam LaPorta are taken in Round Three then I make the next move by selecting Mark Andrews here in Round Six.
I’m not completely fading the players at the top of these positions, but at their Average Draft Position, I usually let the league set the market. Once set, I let the board come to me. In the case of this mock draft, both Jalen Hurts and Mark Andrews “fell” in terms of where I expected them to go. I let the board come to me and took advantage of it.
ROUND SEVEN
7.01- Joe Burrow (CIN QB)
7.02- Jordan Love (GB QB)
7.03- Aaron Jones (MIN RB)
7.04- D’Andre Swift (CHI RB)
7.05- Dak Prescott (DAL QB)
7.06- Terry McLaurin (WAS WR)
7.07- George Kittle (SF TE)
7.08- Christian Kirk (JAX WR)
7.09- Rhamondre Stevenson (NE RB)
7.10- Evan Engram (JAX TE)
MY PICK: Rhamondre Stevenson
I got lucky only two running backs were taken since pick 5.07 before getting back on the clock here. It’s not out of the ordinary to see such a thing when most teams have their starters at the position and decide to pivot toward quarterbacks and tight ends while continuing to build wide receiver depth.
Rhamondre Stevenson isn’t a player I consider to be an RB1, but when you wait this long to draft a running back, you hope the team drafted before him scores the heavy bulk of your points while he maintains a solid floor each week. Stevenson does look spry in preseason action. While Antonio Gibson should command touches of his own, it’s likely as a third-down receiving option, but not always as Stevenson presents receiving ability of his own.
The addition of Alex Van Pelt as the offensive coordinator is a big reason for this pick. He held the same role with the Cleveland Browns since 2020. There, he notably deployed both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt out of the backfield, who both had success in fantasy football. I’m not comparing the running backs, but rather the potential usage. If the Patriots commit to the run, and the offensive line holds up, Stevenson could be a huge asset to the roster build I’ve got going on here.
ROUND EIGHT
8.01- Calvin Ridley (TEN WR)
8.02- David Montgomery (DET RB)
8.03- Keenan Allen (CHI WR)
8.04- Raheem Mostert (MIA RB)
8.05- Kyler Murray (ARI QB)
8.06- Courtland Sutton (DEN WR)
8.07- Rashee Rice (KC WR)
8.08- Diontae Johnson (CAR WR)
8.09- Jayden Reed (GB WR)
8.10- Rome Odunze (CHI WR)
MY PICK: David Montgomery
I’m obviously going to double-tap running back picks given my neglect of the position through the first six rounds. Between David Montgomery and Raheem Mostert, I sided with Montgomery due to age (27 vs. 32), competition for touches (Gibbs vs. Achane and Wright), and my belief that the Lions run better in 2024. Both teams finished 2023 with similar team rush yards and the same amount of rushing touchdowns. Detroit, however, has the better offensive line as Miami underwent more change this offseason.
Independent of my mock draft team build, I really like this value on David Montgomery. Especially in comparison to where Jahmyr Gibbs is coming off of the board, you could argue that Montgomery is the better value from the Lions backfield. This is a Super Bowl hopeful team. Both backs are going to get plenty of work. This offense should score a lot. Montgomery is a great RB2 for any 2024 fantasy football team with a weekly RB1 upside due to his red zone usage and chances of scoring a touchdown.
ROUND NINE
9.01- Xavier Worthy (KC WR)
9.02- Christian Watson (GB WR)
9.03- Najee Harris (PIT RB)
9.04- Chase Brown (CIN RB)
9.05- Brian Robinson Jr. (WAS RB)
9.06- Zamir White (LV RB)
9.07- Tony Pollard (TEN RB)
9.08- Javonte Williams (DEN RB)
9.09- Jonathon Brooks (CAR RB)
9.10- Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA WR)
MY PICK: Jonathon Brooks
When you fade running back as hard as I did, you need to take a swing at some upside when possible. This mock draft is out before a decision on Jonathon Brooks beginning the season on the Reserve/PUP List that could force him to miss the first four weeks. Even if he does, the value doesn’t change for me. Head coach Dave Canales previously stated he didn’t expect Brooks to get back until Week 3 or 4 anyway.
When Brooks does return, he should have a strong finish to the season. The Carolina Panthers aren’t just going to keep their second-round draft pick on ice. In fact, Canales has also referred to this team as being “stubborn about the run game” alluding to their commitment to that part of the game opening up options through the air. If you’re drafting Jonathon Brooks this season, just make sure you have options in place of him for roughly five weeks.
ROUND 10
10.01- DeAndre Hopkins (TEN WR)
10.02- Devin Singletary (NYG RB)
10.03- Jaylen Warren (PIT RB)
10.04- Austin Ekeler (WAS RB)
10.05- Ladd McConkey (LAC WR)
10.06- Jakobi Meyers (LV WR)
10.07- Tyjae Spears (TEN RB)
10.08- Jordan Addison (MIN WR)
10.09- Keon Coleman (BUF WR)
10.10- Nick Chubb (CLE RB)
MY PICK: Devin Singletary
After draftiing Jonathon Brooks as a high upside play for my weaker-than-most running back room, Devin Singletary comes in handy as a high floor option. Following the departure of Saquon Barkley, the New York Giants General Manager Joe Schoen, and head coach Brian Daboll reunite with Singletary. All three are familiar with one another from their time with the Buffalo Bills. I don’t know what sort of scoring opportunities Singletary will see this season, but he should see the bulk of touches over rookie Tyrone Tracy and second-year back Eric Gray. This isn’t a flashy pick in any draft, but it’s a responsible selection for my mock draft team from a volume standpoint.
ROUND 11
11.01- Hollywood Brown (KC WR)
11.02- Zack Moss (CIN RB)
11.03- Jerome Ford (CLE RB)
11.04- Zach Charbonnet (SEA RB)
11.05- Jameson Williams (DET WR)
11.06- Ezekiel Elliott (DAL RB)
11.07- Gus Edwards (LAC RB)
11.08- Brian Thomas Jr. (JAX WR)
11.09- Chuba Hubbard (CAR RB)
11.10- Blake Corum (LAR RB)
MY PICK: Chuba Hubbard
Just to be safe with my Jonathon Brooks selection, I’m adding Chuba Hubbard to complete five straight rounds of running back selections. I expect Chuba Hubbard to see a lead back role while we wait for Jonathon Brooks’ debut. There’s no guarantee that Brooks steps onto the field and is immediately successful or productive, either. In the event he starts off slow or just isn’t quite there, Hubbard is a great insurance policy that we know can start the season on fantasy rosters if need be.
ROUND 12
12.01- Tyler Lockett (SEA WR)
12.02- Joshua Palmer (LAC WR)
12.03- Trey Benson (ARI RB)
12.04- Jake Ferguson (DAL TE)
12.05- Jayden Daniels (WAS QB)
12.06- Rashid Shaheed (NO WR)
12.07- Dontayvion Wicks (GB WR)
12.08- Romeo Doubs (GB WR)
12.09- Khalil Shakir (BUF WR)
12.10- Brock Bowers (LV TE)
MY PICK: Joshua Palmer
While I don’t expect Joshua Palmer to see much action on a roster like the one in this mock draft, he is so cheap that it’s worth waiting to see exactly how this newly run Los Angeles Chargers team looks to start the season. After losing both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams via trade and free agency, Palmer has the most experience playing with quarterback Justin Herbert than any other receiver on the roster. If, by chance, he does establish himself as Herbert’s clear-cut top target, Palmer could be one of the best values in fantasy football this season. Again, most teams that draft him won’t have to start him and can figure out exactly what they have with him before doing so, if at all.
ROUND 13
13.01- Curtis Samuel (BUF WR)
13.02- Brock Purdy (SF QB)
13.03- David Njoku (CLE TE)
13.04- Pat Freiermuth (PIT TE)
13.05- Dallas Goedert (PHI TE)
13.06- Jerry Jeudy (DEN WR)
13.07- J.K. Dobbins (LAC RB)
13.08- T.J. Hockenson (MIN TE)
13.09- Rico Dowdle (DAL RB)
13.10- Dalton Schultz (HOU TE)
MY PICK: Rico Dowdle
This mock draft takes place before the 4:00 p.m. deadline for NFL roster cuts. It’s extremely possible the Dallas Cowboys trade for or sign a notable name to their underwhelming running back room. In the event that they do not, Dowdle is worth the late-round investment. Ezekiel Elliott has 2,168 career rush attempts and looks slow in limited training camp footage. Rico Dowdle is 26 with just 98 career rush attempts. While he’s by no means a “sure thing”, Dowdle has a chance at a golden opportunity to be the Cowboys’ lead back for multiple games this season. Obviously, depending on camp cut decisions and signings, this hype could completely bottom out making Dowdle irrelevant. I’m willing to find out with a 13th-round selection.
ROUND 14
14.01- Tyler Allgeier (ATL RB)
14.02- Jaylen Wright (MIA RB)
14.03- Mike Williams (NYJ WR)
14.04- Brandin Cooks (DAL WR)
14.05- Antonio Gibson (NE RB)
14.06- Ty Chandler (MIN RB)
14.07- Greg Dortch (ARI WR)
14.08- Braelon Allen (NYJ RB)
14.09- Jaleel McLaughlin (DEN RB)
14.10- Taysom Hill (NO TE)
MY PICK: Jaylen Wright
Wright is the Miami Dolphins’ 2024 fourth-round selection. The Dolphins traded a 2025 third-round pick to select Wright where they did. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, Raheem Mostert is 32 years old and De’Von Achane is a bit undersized coming off of a season with injuries. The two backs in front of Wright are riskier than most making him an extremely enticing bench stash. Patience could pay off in a big way, especially as a final player pick in most fantasy football drafts.
STARTING LINEUP
QB – Jalen Hurts
RB – Rhamondre Stevenson, David Montgomery
WR – A.J. Brown, Garrett Wilson, Nico Collins
TE – Mark Andrews
FLEX – D.J. Moore
BENCH: Jonathon Brooks, Devin Singletary, Chuba Hubbard, Joshua Palmer, Rico Dowdle, Jaylen Wright
Mock Draft 9.0 CONCLUSION
The theme of this mock draft is to let the draft board come to you. Especially when drafting closer to “the turn” at the end of one round and the beginning of the next, tough decisions are presented especially when constructing a roster. In the case of this mock draft team, the value of top-ranked wide receivers was hard to pass up early on.
As a result, this mock draft team has four strong wide receivers that should almost never sit unless for a Bye Week or injury. That being said, the rest of the draft is then spent beefing up running back depth in hopes of finding two legitimate starters to roll out each week. There’s a good mix of high-floor and high-ceiling players here.
Hopefully, in a build like this, Rhamondre Stevenson and Montgomery handle the first few weeks, then Jonathon Brooks develops into an every-week starting option, all the while waiting and seeing what Devin Singletary, Rico Dowdle, and Jaylen Wright have to offer in their respective roles on their respective offenses. There’s a good chance the two running backs that start through September on this mock draft team look completely different as the season goes on. This can be said about any team given the volatility at the position and the potential for injuries. Don’t be afraid to take the “Zero RB” approach especially if you have an opportunity to select some of your highest-ranked wide receivers early on!
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.