This year, more so than any others, the top of the RB draft appears to be very thin. There is a tier of three RBs who are solid picks. After that, there is a gap, and for good reason. So while WR may be more talented, do you pass on one for what might be a better value in round 1? That is the question that will be presented to teams picking 4-6 who might might not land one of those top RBs and have to choose to pass on a top WR or skip RB in round 1.
In this mock draft, I’ll break down an additional two rounds, as we get closer to draft day in mid-August. You’ll get into my thinking of why certain players stand out to me late in these mock drafts.
Picking Fifth Overall in Standard Leagues
This mock draft will simulate a 10-team, 1-quarterback, standard league. The roster will consist of 2 wide receivers, 2 running backs, 1 tight end, and 1 Flex position along with seven bench slots. The kicker and D/ST picks will not be included. I’ll make my way back through the draft in reverse order over the coming weeks.
ROUND ONE
1.01- Christian McCaffrey SF – RB
1.02- CeeDee Lamb DAL – WR
1.03- Tyreek Hill MIA – WR
1.04- Breece Hall NYJ – RB
1.05- Bijan Robinson ATL – RB
1.06- Ja’Marr Chase CIN – WR
1.07- Justin Jefferson MIN – WR
1.08- Amon-Ra St. Brown DET – WR
1.09- Garrett Wilson NYJ – WR
1.10- A.J. Brown PHI – WR
MY PICK: Breece Hall
I finally land the second of the three RBs I view as a surefire top-five pick in fantasy. Having already taken Bijan Hall, as recently as last week, Breece Hall is another great find in the top half of the draft. I view him and Bijan equally, as they’re both young unbelievable talents on teams with massive upgrades at QB. Hall has two big advantages heading into this season.
First, Hall is coming into the year healthy. Last season the Jets had added Dalvin Cook in the middle of camp (don’t ask me about how he played). A sign of hesitancy by the Jets to unleash Hall. This season, as great as Aaron Rodgers is, the offense should run through Hall. I think the Jets would be at their best if they gave Hall a heavy workload and fed off of that with a ton of Aaron Rodgers play action to Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams. Part of my thinking with this involved Hall’s second advantage.
The offensive line should be vastly improved. I won’t go as far as to say the Jets line was awful last season, but it was hurt and not great. Now they have invested in Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses and Olu Fashano in the draft. Smith and Moses come with injury concerns but if two of those three should remain healthy this should be a massive upgrade at OL for the Jets. Hall would reap the biggest reward of that upgrade.
ROUND TWO
2.01- Puka Nacua LAR – WR
2.02- Jonathan Taylor IND – RB
2.03- Jahmyr Gibbs DET – RB
2.04- Cooper Kupp LAR – WR
2.05- Marvin Harrison Jr. ARI – WR
2.06- Saquon Barkley PHI – RB
2.07- Derrick Henry BAL – RB
2.08- Travis Etienne Jr. JAC – RB
2.09- Kyren Williams LAR – RB
2.10- Davante Adams LV – WR
MY PICK: Derrick Henry
Henry might be one of my favorite round-two selections this year. He has been a player I’ve consistently looked to in this spot in this mock draft series. He should get the ball a ton in Baltimore. Even if he finds himself in a timeshare, the Ravens ran the ball more than any other team in football. Plus, he has Lamar Jackson next to him, who should prove to be a massive upgrade over anything Henry has lined up next to.
Henry has proven year after year to be a reliable, sometimes league-winning pick when he falls in drafts. In standard leagues especially, he is exactly who you should target in round two, no matter who you take in round one.
ROUND THREE
3.01- Isiah Pacheco KC – RB
3.02- Deebo Samuel Sr. SF – WR
3.03- Drake London ATL – WR
3.04- Mike Evans TB – WR
3.05- De’Von Achane MIA – RB
3.06- Josh Allen BUF – QB
3.07- Kenneth Walker III SEA – RB
3.08- Chris Olave NO – WR
3.09- Brandon Aiyuk SF – WR
3.10- Josh Jacobs GB – RB
MY PICK: Mike Evans
Another consistent player picked up in this mock draft. You cannot go wrong with Mike Evans*. In every season of his career Evans has eclipsed 109 targets, 1,000 yards, and only three times has he secured fewer than eight TDs. Evans year after year shows why he is one of the best WRs in fantasy football. Are you landing a top 5 WR here? Highly unlikely. Are you landing someone you can play almost every week? Absolutely. After ignoring WR through the first two rounds, Evans is a great find in this mock draft.
*Except for 2022, weeks 4-14 when he scored 0 TDs.
ROUND FOUR
4.01- Rachaad White TB – RB
4.02- James Cook BUF – RB
4.03- Travis Kelce KC – TE
4.04- Joe Mixon HOU – RB
4.05- Sam LaPorta DET – TE
4.06- Michael Pittman IND – WR
4.07- Jalen Hurts PHI – QB
4.08- Alvin Kamara NO – RB
4.09- David Montgomery DET – RB
4.10- DK Metcalf SEA – WR
MY PICK: Jalen Hurts
I was tempted to go in several other directions here. I could have landed a WR2 like Metcalf or Collins. Or taken a third RB and lock myself in with 3 great options at the position. Instead, I’ll take Jalen Hurts and lock in my QB.
Hurts is a nice find in late-round four. His rushing ability and the tush push give him a really high floor. The addition of Saquon Barkley should hurt those numbers a little but it’s not a huge concern for me. In another draft, I would have taken Mahomes over Hurts, especially if there was a chance to stack Mahomes with Kelce but I want to continue to show the different teams you can build with each different approach.
ROUND FIVE
5.01- Patrick Mahomes II KC – QB
5.02- Rhamondre Stevenson NE – RB
5.03- Aaron Jones MIN – RB
5.04- Nico Collins HOU – WR
5.05- Stefon Diggs HOU – WR
5.06- James Conner ARI – RB
5.07- Zamir White LV – RB
5.08- Najee Harris PIT – RB
5.09- Raheem Mostert MIA – RB
5.10- Jaylen Waddle MIA – WR
MY PICK: Nico Collins
Despite passing on Collins in the last round of my mock draft, I still come away with him here. This was part of my reasoning for taking a pass on WR and RB last round, there were plenty of great options at those spots so I knew I’d land one. Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs is an interesting debate. Both are high-level talents, Diggs is older but has a longer track record than Collins. I think I prefer Collins here because Diggs has a history of drawing drama. I wonder if that might rub C.J. Stroud and company the wrong way Especially since they showed they don’t need Diggs with how they played last season. So far that reason I prefer Collins in a split decision.
ROUND SIX
6.01- C.J. Stroud HOU – QB
6.02- Lamar Jackson BAL – QB
6.03- D’Andre Swift CHI – RB
6.04- Trey McBride ARI – TE
6.05- Brian Robinson Jr. WAS – RB
6.06- Dalton Kincaid BUF – TE
6.07- DJ Moore CHI – WR
6.08- Mark Andrews BAL – TE
6.09- Kyle Pitts ATL – TE
6.10- Devin Singletary NYG – RB
MY PICK: DJ Moore
I was very high on DJ Moore a few weeks ago. He’s coming off a career year and will now catch passes from Caleb Williams. However, I have come down a bit on Moore. It’s nothing he did. It’s Rome Odunze’s fault.
Odunze has had a nice camp so far. So much so, I would not be completely surprised if Odunze becomes WR1 by the end of the season. It’s round six, so it’s not the end of the world if Moore falls off but that could hurt my chances of winning a title if late in the year Odunze is seeing the most targets of all Bears pass catchers. That being said, I still think there is enough football to go around. I can see Odunze being WR1 but I don’t think Moore will be far off.
ROUND SEVEN
7.01- Tony Pollard TEN – RB
7.02- Amari Cooper CLE – WR
7.03- Anthony Richardson IND – QB
7.04- Javonte Williams DEN – RB
7.05- DeVonta Smith PHI – WR
7.06- Zack Moss CIN – RB
7.07- Joe Burrow CIN – QB
7.08- Kyler Murray ARI – QB
7.09- Nick Chubb CLE – RB
7.10- Christian Kirk JAC – WR
MY PICK: Javonte Williams
In a real draft instead of a mock draft I’d likely take Malik Nabers here. However, after taking Nabers twice in a row, I want to talk about Javonte Williams. He’s a sneaky pick in round seven. By all reports, Javonte Williams has had an impressive camp. A lot of eyes are on Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin this year but Williams has seemed to surprise people with how he’s looked. Going from a rumored potential camp casualty to a potential lead back. He’s healthy, another year removed from a knee injury which ended his 2022 season prematurely.
Plus, look at the other RBs you’ll find here. Nick Chubb is going to miss some time, Chase Brown and Jaylen Warren are players you hope can steal the RB1 spot. Williams already appears to be in that spot. Don’t overthink it, take the now-healthy, former second-round RB looking for a big contract.
ROUND EIGHT
8.01- Christian Watson GB – WR
8.02- Malik Nabers NYG – WR
8.03- Zay Flowers BAL – WR
8.04- Chase Brown CIN – RB
8.05- Jaylen Warren PIT – RB
8.06- George Pickens PIT – WR
8.07- George Kittle SF – TE
8.08- Tee Higgins CIN – WR
8.09- Gus Edwards LAC – RB
8.10- Jonathon Brooks CAR – RB
MY PICK: George Kittle
Waiting for a TE in 10-team leagues appears to be my preferred strategy through these mock drafts. The top tier doesn’t seem too far removed from someone like Kittle who is available much further down.
Kittle is already a great find at TE, but it could be even greater once we get some finality on the Brandon Aiyuk saga. With each passing day, Aiyuk is closer and closer to being a Steeler. After all, if he and the 49ers were to come to terms on a new deal, it feels like it would have happened already. Either offer him the money he wants or trade him to Pittsburgh who will. If Aiyuk’s mind hasn’t changed yet about what San Francisco is offering him I doubt it will anytime soon.
ROUND NINE
9.01- Ezekiel Elliott DAL – RB
9.02- Rashee Rice KC – WR
9.03- Austin Ekeler WAS – RB
9.04- Terry McLaurin WAS – WR
9.05- Tyjae Spears TEN – RB
9.06- Tank Dell HOU – WR
9.07- Calvin Ridley TEN – WR
9.08- Trey Benson ARI – RB
9.09- Jerome Ford CLE – RB
9.10- Hollywood Brown KC – WR
My Pick: Terry McLaurin
In round nine, Scarry Terry McLaurin is one of the best high-floor picks you can make. Even with Sam Howell QBing the offense last season, McLaurin had 1,000 yards. He has done this every year except his rookie year, when he had over 900 yards. Think of him like Mike Evans light, without the double-digit TD production. It will be hard to find a player that is as talented and reliable further down the board as McLaurin.
ROUND 10
10.01- Chris Godwin TB – WR
10.02- Diontae Johnson CAR – WR
10.03- Blake Corum LAR – RB
10.04- Chuba Hubbard CAR – RB
10.05- Jayden Reed GB – WR
10.06- Jordan Love GB – QB
10.07- Xavier Worthy KC – WR
10.08- Keenan Allen CHI – WR
10.09- Dak Prescott DAL – QB
10.10- Tyler Lockett SEA – WR
MY PICK: Xavier Worthy
Had I not taken DJ Moore I would’ve taken Keenan Allen here since consistency seems to be a theme with this mock draft. However, I’ll be like training camp Mahomes and take a deep shot to Xavier Worthy. Although he won’t be out long, I think Marquis Brown’s injury puts Worthy in a great position. If Rashee Rice is suspended, Worthy automatically becomes WR1. With his speed, you give him a head start for a few weeks as WR1 he may not give that role back. Last season the trust of Mahomes was the biggest factor in whether a WR saw the field or not. If Mahomes trusts Worthy to beat defenders deep, he will see the field, and the ball, plenty.
ROUND 11
11.01- Courtland Sutton DEN – WR
11.02- Ty Chandler MIN – RB
11.03- J.K. Dobbins LAC – RB
11.04- Rico Dowdle DAL – RB
11.05- Brock Purdy SF – QB
11.06- Zach Charbonnet SEA – RB
11.07- DeAndre Hopkins TEN – WR
11.08- Rome Odunze CHI – WR
11.09- Keon Coleman BUF – WR
11.10- Ladd McConkey LAC – WR
My Pick: Rico Dowdle
Upside is hard to come by at RB this late in the draft. While he’s technically the handcuff to Ezekiel Elliott, I think there is a chance we see some value from Dowdle. Could he play the pre-2023 Tony Pollard role on the Cowboys offense? The change of pace back who spells Elliott and outperforms him? I could see that happening. If it does, Dowdle could see himself as the second most important position player on the Dallas offense; First, if Cee Dee Lamb holds out for a new contract.
ROUND 12
12.01- Curtis Samuel BUF – WR
12.02- Jameson Williams DET – WR
12.03- Caleb Williams CHI – QB
12.04- Jayden Daniels WAS – QB
12.05- MarShawn Lloyd GB – RB
12.06- Jaxon Smith-Njigba SEA – WR
12.07- Jared Goff DET – QB
12.08- Tua Tagovailoa MIA – QB
12.09- Kirk Cousins ATL – QB
12.10- Rashid Shaheed NO – WR
MY PICK: Jared Goff
Here in this mock draft, I’m looking for a QB in case one gets injured. I was hoping to land one of the rookies in Williams or Daniel. Instead, I come away with a choice of Jared Goff, Tua Tagovailoa, or Kirk Cousins. I land on Goff because I think he has the highest upside of the lot. All three have great weapons in the passing game, but I think Goff’s weapons are the deepest. I also see him as a dark horse candidate for MVP if the Lions have another great season. I view Goff as a fringe QB1. Someone I can rely on to stay healthy and has familiarity with his team and offensive system. You can’t say those things about both Tua and Cousins.
STARTING LINEUP
QB – Jalen Hurts
RB – Breece Hall, Derrick Henry
WR – Mike Evans, Nico Collins
TE – George Kittle
FLEX – DJ Moore
Bench: Javonte Williams, Terry McLaurin, Xavier Worthy, Rico Dowdle, Jared Goff, Brian Thomas Jr. (13.04), David Njoku (14.07)
Final Take
Reliablility. That’s the theme of this mock draft. Tons of players who I know what I’m going to get from them.
The RBs at the top are two guys who will play every single game they’re healthy. After that, Williams and Dowdle are upside picks who hopefully can earn spots as my flex.
That won’t be easy, however, with a WR trio of Evans, Collins, and Moore. Terry McLaurin can be put right up there too with the right matchup. Then you add high-upside rookies like Worthy and Brian Thomas Jr. who have a path to be their team’s WR1 sooner than later.
At QB and TE, coming away with Hurts and Kittle in the rounds I found them to be the steals of the mock draft. It’s those picks, found with patience, that allowed me to fill out the rest of what appears to be a championship roster.