Whatever the term for the opposite of the bookend picks, this is where we are in the mock draft series. Right up against the middle which has its pros and cons. The good news is you don’t have to wait long between any picks. So you rarely feel like anybody is out of reach. On the bad side, you don’t have any quick turnarounds so anybody can easily be drafted out from under you.
For this draft, I’ll take a vastly different approach than I did a week ago. So strap in and brace for whiplash because the end result will be a roster that is unrecognizable compared to the one we built a week ago.
Picking Sixth 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- Justin Jefferson MIN – WR
1.05- A.J. Brown PHI – WR
1.06- Ja’Marr Chase CIN – WR
1.07- Bijan Robinson ATL – RB
1.08- Breece Hall NYJ – RB
1.09- Amon-Ra St. Brown DET – WR
1.10- Saquon Barkley PHI – RB
MY PICK: Ja’Marr Chase
If you’re a true believer, like I am, you are of the belief that Ja’Marr Chase won’t have just a comeback season. He will have a career season. He, along with Joe Burrow, is looking to prove last season was a fluke. The difference is Burrow has already gotten paid. So has their LSU teammate, Justin Jefferson. Chase is after a bag, and with the salary cap projected to rise again next year, Chase could surpass Jefferson if he plays like he is capable of.
When healthy, Chase is arguably the top receiver in fantasy football. That’s with Tee Higgins also commanding targets. However gone is Joe Mixon, which likely lends itself to the Bengals running less and throwing it more. Chase is already good for 10+ targets a night, bu tif that increases so does his fantasy and earnings potential. Chase was my top pick in this mock draft an you shouldn’t be afraid of taking him round one, even in standard leagues.
ROUND TWO
2.01- Puka Nacua LAR – WR
2.02- Marvin Harrison Jr. ARI – WR
2.03- Jahmyr Gibbs DET – RB
2.04- Derrick Henry BAL – RB
2.05- Garrett Wilson NYJ – WR
2.06- Chris Olave NO – WR
2.07- Jonathan Taylor IND – RB
2.08- Travis Etienne Jr. JAC – RB
2.09- Deebo Samuel Sr. SF – WR
2.10- Kyren Williams LAR – RB
MY PICK: Garrett Wilson
Back-to-back WRs but, like last time I did this, the chance of coming away with two of the top three receivers is too tempting to pass on. Mock draft, real draft, I don’t care. Wilson has arguably the highest upside of not just any receiver but any player in round two. Rodgers is healthy, Wilson is in year three and can earn a major contract as soon as next offseason. Leading my mock draft with two stars, both in contract years, is never a bad way to start a draft.
ROUND THREE
3.01- Nico Collins HOU – WR
3.02- Jalen Hurts PHI – QB
3.03- Josh Allen BUF – QB
3.04- Davante Adams LV – WR
3.05- James Cook BUF – RB
3.06- Patrick Mahomes II KC – QB
3.07- Mike Evans TB – WR
3.08- De’Von Achane MIA – RB
3.09- Isiah Pacheco KC – RB
3.10- Josh Jacobs GB – RB
MY PICK: Patrick Mahomes II
I have tended to prefer my mock drafts where I wait for a QB but bear with me here, there’s a method to the madness I’m uncorking here. Patrick Mahomes is coming off a rough season from a fantasy perspective but only from a fantasy perspective. That said, his WR room received a MASSIVE upgrade and Travis Kelce is healthy to start the year. Some might think the Chiefs have a target on their back, but when was the last time they haven’t? Mahomes should go right back to his old draft slot, at or near the top of your QB rankings.
I heavily considered taking an RB here and had some great choices like Joe Mixon. However I have a vision of what my team could look like if I pass on RB. Let’s see if that idea plays out next round.
ROUND FOUR
4.01- Drake London ATL – WR
4.02- David Montgomery DET – RB
4.03- Sam LaPorta DET – TE
4.04- Brandon Aiyuk SF – WR
4.05- Travis Kelce KC – TE
4.06- Joe Mixon HOU – RB
4.07- Rachaad White TB – RB
4.08- Jaylen Waddle MIA – WR
4.09- Alvin Kamara NO – RB
4.10- DK Metcalf SEA – WR
MY PICK: Travis Kelce
This is what I had in mind a round ago. This was the vision. My team is now comprised of two potential WR1 overall players and still one of my favorite stacks, even if they’re both off a down year. I still feel like this stack, because it’s a rare QB/TE stack, makes it special. You rarely have to worry about matchups with TEs and if you get a low output form your TE you aren’t in deep trouble because it’s a low-scoring position anyway.
The plan was executed but the result is officially a zero RB strategy. We’ll see how long I last in this mock draft.
ROUND FIVE
5.01- Mark Andrews BAL – TE
5.02- Rhamondre Stevenson NE – RB
5.03- Kenneth Walker III SEA – RB
5.04- Aaron Jones MIN – RB
5.05- Lamar Jackson BAL – QB
5.06- James Conner ARI – RB
5.07- Najee Harris PIT – RB
5.08- Michael Pittman IND – WR
5.09- Trey McBride ARI – TE
5.10- Zamir White LV – RB
MY PICK: James Conner
The zero RB strategy ends here in this mock draft. I could not stretch it any longer with how thin the RB room gets at this point. After Conner, there are a ton of players who at best come with at least one major concern. I couldn’t take this any further in this mock draft.
Still, to wait until round 5 to take my first RB and landing a solid player like James Conner feels like a blessing. He won’t have much competition for touches in the Cardinals backfield and like last year is being overlooked. He had a thousand yards on the ground last year with seven rushing TDs. Also, he did that while missing four games. Conner is dependable and the exact guy you wish to target with your first RB pick if you take the zero RB approach.
ROUND SIX
6.01- Anthony Richardson IND – QB
6.02- Raheem Mostert MIA – RB
6.03- Stefon Diggs HOU – WR
6.04- C.J. Stroud HOU – QB
6.05- D’Andre Swift CHI – RB
6.06- Brian Robinson Jr. WAS – RB
6.07- Dalton Kincaid BUF – TE
6.08- Tony Pollard TEN – RB
6.09- DJ Moore CHI – WR
6.10- Zack Moss CIN – RB
MY PICK: D’Andre Swift
While Conner was the safe bet, Swift is the big swing for the fences. Swift as we’ve discussed before is a talented back. While it always felt like lack of opportunity held him back from being a star, eing a star, he had plenty of opportunity last season. In fact, he had the opportunity behind one of the best offensive lines in football. Look at how Miles Sanders fell off in Carolina. That said, I think Swift is more talented than Sanders and the Bears offense is better set up for success than the Panthers offense (granted that’s a LOW bar).
As with all backs in this spot, Swift is a risk. One of the main ways we mitigate risk, spread the wealth by taking a bunch of RBs and hoping to hit on a few.
ROUND SEVEN
7.01- Kyler Murray ARI – QB
7.02- Cooper Kupp LAR – WR
7.03- Jonathon Brooks CAR – RB
7.04- Joe Burrow CIN – QB
7.05- Jaylen Warren PIT – RB
7.06- Nick Chubb CLE – RB
7.07- Amari Cooper CLE – WR
7.08- Dak Prescott DAL – QB
7.09- Jordan Love GB – QB
7.10- Devin Singletary NYG – RB
MY PICK: Nick Chubb
Sneaking of risk, that’s exactly what my next mock draft pick is. Nick Chubb is probably the riskiest of selections in 2024. He is coming off serious knee surgeries (yes, plural) and is not getting any younger. That said, he’s only 28 and doesn’t turn 29 until December so while it may feel like Chubb has been around forever, he truly isn’t that old.
Now if this risk pays of, you have the steal of the draft with Chubb. So far signs of Chubb’s status heading into the year have been positive. As we get closer to draft day his stock could rise if we get a clearer picture of his health and it shows an early return. Back to the land of hard truths: Chubb is not a short-term solution and should not be viewed that way. He will burn a hole in your roster for the beginning to middle of the year. The hope is once he’s back and up to speed he’s back to his old form or good trade bait.
ROUND EIGHT
8.01- DeVonta Smith PHI – WR
8.02- Javonte Williams DEN – RB
8.03- Malik Nabers NYG – WR
8.04- Gus Edwards LAC – RB
8.05- Chase Brown CIN – RB
8.06- Ezekiel Elliott DAL – RB
8.07- Zay Flowers BAL – WR
8.08- Tee Higgins CIN – WR
8.09- George Pickens PIT – WR
8.10- Diontae Johnson CAR – WR
MY PICK: Chase Brown
Another upside selection at RB. Brown has had a nice camp this far and showed flashes of his potential last season. The fear is that Brown is this year’s Alexander Mattison or Tony Pollard instead of Raschaad White or James Cook. Brown would have been ranked a lot higher this season if Zack Moss wasn’t a new signing. I think the addition of Moss hurts Brown’s ceiling more than it does his floor. I could see Brown still being the lead guy. While it’s hard to imagine him having a large enough role to finish as a top 10 back, top 20 is certainly possible. That’s all we’re looking for here. Someone we can play in matchups we like.
ROUND NINE
9.01- Tank Dell HOU – WR
9.02- Austin Ekeler WAS – RB
9.03- Trey Benson ARI – RB
9.04- Tyjae Spears TEN – RB
9.05- Calvin Ridley TEN – WR
9.06- Jerome Ford CLE – RB
9.07- Christian Watson GB – WR
9.08- Keenan Allen CHI – WR
9.09- Christian Kirk JAC – WR
9.10- Chris Godwin TB – WR
My Pick: Jerome Ford
I waited until round five in this mock draft to finally take an RB, only to run off four in a row. The streak ends here but this was a pick I had to make. I laid out earlier how Chubb is a long-term play. Ford is the short-term complementary move. This pick makes me feel more comfortable with Chubb on my bench until he gets healthy. Ford and Chubb will be no different than had I taken Kyren Williams in round two and his handcuff Blake Corum in round nine.
Ford was a reliable starter last season while Chubb was out and with a year to plan on how to integrate him into the offense I think the ceiling is higher while the floor remains the same. At least until Chubb is back. Since I own both I won’t feel as pressured to make a move if Chubb will be out a while.
ROUND 10
10.01- Terry McLaurin WAS – WR
10.02- Blake Corum LAR – RB
10.03- Jayden Reed GB – WR
10.04- DeAndre Hopkins TEN – WR
10.05- Rashee Rice KC – WR
10.06- Courtland Sutton DEN – WR
10.07- Rome Odunze CHI – WR
10.08- Hollywood Brown KC – WR
10.09- Brandin Cooks DAL – WR
10.10- Chuba Hubbard CAR – RB
MY PICK: Rashee Rice
Rice is the final selection I’ll touch on here and I’m glad I will. He’s facing a possible suspension to start the season which will have implications on his draft slot. Still, with the speedy additions of Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy, I think we are forgetting how solid Rice was down the stretch. Rashee Rice in the final stretch of the season.
From weeks 12-17, Rice had 518 yards and 3 TDs. They also got the ball in his hands regularly, with nine or more targets in all but one contest. If Rice can be the consistent guy next to Kelce while Brown and Worthy are tasked with opening things up down the field Rice could still be very fantasy relevant. However, be sure to keep an eye on a potential suspension which could hurt his value. With Chubb already taking up a spot I might pass on Rice if he misses any significant time.
STARTING LINEUP
QB – Patrick Mahomes II
RB – James Conner, D’Andre Swift
WR – Ja’Marr Chase, Garrett Wilson
TE – Travis Kelce
FLEX – Jerome Ford (Nick Chubb)
Bench: Chase Brown, Rashee Rice, Jayden Daniels (11.06), Brian Thomas Jr. (12.05) David Njoku (13.06), Khalil Herbert (14.05)
CONCLUSION
This mock draft might be the riskiest I’ve done so far. I traditionally avoid zero RB strategies, particularly in standard leagues. However, I think I pulled off a successful one here. Conner and Swift are two really nice finds after the first four rounds. Plus with Chubb, Brown, and Ford I think I have spread the roster spots to enough RBs to strike gold on at least one of them.
The Mahomes, Kelce stack is one I said last year likely required your top two fantasy picks to pull off. To land them in rounds three and four is a steal if they return to form. It’s the kind of stack you see yourself faced with and immediately go check the draft board to see who screwed up and let those two get paired up on the same team. If not, Daniels and Njoku are solid backups.
By landing them in rounds three and four I’m afforded my first two picks at WR in Chase and Wilson. WR1 overall upside for both of them, I’ll be expecting them to lead me to many victories. I waited a while to take any WRs but with the value there being deeper than RB I still came away with Rashee Rice and Brian Thomas Jr. Solid backups considering how late I got them.
It’s a risky approach, the zero RB strategy. Truthfully, I might not take the risk on draft day like I did in this mock draft. Too many picks that went exactly as I hoped they would in this mock. Who has that kind of luck in their real draft? My hand’s not up. Still, if you are bold enough to risk a mid-pick zero RB approach, this is how you want to do it.
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