Even though the NFL regular season is still months away, that doesn’t stop stat junkies and hardcore fantasy fans alike from starting their preparation for the upcoming fantasy football season early.  While some of you may be preparing to start new dynasty or keeper leagues, the majority of fantasy owners are just looking to get a leg up on the competition in their yearly redraft leagues. 

No matter which of those categories you happen to fall into, it’s never too early to get the upper hand.  So, with that in mind, here is our inaugural fantasy football mock draft for the 2013 season. 

Special notes: I used a combination of Matthew Berry’s rankings and my own for reference, and constructed a 12 team, 15-round standard league snake draft.  I decided to use the No. 5 pick for mocking purposes. 

1.5:  Doug Martin, Running Back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This pick came down to Martin or Marshawn Lynch.  I decided on Martin because of his youth, lack of fumbles and and large number of catches, yards and touchdowns he adds as a receiver.  Martin burst onto the scene in a big way as a rookie and will only improve headed into his second season. 

2.8: Jimmy Graham, Tight End, New Orleans Saints

Graham was a beast last season, ranking third amongst tight ends in receiving yards, fifth in touchdowns and second in fantasy points.  With 19 players going off the board between this and the last pick, Rob Gronkowski will likely be off the board.  Graham is far and above the second-best tight end and has to be grabbed if he’s still on the board. 

3.5: Randall Cobb, Wide Receiver, Green Bay Packers

Cobb really took his game to the next level 2012, establishing himself as Aaron Rodgers’ favorite target.  The Packers experimented with using Cobb as a running back at times, lining him up in the backfield and handing the ball of on reverses; with great success.  Cobb led all receivers with 161 rushing yards, and was ranked in the top-25 in receiving yards, touchdowns and fantasy points.  Because of his ability as a receiver, ball carrier and return man, Cobb is a versatile fantasy stud who can be used as a wide receiver or FLEX option on your roster. 

4.8: Reggie Bush, Running Back, Detroit Lions

You may scoff at this pick, but I promise it’s not a reach.  When utilized correctly, Bush is a deadly weapon for any offense in the NFL.  You may be surprised to know that Bush’s 986 rushing yards in 2012 were good enough to rank him 17th best amongst running backs.  He was also ranked 15th in rushing touchdowns and receiving yards, as well as sixth in receiving touchdowns and 14th overall in fantasy points.  Since the Detroit Lions already have a “normal” running back in Mikel Leshoure, they will be able to utilize Bush on the outside, in the passing game and as a return man; which will likely move him into the top-10 in fantasy points for running backs by seasons end. 

5.5: Matt Ryan, Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons

Shocked that I waited until my fifth pick to grab a quarterback?  You shouldn’t be.  For the last few years I’ve followed the “Late Round QB” philosophy, with great success.  Basically, this means waiting to grab a quarterback until later (hence the name), and instead address positions such as running back and tight end, where there is a quicker and bigger drop-off in total points.  While it may be hard to pass up on the likes of Rodgers, Drew Brees, Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson and/or Robert Griffin III; the difference in total points between all of these guys is so small that you can afford to wait until later.  Ryan was in the top-five for passing yards, touchdowns and fantasy points last year and there’s no reason to believe he’ll regress much in 2013. 

6.8: Torrey Smith, Wide Receiver, Baltimore Ravens

Last season, Smith was already the top-fantasy receiver on the Ravens.  He finished the season 18th in receiving yards, 10th in touchdowns and 18th in fantasy points.  Now that Anquan Boldin is gone, Smith is likely to see more targets and an increase in numbers across the board. 

7.5: T.Y. Hilton, Wide Receiver, Indianapolis Colts

Hilton had a standout rookie campaign, finishing the season ranked 27th in receiving yards, 20th in touchdowns and 24th in total points.  Much like Cobb, Hilton is a threat as a receiver, return man and ball carrier and is a lock to improve all of his numbers in 2013. 
 

8.8: Josh Gordon, Wide Receiver, Cleveland Browns

Gordon had a strong rookie season, and would have put up even bigger numbers if his rookie quarterback, Brandon Weeden, had been more consistent.  Now with a new, offensive minded coach and a year of experience under his belt, look for Gordon to have a breakout year.  He will definitely improve on his 39th overall in points ranking from 2012. 

9.5: Bernard Pierce, Running Back, Baltimore Ravens

Pierce had a couple of big games during the season, but seemed to really flourish during the playoffs and under new offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell.  Pierce is a great change of pace from Ray Rice and will definitely have a bigger role in the rushing and passing game in 2013. 

10.8: Greg Olsen, Tight End, Carolina Panthers

Olsen is a talented pass catcher across the middle and Cam Newton’s favorite target.  In 2012 he ranked fifth in receiving yards, 11th in touchdowns and was the 10th best in fantasy points.  You can’t really ask for better numbers from your No. 2 tight end. 

11.5: LaMichael James, Running Back, San Francisco 49ers

James missed almost all of the season, playing in only the last four games.  He also played in both playoff games and the Super Bowl, making his biggest impact against Atlanta.  James is an athletic and talented running and receiver, and will have a much bigger role in 2013.  As your fourth running back, baring injury he’s likely not to see much time except for a couple bye weeks, but will contribute enough points when he’s needed. 
 

12.8: Ryan Tannehill, Quarterback, Miami Dolphins

Tannehill had a great rookie season on a team lacking in offensive weapons.  Tannehill was able to finish the season ranked 21st in passing yards, 28th in touchdowns and 25th overall in points.  His 11 points per game are likely to increase now that the Dolphins have added Mike Wallace and Dustin Keller and he’s a fine backup quarterback for your roster. 

13.5: Cincinnati Bengals Defense

Again, you may be surprised to see me wait so long to go defense, but you shouldn’t be. There’s such a small difference between total points and points per week in the top 15 defenses that there isn’t any reason to rush to grab a defense early, as tempting as San Francisco and Seattle may be.  The Bengals defense was sixth best last season, “scoring” a total of 105 points and 6.6 per week. 

14.8: Justin Tucker, Kicker, Baltimore Ravens

Kickers should be approached the same as defenses; there’s such a small difference in total points from top to bottom, that there’s no need to grab one until the last-two picks.  Tucker finished eighth as a rookie with 132 total points.  When it’s time for his bye week, send him packing and just pick up a different kicker from the waiver wire.  I promise you won’t even notice the difference. 

15.5: St. Louis Rams Defense

With the last pick, you can chose to take a second kicker, or defense.  In this draft, there were no kickers worth carrying two on my roster, so I decided to go defense.  St. Louis has a talented group on defense, which ranked seventh last season, “scoring” 102 points and averaging 6.4.