Over the course of the next two months, eDraft will run off a series of 12 mock drafts focusing on strategies for each spot in the first round of 12-team leagues. Most, if not all, drafts are of the snake variety. This means that the team selecting 12th overall in the first round, will have the 13th pick (first in the second round). The team drafting 11th overall will have the 14th pick (second in the first round). On the contrary, the team drafting first overall in the initial round will have the final pick in the second round.
That throws many into a situation where they have to change their draft philosophies based on where they are picking. If you have the 11th or 12th pick, does it make sense to get a bottom-tier RB1 with that initial pick or one of the top wide receivers or the top tight end? Just think about that for a second.
Today's mock is going to utilize the hypothetical that we are picking 11th overall in the first round. The mock was conducted on eDraft's awesome mock draft simulator.
1. Jimmy Graham, Tight End, New Orleans Saints
In this particular mock, nine running backs were off the board before I was able to pick. In addition to that, Calvin Johnson was taken with the 10th pick. This is what you would call a nightmare scenario for fantasy owners picking at the bottom of Round 1.
Why not go with the sure-fire No. 1 tight end in fantasy football? As long as Graham is catching passes from Drew Brees in the Saints' pass-happy offense, he's going to be put 1,200-plus yards and 10-plus scores. That's a much better option than reaching for a quarterback or bottom end RB1 one here.
2. A.J. Green, Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals
Two picks in and no running backs. If you're lucky/unlucky, depending on your own strategy/philosophy, to pick at 11 or 12, you may very well decide it makes sense to go away from group think. In this, I decided on a player in Green, who will likely finish the season as a top-three fantasy receiver. Consistency played a major factor in this selection, as Green tallied 100-plus yards and/or one touchdown in 11 of his 16 games. That ranked the talented youngster third among receivers in that category.
3. Andre Ellington, Running Back, Arizona Cardinals
Ellington is nowhere near a sure bet to be a RB1 in 2014, but he's the best value at the bottom of the third round, especially when you are in need of a running back. It's also important to note that Ellington has as good of a chance to put up RB1 numbers than any of the running backs that were available with the 11th pick in the first round. That's where strategy comes into play. Look at other positions first and find value there. Then cross everything hoping someone like Ellington is available in Round 3. In this simulator, he was.
4. Bishop Sankey, Running Back, Tennessee Titans
Sankey is the unquestioned No. 1 rookie running back when it comes to fantasy football. He's going to enter Week 1 as the Titans starter and has a ton of help from an offensive line standpoint. In reality, Sankey's ceiling as a rookie is as a top-10 fantasy running back. His lack of competition for carries in Tennessee, puts his floor in the mid RB2 range.
5. Frank Gore, Running Back, San Francisco 49ers
Every single time we decide to count Gore out as a fantasy asset, he returns the following season and borders on being a RB1 option. Even with a talented group of youngsters behind him, Gore will get the necessary touches to continue to be a consistent fantasy performer. In this particular mock, I am picking him up as a FLEX option and bye-week replacement in standard two RB leagues. You take that and run with it, pun intended.
6. Michael Floyd, Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals
Unfortunately, having to exhaust three picks in a row at running back left me in a bind here. Normally you want your WR2 to be the No. 1 wide receiver on his team. While Larry Fitzgerald might very well still be that in Arizona, Floyd is going to give him a run for his money. Floyd finished as a bottom-end WR2 last season (24th overall). Basic progression from his sophomore year to his junior year coupled with more targets could very well put him in the conversation as a top-end WR2 in 2014.
7. Colin Kaepernick, Quarterback, San Francisco 49ers
This particular draft just played out to the point where I had no other choice but to nab Kaepernick in Round 7. With a renewed emphasis on the passing game in San Francisco, we should see Kaepernick put up a whole bunch of passing yards compared to his total from last season. Despite being the most inconsistent QB1 option from a fantasy standpoint in 2013, Kaepernick still finished the season with the ninth-most points at that position. He was ahead of Tony Romo, Nick Foles, Tom Brady and Matt Ryan in that category. Give Kaepernick more pass attempts and he's likely going to finish in the top six or seven this year.
8. Jordan Reed, Tight End, Washington Redskins
At this point, it's all about that FLEX position. Considering I am relying on an aging Frank Gore to pick up points there, it makes sense to grab a high-upside pass catcher later in order to justify waiting until Round 3 to nab a running back. Reed was a fantasy star last season before going down to injury. Reed finished 2013 as the third-most consistent fantasy tight end, putting up 50-plus yards and/or one touchdown in 78 percent of his outings. Just make sure that your fantasy league accepts tight ends as FLEX players before considering a high-upside mid-round option there.
The Rest
9. Jeremy Hill, Running Back, Cincinnati Bengals
10. Seattle Seahawks Defense
11. Tavon Austin, Wide Receiver, St. Louis Rams
12. Alex Smith, Quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs
13. Jordan Matthews, Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles
14. Christine Michael, Running Back, Seattle Seahawks
15. Stepfan Taylor, Running Back, Arizona Cardinals
16. Phil Dawson, Kicker, San Francisco 49ers
Defense/Special Teams: Seattle Seahawks (1st)
Kicker: Phil Dawson, San Francisco 49ers (6th)