Now that NFL free agency has pretty much wrapped up and the 2016 draft has concluded, we have a good idea of where each team around the league stands.
There's now no better time than to start mock draft season around the fake football world. Using our mock draft simulator and pickinig No. 1 overall, here's the first of 12 different mock drafts we will conduct between now and the start of the preseason in August.
1. Le'Veon Bell, Running Back, Pittsburgh Steelers
Bell put up 682 total yards in six games prior to suffering a season-ending knee injury about midway through the year. At that point, he was well on pace to put up yet another stellar fantasy campaign. Remember, Bell finished as the best fantasy running back the previous season.
As we saw last season, you are taking a chance at the running back position. Bell, Jamaal Charles, Marshawn Lynch and Arian Foster all missed substantial time after seeing their ADP settle in the top half of the first round. And while we do have to be somewhat concerned over Bell returning from a knee injury, he's your best bet to put up huge numbers, especially when taking into account our half-point PPR system.
2. Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver, Oakland Raiders
Cooper finished his rookie campaign as a bottom end WR2 in PPR contests en route to tallying 72 receptions for 1,070 yards and six scores. It's safe to assume he's going to have an even larger impact in his second season, especially with Derek Carr and himself continuing their relationship that saw both of them put up huge numbers.
All said, Cooper was targeted 8.2 times per game as a rookie, coming down with a catch just 55 percent of the time. If his target numbers increase to closer to 10 per game with a catch rate of 60-plus percent, there's little question Cooper will end his sophomore season as a top-end fantasy option.
3. Brandon Marshall, Wide Receiver, New York Jets
There's an outlier here by the name of Ryan Fitzpatrick, who remains a free agent. Should he not return to New York, it would mean that Geno Smith will be the Jets starting quarterback. That won't bode well for Marshall's fantasy success. Even if Fitzpatrick does return, we can expect some sort of regression from Marshall.
After all, he did put up 109 receptions for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns en route to finishing as the third-best fantasy receiver. Even then, nabbing him in the third round of a 12-team draft would be an absolute steal. If healthy, there's no reason to believe Marshall won't be a top-five fantasy receiver.
4. Jarvis Landry, Wide Receiver, Miami Dolphins
Don't look now, but Landry has become a stud in PPR contests. He caught a ridiculous 110 passes on 166 targets for 1,157 yards last season. Despite finishing with just four touchdowns, this enabled Landry to land in the top 12 among receivers in fantasy points. That's his floor with Ryan Tannehill under center in Adam Gase's system this upcoming season.
5. Jeremy Hill, Running Back, Cincinnati Bengals
Despite putting up less than 800 yards and providing nothing of substance from a PPR standpoint, Hill still finished as the 15th-best fantasy running back last season. This was made possible by the 11 touchdowns he scored on the ground. Don't expect much regression as it relates to red-zone touches this season, especially with Cincinnati missing any sort of veteran receiving presence behind A.J. Green. If Hill is able to up his yardage total to 1,200-plus, he will be a top-12 fantasy running back this season.
6. Tom Brady, Quarterback, New England Patriots
If you're hanging around in the middle rounds without a quarterback, seriously consider going with Brady. While he's currently suspended for the first four games of the season due to Deflategate, the NFLPA is appealing said suspension. Even if Brady is out for those first four games, he represents tremendous value here. Brady finished as the second-best fantasy quarterback last season.
7. Jay Ajayi, Running Back, Miami Dolphins
With Lamar Miller now in Houston, the expectation here has to be that Ajayi will be Miami's primary ball carrier. That alone provides tremendous value in the seventh round. Now take into account the fact that Ajayi will be doing so in a running back-friendly Adam Gase scheme, and he's a real sleeper here.
8. Tyler Lockett, Wide Receiver, Seattle Seahawks
Lockett was a real surprise as a rookie, tallying 51 receptions for 664 yards and six touchdowns. This enabled him to be a solid FLEX options in standard 12-team leagues. With a full offseason under his belt and a built-in relationship with Lockett, there's no reason to believe the young receiver won't improve off his rookie season. Look for a substantial increase from the 4.3 targets he saw per game last year. If so, a breakout performance is likely here.
9. Duke Johnson, Running Back, Cleveland Browns
PPR. PPR. PPR. Do we need to repeat that again? Johnson put up 61 receptions on 74 targets as a rookie last season. This enabled him to finish as a mid-tier FLEX option despite putting up less than 400 rushing yards. Expected to take on a role similar to what we've seen with Giovani Bernard under new Browns head coach Hue Jackson in Cincinnati, the expectation here has to be that Johnson will be a PPR stud in 2016.
10. Derek Carr, Quarterback, Oakland Raiders
If you're going to go with Brady as your QB1, you need to find a viable backup option. It just so happens that in this specific mock a top-14 fantasy quarterback from a season ago was available. In fact, if you're going with the late-round quarterback strategy, Carr is a viable QB1 option. He put up nearly 4,000 passing yards with 32 touchdowns as a sophomore last year.
The Rest
11. Antonio Gates, Tight End, San Diego Chargers
12. Jimmy Graham, Tight End, Seattle Seahawks
13. C.J. Prosise, Running Back, Seattle Seahawks
14. Cincinnati Bengals Defense
15. Stephen Gostkowski, Kicker, New England Patriots