There are many draft strategies to experiment with when drafting a fantasy football team. Some people like to hold out until the latest round possible to draft their quarterback, stacking their roster with running back and wide receiver depth.
Then there are those who reach for that elite quarterback in the first couple of draft rounds, using their quarterback as the foundation to build the remainder of their team. This mock draft below depicts the latter of these strategies, where I drafted Aaron Rodgers, rather than waiting to pick a third-tier fantasy quarterback.
I had the seventh pick in this 12-team PPR (points per reception) mock draft, so here is how it played out.
1.7 DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Taking a chance that either Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, or Drew Brees would be available in round two, I chose Murray. With Dallas planning to incorporate more of a run game this season, Murray should put up RB1 numbers nearly each week.
2.6 Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
My plan was to draft one of the top three quarterbacks, and with Manning chosen in pick 1.9, I quickly jumped on Rodgers. He and Brees are really close in value, in my opinion, but I just love the Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, one-two punch here. Fingers crossed that Rodgers stays healthy all season.
3.7 Alfred Morris, RB, Washington Redskins
Had Nelson or Cobb been available in this pick, I wouldn’t have hesitated to grab one. That not being the case, I feel extremely fortunate that I was able to draft another solid running back here with Morris. This is a PPR format league, and Morris has indicated he is ready to participate in Washington’s passing game also, increasing the opportunity to earn more fantasy points.
4.6 DeSean Jackson, WR, Washington Redskins
Obviously, choosing RB, QB, RB, I had to pick a WR here. Jackson is a fabulous receiver, and while likely not WR1 material all weeks, he’ll likely come near, especially with Robert Griffin III back to full health.
5.7 T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Definitely in need of more receivers at this point, Hilton, I feel was my best choice here. The Colts have one of the easier schedules in 2014, so Andrew Luck and Hilton should really continue to build chemistry, deeming Hilton capable of WR1 numbers on occasion.
6.6 Knowshon Moreno, RB, Miami Dolphins
Moreno was obviously a beast when he was with Denver with over 1,500 combined yards and 13 total touchdowns in 2013. If he can just accomplish one-half to two-thirds of what he did last season in Miami, he makes a great flex play here.
7.7 Golden Tate, WR, Detroit Lions
Tate didn’t thrill me when he was in Seattle, but now with Matthew Stafford throwing to him, Tate’s value gets a boost. Calvin Johnson wasn’t himself last season, and he can’t catch everything, so Tate will see plenty of action.
8.6 Fred Jackson, RB, Buffalo Bills
Jackson just keeps ticking, and with over 1,300 rushing and receiving yards combined and 10 total touchdowns in 2013, he makes nice RB depth at this point for my team.
9.7 Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers
Benjamin is definitely a risky pick being a rookie, however, the Panthers’ other receiving options aren’t exactly stellar. Benjamin at 6’-5” catching passes from his 6’-6” quarterback, Cam Newton, could develop in time, making him a bargain late-round draft pick.
10.6 Carolina Defense
Seattle defense was chosen in round eight, then San Francisco taken in pick 10.5., so I reached a bit here taking the third-ranked Carolina defense. Knowing I am weak in other areas, a top- producing defense nearly every week makes a difference in fantasy points.
11.7 Christine Michael, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Taking a flyer on Michael, who the Seahawks are claiming at this time will be working in tandem with Marshawn Lynch, could pay off down the road.
12.6 Jordan Matthews, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Matthews put up 1,477 receiving yards and seven touchdowns at Vanderbilt last season. He’s been looking really awesome in OTA’s and could be a sneaky sleeper in the Eagles’ offense, especially without Jackson around.
13.7 Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants
Waiting until round 13, definitely offers slim pickings for a backup quarterback. I would like to think that Manning got the worst behind him last year. If called to duty as a backup, I hope that Manning could at least put up QB2 numbers.
14.6 Delanie Walker, TE, Tennessee Titans
Regarding choosing a tight end, if you don’t end up with one of the top four, you might as well wait, which is what I did here. Walker is a mediocre option for sure, with upside now that quarterback, Jake Locker is returning to the team.
15.7 Dan Bailey, Kicker, Dallas Cowboys
Bailey is actually one of my favorite kickers and gets plenty of opportunity with Dallas’ offense moving the ball around so much. There’s always those chokes where Tony Romo can’t seal the deal on the third down, and Bailey comes out to do his magic.
Here's how I would line up my roster based on my picks:
QB: Aaron Rodgers
RB: DeMarco Murray
RB: Alfred Morris
WR: DeSean Jackson
WR: T.Y. Hilton
Flex: Golden Tate or Knowshon Moreno
TE: Delanie Walker
Defense: Carolina
Kicker: Dan Bailey
My overall analysis in picking that elite quarterback in round two, is that another position, either the running back or wide receiver position gets sacrificed. In this case, since I went for a higher-ranked running back with pick 1.7, (Calvin Johnson went one pick before, by the way), thus settling for a weaker wide receiving unit.
I decided to build the running backs deeper too, because they are the most likely to become injured, and trying to find a quality running back on the waiver wire in Week 11, versus a decent wide receiver is far more difficult.
With real fantasy football drafts starting in just a couple of short months, mock drafting is a useful tool in planning your draft strategy. Championships take place in fantasy football whether Brees or Ben Roethlisberger is your quarterback, so I don’t believe there is any right or wrong way to draft. But, it is definitely beneficial to find a strategy that you feel works best for you that hopefully leads your team to a championship.
These are the overall mock draft results.