RADIO
Now that the preseason is officially over, it's time to deliver my annual feature that has been a longtime staple at this point on the calendar. The King's 2023 fantasy football one-man mock draft is ready for the stage.
I attempt to take over the roles of all participants in the first four rounds of a 12-team PPR league with four points per TD pass. Starting skill position requirements are for one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, and one FLEX spot.
The picks are tied heavily to my own rankings, which are available here. The selections were based on needs and value as I went along while also experimenting with a few different roster builds. Some picks may not jibe purely with the ranks, as I also incorporated a feel for when some players must be taken if you prefer them. Projected workloads and upside also figured into the roster fits for each team.
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Round One - Fantasy Football Mock Draft
1. Justin Jefferson: If you draft in so many leagues like high-stakes players do, then it’s OK to diversify and consider Ja’Marr Chase over Jefferson. For most who only play in one or two leagues, just draft Jefferson and start thinking ahead to the next two rounds.
2. Ja'Marr Chase: With 29 touchdown receptions in 22 career games so far, Chase is the certain 1B to Jefferson’s 1A status in fantasy football.
3. Travis Kelce: You are getting top 5 fantasy wide receiver production at the thinnest position in the game. Kelce is a slam-dunk pick anywhere from this point on.
4. Christian McCaffrey: He will often be taken third overall, but I want Kelce over anyone but Jefferson and Chase. After playing a full season last year, CMC allows his drafters to take him with even more confidence in 2023.
5. Tyreek Hill: If Tua Tagovailoa stays healthy for most or all of the year, Hill could finish as the top wide receiver in fantasy football.
6. Austin Ekeler: He is a very safe top-shelf pick. You know what to expect from Ekeler, and he has played full schedules in three of the past four seasons.
7. Stefon Diggs: Cooper Kupp was a popular pick in this first-round range before the injury news this week. Now Diggs is the certain guy to target when the top 3 WRs are off the board.
8. CeeDee Lamb: When we get to the later parts of the first round, I lean toward getting top WRs. There will likely be a top 5-6 RB available at this spot in the second round if you want one of them.
9. A.J. Brown: If you want Bijan Robinson at this spot or the next one, he is not going to slip much further, but I stay committed to the best WRs available.
10. Amon-Ra St. Brown: Taking another one of the top 9 WRs as a first starter at the position is the preferred move here.
11. Bijan Robinson: Personally, I prefer another WR at this spot, as I have Saquon Barkley ranked ahead of Robinson. For those who are high on the Atlanta rookie, this is likely the latest region he will fall to in many drafts.
12. Garrett Wilson: The Jets lack a true No. 2 WR, and Wilson has already developed a good rapport with Aaron Rodgers. If you want to take Wilson earlier, ahead of the two picks slotted ahead of him in this draft, for the upside and massive targets, it’s not crazy.
Incredible hands from Garrett Wilson#Jets pic.twitter.com/IYizT6BKbo
— Michael Nania (@Michael_Nania) August 27, 2023
Round Two - Fantasy Football Mock Draft
13. Saquon Barkley: He is my third-ranked RB, playing on a one-year deal and coming off the best rushing season of his career. As hard as it is to pass up the next player taken right after Barkley in this draft, I will go with a top 3 RB in this spot.
14. Davante Adams: Landing Robinson and still getting Adams as a WR1 is a satisfying way to walk out of the first two rounds.
15. Chris Olave: A fine zero-RB start to the draft, pairing Olave with St. Brown.
Chris Olave was named Saints camp MVP and called a superstar by multiple reporters
And Derek Carr has had a Top 12 WR/TE in four straight years (3 different players)
— Alex Caruso (@AlexCaruso) September 1, 2023
16. Nick Chubb: I cannot let him slip any further, as Chubb is projected for heavier all-around work in an offense that should improve as the season progresses.
17. Cooper Kupp: He is now a risk/high reward pick, but you will be glad that you made the pick several weeks into the season if Kupp moves past his latest issue and stays healthy for a good portion of the season.
18. Tony Pollard: The best RB1 options are not going to last much longer at this point.
19. DeVonta Smith: After taking Ekeler in the first round, the urge to start RB/RB has to be resisted, as the best remaining WRs will continue to get scooped up.
20. Derrick Henry: I prefer to land one of the top 8 RBs, as there is a drop-off at the position once Henry and the next RB come off the board. Plus, with Henry/Hill on my roster, I can make corny Goodfellas references or even name the team after the movie.
21. Jaylen Waddle: When taking McCaffrey in the first round, this is a spot to wait and see which highest-ranked WR is there for the taking.
22. Patrick Mahomes: Yes, this works out where Kelce can be paired with Mahomes, and another WR or RB spot can be addressed a few picks later. Landing the Kansas City duo propelled some teams to their league Super Bowls in 2022.
23. Josh Jacobs: Now that the Las Vegas standout has rejoined his team, Jacobs is another RB playing with contractual incentive.
24. Josh Allen: He has finished as a top 2 fantasy quarterback in each of the past three seasons, placing atop the position twice.
Round Three - Fantasy Football Mock Draft
25. Jahmyr Gibbs: I do have a few other RBs ranked ahead of Gibbs, but this is your only chance at this slot to get the rookie if you are gunning for the upside. So I pushed him up the board, as some might, to get their guy.
26. Mark Andrews: I can’t let the consensus No. 2 fantasy tight end stay available much longer, and this team already has a WR1 and an RB1.
27. Amari Cooper: Even though Kelce is this team’s unofficial WR1, Cooper can top the roster well enough at the position. He performed admirably through injuries last season, and Deshaun Watson should operate more effectively over a projected full season in 2023.
28. Calvin Ridley: There are a healthy amount of playmakers in Jacksonville now, but Ridley does stand out above the rest in terms of pure talent. If you elect to take him over Cooper, I won’t argue.
29. Jalen Hurts: He will be taken ahead of Allen in many drafts, but even if I swapped Hurts with Allen’s spot at 24 for the sake of that scenario, this team will still get the last of the “Big Three” QBs here.
30. Tee Higgins: Yes, he is coming off a disappointing season, but it is certainly worth betting on a better 2023 campaign from Higgins as a fantasy WR2 at this point.
31. Keenan Allen: We know what Allen is capable of when healthy, and Justin Herbert could be headed for a big season. This is a fine fantasy WR2 pick to pair with Diggs.
32. DK Metcalf: This team comes away with a potentially excellent WR trio to start the draft, nabbing A.J. Lamb, Kupp, and Metcalf.
33. Rhamondre Stevenson: There is now a drop to another tier at WR here. It is a solid move to take Stevenson as an RB2.
34. Justin Fields: No other QB came close to his 2022 rushing yardage total of 1,143. Fields will continue to run often while gaining a No. 1 WR in D.J. Moore.
35. Drake London: I am aiming for a breakout year with this pick. I have London ranked as a top 20 fantasy WR.
August 23 reminder that Drake London is good at football pic.twitter.com/AzSv9NEb1u
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) August 23, 2023
36. Lamar Jackson: He might run a bit less this year, but Jackson is working with the best projected pass-catching crew of his career.
Round Four
37. DeAndre Hopkins
38. Najee Harris
39. D.J. Moore
40. Deebo Samuel
41. Joe Mixon
42. Justin Herbert
43. Joe Burrow
44. Brandon Aiyuk
45. T.J. Hockenson
46. Travis Etienne
47. Trevor Lawrence
48. Christian Watson
Scott Engel's fantasy and betting analysis is also featured at The Game Day.
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