TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

RotoBaller Standard Mock Draft Analysis - Rounds 2-3

We continue our look at RotoBaller's Standard Mock 2.0 with a recap of rounds 2-3. We recently gathered 12 RotoBaller experts writers to conduct a week-long, email draft, MFL10-style, in order to evaluate ADP values and draft strategies in standard scoring fantasy football leagues.

If you didn't catch it earlier, start here with our first round analysis. We're breaking down every round, continuing with the second and third rounds in this article.

Note: All references to ADP come from www.fantasyfootballcalculator.com and are based off a 12-team, standard league.

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

 

Round 2 Recap

The round kicked off with Aaron Rodgers going first, the first quarterback to come off the board. After the selection of Rodgers, the round was dominated by running backs and wide receivers. Amari Cooper and Jordy Nelson going back-to-back is a wonderful juxtaposition. Cooper is the young gun being drafted on the potential of what he could become while Nelson is the grizzled veteran, trying to show that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Both are solid picks and it really just depends on your roster-building preference. Devonta Freeman at 2.04 kicked off a run of six straight running backs. Getting Freeman in the second round is a great value as he generally is coming off boards in the middle of the first round.

DeMarco Murray should serve as Tennessee's lead back for another season while Jordan Howard is locked into an every down role. He may regress from his super-efficient 2016 season but workload alone keeps him in the second round. Todd Gurley is a popular second round running back who may benefit from Sammy Watkins taking defensive attention away from the running game. Three more receivers finished off the second round in Dez Bryant, T.Y. Hilton, and Brandin Cooks. Bryant, and the Cowboys, should be forced to pass much more often than they did in 2016 as they had one of the easiest schedules last year and a much tougher slate of opponents in 2017. When Bryant is healthy, he's one of the most dominant touchdown-scorers in the league. Hilton causes some concern because of the uncertainty surrounding Andrew Luck's shoulder. Of course, if Luck starts the season then the late second round is a great value for Hilton. Cooks should continue his boom-bust ways with the Patriots. Pair him with a steady, consistent WR1 like Antonio Brown or Odell Beckham in the first round and you are set at the receiver position.

Best Pick:

Devonta Freeman (RB, ATL) - Freeman, as mentioned earlier, usually comes off boards in the first round after the big three running backs, LeSean McCoy, and Melvin Gordon. Freeman finished 2015 as the number one overall running back in fantasy and is in line for another big season for the Falcons.

Biggest Reach:

Aaron Rodgers (QB, GB) - Rodgers in the second round is in line with his ADP date but I'm simply not a fan of taking quarterbacks early in fantasy drafts. That being said, he provides a big advantage over any other quarterback available, especially with Andrew Luck's health looking shaky. If taking a quarterback early and not having to worry about the position all season is your cup of tea, Rodgers is the cream of the crop.

 

Round 3 Recap

Round three provided plenty of variety. In all, two quarterbacks, two tight ends, four wide receivers, and four running backs come off the board. DeAndre Hopkins looks to bounce back after disappointing in 2016. He will have either Tom Savage or Deshaun Watson throwing to him in 2017, an upgrade over the departed Brock Osweiler. Travis Kelce was the second tight end off the board after Gronk went in the first. Kelce is coming off a career year which saw him finish as the TE1 in fantasy. With Jeremy Maclin gone, Kelce should see all the targets he can handle. Of course, those targets are coming from the arm of Alex Smith so Kelce's touchdown scoring upside is capped.

Veteran signal callers Tom Brady and Drew Brees went within two picks of one another. While they are getting up there in age, there's nothing to suggest they don't have at least one more elite fantasy season left in those arms. Isaiah Crowell has RB1 upside as he will run behind one of the top offensive lines in football. Jordan Reed's selection came despite the news of him fighting a lingering toe issue. If healthy, he can push Gronk for the distinction of being the top overall tight end in fantasy. Sammy Watkins was still a Buffalo Bill when @fs_mati selected him. Since then he's seen his ADP tumble into the fourth round. He's still a value as he will play for new coach Sean McVay, who's much more pass oriented than the Bills ever were while Watkins was there.

I considered both Keenan Allen and Allen Robinson with my pick in the third. I actually like Keenan more but Robinson had the higher ADP at the time. The gamble paid off as I wound up still getting Keenan Allen in the fourth. Doug Baldwin is rock solid in the third round. Annually undervalued, he's a WR1 going as a WR2 in fantasy drafts. The round ended with two rookie running backs, Christian McCaffrey and Joe Mixon. McCaffrey is a better bet in PPR leagues but he should be useful in standard leagues, as well. Don't fear training camp reports that Jeremy Hill will be the Bengals' starter. Head coach Marvin Lewis is known for making rookies earn their way into starting roles on his teams. More concerning for Mixon is whether the Bengals can cobble together a passable offensive line.

Best Pick:

Doug Baldwin (WR, SEA) - Baldwin is consistently going off the board in third rounds of fantasy drafts, so he wasn't an extraordinary value at pick 3.09. What he is, however, is an extremely consistent wide receiver with WR1 upside in a round littered with potential land mines at the position. Outside of Baldwin, basically every wide receiver coming off draft boards in the third has some type of blemish, whether it be questionable quarterback play for DeAndre Hopkins and Allen Robinson, or a traditionally poor offense and a new team for Sammy Watkins. Baldwin is the safest pick here.

Biggest Reach:

Allen Robinson (WR, JAC) - I wound up drafting Robinson a full round earlier than his ADP. That being said, I believe in his talent and do believe that he will bounce back following a disastrous 2016 season. Sure, Blake Bortles is bad, but he was at the helm in 2015 when Robinson went bananas with 14 touchdowns. The Jaguars plan to run more with first round rookie Leonard Fournette in the fold, which should help increase Bortles' and Robinson's efficiency. That being said, I prefer Keenan Allen to Robinson this season. As mentioned above, I had a feeling I could wait on Keenan based on the ADP stats on MyFantasyLeague and still get him in the fourth round, which I did.

 

More Fantasy Football Mock Drafts and Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Vinnie Pasquantino

Royals Agree on Two-Year Contract
Neemias Queta

Back in Action Friday
Miles McBride

Misses Friday's Game
Josh Hart

Active Against Trail Blazers
Tre Johnson

Out Against Lakers
Khris Middleton

Sits Out Meeting With Lakers
Austin Reaves

Remains Out Friday
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Cleared to Play Friday
Jusuf Nurkić

Jusuf Nurkic Unavailable Friday Due to Illness
Michael Porter Jr.

Won't Play Friday Night
Malik Monk

Returns to Kings Lineup
Russell Westbrook

Misses Second Consecutive Game
Domantas Sabonis

Won't Play Friday Night
Jalen Green

Available Friday Against Cavaliers
Jaylen Brown

Won't Play Friday
Kawhi Leonard

Available Friday
Aaron Gordon

to Be Re-Evaluated in 4-6 Weeks
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Expected to Return Friday
Jacob Wilson

Signs Seven-Year Extension
Diego Lopes

An Underdog At UFC 325
Alexander Volkanovski

Set For UFC 325 Main Event
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Dan Hooker

Set For UFC 325 Co-Main Event
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev

Returns At UFC 325
CFB

Texas Lands Wake Forest Transfer Sterling Berkhalter
Darius Garland

Remains Out Friday vs. Phoenix
Onyeka Okongwu

Out at Least Through the Weekend
Lauri Markkanen

Resting Friday Against Nets
Cameron Johnson

Could Be Back Before All-Star Break
Samuel Ersson

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Thursday
Pavel Zacha

Exits Early Thursday
Charlie Lindgren

Hurt Versus Red Wings
Jack Hughes

Exits With Lower-Body Injury Thursday
Brad Marchand

Suffers New Injury Blow
Patrick Kane

Becomes NHL's Highest-Scoring U.S-Born Player
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Expected to Miss a Week
Tommy Edman

Will Have Delayed Start to Spring Training, Could Miss Opening Day
Ryan McDonagh

Ready to Rejoin Lightning Lineup
Logan Thompson

Unavailable Thursday
Dylan Guenther

Misses Second Consecutive Game
Shayne Gostisbehere

Ready to Face Mammoth
Anton Lundell

Out Thursday
Elias Lindholm

Won't Play Against Flyers
Evgeni Malkin

Good to Go Thursday
Kirk Cousins

Falcons Expected to Release Kirk Cousins
Chase Brown

Working on Extension With Bengals
Michael Penix Jr.

Hopes to be Ready for Week 1
Isaac Paredes

Not a Lock for Opening Day Lineup?
Dalton Kincaid

Doesn't Need Offseason Surgery
Josh Allen

Undergoes Foot Surgery
Josh Allen

on Crutches, Wearing Walking Boot
Corbin Carroll

a Top Fantasy Outfielder After Joining 30-30 Club
Jonah Tong

Won't Pitch in the World Baseball Classic
CFB

Michigan RB Bryson Kuzdzal Withdrawing from Transfer Portal
James Reimer

Stops Avalanche Wednesday Night
Tim Stützle

Tim Stutzle Collects Two Points Against Avalanche
Ondrej Palat

Enjoys Multi-Point Debut With Islanders
Zach Werenski

Has Fifth Multi-Point Outing of the Month
Travis Konecny

Questionable for Thursday
Rasmus Ristolainen

Doesn't Finish Wednesday's Loss
Blake Coleman

Out Until Olympic Break
Aaron Judge

Appears to be Past his Elbow Issues
Bo Nix

Expected to Resume Training in 4-6 Weeks
Michael Penix Jr.

Thinks he'll be Ready by April
Evan Carter

Establishes a Goal to Steal 30 Bases
Edouard Julien

Traded to the Rockies
Cleveland Browns

Browns Hiring Todd Monken as Next Head Coach
Sahith Theegala

Off to Much Better 2026 Start
Gary Woodland

an Intriguing Option at Torrey Pines This Week
CJ Abrams

Giants Offer "Aggressive Pitch" for CJ Abrams
Andrew Putnam

Hopes to Keep Momentum Rolling This Week
Matthieu Pavon

Seeks to Return to 2024 Form at Torrey Pines
Luke List

Still Looking For Birdies at Torrey Pines
Jake Knapp

Faces Stiff Challenge at Farmers Insurance Open
Rasmus Hojgaard

Needs to Play Better at Torrey Pines
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Could Struggle at Farmers Insurance Open
J.J. Spaun

A Steady Option At Farmers Insurance Open
Andrew Novak

Looking For More Success At Torrey Pines
Denny McCarthy

A Wild Card At Farmers Insurance Open
Max Homa

Looks To Keep Resurgence Going At Torrey Pines
Joe Highsmith

Struggling Heading Into Torrey Pines
Wyndham Clark

Looks To Carry Momentum Into Farmers Insurance Open
Tony Finau

Aims To Turn Things Around At Torrey Pines
Akshay Bhatia

Looks to Bounce Back at Torrey Pines
Paul Goldschmidt

Yankees Expressing Interest in Re-Signing Paul Goldschmidt
Bo Bichette

Won't Play in World Baseball Classic
NFL

Bill Belichick Won't be First-Ballot Hall of Famer
Carlos Correa

Won't Play for Puerto Rico in World Baseball Classic
Si Woo Kim

Looks to Continue Incredible Run at Torrey Pines
Jason Day

has a Good Chance to Keep Momentum This Weekend
Keegan Bradley

has Good Course History at Torrey Pines
Billy Horschel

Isn't a Great DFS Option at Torrey Pines
Aaron Rodgers

Mike McCarthy Says he Wants Aaron Rodgers to Return
Will Zalatoris

Has a Shot to Challenge at the Farmers Insurance Open
Drake Maye

Expected to be Fine for Super Bowl
Tennessee Titans

Titans Set to Hire Brian Daboll as New Offensive Coordinator
Buffalo Bills

Bills Promote Joe Brady to Head Coach
CFB

Quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi Signs with Michigan
CFB

Darian Mensah Reaches Settlement with Duke, Expected to Land at Miami
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Not Drawing Interest on Open Market?
Shedeur Sanders

Named as Pro Bowl Replacement
Framber Valdez

Among Many High-End Pitchers on Free-Agent Market
Jose Altuve

Won't Participate in World Baseball Classic
Harrison Bader

Agrees With Giants on Two-Year Deal
Paddy Pimblett

Drops Decision
Justin Gaethje

Becomes the New Interim-Lightweight Champion
Song Yadong

Suffers Unanimous Decision Loss
MMA

Sean O'Malley Gets Back In The Win Column
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Extends His Win Streak
Derrick Lewis

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Officially Hire Mike McDaniel as Offensive Coordinator
Nathan Eovaldi

Doesn't Expect Any Limitations in Spring Training
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Dominates in NFC Championship Game Win
Matthew Stafford

Plans to Return in 2026
CFB

Arthur Smith to Become Ohio State's Offensive Coordinator
Bo Nix

Sidelined for 12 Weeks With Broken Ankle
Jose Altuve

to Mainly Play Second Base

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP