RADIO
It's been a minute (figuratively speaking) since we started this mock draft, and many moves have been made on the free agent market over the last couple of weeks. Then there's the Cleveland Browns, who threw everything into chaos on one March day.
With the NFL Draft still weeks away and many cuts, signings, and trades still to come, an early mock is sure to bring debate with each pick, which is exactly why we did it. Here are the results from the second and third rounds of RotoBaller's Way Too Early Fantasy Football Mock Draft.
To start with round one, just click here. If you're interested in our dynasty mock, try here instead.
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Way Too Early Mock Results
Round 2 Recap
| Round 2 | ||
| Selection | Writer | Player |
| 2.01 | Jason Katz | Kareem Hunt |
| 2.02 | Pierre Camus | Jordan Howard |
| 2.03 | Brittany Smith | Alvin Kamara |
| 2.04 | Steve Halupka | Julio Jones |
| 2.05 | Frankie Soler | Devonta Freeman |
| 2.06 | Chris Zolli | Davante Adams |
| 2.07 | Taylor Maxston | Keenan Allen |
| 2.08 | Steve Rebeiro | A.J. Green |
| 2.09 | Chris Mangano | Tyreek Hill |
| 2.10 | Justin Carter | Mike Evans |
| 2.11 | Cliff Clinton | Christian McCaffrey |
| 2.12 | Dennis Clausen | Adam Thielen |
Let's get right to it: Alvin Kamara was not a first round pick. We all naturally expect regression from his amazing rookie season, but it'll be interesting to see how the rookie trio of Fournette, Hunt, and Kamara shake out in drafts from here to September. The big question here: which is more surprising, the fact Kamara lasted til the 2.03 or that Jordan Howard went before him? As the guilty party, I'll admit my goo-goo eyes toward Howard this coming season may have blinded me to the fact that Kamara should bring a higher floor each week in PPR scoring. Had this been a standard league, Howard and Fournette gain the advantage over Hunt and Kamara due to their TD upside and higher usage in the run game, but Kamara was surely the safer pick here. I still think Howard is due for a big year and he's not completely non-existent in the passing game, having caught 29 passes as a rookie and 23 last year.
The love for Davante Adams continues, as he was selected before Keenan Allen, Mike Evans, and AJ Green in this mock. Sure, Aaron Rodgers should be back for a full season, but it was Brett Hundley that locked in on Adams each game they were together, elevating him above Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb in the hierarchy. That could swing back to Nelson's favor this coming season.
Despite having a down year by his standards, Green still posted 75 receptions and 1,000 yards. He's gotten at least 1K receiving yards and six touchdowns every season of his seven-year career other than 2016 when he only played 10 games. He is as safe as you can get at WR and may be slightly undervalued this season with sexier names like Adams or Hill taken around the same draft position.
Cliff Clinton secured the last RB that is securely in the top two tiers when he grabbed C-Mac at 2.11. For some reason, he wasn't content with that pick. In the words of Mr. Clinton himself, "I will forever regret not just getting Thielen here." Indeed, Adam Thielen went the very next pick and wasn't available to him two picks later. Being snakebitten always hurts, but especially when it's unexpected.
Biggest Reach: Tyreek Hill (WR, KC)
Hill proved he is a playmaker and belongs in the upper echelon of receivers, but he's still very much a boom-bust pick. He was held under 50 yards on five occasions last season and now he'll have a completely inexperienced quarterback in Pat Mahomes at the helm. With Mike Evans, Adam Thielen, and Brandin Cooks still on the board, it was a bit surprising to see Hill go in the second round.
Biggest Steal: A.J. Green (WR, CIN)
Alvin Kamara's rightful ADP will be debated all offseason, but we'll leave that alone for now. Green has done nothing to show he isn't still a WR1. He may not have the upside to be a first round pick, but for better or worse you know what you're getting from him and it's the kind of safety that should be comforting in the early rounds of a draft.
Round 3 Recap
| Round 3 | ||
| Selection | Writer | Player |
| 3.01 | Dennis Clausen | Mark Ingram |
| 3.02 | Cliff Clinton | Dalvin Cook |
| 3.03 | Justin Carter | Kenyan Drake |
| 3.04 | Chris Mangano | Brandin Cooks |
| 3.05 | Steve Rebeiro | Travis Kelce |
| 3.06 | Taylor Maxston | Doug Baldwin |
| 3.07 | Chris Zolli | Deshaun Watson |
| 3.08 | Frankie Soler | Larry Fitzgerald |
| 3.09 | Steve Halupka | Demaryius Thomas |
| 3.10 | Brittany Smith | Dez Bryant |
| 3.11 | Pierre Camus | Jarvis Landry |
| 3.12 | Jason Katz | Carlos Hyde |
Kamara's battery mate, Mark Ingram, kicked off the third round. Despite coming off a career-best season and coming in second in the league with 12 rushing touchdowns, behind only Todd Gurley, Ingram is not being selected as a top-10 running back. This could make him a bargain once again, but concerns over losing touches to Kamara are fueling the lack of enthusiasm over Ingram.
The run on running backs continued in a slightly surprising way, with Dalvin Cook and Kenyan Drake becoming the second and third picks of the third round. The Dolphins are blowing things up from within and Cook is coming off ACL surgery, so both carry great upside and great risk at the same time. The lesson here - everyone's grabbing their RBs early and you need to be prepared to adjust.
My Jarvis Landry pick came well before news of his trade to Cleveland or even the franchise tag designation. As a Dolphins fan, it doesn't surprise me in the least that he was traded, but I assumed it would be to Baltimore. I'm not sure that his value will match what it was in Miami, especially if the Browns land Saquon Barkley with the first overall pick, but there are still too many questions left unanswered in "the Land" to know for sure.
Biggest Reach: Deshaun Watson (QB, HOU)
Deshaun Watson was the first QB drafted, which is a slight shock in itself. The fact he was taken mid-third round is highly questionable. Chances are he would have been available in the fifth round or even later. If you want to buy into last year's small sample size, that's one thing, but this pick didn't need to be made when there were a plethora of quality receivers still available.
Biggest Steal: Larry Fitzgerald (WR, ARI)
Fitz is officially back to wreck your preconceived notions of ageism. He's caught 109, 107, and 109 passes the last three seasons with a combination of Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Blaine Gabbert at QB. We don't know who he'll be catching passes from in 2018, but it can't possibly be worse, can it? Early mocks have the Cards taking Josh Allen in the first round, which means they'll need to sign a stopgap passer to bridge the gap for the next year or two. It doesn't matter, Fitz will bring low-end WR1 value in this PPR format.
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