I am assuming you have already read about each pick in the first five rounds of this dynasty startup mock draft, but if not, here’s the set up again. This is a Superflex mock draft with 12 of the best dynasty minds on the internet. This was initially put together by Dan (@awlsabermetrics) at 2 on 1 Fantasy Sports, and PFN’s own Tommy Garrett and myself were asked to join in as well. Each of the sites involved would then post the complete draft analysis to try to help as many people as possible as we head into dynasty startup season.
All caught up now? Great! Let’s take a quick look at the players and settings one more time, refresh your minds with the first five picks, and then dive into round six through ten.
Dynasty Startup Mock Draft – Participants and Settings
- Tommy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports
- Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables
- JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts
- Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables
- Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network
- Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Createarank.com
- Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network
- Travis – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Football
- Dan – @awlsabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports
- Jake – @dabeezybff – Sons of Dynasty, The Undroppables
- Paul Lundgaard – @pauliessleepers – pauliessleepers.com, The Undroppables
- D Brown – @DBrownFF88 – Sons of Dynasty, The Undroppables
For this mock, we went with the following settings:
- Rosters: QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, TE, 3 Flex, 1 Superflex (10 total)
- Scoring: PPR, TE Premium
- Rounds: 10 (for this write up)
First Five Rounds of this Dynasty Startup Mock Draft:
Round 6:
6.01 – Devin Singletary – RB, Buffalo
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88 – Sons of Dynasty, The Undroppables)
As the 2019 season unfolded, one thing became clear, Singletary is the new workhorse back in Buffalo. From Week 8 on, he averaged 70+% of snaps and received a minimum of 15 carries in 6 of 8 of those games. With only Frank “Father Time” Gore taking touches away, Singletary will take over this backfield completely in no time.
We have seen the benefits of having dual-threat QB Josh Allen creating lanes for the young playmaker out of Florida Atlantic. Singletary’s average of 5.1 yards per carry ranks 3rd in “Big Run Rate” (7.3%) and 3rd in “Juke Rate” (33.3%), showing just how dangerous he can be in the open field.
The Bills found success in 2019 and have one of the stoutest defenses in the NFL, offering upside to the rushing game. Singletary is a Top 15 back in dynasty formats and a solid RB2.
6.02 – Zach Ertz – TE, Philadelphia
(Paul Lundgaard – @pauliessleepers – pauliessleepers.com & The Undroppables)
If you follow me on Twitter, you know I was very high on Michael Gallup and Devin Singletary last summer. Both were the next two players on my list, but this is what happens when you draft with sharks and DBrown scooped them both up. But look who is still available somehow. Zach Ertz, in a TE premium format!
The last TE drafted was Evan Engram at the 3.05, and I’m now getting Ertz with my 6.02. This is my best value pick so far. Ertz isn’t on contract after next year, and that is probably why he slipped, but he shouldn’t have slid that far. People say Dallas Goedert caps Ertz’s value, but I don’t see it that way as Ertz still sees a whopping 90% of snaps. I look at this as a WR1/WR2 situation similar to Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley in Atlanta. Does Ridley take away from Julio? Absolutely not.
6.03 – Austin Ekeler – RB, Los Angeles Chargers
(Jake Besong – @dabeezybff – Sons of Dynasty, Undroppables)
So looking to add a bit more to the RB corps, I was stoked to see Ekeler sitting there. The biggest question mark here is, What do the Chargers do to replace Melvin Gordon, who is gone in free agency?
Ekeler finished as a top 5 back in PPR and showed that he could handle the load. He saw 132 attempts for 557 yards and 3 touchdowns. The money, though, is the 92 receptions on 108 targets for 993 yards and 8 touchdowns. I believe they move forward with the 1-2 punch of Ekeler and Justin Jackson. Ekeler’s usage in the passing game gives him a safe floor and a high ceiling going into 2020.
6.04 – D.K. Metcalf – WR, Seattle
(Dan – @awlsabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
I had a few running backs in mind here, but I thought at least one or two would drop to me in the seventh. It turns out they didn’t, but I can make it work. No worries.
Wide receiver wise, the few that went after my pick were really all in play for me. I really like F1 (Terry McLaurin), Deebo Samuel is going to be a steal for people, Christian Kirk in the Arizona offense should really pop, and Tyler Boyd a few picks away is also someone I really like. To be honest, I could have really gone with any of them and been happy. But, I decided to go with Metcalf for a couple of reasons, not least of which was the Russell Wilson stack.
I believe Wilson will continue to be an elite QB for years to come, and Metcalf at only 22 years old (a year younger or more from the next few wide receivers off the board), should be a major benefactor throughout Wilson’s career. Now, he was obviously aided playing time wise and option wise with the injury to Will Dissly (particularly in the endzone), but he still saw 100 targets and put up 900 yards and 7 touchdowns, all with a pretty dismal catch rate of 58%. A little less volume is to be expected, but more efficient with his looks seems very realistic to me.
What is nice is that we already have a great example of that with his counterpart, Tyler Lockett. Wilson may not throw as much as others, but he does throw a very fantasy-friendly pass, and stacking recipients of those passes is something I would like to do. Oh, and for what it’s worth, Lockett is set to be a free agent after the 2021 season at 29/30 years old heading into 2022. Metcalf could find himself as the WR1 for Wilson in the not so distant future.
6.05 – Terry McLaurin – WR, Washington
(Travis Seel – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Football)
What a season for Terry “F1” McLaurin! Missing two games due to injury, McLaurin finished 2019 as the WR27 with 58 receptions on 93 targets for 919 yards and 7 touchdowns. That performance cannot be discounted when you consider he endured season-long QB uncertainty on an offense not only stuck but camped out in the mud.
While Washington historically has an appetite for dysfunction, they believe they have a future franchise quarterback in Dwayne Haskins (McLaurin’s college teammate in case you didn’t know), and their recent hiring of Ron Rivera as head coach is an encouraging sign for them gaining stability. Washington will surely look to add passing game weapons, which should only help McLaurin as he seemed like the only show in town at times this season, and he could benefit from another threat drawing defensive attention. Second-year breakouts for wide receivers are becoming a common trend, so I wanted to make sure I was a year early on McLaurin’s because his price is only going to go up!
Roster build wise, Terry McLaurin as my WR2 feels risky given the current state of the offense. I was happy to bet on the talent, though, and thought I’d be able to adequately stock up in the coming rounds. Having McLaurin’s youth and upside will be great for my team’s long term outlook.
6.06 – Deebo Samuel – WR, San Francisco
(Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network)
I’ll be honest; I love this pick so much. I needed a WR2 to pair with A.J. Brown and to grab Deebo Samuel in the 6th to be that guy is as good as I could have hoped. Once he got rolling in San Francisco, Samuel was a yardage monster. He finished the season as the second-best wide receiver in yards after the catch/reception at 8.3 yards, only behind Brown (8.9).
Samuel finished the regular season with 57 catches for 802 yards, 159 rush yards, and six touchdowns, highlighted by an eight-game stretch with 697 scrimmage yards to end the year. Samuel fits everything I want in a WR when building a team. Young, advanced route tree, hyper-talented, and doesn’t require red zone targets to have a solid week. Take him in this range, and enjoy the production for years to come.
6.07 – Cam Newton – QB, Carolina
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Createarank.com)
Risk/Reward and positional scarcity. These are the two main reasons for taking Cam Newton in this spot. Unless you think he is never playing again, Cam will be back and given a full opportunity to lead a team. If it’s Carolina, I’d like that. D.J. Moore, Christian McCaffrey, and crew are a great supporting cast. But even if it’s somewhere else, he still has QB1 upside, and with his rushing history, he has a pretty safe floor. The injuries are scary as hell, but they are baked into the price here. Cam at QB19 is never happening if we know he is fully healthy.
The QBs are getting a little thin, and I always want to leave a Superflex dynasty startup with at least three starting QBs. And with only 32 to go around, it gets thin quickly.
6.08 – Christian Kirk – WR, Arizona
(Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network)
Back on the clock and looking for a WR. I fully expect Larry Fitzgerald to retire this offseason, but even if he doesn’t, Christian Kirk should be a perfect WR2 for my team. He’s young and growing alongside a young gunslinging quarterback on a high-powered offense. Kirk had a quiet 2019, but I think he’s in for big things in dynasty and should be considered a high upside WR2 in most formats.
On top of that, pairing him with Thomas puts my WR corps in a good place. I could have picked Adam Thielen or T.Y. Hilton, but both of them are just as risky and are a few years older. When building a new dynasty team, everyone tends to prefer youth, so the odds of Kirk making it back to me feel low. I have to get my guy here.
6.09 – Marlon Mack – RB, Indianapolis
(Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables)
As I inadvertently went “Zero RB” for the first five rounds, focusing on the core pieces of QB and TE along with some young WR talent, I decided to seek the best RB value on the board and came across the intersection of the next two picks (Kareem Hunt and Chris Carson). Along with Mack, these three backs are in the same tier, each possessing immense upside coupled with potentially troublesome question marks.
Mack finds himself in a struggling offense and lacks pass-catching upside. At the same time, he posted over 1,000 yards rushing while averaging over 17 touches a game and never coughed up the ball. Hunt is a restricted free agent under the Cleveland Browns control, and without a lead role, he is stuck as a low-end RB2 at best. I am just a little concerned that the Browns do something terrible and overpay another talented (but unnecessary) RB. And I love Carson, but the guy just can’t hold onto the ball. That is a pet-peeve of mine, which caused me to go with Mack (although in hindsight, Carson was probably the right call here).
6.10 – Kareem Hunt – RB, Cleveland
(JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts)
After locking up studs at each position, I feel comfortable gambling here. Instead of gambling on injury (Chris Carson), I’m rolling the dice on talent in Kareem Hunt. Although it is risky, I believe a team will make a trade for the Pro Bowler. Soon as he touched the field in Cleveland, he found fantasy relevance as a “second-stringer.” Hunt had a phenomenally high snap share over the last eight games at 59.9% (compared to Nick Chubb’s 63.9%). He even out-snapped Chubb three times. As incompetent as Freddie Kitchens was, he knew he had to give Hunt reps. The talent is undeniable.
At just 24 years old, my risk is minimized by Hunt’s youth. Whether it’s 2020 or 2021, Hunt will be on a new team soon enough and find himself back in elite territory.
6.11 – Chris Carson – RB, Seattle
(Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables)
Despite missing the season’s final week with a fractured hip, Seattle’s Bell Cow closed 2019 with 1,498 yards and 9 total touchdowns. I’m beyond thrilled to have waited this long to address the running back position and wind up with a guy as solid as Carson. Some of my competitors wondered loudly what my strategy would look like after waiting this long, and I actually considered waiting one more round, but with Tommy having already spent a third-round pick on Travis Kelce, I was confident my second option (TE Austin Hooper) would come back to me.
What many of my competitors seem to have forgotten is that in this hypothetical dynasty league, we still have a rookie draft to navigate. And it is loaded with running back talent! If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that rookie running backs almost always have an immediate impact, and they are much easier to find/replace than stud quarterbacks. So with the combination of a steady vet or two and some rookies, I believe I’ll have more than enough punch from my RBs!
6.12 – Le’Veon Bell – RB, New York Jets
(Tommy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
My strategy for drafting is always to go with consistency for a minimum of five rounds, but ideally, as long as you can with consistent players still on the board. After that, go upside.
You might be wondering where Le’Veon Bell fits into that strategy, but a talented RB like Bell is bound to have a resurgence in his second year back in the game. Even though 2019 wasn’t stellar for Bell, he was still the RB16 in PPR formats. His numbers should improve in 2020 either because Adam Gase finally figures out how to use an RB or because Bell feels even more comfortable running behind this offensive line.
I’ve now drafted my third player at 26+ years old in the first six rounds of this dynasty startup draft, which is risky, and a strategy some people avoid completely. But again, if I can get three years of high production out of those players, I’m happy. Additionally, since I like to build teams with three solid RBs, Bell still has the running and pass-catching ability to put up RB1/2 numbers. With plenty of skill position players on the roster, an offseason investment in the offensive line would bode extremely well for Bell and Sam Darnold. Plus, worst-case scenario, Gase doesn’t want Bell back next year and he lands on a team that can really use his talent. It’s a low-risk move since he’s the RB3 on my team.
Round 7:
7.01 – Ryan Tannehill – QB, Tennessee
(Tommy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
Ryan Tannehill pulled a complete 180 on the 2019 season, coming in with very little value as a backup, and leaving with a ton of upside and the new heir apparent in Tennessee. It hasn’t been officially announced, but Tannehill has effectively taken the job from Marcus Mariota, and in doing so, has led the Titans to a deep playoff run.
Getting the start in Week 7, Tannehill put up respectable numbers throwing for 2,598 yards, 22 TDs, and only 5 INTs. He led the NFL with a 117.5 passer rating, and he completed 70% of pass attempts that were 9+ yards. He raised the game of everyone around him, turning A.J. Brown into a top fantasy WR target for 2020.
In addition, he opened up the game for the offense. For example, since he took over in Week 7, the Titans are ranked first in yards per play, first in yards per rushing attempt, and first in yards per passing attempt. Lastly, per Pro Football Focus, Tannehill was the highest-graded QB of 2019 with a 92.5% grade, ahead of Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, and everyone else. He certainly will enter 2020 with a ton of upside.
7.02 – Austin Hooper – TE, Atlanta
(Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables)
Many people predicted an Austin Hooper breakout coming in 2019, and those of you who snagged him late in drafts were not disappointed. Not even a late-season MCL sprain could keep him from posting the best season of his career to date. Hooper finished with 75 receptions for 787 yards and six touchdowns in just 13 games. He was the overall TE1 through the season’s first nine weeks.
The 25-year-old California native is set to become a free agent in March, and perhaps that’s why he fell down the board a bit as the Atlanta Falcons have yet to engage him in talks. No matter where he spends his future, he will almost certainly be productive and snagging him this late in a TE premium league feels like stealing.
7.03 – Drew Brees – QB, New Orleans
(JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts)
Drew Brees is my last stand at Superflex’s make or break position: QB2. We had a surprising early run in the fifth round, but two guys I consider to be in the same tier were available late, Tannehill and Brees. Fantasy finishes are fool’s gold as injuries modify value drastically. Don’t be distracted by the ulnar collateral surgery that held Brees out for five weeks. He scored 20.4 PPG, 7th best in the league.
Soon to be 41 years old, it makes sense that Brees has fallen as far as he has, but I’m happy to find a young QB in 2021. For now, I’ll take the value of another quarterback playing behind a stellar offensive line with a fantastic play-caller.
7.04 – Derrius Guice – RB, Washington
(Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables)
One of the most exciting yet enigmatic prospects in recent memory, Guice could pan out into perennial stud for the next 5-6 years or a “what could have been” pipe dream. As stated earlier, my last two picks were running backs as the RB talent pool from here gets fairly shallow, and I’d rather take a chance on Derrius Guice than Phillip Lindsay, David Montgomery, Mark Ingram, and even Kenyan Drake (who I debated here). But if I am debating between Guice (who has top 10 potential IF he can somehow miraculously stay healthy) or Drake (who broke out in a major way with Arizona but finds himself in an extremely unpredictable situation with David Johnson and a compelling third-string back in Chase Edmonds), I like my chances with Guice.
Washington just hired Ron Rivera, and based on the new Redskins head coach’s history with running backs, Guice’s 2020 outlook improves even though he’s currently on IR. Rivera and his defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio will play a hard-nosed, run-heavy scheme predicated on defense so a healthy Guice would see a workhorse type role.
Guice may be coming off two consecutive seasons lost to knee injuries, but he will be turning only 23 in late June and still is one of the most talented backs in the league. Even with a limited sample size (5 games in 2019), Guice ran for 245 yards (5.8 yards per carry) and 2 TDs while flashing the explosiveness we’d hope to see.
7.05 – David Montgomery – RB, Chicago
(Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network)
Time to look for my RB2 and a top-three 2019 rookie is still available in RB David Montgomery. He had an up and down year with the Chicago Bears and is definitely considered risky, but most RB2s are these days. Putting him with Gordon makes my team riskier than usual, but both could also be huge plays come the start of the 2020 season.
Overall, my roster is very balanced: 2 QBs, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, and a TE. In most startups, I try to do something like this to avoid having a gap at any particular position, and in a draft like this with all of the sniping, it’s important to stay focused and not go on tilt to reach for anyone, especially this early. Now that I’ve got a good base, I can start looking for bench and high-floor picks to round out my risky starting squad.
7.06 – Tyler Boyd – WR, Cincinnati
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Createarank.com)
Tyler Boyd is now my WR4 on this squad.
- Tyler Boyd – 25 yrs old – 147 targets
- D.J. Chark – 23 yrs old – 118 targets
- Amari Cooper – 25 yrs – 119 targets
- Chris Godwin – 23 yrs – 120 targets
We can start up to five or six wide receivers in this league format, so having young depth like this in a PPR format will pay dividends. Add in Leonard Fournette, who is only 24 years old and saw 100 targets himself this past season, and I feel very good about competing early on and dominating in the future.
I’ll need to continue to make good decisions to round out this squad. But so far, I like it.
7.07 – Hunter Henry – TE, Los Angeles Chargers
(Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network)
I got sniped hard on this pick on a wide receiver I was banking on grabbing (Foreshadowing to what happened again later). Since we can start up to 5 WRs in this due to the flex spots, Tyler Boyd would have been a perfect fit with Samuel and Brown. Especially since all signs point to Joe Burrow going #1 overall to Cincinnati in the draft. Since this is a TE premium format, that became my next logical pivot since I needed to get one still, and so did five of the following six drafters. I wanted Austin Hooper and settled on Hunter Henry but had the plan moving forward to get another TE reasonably soon.
I don’t love this pick due to his injury history, but when he is on the field, Henry is a stud. He finished as TE9 in 2019 even while missing four games, averaging 12.4 points in PPR scoring. At 6’5″ and 25 years old, whoever is going to play QB for the Chargers will look for him in the red zone. I do expect them to either re-sign or franchise tag Henry this offseason to keep him around. He is my #7 end tight in dynasty rankings, so this falls right in line. There are guys on the board who I like better long term, such as T.J. Hockenson or Noah Fant. The issue is how long it can take for a talented tight end to develop. I’d love to grab one of them later on and let them hone their craft while I use Henry as my everyday starter.
7.08 – Noah Fant – TE, Denver
(Travis Seel – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Football)
Fant was drafted with the 20th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft due to his off the charts athletic measurables and stellar college production, scoring 18 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Iowa. Opinions were mixed on Fant’s production outlook as a rookie. He was joining an offense in flux with the Denver Broncos, attached to a quarterback who historically used tight ends heavily in Joe Flacco, and we all know how tight ends generally need 2 to 3 years to acclimate to the NFL and produce for fantasy.
Looking at the season as a whole for Fant, we see he cleared the elusive 500-yard benchmark for rookie tight ends. In fact, his 562 receiving yards are the sixth most of any rookie TE over the past 20 years. That’s more yardage than the likes of Rob Gronkowski, George Kittle, and Mark Andrews had in their rookie seasons. I chose Fant here because this being a TE premium league, most of the sure-thing tight ends were off the board already, and Fant provided the most upside. I look for him to continue to improve on his solid rookie year, further cementing himself as an offensive focal point alongside Courtland Sutton.
7.09 – Dallas Goedert – TE, Philadelphia
(Dan – @awlsabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
Ok, so….This was a reach. I can’t lie. A peek behind the curtains on this one; me sleeping peacefully on my couch, phone notification wakes me up – it’s 11:57 PM, see it is my turn to pick, and rather than just going back to bed and drafting in a few hours, I sleepily decide to make my pick, and low and behold there has been a mini tight end run.
Well, it is a TE Premium league. I don’t want to fall behind, and Goedert presents a crazy high ceiling as we have seen what Ertz has done in that offense (and actually Goedert too), and Ertz could be a roster casualty. Dallas could be the TE1 in Philly in a matter of a few short months. So I make the pick and pass back out. For being half asleep, I can see my logic here. Being fully awake the next morning, passing up on Drake was something I was less than pleased with myself.
But, I made the pick, so I have to make it work regardless of how happy I am with it. The Philly offense was a bit of a trainwreck this season due to injuries, which I’m sure played a role in Goedert’s season, but he still finished the 2019 season as a TE1 with Ertz still there. He showed to be athletic and a playmaker for Wentz. He is making considerably less money than Ertz and is four years his junior.
So, if Ertz does get cut to save money, I just locked up an elite tight end spot for the next several years at great value. If I have to wait a few years, then this pick was a big miss. Such is life in the fantasy game. Luckily, I already have my eye on a few tight end options that I really like for 2020, and beyond that, I know I can draft in a few rounds. They will at least help me bolster this pick and protect me if it flops.
7.10 – Darren Waller -TE, Oakland
(Jake Besong – @dabeezybff – Sons of Dynasty, Undroppables)
In a TE premium, I needed to make a play here. While I like Waller at this spot, he is a question mark for me in 2020. He had 90 receptions on 117 targets for 1,145 yds and 3 TDs. He was a top 5 TE this year. Why the hesitation? Is Derek Carr the QB next year? Who do they add in the draft or free agency as a wide receiver? Will Foster Moreau eat into his targets? Will he stay on the right path? There’s a risk with him, but he should come in as a top 8 TE in 2020 regardless. However, I do worry about his target volume moving forward.
7.11 – Kenyan Drake – RB, Arizona
(Paul Lundgaard – @pauliessleepers – pauliessleepers.com & The Undroppables)
No QB yet, and the guys are starting to talk in the chat room. “Paulie is going zero QB in Superflex.” Insert it’s a bold strategy, Cotton gif here.
There are a handful of guys I would be happy with at this point, and based on the other coaches’ rosters, three of them will still be there later. I went with Kenyan Drake because I have always believed in his talent, and he is one of several players to flourish once he got out from under Adam Gase’s wing. Drake was the RB3 overall for the last three weeks with a whopping 7 TDs and 87% of the backfields’ touches.
He fits great into Kliff Kingsburys’ offense, and the coach knows it. It has now come out that the coach actively sought out Drake in the trade. It has also come out that David Johnson did not fit in the “RPO” scheme, and he has even reportedly offered to return kicks next year. Yes, this is what it has come to, DJ asking to work special teams to stay relevant.
Could the Arizona Cardinals draft a high profile RB or get one in free agency next year? Sure, it’s possible. But why would they when they have so many holes, and they have already found the perfect fit? Drake has hella upside as my RB3, and I firmly believe he will be the starter in 2020.
7.12 – Robert Woods – WR, Los Angeles Rams
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88 – Sons of Dynasty, The Undroppables)
Approaching the turn of Rounds 7 and 8, I glance over my roster to check positional needs. Thus far, I have 2 QBs, 2RBs, and 2 WRs. Wanting to continue filling my starters, leaves me with TE, RB, WR.
I’m a firm believer in locking up a Top 5 TE or punting the position until later in the draft. I was hoping perhaps that Hooper may fall to me here, but he went along with four others forcing me to wait on TE yet again. This now has me looking for an RB/WR combo. I selected Woods as the BPA on the board, giving me a solid WR3.
In the last two years under Sean McVay, Woods has been a consistent weapon in a powerful offense reaching 130+ targets in each season. These numbers prove to be enough for the WR11 and WR14 finish in PPR formats. In both seasons, Woods was able to eclipse 1,000 yards. While Brandin Cooks may be getting faded in this offense with the emergence of the Rams tight ends (Gerald Everett, Tyler Higbee), Woods has remained a “go-to” target for Jared Goff, obtaining a minimum of 9 Targets their last six games.
Woods has a few more years of solid production and makes for a great WR3 on any team. My WR corps now consists of Golladay, Gallup, and Woods. A great mix of consistency, youth, and upside.
Round 8:
8.01 – Phillip Lindsay – RB, Denver
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88 – Sons of Dynasty, The Undroppables)
The Denver Broncos had a new OC, a banged-up offensive line, and a QB carousel in 2019. Still, Lindsay found a way to make history by becoming the first-ever undrafted NFL RB to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons. Lindsay is no doubt, a special talent, and has a story that you can’t help but root for.
Coming off wrist surgery, Lindsay looks to be in full health heading into 2020. Lindsay will be entering a contract year, so I expect the Broncos organization to restructure the current one in order to lock up their stud RB for the future.
So long as Royce Freeman is splitting the backfield, Lindsay’s ceiling will be capped, but even with limited touches, Lindsay has produced steadily. Lindsay is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. The Broncos have a stout defense and no sure thing at QB, which should keep the offensive game plan close to the line of scrimmage. This is bound to leave a plethora of touches to be had moving forward.
The combination of youth and talent make Lindsay a great RB3 for my team that already boasts Nick Chubb and Devin Singletary. I’ll plan to continue adding RB depth in the upcoming rookie draft. Having Lindsay as my oldest RB at age 25 has my team stacked nicely with youth for the future.
8.02 – Gardner Minshew – QB, Jacksonville
(Paul Lundgaard – @pauliessleepers – pauliessleepers.com & The Undroppables)
Okay, it’s time to pull the trigger on a QB. I have a plan, and it includes one or possibly two other QBs starting ahead of Minshew, but I’m okay rolling him out there. His 3,271-yard campaign with a 21/6 TD/INT ratio and 67 rushes for 344 yards in only 14 games has really flown under the radar, in my opinion.
Based on how the town has embraced this kid and how marketable he is, he will be the starter in 2020. Remember, he was a sixth-round pick and wasn’t supposed to see the field this year. He has heart and moxie, and that, along with his impressive first-year stats, makes me comfy taking him as my first QB off the board. Just wait, kids. I’ll be okay. Trust me.
8.03 – Derek Carr – QB, Oakland
(Jake Besong – @dabeezybff – Sons of Dynasty, Undroppables)
QBs are getting slim, so I’m taking my shot here on Carr. Is he the future for the franchise? No idea. He’s been a bag of mixed results. He’s only thrown for over 4,000 yards twice in his career, so he’s not a sure-fire stud, but if they choose to build around him, add playmakers, and improve the offensive line, I do think he could finish as a top 12 QB in 2020. As my QB2, it’s risky, but the wait on QB could pay off a bit.
8.04 – Adam Thielen – WR, Minnesota
(Dan – @awlsabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
I think people kind of forget about Thielen, to be honest. 2017- WR8 (239 points), 2018- WR 7 (307 points), and was the WR9 this season before getting injured and sputtering the rest of the season. So in the 8th round, I am able to land someone that was a WR1 the past two seasons and was on pace to continue that streak. Yeah, I will take that.
Not for nothing, in case something happens in my QB slot, I can now stack Cousins and Thielen too, which is nice. Though that wasn’t really a big factor with this pick, just an added bonus. He is 29, but that doesn’t scare me too much. Thielen should still have a few more years of strong production and seems like someone that could be in store for contract restructuring after the 2020 season.
8.05 – Mark Ingram – RB, Baltimore
(Travis Seel – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Football)
For this pick, I went down to B-More, outside the Bank, and put some BIG TRUSS into this Baltimore offense! This rushing attack was stellar this year. We all know the history Lamar Jackson made across the board, but Mark Ingram has been a huge part of the Baltimore Ravens’ success as well.
The RB11 in PPR formats, Ingram cleared 1,000 yards rushing for the third time in his career and set a new career-high with 15 touchdowns (10 rushing, five receiving). Looking at whether those touchdowns are sustainable, we see that Ingram totaled the 10th most red zone carries in the league with 40, and 14 of his 15 total touchdowns came from inside the 20. In fact, Ingram, Lamar Jackson, and Gus Edwards were all top 36 in the NFL in red zone carries, which tells me that when they’re near pay dirt, they want to run the ball.
So while Ingram’s 15 touchdowns are likely to regress, he will still be put in a position to succeed being given high leverage touches. From a dynasty lens, the potential loss of Greg Roman, and insertion of Justice Hill into meaningful carries did give me some pause, but this is an offense I want pieces of with Lamar Jackson at the helm. And in the 8th round, I couldn’t pass Ingram up. He may only have 2-3 years of high-level production left, but with Aaron Jones and Kerryon Johnson on my team already, there is potential volatility atop my depth chart. I expect a similar volume in 2020 and attached to that QB….I’m bout dat. WOO WOO!
8.06 – Sony Michel – RB, New England
(Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network)
Do you know how you say every draft that you won’t draft a New England Patriots running back and end up doing so anyway? Yeah, that’s this pick right here. I don’t love it, and I don’t hate it at the ADP and need for my team. Going RB/RB with my first two picks, gave me some leeway to address other needs before coming back. I wanted this to be either Derrius Guice or Kenyan Drake, but given the group of drafters, it didn’t happen.
I needed a solid RB3, and Michel gives me that after back to back seasons where he finished above RB36. At only 24 years old, there is still plenty of time for him to develop. In 2019, Michel saw 15 or more touches in 11 games, showing the volume is there. With all the uncertainty surrounding the Patriots for the first time in decades, it seems relying on a rushing game is an easy way to help with a transition.
8.07 – Dwayne Haskins – QB, Washington
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Createarank.com)
Haskins joins Darnold and Cam in my quarterback stable. He is drafted as the QB24, and that is value in my book. Haskins remains a very low cost starting QB. He is only 22 years old, and entering his second season, he will be greeted with more stability. Ron Rivera will be leading the team, and with Terry McLaurin and other young weapons taking another step forward, I think Haskins’ value will rise during 2020.
Which hits on one more strategy I try to keep in mind with every pick. “Will this player be worth more in 12 months from now?” I want that answer to be ‘Yes’ for as many picks as possible. In dynasty, these players are not only point scorers for your team, but they are also assets that behave like currency. Make sure your team has more ‘arrow up’ guys than not.
8.08 – Mike Williams – WR, Los Angeles Chargers
(Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network)
I considered a few options at this pick, but it was mainly between RB and WR since I have two of each. There are some bench QBs left and plenty of TE options, even for a TE premium league, so I didn’t see the urgency in either of those positions for this pick. Given that it’s a PPR league and wide receivers are generally more valuable in dynasty leagues anyway, I went with the WR position.
Once I knew what position to choose, it was between a few players for me: T.Y. Hilton, Mike Williams, or DeVante Parker. I think all three have immense value as a WR3, but the youth factor puts Mike Williams at the top of the list for me. I’m not sure I can trust Parker for the long haul, especially if Fitz-magic leaves the Miami Dolphins. Hilton is a WR1 when healthy, but we aren’t certain how long that will be. Give me MikeWill, and my WR3 slot is set.
8.09 – Marquise Brown – WR, Baltimore
(Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables)
As long as I have at least two QBs after the 6th round, I tend to look for high upside WRs and RBs who might be an injury away from winning leagues. A rash of quarterbacks and running backs left some WR value, so I hit the button on Hollywood Brown. Tied to the MVP-favorite for years to come, Brown boasts an incredibly high ceiling with his blazing speed, which allows him to take the top of the defense on any given play.
Brown only had 44 receptions for 569 yards, but he saw nearly 20% of the Ravens’ red-zone targets (12) and also posted a respectable 14.6% HOG Rate (5.6 targets per game). Jackson and Brown have a strong connection, as noticed from the target distribution, and things should only improve from a WR44 finish in 2019 where Hollywood averaged 11 PPR points per game. I consider Brown a low-end WR3 with the potential to develop into a perennial top 25 WR over the next couple of years.
8.10 – Jarvis Landry – WR, Cleveland
(JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts)
After taking James Conner in the 5th round, I quickly realized how crazy deep running back is this year. I expected Drake and Lindsay types to go in the 5th/6th, but after seeing them fall two whole rounds, we see that the strong rookie RB class has deflated the cost of some of the tail end RB2s.
Jarvis Landry is a basic value grab. A young, consistent WR2 whose playstyle can offer another 5+ years of fantasy relevance. He’s a true WR2/3 lacking WR1 upside with Odell there, but again, circumstances change, 27-year-old talent does not. I’m not concerned with rostering two Browns’ receivers either. Landry’s 138 targets rank 9th in the NFL, and he actually received more opportunities than Beckham (135). If needed, Landry will be an easy flip when Cleveland adds an offensive-minded head coach to right the ship.
8.11 – N’Keal Harry – WR, New England
(Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables)
This kid has loads of talent, and this will most likely be the lowest his value will ever be. He fortifies an already impressive receiving corps, and if he develops the way many of us think, we could be talking about a second-round pick two years from now. There are suddenly questions surrounding the QB position in New England, and that might have contributed to his fall. But the beauty of this pick is that I don’t need immediate production from him, and the Patriots brain trust usually gets it right.
8.12 – Curtis Samuel – WR, Carolina
(Tommy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
I’m going all upside here as the third-year wideout didn’t have the third year-breakout that many of us in the fantasy football community were expecting. Still, at 23 years old with a ton of speed and talent, he had over 100 targets in 2019 and averaged an impressive 11.6 yards per catch. Samuel’s 2020 outlook isn’t amazing currently with a new head coach, new QB, and D.J. Moore taking the reigns as the team’s WR1. However, the opportunity will definitely be there as Samuel averaged an 86% snap share in 2019, which he turned into 54 catches for 627 yards and 6 TDs.
The only problem with Samuel’s game is it’s all based on volume as he’s not going to take the top off a defense as a deep threat. He failed to hit the century mark even once this past season. However, at this point in the draft, I can take a chance on a young player because I’ve chosen to draft consistency while sacrificing youth. But a new HC, play-caller, and dynamic QB could be a serious game-changer for Curtis.
Round 9:
9.01 – Drew Lock – QB, Denver
(Tommy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
Jeezy likes him, so I gotta too, right?! Besides this kid’s affinity for trap music, he will be taking the helm for the Denver Broncos going into 2020, at least according to John Elway. The 2019 rookie did not start until Week 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers, but he impressed, winning 4 of the last five games of the year. By shipping off Emmanuel Sanders, the Broncos got a lot younger. With another playmaking WR and investment in the offensive line, Lock should be a lock for a solid QB2 next year and a consistent Superflex starter for the next few years.
9.02 – Devonta Freeman – RB, Atlanta
(Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables)
If this is starting to sound like an Atlanta season rewind to you, you’re not alone! I’m never happy placing so many eggs in one basket, and three starters on one team is probably one too many. Even if the Atlanta offense remains one of the league’s best. But at this point in the draft, Freeman was the best of the rest at running back, and there is no guarantee Hooper will be back in Atlanta next summer (as mentioned, the 25-year-old star is a free agent).
Freeman closed 2019 strong, and though the explosiveness that once made him one of the games best runners has long been sapped by injury, he still managed to eclipse eighteen fantasy points six times in 2019.
9.03 – Ronald Jones – RB, Tampa Bay
(JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts)
Ronald Jones is 22 years old, and his development over the last season has been drastic. I did not expect to enjoy Jones’ 2019 tape as much as I have. After a dive in the film room, I can say I expect the former second-round pick to be highly competitive in camp if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decide to pick up a rookie (and they should).
During his 2018 rookie season, Jones’ struggled to catch up to the game speed and was slow in finding holes that were less obvious than the highway lanes he ran on in the Pac-12. Jones has shown plenty of explosiveness in year two, and his skill at the second level has begun to resemble the stud we saw at USC. His involvement in the passing game has grown, and although he has work to do in pass protection, I think Bucs head coach Bruce Arians views him as a competitive back on first and second downs.
For me, the main concern with this pick is not Jones himself, but the competition the Buccaneers decide to bring in. Jameis Winston and a trio of key defensive linemen (Shaq Barrett, Ndamukong Suh, and Jason Pierre-Paul) are free agents heading into 2020. Adding a big name like Melvin Gordon or David Johnson depends on how flexible the front office can get with $90 million in cap space. If they can’t go with a big name, I expect Jones to compete against a rookie for prime position in Arians’ high-powered offense. While 2018 Ronald Jones would have gotten swept, 2020 Ronald Jones will have a leg up.
9.04 – T.J. Hockenson – TE, Detroit
(Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables)
I already drafted Kittle back in the 2nd round, but that didn’t stop me from grabbing the next in line of dominant Iowa tight ends in T.J. Hockenson. Big bodied and explosive with good pass blocking skills, Hockenson possesses the key qualities of a true all-around TE1. The Detroit Lions rookie broke out in Week 1 with 6 receptions, 131 yards, and a touchdown, but then disappeared thereafter and eventually suffered a season-ending ankle injury.
It’s generally understood that it takes young tight ends several years to develop, and Hock is no exception. He’s flashed his big-play ability at times but also demonstrated he needs to improve with blocking and not dropping passes (especially red zone targets). In the TE wasteland, things are muddled after the top 5 or so, but Hockenson is a solid top 10 talent at the position with the potential to become elite over the next couple of years.
9.05 – T.Y. Hilton – WR, Indianapolis
(Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network)
Well, if you read my previous write up, I was considering taking Hilton in the last round, so he’s an easy choice for me here. Yes, he’s getting older and has health issues, along with some potential QB uncertainty, but he’s still a viable option for fantasy in most weeks, even in dynasty. Hilton deserves a spot as my WR4 and will be a great bye week fill-in or flex option most weeks since I can take on a little risk and age with how I’ve built this roster so far.
At this point, I will say here that while youth is key, a good dynasty roster has a mix of old and young players. You don’t want to have all old guys who will win now and leave you crushed for a few years while you rebuild, but you also don’t want only young players who are growing and forcing you to lose for years while they figure it out. No, you need a mix so you can retire/drop a few players every year as you draft new ones. It makes for a well-rounded team and gives you some options to trade away to contenders if your season takes a turn south early as well. Don’t be afraid of older guys, especially in the 9th round of a startup. They can still help and provide some balance to your squad.
9.06 – DeVante Parker – WR, Miami
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Createarank.com)
This pick was a very exciting pick for the whole league. But there’s a lesson here. Here it is: We drafted this team on Sleeper. And the default rankings were set up as 2019 ADP. And for that reason, Parker was way down the list. So we all missed him. When I made the pick, all the other drafters were reacting to the pick because they couldn’t believe he was still there.
The lesson here is to look at your site’s ADP and rankings and make sure you have your own rankings. Look deep in the player list and either mark them on the watch list or put them in your queue. This is a great way to gain an edge on your opponents when you’re doing a real draft for real money. This one was just for bragging rights, so all I get to do is gloat. I’d prefer to be stacking duckets.
My WR corps now (can start 5):
- Tyler Boyd – 25 yrs old – 147 targets
- D.J. Chark – 23 yrs old – 118 targets
- Amari Cooper – 25 yrs – 119 targets
- Chris Godwin – 23 yrs – 120 targets
- DeVante Parker – 26 yrs – 128 targets
9.07 – Mecole Hardman – WR, Kansas City
(Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network)
Remember where I said I got sniped again on a wide receiver? This was where it happened. I thought I was going to be sneaky when I took Michel and let Parker slide to me, thinking that everyone had forgotten about him. Scott had other plans as he scooped him up right before I had a chance. After a few choice words in chat, I settled down and had to make a move. I was still going to go wide receiver as I only had two to this point. There weren’t a lot of other options that I loved, so I went with the high upside play in Kansas City Chiefs’ speedster Mecole Hardman.
I guess I have a thing for guys who are primed or second-year breakouts as I now have three of them starting for me on the team. Averaging 20.69 yards per reception, he is one broken tackle from taking any pass to the house.
9.08 – Brandin Cooks – WR, Los Angeles Rams
(Travis Seel – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Football)
This was a tougher pick to make as Cooks’ 2019 has been unmistakably awful. Not only has he not been productive when on the field, but Cooks also had concussion issues that sparked much concern for his dynasty prospects. While I also have those concerns, this price point was too good to pass up. Cooks will have just turned 27 by the time next season starts and his history of production can’t be denied. Prior to this season, Cooks had four straight 1,000-yard seasons for three different teams.
There was one caveat in this pick that is yet to unfold. I think Brandin Cooks or Robert Woods will be moved this offseason. The Rams could certainly use the cap relief with just under $8.5 million in projected cap space for 2020. They’ll have to pay Cooper Kupp soon, and we saw them utilize their tight ends very effectively in the passing game this season.
They won’t be able to cut Cooks as his dead cap hit would be more than $21 million, but yet another trade could be in the cards. His $16.8 million cap hit would come off the books, and the Rams would likely recoup some of the draft capital they’ve so willingly traded away the past two seasons. Woods’ departure would open up 139 targets and move Cooks up on the receiving totem pole. Either way, Cooks could provide a major value as my 9th round pick if he can bounce back to show us what we’ve already seen he can do.
9.09 – David Johnson – RB, Arizona
(Dan – @awlsabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
I am not a zero-RB person, but a couple picks here and there, and this is where I’m at. This is a value pick that I think could pay off for being in the 9th round already. Now specifically in regards to DJ, talk about a fall from grace, yikes. One of the first things that come to mind of DJ this year for me is that video of him getting the handoff and just like jogging a few yards and getting tackled. An all-time bad visual.
But going past the brutal end of the season, you really couldn’t have asked Johnson to start the season any better. At the end of Week 6, he was RB5 overall (121.3 pts/ 20.2 avg) and was making a lot of people very happy they went back in on him. Then he got hurt, and it all went to hell. He just wasn’t the same both physically and mentally, it seemed.
What makes DJ especially frustrating is taking a look at his career finishes in fantasy. In his three healthy seasons as the leader, he has been a top 10 back and began the 2019 season on that same trajectory. He is on a big contract, and obviously, anyone could get cut, but saving $4 million to have $18 million in dead cap doesn’t strike me as a probable roster move. Now the Cardinals have a ton of available cap, so if they really like Drake, he could always come back, but he was honestly pretty blah for the Cards until he won leagues in Weeks 15 and 16. At the moment, would I be happy with him as my RB2? No, but I have access to a high 2020 rookie pick, which would be an RB for me (I’d be the 1.04), and DJ could be a later round value flex option moving forward.
9.10 – John Brown – WR, Buffalo
(Jake Besong – @dabeezybff – Sons of Dynasty, Undroppables)
John Brown fell into a great spot this year. He’s shown the ability to be a team’s WR1 but never has put it all together. Brown and Josh Allen’s marriage was a perfect match. He had a career-high in targets with 115, career-high in yards with 1,060, and a career-high in receptions with 72, finishing as a top 20 WR in 2019. There are going to be some additions at WR this season for Buffalo, but Brown has Allen’s trust. With Allen’s big arm, those deep balls can happen anytime. He was a solid value at this spot and a solid WR2 in 2020.
9.11 – Ben Roethlisberger – QB, Pittsburgh
(Paul Lundgaard – @pauliessleepers – pauliessleepers.com & The Undroppables)
See, fam? I told you I’d be all right at QB! Ben will be back for at least one more year and his weapons are young and very dynamic. My long term strategy here would be if towards the end of the season, if I’m not competing for a trophy (unlikely lol), I would look to move Ben to a QB-needy contender for future picks or youthful pieces.
9.12 – Mike Gesicki – TE, Miami
(D Brown – @DbrownFF88 – Sons of Dynasty, The Undroppables)
Selected 42nd overall (before Dallas Goedert) in the 2018 draft by Miami, Gesicki had a quiet rookie season with 22 receptions 202 yards.
In 2019, the year started quietly again for Gesicki as he and Fitzpatrick struggled to connect. But after rookie stand out Preston Williams was lost for the season, we saw Fitz look to Gesicki as he accumulated 64 targets over the last nine weeks of the season. The second-year tight end made strides in 2019 and appears to be a part of the rebuild in Miami. The Dolphins might invest in a franchise QB in April, who may tend to lean on his TE as many rookie signal-callers do. Or they may roll another year with an aging veteran while they groom their future QB. Either way, Gesicki is locked into a starting role on a team that finds themselves trailing in games often.
A raw athlete that is growing more comfortable with one hand in the dirt, Gesicki is moving up the dynasty ranks with room to grow. I don’t mind taking a chance on him at the end of the 9th Round.
Round 10:
10.01 – Sterling Shepard – WR, New York Giants
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88 – Sons of Dynasty, The Undroppables)
Shepard only managed to be available for ten games in 2019 due to injuries/concussions. Still, he managed to receive 83 targets in those games, which ends up north of 120 targets on a 16 game pace.
The Giants have found their future at QB with rookie Daniel Jones who impressed most of us this year after heavy mockery of the organization from critics who thought it was a major reach. I liked what I saw out of the Eli Manning replacement and believe it bodes well for the Giants’ weapons moving forward. While Golden Tate may have a few years left, his best days are behind him. This leaves Shepard and rookie Darius Slayton room to grow with Daniel Jones in a new-look Giants’ offense.
As my WR4, behind Golladay, Gallup, and Woods, I’ll take the 120 targets and the upside that Shepard could be a top 25 WR in 2020.
10.02 – Ryan Fitzpatrick – QB, Miami
(Paul Lundgaard – @pauliessleepers – pauliessleepers.com & The Undroppables)
Since this was only slated to be a 10 round mock (we later decided to keep going to play it out but only write up the first ten rounds), I wanted to further solidify my QB situation and take the Beard. This is typical of what I would do in a startup of this format at both the QB and TE positions. If I am forced to “punt,” I will take three in a row to reach a certain comfort level.
Right before my pick, it was announced that Chan Gailey would be coming out of retirement to be the Dolphins’ new OC. This move makes a lot of sense as Gailey invented the “spread” offense and would be a perfect OC for Tua Tagovailoa after the Dolphins draft him and “redshirt” his 2020 season to get healthy from his hip injury and learn this offense. Gailey and Fitzpatrick are reunited as they were together for a combined five seasons with the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. Fitz knows this spread offense well and will be a great fill in while Tua develops and a great mentor as well.
Side note: As mentioned, the draft has continued now and over the last few days, there have been rumblings about my Colts going after Philip Rivers in FA. So I picked up Rivers in the 11th round as my QB4.
10.03 – Raheem Mostert – RB, San Francisco
(Jake Besong – @dabeezybff – Sons of Dynasty, Undroppables)
Going into the tenth, I felt like it was time for the upside picks. Mostert, who was an afterthought going into 2019, took over the RB1 role in Kyle Shanahan’s offense midseason and never looked back. He’s shown he’s a perfect fit for the system. He had 137 attempts for 772 yds and averaged a little over 5 yards a carry and 10 total touchdowns on the year. Mostert has shown a three-down ability as well. With Matt Breida likely gone, he’s the front runner to lead the backfield in 2020, and if there’s a lead back in San Francisco, I want him on my roster.
10.04 – Will Dissly – TE, Seattle
(Dan – @awlsabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
I’ll be honest; I made this pick because I really wanted to write about Dissly, and I think his ADP is going to skyrocket in the upcoming months once people remember the beginning of the 2019 season (his ADP on Sleeper is still very low and has not bumped up for 2020). Like I spoke about in my Dallas Goedert write up, that was a bit of a hopeful future pick with Ertz’s future possibly in limbo in Philly. So, I wanted to solidify my TE position before getting too far in the weeds in the TE position in case Ertz sticks around a little longer.
Through nine weeks of the 2019 season, Dissly was a TE1, which is pretty good considering he only played in the first five games before injuring his Achilles only a few snaps into Week 6. Through those five weeks, Dissly was the 5th tight end overall, and only 11 points behind Hooper for TE1 overall. In those five games, Dissly had 23 receptions on 27 targets for 262 yards (11.4avg) and 4 touchdowns and another one on the ground. Though those numbers are a great start in general, what was very exciting about Dissly was his connection with Wilson inside the red zone.
All four of his receiving touchdowns came inside the 20, and he was clearly the top target when it came time to score. Lockett and Metcalf finished the season strong in this category (Locket #1, Metcalf #14 in RZ targets), but it stands to reason their numbers would be several targets, catches, and touchdowns less if Dissly had remained healthy for the full season. In regards to health, Seahawks Wire wrote in mid-October that Dissly’s surgery went well and that he is expected back for training camp, which is a great outlook. As people continue to reflect on the 2019 season, expect to see Dissly catch a serious bump in ADP and hype. Being able to snag someone I believe will be a TE1 and stack with Wilson was a great way for me to end the write-up portion of this draft.
10.05 – Marvin Jones – WR, Detroit
(Travis Seel – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Football)
Yet another veteran receiver added to this corps. Jones was the pick for me as I feel he can insulate the high variance of Terry McLaurin and Brandin Cooks on my roster. Marvin Jones is perpetually underappreciated as a strong WR2 in fantasy football. He’s 2019’s WR20 on a points per game basis with 14.9 PPG, and through Week 14 prior to his injury, Jones was the WR16 in PPR formats. He got all this work done while having a true alpha playing across from him in Kenny Golladay, and amidst quarterback turmoil after Matthew Stafford’s season was cut short through nine games.
Jones’ usage is simply stellar. Even missing three games to finish the year, Jones soaked up 14 red-zone targets, one shy of Golladay’s season total and tied for 20th among NFL wide receivers. Of those 14 targets inside the 20, Jones hauled in 8 touchdowns, 5 of which were from inside the 5-yard line. This red zone usage, his chemistry with Stafford, as well as his propensity for big plays are why I think Marv still has a couple of seasons of solid production left. It may not be the greatest long term play, but I think I secured a solid Day 1 contributor for my team who should easily return on the 10th round investment.
10.06 – Tyler Higbee – TE, Los Angeles Rams
(Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network)
I said earlier when I drafted Hunter Henry that my goal was to make sure I get another tight end with a high upside. After seeing the rest of the players I would be willing to take go, I made my move to ensure I got someone I wanted in Tyler Higbee.
He was the equivalent of waiver wire gold for owners in the fantasy playoffs and showed what he could be when given the targets. In Week 17, Higbee fell 16 yards short of becoming the first tight end to have five straight games with at least 100 receiving yards in NFL history. The Rams have him under contract through 2023, giving security to his location for years to come. After seeing what he can do when getting the majority of looks at the TE position for the Rams, it would be foolish of them to shy away from him in 2020. I’ll take this upside in a TE premium league in the 10th round all day long.
10.07 – Mitch Trubisky – QB, Chicago
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Createarank.com)
Darnold, Cam, and Haskins. Not exactly an awesome group of fantasy QBs. Trubisky, for all his faults, is at least a very high ceiling play in the right matchups. Securing four starting QBs also gives me some flexibility to make trades down the line.
I am not confident that Trubisky is the answer in Chicago, but it sounds like they are gonna give him another shot to prove it in 2020. That’s good enough for me.
10.08 – Rashaad Penny – RB, Seattle
(Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network)
Looking at my roster, it’s obvious that I need another running back. I went WR in the last two rounds which left me weaker at RB, but again, in this dynasty startup mock draft, I focused more about WR than RB since you can almost always draft an RB in the first round of rookie drafts that can produce right away while WRs take longer.
Looking at what’s left at RB and here is who I’m considering: Rashaad Penny, James White, Tarik Cohen, and Tevin Coleman. White and Cohen are great PPR options, but both have their own kinds of risk as well. Coleman is in a crowded backfield and hasn’t been able to establish the role for himself, so I don’t know if I can lean on him at all for a bye week fill in. Penny seems like a good fit as he should take over the lead back role for Seattle in the next year or two, and has bye week value in the meantime. Keep in mind that this draft is for vets only, so I would likely be targeting an RB in the early rounds of the rookie draft anyway or could trade back and get one before the season starts. Penny’s injury worries me, but it doesn’t sound fatal, so he becomes the obvious choice for my tenth pick. (EDIT: This pick was made prior to learning more about Penny’s ACL injury)
10.09 – Preston Williams – WR, Miami
(Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables)
As our mock draft neared its end, I went full upside with my Preston Williams pick. The undrafted rookie receiver burst onto the scene, leading the Dolphins with 428 receiving yards and 3 TDs on 32 receptions. Williams ranked fourth among all rookies in receiving yards behind D.K. Metcalf, Terry McLaurin, and A.J. Brown when he was lost to a season-ending torn ACL.
Miami is rebuilding and will likely draft a new franchise QB, which is hopefully a positive for Williams. There are a lot of needs for the team, and although WR isn’t necessarily one of them with the emergence of Williams and DeVante Parker, we don’t know exactly how Brian Flores is going to build his new offense. On the other hand, Williams made his presence felt, and the only reason he went undrafted out of Colorado State was his off-field issues, which appear to be behind him now. At this point in any startup draft, you’re looking for young, high upside players and Preston is one to take a flyer on.
10.10 – Will Fuller – WR, Houston
(JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts)
As with James Conner, I’m betting on another injury bounce back in Will Fuller. Young and talented, Fuller is the key that unlocks the Houston Texans’ passing game. DeAndre Hopkins will always be the top option in Houston, but Fuller allows Deshaun Watson to let loose. Fuller gives Watson access to the entire field and any game can be a fantasy home run. His dominant 53.7 point performance against the Atlanta Falcons is the 9th best performance for a wide receiver in the history of football. In games where he was fully healthy, Fuller averaged 7.5 targets and 14.3 PPG, a number that is better than highly valued players like Diggs (4.09), Sutton (4.02), Boyd (7.07).
As for the injury history, the concerns are very valid. Fuller has never played a full season during his four-year career. It is not uncommon for athletes to take an additional season to truly recover from their ACL injuries. Take a look at Dalvin Cook and Derrius Guice, each at different stages of recovery. All three of these athletes struggled with hamstring injuries in their first season after ACL reconstruction, but Cook shows that the extra offseason of strength-building can bring you back to 100% form. I am projecting a Dalvin Cook type of recovery for Will Fuller and am satisfied to be taking that risk in the 10th round.
10.11 – James White – RB, New England
(Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables)
The New England Patriots have always seemed to find success with running backs on the “short” end of the stick (Kevin Faulk, Shane Vereen, Danny Woodhead). White is no exception. More slot receiver than running back, the Wisconsin product has tallied 159 receptions 1,396 yards and 12 touchdowns the last two years, proving himself a reliable RB2 for fantasy teams. His role shouldn’t change much next year… even if Tom Brady’s uniform does.
10.12 – Julian Edelman – WR, New England
(Tomy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
This pick was made before the recent news of Jules tying one on in Beverly Hills and getting arrested for a misdemeanor for jumping on the hood of and damaging someone’s car. Now, this is not saying that Edelman’s career will come crashing down in flames. But, near the end of Wes Welker’s career, he started to get into minor trouble too. That being said, as the last pick of this mock draft, I chose to select the 100 reception, 1,000-yard performer in 2019 because as long as TB12 is throwing the rock in New England, I believe he’ll continue to feed his favorite WR.
Edelman maybe has 1-3 years left in his career, and that’s enough for me to take a chance on drafting my 4th WR that is a great plug-in at Flex in PPR leagues. Plus, there’s a lot worse you can do as Mr. Irrelevant in the draft than Julian Edelman.
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Andrew Hall is a writer for PFN covering Fantasy Football. You can follow him on Twitter: @AndrewHallFF