Welcome to the second article of this new series where I, Isaac Dirrim, will go through a completed mock draft on the Sleeper app. In this edition, I started the draft with the second overall pick. The draft is 15 rounds, and it’s full PPR. I’m going to go through every selection I made and explain why I made it. Keep in mind, this is a three-flex league with no defenses nor kickers (more fun in my opinion). To give you a more clear outline, check out the final roster at the bottom of this article. Hopefully you can get an idea of how you want to draft your team after reading through this new series. We only have a few weeks until the regular season starts. You want to be as ready as possible when you draft your team! Check out the previous article in this series where I drafted first overall by clicking here. Enjoy!
1.02 – RB) Dalvin Cook – Minnesota Vikings
Like I mentioned in my previous article, CMC is undoubtedly the right choice with the first overall pick. Slightly behind him in my rankings is Dalvin Cook. Cook plays a similar style as McCaffrey does by doing a ton of damage both on the ground and in the receiving game. He finished with 44 receptions for 361 yards and a touchdown last season while producing 1,557 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns as well. This was an easy decision.
2.11 – RB) Antonio Gibson – Washington Football Team
Just like last time, I decided to go with Antonio Gibson in the second round, pairing him up with Cook in my already stacked backfield. Gibson is expected to become Washington’s every down back. You have to remember, he played WR in college, so he might see a huge role as a receiver out of the backfield in 2021.
3.02 – RB) Clyde Edwards-Helaire – Kansas City Chiefs
It’s always a risk taking three straight RBs, but once you get into the middle rounds of redraft leagues, the position becomes very thin. Adding another RB who produces as a receiver should serve me well in a PPR league. The three backs combined for 116 receptions for 905 yards last season, and that total should increase this year as well. Now I won’t have to worry about adding a RB in the next few rounds.
4.11 – WR) Cooper Kupp – L.A. Rams
Kupp is my first WR taken off the board, and his ADP has him hovering around this spot because he took a step back last season. After finishing as the WR4 two seasons ago, he ended up serving as the WR26 in 2020. With back-to-back 90-plus reception seasons and an upgrade for a QB, Kupp should put together a solid 2021 campaign. Selecting him in the fourth round wasn’t a reach for me, but I certainly need to add more WR talent around him.
5.02 – WR) D.J. Moore – Carolina Panthers
For the second consecutive draft, I ended up taking D.J. Moore. He will join Kupp as my other starting WR. The two compliment each other well, and I shouldn’t have to worry about one of them producing a low point total. They respectively finished as the WR25 and the WR26 last season. They were both drafted over guys like Ja’Marr Chase, Robert Woods, and Brandon Aiyuk because they bring more certainty as starting WRs.
6.11 – RB) Chase Edmonds – Arizona Cardinals
Now I’m just getting greedy. After selecting three pass-catching RBs with my first three picks, I decided to draft another one in the sixth round. This one just so happens to have out-produced the three of them in the receiving game last season. Edmonds finished the 2020 season with 53 receptions for 402 yards and four touchdowns. With James Conner on the decline of his brittle career, Edmonds might find himself as Arizona’s lead back this season. Pairing him with Cook, Gibson, and Edwards-Helaire creates a huge positional advantage for my team.
7.02 – TE) Noah Fant – Denver Broncos
I finally decided to take my TE1 in the seventh round by selecting the third-year pro, Noah Fant. Fant has all the tools to break out and become one of the most reliable fantasy TEs in the league. He impressively finished as the TE9 last season. If he produces like he did last year, this will end up as a safe pick. If he happens to improve, this fantasy team might be walking away with a title.
8.11 – WR) Jarvis Landry – Cleveland Browns
Although I desperately need a QB at this point, I decided to wait for someone that I confidently believed would come back to me. Also, my WR depth is non-existent, so I decided to select Jarvis Landry. We don’t know if Odell Beckham Jr. will take over as the lead pass-catcher after recovering from last year’s season-ending injury. My decision also felt safe because Landry’s worst season of his career was in 2020, and he still managed to haul in 72 of his 101 targets for 840 yards and three touchdowns, finishing as the WR33.
9.02 – QB) Ryan Tannehill – Tennessee Titans
Finally, I decided to take a QB who brings exceptional value as a ninth-rounder. Ryan Tannehill finished as the QB7 last season, and getting him this late created an opportunity for me to add tremendous talent at the other positions. A starting lineup that consists of Tannehill, Cook, Gibson, Kupp, Moore, Fant, Edwards-Helaire, Edmonds, and Landry should absolutely make anyone excited to manage.
10.11 – WR) Michael Gallup – Dallas Cowboys
Now it’s time to add players that have the opportunity to play a huge role this season, but are being drafted as depth pieces at the same time. My WR room is thin for depth right now, so I decided to draft Gallup in the 10th round. With Dak Prescott back, he should see an increased role this season. Don’t be surprised if he surpasses the 70-reception mark as the Cowboys’ WR3.
11.02 – RB) Nyheim Hines – Indianapolis Colts
Keep in mind, this is a PPR league. The later in the draft I get, the more productive of a pass-catcher I draft at the RB position. Hines hauled in 63 receptions for 482 yards and four touchdowns last season. He’s expected to play a similar role this season with Jonathan Taylor receiving most of the Colts’ carries. A backfield of Cook, Gibson, Edwards-Helaire, Edmonds, and Hines is absolutely terrifying for opposing teams.
12.11 – WR) Marvin Jones – Jacksonville Jaguars
Now that I have five solid RBs, I’m going to look for more depth at my WR position and maybe add a TE2 because Fant isn’t a for sure, every week starter. I decided to grab Marvin Jones here, a player who is now expected to outproduce D.J. Chark. The offseason chatter has been about Jones becoming either the WR1 or the WR2 behind Leviska Shenault on this team. The veteran is coming off a season where he finished as the WR18 in PPR leagues. He may just end up as a very valuable pick here in the 12th round.
13.02 – WR) Cole Beasley – Buffalo Bills
Like I keep reiterating, this is a PPR league. Cole Beasley finished as an All-Pro last season after producing 82 receptions for 967 yards and four touchdowns. Those totals were good enough to place him as the WR27 last season, one spot behind my fourth-round draft pick (Kupp). As long as Josh Allen is throwing him passes, he should be very productive in PPR leagues.
14.11 – TE) Cole Kmet – Chicago Bears
As mentioned before, Fant isn’t a lock to start for my team each and every week at the TE1 position. I decided to draft a TE2 for my team just in case the third-year pro drops off in 2021. Kmet is also a questionable fantasy TE this season, but he has clearly taken over as Chicago’s starting TE. If he takes a big leap in his second season, this pick may have just saved me in the long run.
15.02 – WR) Jamison Crowder – New York Jets
Last picks are meant for depth and possible shots in the dark. Crowder was great last season (when he played). He averaged about 14.3 PPR points per game in 2020, but he also missed four contests on the year. With a rookie QB now in town, it’s hard to predict if he can replicate what he did in last season. If he does, this will end up as one of my better picks in the draft. I end my draft with a complete team that is well balanced and full of potential. I finished with seven WRs, five RBs, two TEs, and one QB. Take a look below at my final roster.
QB) Ryan Tannehill (9.02)
RB) Dalvin Cook (1.02)
RB) Antonio Gibson (2.11)
WR) Cooper Kupp (4.11)
WR) D.J. Moore (5.02)
TE) Noah Fant (7.02)
FLEX) Clyde Edwards-Helaire (3.02)
FLEX) Chase Edmonds (6.11)
FLEX) Jarvis Landry (8.11)
BN) Michael Gallup (10.11)
BN) Nyheim Hines (11.02)
BN) Marvin Jones (12.11)
BN) Cole Beasley (13.02)
BN) Cole Kmet (14.11)
BN) Jamison Crowder (15.02)
Did you enjoy this article and want more fantasy content? Make sure to check out my recent posts, and stay tuned for other positional rankings in the future. You can also follow me on Twitter @dirrim23, where I love talking about all things fantasy football!
