Welcome to a 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 first overall pick. The draft is 15 rounds, and it’s a full PPR league. 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!
1.01 – RB) Christian McCaffrey – Carolina Panthers
This is an easy choice. In his last 19 games played, he’s averaging 29.6 PPR points per game. He easily outscored everyone two seasons ago in total points. And besides last season, he has been a very durable player. Don’t hesitate drafting CMC first overall in every redraft league this season.
2.12 – RB) Antonio Gibson – Washington Football Team
Once you get to the end of the second round, the amount of top-tier RBs starts to dwindle. I selected Gibson here over D’Andre Swift, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and J.K. Dobbins. My WR choices consisted of guys like Terry McLaurin and Keenan Allen. I ultimately decided to stack two RBs together who create a ton of production both on the ground and as pass-catchers.
3.01 – TE) Darren Waller – Las Vegas Raiders
Now that I went with back-to-back RBs, I was looking for the best pass-catcher on the board. Although McLaurin and Allen were enticing choices, I decided to go with Darren Waller. The projected TE2 in my TE rankings creates a positional advantage for my team. As long as he can stay healthy, I should have one of the best TEs in fantasy throughout the whole season. Keep in mind, he has finished inside the top-three amongst TEs two seasons in a row.
4.12 – WR) D.J. Moore – Carolina Panthers
Waiting until the fourth round isn’t always the best strategy when choosing your first WR, but drafting Moore here brings exceptional value. He finished as the WR25 in PPR leagues last season, but he has WR1 potential. He’s projected to go in the fourth round according to his ADP (average draft position). Snagging him with the last pick of the fourth round is an ideal landing spot for the young pass-catcher.
5.01 – WR) Tyler Lockett – Seattle Seahawks
At 5.01, I wanted to select the player with the best value available. Lockett was selected over players like Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott, and Robert Woods. Sure, he was inconsistent last season, but he still finished as the WR8. With Wilson as his QB, he will surely put together great numbers again if healthy. Paired with Moore on this team, they create tremendous upside, but obviously they create potential risk as well.
6.12 – RB) Melvin Gordon – Denver Broncos
Yes, I need a QB at this point, but I have the turn (two picks in a row), and a dynamic starting RB is still available. I selected Gordon even though there is a ton of hype surrounding rookie Javonte Williams. Keep in mind, Williams is a rookie, and Gordon is in his final year of his lucrative contract. Denver might as well run the wheels off of Gordon while they keep Williams fresh for next season. Also, he isn’t a reach as my RB3 selected at the end of the sixth round. Now I have three RBs who excel at running and catching passes out of the backfield, which is crucial in PPR leagues.
7.01 – QB) Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay Packers
Throughout the first sixth rounds, I hadn’t seen a great spot to select my QB1 until now. Selecting Rodgers in the seventh round allowed me to create a better team outside my QB position. So far, I have McCaffrey, Gibson, and Gordon as my RBs. Moore and Lockett are my WRs, and Waller is my TE. Scooping up last year’s regular season MVP here is just icing on the cake for my starting lineup.
8.12 – RB) Damien Harris – New England Patriots
Now that I have my QB, I’m looking for a player who can bring consistency throughout the whole season. It’s a long shot to select a “league winner” this late in drafts. I decided to draft Damien Harris, the projected starting RB for the Patriots. If all goes well, Harris will be New England’s every week leading ball carrier. In the 10 games he played in last season, he started every one of them and averaged 13.7 carries for just over 69 yards per game. With a complete offseason as the projected starter, he should be a solid RB4 for my team.
9.01 – WR) Antonio Brown – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I’ve gone through the halfway point of my draft with only two WRs. Luckily, you can find great talent at the position in mid-to-late rounds of your drafts. At 9.01, I decided to reach a little and select Antonio Brown. Yes, there are a ton of pass-catching weapons surrounding him in Tampa Bay’s offense, but he showed last season that he can still play at a high level. In just eight games played, he hauled in 45 receptions for 485 yards and four touchdowns. At a 16-game pace, he would have hypothetically finished with 90 receptions for 970 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. Grabbing him in the ninth round could be a steal when it’s all said and done.
10.12 – WR) Michael Gallup – Dallas Cowboys
At this point of the draft, it’s all about selecting depth and potential breakout performers. Michael Gallup is still a very talented WR, and if Prescott can stay healthy, he should bring tremendous fantasy value this season. Don’t forget; he finished as the WR22 in 2019, and he played exceptionally well next to Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb before Prescott went down with a season-ending injury. In the five games Prescott started, Gallup averaged 11.6 PPR points per game. If he doesn’t work out, I can always drop him and look for a waiver pick-up later on.
11.01 – WR) DeVante Parker – Miami Dolphins
Last season’s WR40 was still available in the 11th round of this draft. He brings WR2/3 upside, and he may still lead his team in receptions this season. If Tua Tagovailoa figures it out this season, there’s no reason to doubt Parker as a viable fantasy option for your team(s). Selected as my WR5, there’s no reason to complain about my selection.
12.12 – RB) J.D. McKissic – Washington Football Team
Now that I’ve added a good amount of depth at my WR position, it’s time to look for key pieces to sit behind McCaffrey, Gibson, Gordon, and Harris at RB. Because I have Gibson, I’m going to select his back-up, J.D. McKissic. The dual threat RB surprisingly dominated in PPR leagues last season. He finished with 110 targets, 80 receptions, and he served as the RB17 on the season. With an expected decreased role this season, he would be a potential “Must Start” if Gibson were to miss any time.
13.01 – RB) Kenneth Gainwell – Philadelphia Eagles
Remember, this is a PPR league, and finding good pass-catching RBs in the later rounds could lead to success for your team. Gainwell comes into his rookie season as the projected top pass-catching RB on his team. With Jalen Hurts as the starting QB in Philadelphia’s offense, Gainwell could see a ton of check-downs if he takes over as the team’s third-down back over Boston Scott. He’s a risk drafting here, but it’s the 13th round, and a ton of 13th rounders end up being cut at some point anyways.
14.12 – WR) Tre’Quan Smith – New Orleans Saints
I’ve decided at this point that I’m going to avoid selecting a back-up QB and TE for my team. When the time comes for one of their bye weeks, I will pick someone up to fill in for that week alone. I’ve also noticed that there aren’t any RBs I want to select for the rest of this draft. Now I’m looking at potential breakout candidates at the WR position. With Michael Thomas due to miss significant time, I decided to select Tre’Quan Smith here in the second-to-last round of my draft. If healthy, he’s the favorite to lead this team in receiving numbers.
15.01 – WR) A.J. Green – Arizona Cardinals
With the last pick of my draft, I’m selecting A.J. Green, Arizona’s projected WR2. He’s had much success throughout his career, but last season was a major letdown for him. With a new team and improved QB, Green could excel on the opposite side of DeAndre Hopkins. If it doesn’t work out, I can always cut him at any point. He’s the last pick of my draft, so it wouldn’t be a big deal if he didn’t play well this season. I end my draft with a complete team that is well balanced and full of potential. I finished with seven WRs, six RBs, one TE, and one QB. Take a look below at my final roster.
QB) Aaron Rodgers (7.01)
RB) Christian McCaffrey (1.01)
RB) Antonio Gibson (2.12)
WR) D.J. Moore (4.12)
WR) Tyler Lockett (5.01)
TE) Darren Waller (3.01)
FLEX) Melvin Gordon (6.12)
FLEX) Damien Harris (8.12)
FLEX) Antonio Brown (9.01)
BN) Michael Gallup (10.12)
BN) DeVante Parker (11.01)
BN) J.D. McKissic (12.12)
BN) Kenneth Gainwell (13.01)
BN) Tre’Quan Smith (14.12)
BN) A.J. Green (15.01)
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!
