2017 Fantasy Football PPR Mock Draft: Position Two

Via Last Word On Pro Football, by Mike Randle

Having already completed a Fantasy Football mock draft from position one, it was time to try my second mock from position two. It is a 12 team, Points Per Reception (PPR), three wide receiver format. However, this time I changed my initial strategy and selected a wide receiver in the first round.

The result was a completely different, but overall produced a much improved team from the first mock draft.

(This mock was completed at FantasyPros and was 12 team, Point Per Reception (PPR), three wide receiver format with five bench spots.  All data taken from PlayerProfiler.com)

2017 Fantasy Football PPR Mock Draft: Position Two

Round 1

PICK:  Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
Reaction:   Given the three wide receiver format, it is important to secure a top overall fantasy receiver. Antonio Brown’s consistently separates him from the rest of the league. While the full point PPR scoring often affects the typical draft order, it is still difficult to rationalize picking Devonta Freeman over Ezekiel Elliott. The presence of Tevin Coleman and Freeman’s lack of a contract extension muddy the waters. On the flip side, Chicago running back Jordan Howard gets drafted in the first round despite having only 29 receptions in 2016.

Round 2

PICK:  Amari Cooper, Oakland
Reaction:  Two drafts, two second round selections of Amari Cooper. No complaints here, as Cooper is one of the best receivers in the league tethered to a young star quarterback in a high pass volume offense. Back-to-back Texans in round two is a terrible decision with Tom Savage as their starting quarterback. It is a mistake to draft a tight end this early, especially one who is a professional wrestler on the side. It makes no sense to take Keenan Allen here when he has played a total of nine games over the last two seasons.

Round 3

PICK:  Mark Ingram, New Orleans
Reaction: My least favorite pick of the mock draft, but I felt the need to draft a running back. Allen Robinson was tempting, and would have giving me three outstanding wide receivers. Ingram should be the goal line back in the Saints offense however, which is always a solid fantasy role. Has Ty Montgomery really shown enough to be a third round pick? Justin Forsett had a good year once as well. Many are wary of Patriots running backs because of the unpredictability and the same should go for their wide receivers as well. Imagine if Denver had a real quarterback?  Both Emmanuel Sanders (17^th in fantasy points per game at 14.2) and Demaryius Thomas (19^th) would be top 12 wide receivers.

Round 4

PICK:  Jamison Crowder, Washington
Reaction:  By process of elimination, this needed to be a wide receiver pick. Taking a quarterback or tight end this early is simply a mistake, and the running back difference between rounds four and five is negligible. Crowder is a target magnet in the slot with an accurate high volume passing quarterback in Kirk Cousins. If Jordan Reed gets injured again, Crowder’s stats would approach WR2 territory. The temptation is always strong to take a top three quarterback in this round, but it is best to avoid. Rodgers, Luck, and Brady would all need to produce 4,500+ yard and 35+ touchdown years to justify this pick. With players like Derek Carr, Matthew Stafford, and Philip Rivers available five rounds later, it is a huge mistake.

Round 5

PICK:   Spencer Ware, Kansas City
Reaction:  Round Five is the polarizing round. After Crabtree, there are legitimate concerns about each of these players. The safest choice is Greg Olsen, who is a lock for a top five tight end season. However, I still think it’s too early to select a tight end. Golden Tate started slow but over his last 11 games he totaled 74 receptions, 943 yards, and four touchdowns. Eric Decker could be great value here, if he changes teams. The lead running back in Kansas City will produce an RB1 season, so Spencer Ware was too tempting to pass up when I already have three solid wide receivers.

Round 6

PICK:  Danny Woodhead, Baltimore
Reaction:  Love getting Woodhead in the sixth round in a murky Baltimore backfield. An 80+ reception season is definitely in his range of outcomes. With Kenneth Dixon suspended for the first four games of the season, Woodhead could be a PPR RB1. New England running backs fly off the board here, as it’s anyone’s guess who will be the main fantasy point scorer. Hate the Delanie Walker pick, this could be the year the 33 year old Walker breaks down. Love Cameron Meredith, just not in Round Six. Need to see more game to game consistency first.

Round 7

PICK:  Theo Riddick, Detroit
Reaction: No player’s value is more enhanced by a PPR format draft than Theo Riddick. In just ten games last season, he had 53 receptions which ranked sixth among all running backs. Riddick was 12th in receiving yards (371 yds), which followed the 2015 season where he finished second in running back receiving yards (697 yds).The difference between him and Giovani Bernard is staggering, yet they are usually drafted in the same round.  Cobb could exceed value here, and this is the perfect spot to kick the tires on 33-year-old Brandon Marshall.

Round 8

PICK:  Willie Snead, New Orleans
Reaction: No Brandin Cooks in New Orleans, and Willie Snead is available in Round Eight? Fantasy Football Larceny! A lot of great picks here and it’s one of the main reasons I like these rounds better than rounds four, five, and six. Prosise should break out this season in PPR formats. With Doug Martin suspended and a prime cut candidate, Charles Sims becomes even more valuable. Jeremy Maclin is one year removed from 16.3 fantasy points per game and 12 red zone receptions (eighth among all wide receivers).  Most people don’t realize he’s only 29 years old and the top receiving option in Kansas City (no, it’s not Tyreek Hill).

Round 9

PICK:  Kelvin Benjamin, Carolina

Reaction: We all make a bad pick in our drafts and this was mine. Carolina is primed for a bounce back season, and that could mean Benjamin does as well. He started the season with 13 receptions, 199 yards, and three touchdowns through two games. However, he never totaled over 86 receiving yards again until Week 17, and had a three game stretch during the fantasy playoffs with 49 total receiving yards. The player I should have taken was Jordan Matthews who is the answer to this quiz:

Fantasy Football Quiz: What 4th year WR is averaging 75 receptions and 6.3 TDs per season yet has a current ADP of Round 9?

— Mike Randle (@RandleRant) April 10, 2017

As for Round Nine running backs? They are all players to be avoided in PPR formats except Duke Johnson. Be especially careful with Matt Forte, who turns 32 this season. Are old running backs in bad offenses really worth a draft pick?

Round 10

PICK:  Martellus Bennett, Green Bay
Reaction:  Round 10 seems about right for a tight end selection. Martellus Bennett gives Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers his best big target since Jermichael Finley in 2011. In a bunched up fantasy position, Bennett should outperform earlier tight ends such as Zach Ertz, Eric Ebron, and Cameron Brate. Derrick Henry seems like an incredible value in Round Ten. Kenny Stills is too feast or famine to trust in anything but Best Ball leagues. If Breshad Perriman is Baltimore’s WR1, he is the steal of the draft in this spot.

Round 11 & 12

PICKS:  Derek Carr, Oakland & Cole Beasley, Dallas
Reaction: Always good quarterback options late in PPR drafts, and Derek Carr has top five potential this season.  Cole Beasley is a huge WR3 sleeper. His targets have increased 31.6 percent over the past two seasons and PPR production has risen 42.1 percent. With Jason Witten turning 35 years old this week, the short underneath routes will be available for Beasley. One of the best late round pickups in fantasy this season. Jacquizz Rodgers could have huge value here, depending on what Tampa Bay does in the draft this Thursday. John Brown should be better with total health and no Michael Floyd in Arizona. Stafford, Winston, and Mariota in Round 12?  Why on earth would anyone take a quarterback early?

Round 13 & 14

PICKS:  Denver Defense & Cairo Santos, Kansas City

Summary

Given the receiving ability and overall production of the top three running backs, it was interesting to see how a mock team looked after bypassing David Johnson, Le’Veon Bell, and Ezekiel Elliott. The result was a surprisingly strong team. My top four wide receivers are Antonio Brown, Amari Cooper, Jamison Crowder and Willie Snead. All should be 80 plus receptions PPR players.

The running backs are a solid mix of goal line RB1s and PPR magnets. Mark Ingram and Spencer Ware should both reach double digit touchdowns, while Danny Woodhead and Theo Riddick should both be in the top five for running back receptions. Martellus Bennett in round ten was a steal, and the bench has a red zone target (Benjamin) and a PPR slot receiver (Beasley). Finally, my team rounds out with a solid top ten quarterback in Derek Carr.

Overall, the team I drafted from position two is significantly better than the team from position one.

What a difference one draft spot makes in fantasy football.