The NFL Draft is officially over, which means it’s time for fantasy football mock draft season. The season is still a ways away, but it’s never too early to start preparing for the upcoming season. Note that this mock draft was performed with the FantasyPros Mock Draft Simulator, and I held the sixth overall pick. My picks are italicized, while the rest of the picks are in bold. Also note that this is a one-quarterback, three-receiver roster with half-point scoring.
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings
Fantasy Football 2020 Mock Draft 1.0: Post-NFL Draft
1.01 Christian McCaffrey
1.02 Saquon Barkley
1.03 Ezekiel Elliott
1.04 Michael Thomas
1.05 Dalvin Cook
1.06 Derrick Henry
1.07 Alvin Kamara
1.08 Joe Mixon
1.09 Tyreek Hill
1.10 Nick Chubb
1.11 Davante Adams
1.12 Kenny Golladay
Throughout the first two years of his career, Alvin Kamara dramatically overproduced in terms of efficiency. He was a redzone machine and his work in the passing game was second to none on a per-touch basis. That regressed in 2019, as Kamara battled injuries and actually produced less than what you’d expect, given his workload. Now that he’s healthy, he should be notably more effective this year than last. It’s hard to imagine anyone overtaking Christian McCaffrey for the RB1, but Kamara has a decent shot to end the year as the RB2.
Second Round
2.01 Julio Jones
2.02 DeAndre Hopkins
2.03 Josh Jacobs
2.04 Mike Evans
2.05 Leonard Fournette
2.06 Chris Godwin
2.07 Travis Kelce
2.08 Kenyan Drake
2.09 Aaron Jones
2.10 Clyde Edwards-Helaire
2.11 Lamar Jackson
Chris Godwin might need a week or two to adjust to his new quarterback, but he should be one of fantasy’s most dangerous weapons once the two hit their stride. Godwin proved to be one of the best receivers in football last year, and now he has the best quarterback in history throwing the ball. While Jameis Winston’s turnover-heavy nature led to a lot of shootouts, Brady’s efficient style of play should keep Godwin as one of the top receivers in fantasy. As previously discussed, Brady should be able to carry multiple fantasy-relevant targets throughout the season.
Third Round
3.1 Miles Sanders
3.2 Patrick Mahomes
3.3 Mark Andrews
3.4 Amari Cooper
3.5 Odell Beckham
3.6 Cooper Kupp
3.7 Adam Thielen
3.8 Courtland Sutton
3.9 Austin Ekeler
3.10 A.J. Brown
3.11 Juju Smith-Schuster
3.12 Darren Waller
Barring something completely unforeseen, Adam Thielen is going to be the only man in town next year. Rookie wide receivers typically need a season before they’re ready to contribute, and that will be especially true with COVID-19 shortening offseason programs. Adam Thielen is going to see an absurd amount of targets, and he has a proven connection with quarterback Kirk Cousins. This volume alone makes him a safe bet for low-end WR1 status.
Fourth Round
4.01 Jonathan Taylor
4.02 Todd Gurley
4.03 Allen Robinson
4.04 D.J. Moore
4.05 Terry McLaurin
4.06 Chris Carson
4.07 DeVante Parker
4.08 Tyler Lockett
4.09 Stefon Diggs
4.10 Robert Woods
4.11 Calvin Ridley
4.12 Keenan Allen
Chris Carson isn’t the sexy pick, but he remains the top option in a run-heavy offense that should put up a ton of points. Rashaad Penny started to steal carries toward the end of 2019, but he tore his ACL and probably won’t be ready for a full workload right out of the gate. As long as Carson can keep from fumbling, he should have a strong hold on the job.
Fifth Round
5.01 D.K. Metcalf
5.02 Deebo Samuel
5.03 T.Y. Hilton
5.04 Mark Ingram
5.05 Russell Wilson
5.06 Michael Gallup
5.07 Le’Veon Bell
5.08 Zach Ertz
5.09 Ke’Shawn Vaughn
5.10 A.J. Green
5.11 D’Andre Swift
5.12 David Johnson
Speaking of unsexy names with guaranteed workloads, Le’Veon Bell is the third running back on my squad. He was insanely inefficient last season, but has complete control of the backfield. The Jets bolstered the offensive line and didn’t bring any competition of note to compete for Bell’s job. He’s going to see a lot of work, and he should have more running lanes in 2020. Combine that with Sam Darnold’s presumed growth in the system and you have a potential steal in the fifth round.
Sixth Round
6.1 D.J. Chark
6.2 Dak Prescott
6.3 Kyler Murray
6.4 Evan Engram
6.5 Deshaun Watson
6.6 Raheem Mostert
6.7 Melvin Gordon
6.8 Jarvis Landry
6.9 Aaron Rodgers
6.10 Josh Allen
6.11 Cam Akers
6.12 Hunter Henry
Kyle Shanahan’s top running back is going to be a fantasy superstar. However, predicting which running back that’s going to be is never easy. For now, Raheem Mostert appears to have the inside track for the job. If he can fend off Tevin Coleman, he has top-12 upside in this offense. However, even if this turns into a timeshare, the loss of Matt Breida ensures that he’ll have some type of a workload in the upcoming season.
Seventh Round
7.01 Julian Edelman
7.02 Jamison Crowder
7.03 Darius Slayton
7.04 David Montgomery
7.05 Devin Singletary
7.06 Drew Brees
7.07 Will Fuller
7.08 Justin Jefferson
7.09 James Conner
7.10 Sony Michel
7.11 Marvin Jones
7.12 Jordan Howard
I felt good about my team through the first six rounds, so I went for a high-risk, high-upside pick. With DeAndre Hopkins out of town, Will Fuller becomes the de-facto top option in what should be a powerful offense. Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb are both past their primes and probably won’t be able to contribute once the season starts. If Fuller stays healthy, his big-play potential along with his target share should make him a weekly start. However, history tells us he probably won’t stay healthy for a full 16-game season.
Eighth Round
8.01 Darrell Henderson
8.02 Kerryon Johnson
8.03 Matt Breida
8.04 Derrius Guice
8.05 Duke Johnson
8.06 Tyler Boyd
8.07 J.K. Dobbins
8.08 Kareem Hunt
8.09 Marlon Mack
8.10 Marquise Brown
8.11 Zack Moss
8.12 Phillip Lindsay
Joe Burrow is going to be the guy in Cincinnati, and Tyler Boyd will probably be his top option, as least in the early going. A.J. Green hasn’t been able to stay healthy in quite some time, and Boyd runs the safe underneath routes that rookie quarterbacks love to target. Boyd carries a decent amount of risk, since his production is tied to an NFL unknown in Burrow. However, he should be a solid WR2-3 if Burrow can play at a league-average level.
Ninth Round
9.01 Sterling Shepard
9.02 Jalen Reagor
9.03 49ers Defense
9.04 Devonta Freeman
9.05 John Brown
9.06 Breshad Perriman
9.07 Tyler Higbee
9.08 CeeDee Lamb
9.09 Tom Brady
9.10 Damien Williams
9.11 Brandin Cooks
9.12 Mike Williams
There is no reason to draft a tight end early if Tyler Higbee is going to be there in the ninth round. The Los Angeles Rams tight end was one of the most unstoppable forces in the league during his late-season run and should carry that momentum into 2020. Betting on a small sample can be dangerous, but it’s a risk worth taking in the ninth round.
10th Round
10.01 Ronald Jones
10.02 Christian Kirk
10.03 Emmanuel Sanders
10.04 Henry Ruggs
10.05 Devin Duvernay
10.06 Matt Ryan
10.07 Boston Scott
10.08 Jerry Jeudy
10.09 Alshon Jeffery
10.10 James White
10.11 A.J. Dillon
10.12 Robby Anderson
The wheels will eventually fall off with Matt Ryan, but it shouldn’t happen this year. Ryan still has the arm to succeed, combined with a fantastic supporting cast in Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. Atlanta’s defense will probably be a mess again, which means more shootouts and more passing yards. Combine that with the fact Ryan is entering his second year in the same system, and he should be one of the better fantasy quarterbacks in the league.
11th Round
11.01 Latavius Murray
11.02 Anthony Miller
11.03 Diontae Johnson
11.04 Jamaal Williams
11.05 Preston Williams
11.06 Mecole Hardman
11.07 Tevin Coleman
11.08 Golden Tate
11.09 Carson Wentz
11.10 Jared Cook
11.11 Tarik Cohen
11.12 Matthew Stafford
One way or another, this team will have the top running back on the San Francisco 49ers. Finding Coleman this late in the mock was something of a surprise and might not be accurate to what actually happens in your fantasy football draft. However, there is a chance he falls this far and he’s easily worth pulling the trigger on.
12th Round
12.01 Joe Burrow
12.02 T.J. Hockenson
12.03 Tee Higgins
12.04 Nyheim Hines
12.05 Tyrod Taylor
12.06 Ryquell Armstead
12.07 Ryan Tannehill
12.08 Rob Gronkowski
12.09 Curtis Samuel
12.10 Tony Pollard
12.11 Laviska Shenault
12.12 Sammy Watkins
The Jacksonville Jaguars do not want Leonard Fournette on their football team. Unfortunately for the Jaguars, they are not alone in that assessment. Fournette appears to be in line for a heavy workload, but that work falls to Ryquell Armstead if Fournette is out of the picture. Armstead is easily worth the risk, as he’s guaranteed to carry fantasy relevance if the Jaguars finally get their wish and move on from Leonard Fournette.
13th Round
13.01 Alexander Mattison
13.02 Antonio Gibson
13.03 DeSean Jackson
13.04 Austin Hooper
13.05 Ben Roethlisberger
13.06 Gus Edwards
13.07 N’Keal Harry
13.08 Michael Pittman
13.09 Pittsburgh Defense
13.10 Hayden Hurst
13.11 Adrian Peterson
13.12 Denzel Mims
N’Keal Harry was a massive disappointment as a rookie, but he could have a Courtland Sutton type of bounce back in 2020. The Patriots passed on wide receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft, and somebody needs to catch passes for Jarrett Stidham. Julian Edelman is entering his age-34 season, and Mohamed Sanu is also over 30 and could easily be a cap casualty. By process of elimination, N’Keal Harry is going to see some targets.
14th Round
14.01 Ravens Defense
14.02 Bills Defense
14.03 Bears Defense
14.04 Parris Campbell
14.05 Patriots Defense
14.06 Benny Snell
14.07 Rams Defense
14.08 Harrison Butker
14.09 Chiefs Defense
14.10 Jimmy Garoppolo
14.11 Vikings Defense
14.12 Justin Tucker
Don’t draft kickers or defense in your fantasy football mock draft. Those types of positions are easy to find, and it’s better to spend the last few rounds drafting high-upside depth pieces. Ben Roethlisberger is coming back for at least one more season, and everyone knows that Pittsburgh’s starting running back always carries fantasy value when Mason Rudolph isn’t throwing the football. Benny Snell has a decent chance to win the job if he can build on his promising rookie season. Even if he starts the year as a backup, James Conner has a long injury history and Snell should see the field before long.
15th Round
15.01 Saints Defense
15.02 Will Lutz
15.03 Greg Zuerlein
15.04 Matt Gay
15.05 Chargers Defense
15.06 Robbie Gould
15.07 Allen Lazard
15.08 Matt Prater
15.09 Michael Badgley
15.10 Zane Gonzalez
15.11 Mason Crosby
15.12 Ka’imi Fairburn
Allen Lazard is not a talented receiver, but the Green Bay Packers didn’t add any competition in the NFL Draft. He’s going to battle Devin Funchess for the starting job opposite Davante Adams, and I think he can win that battle. Aaron Rodgers might not be the quarterback he once was, but he’s still capable of making Lazard an interesting bench piece.
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