I recently took part in a 1QB, PPR redraft mock with eleven other members of the DFF crew. I was very happy with the results, so I’d like to break down my team and my decision-making process throughout the draft.
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Draft Strategy and Summary
I entered the draft planning to select RBs in the first three rounds before addressing any other positions. This strategy, which I broke down in great detail here, is one I’ve been implementing whenever possible this offseason. I expected to target WR in the middle rounds while waiting to get my QB and TE late, which worked out perfectly.
With the fourth overall pick, I selected Alvin Kamara. Then, I grabbed Todd Gurley and Clyde Edwards-Helaire in rounds 2 and 3. In round 4, many of my favorite WR targets (Adam Thielen and Robert Woods, in particular) were gone, so I went with Amari Cooper. In rounds 5 through 9, I continued to stockpile RBs and WRs with DJ Chark, J.K. Dobbins, Brandin Cooks, Damien Williams, and Golden Tate. Finally, I selected Mike Gesicki and Matt Ryan in rounds 10 and 11 to fill out my starting lineup before adding a bit more depth at the end of the draft.
Best Picks
Todd Gurley has become one of my favorite 2nd-round targets this offseason, so I was excited to snag him at 2.09. He is joining a high-powered offense in Atlanta without much competition for touches in the backfield. I hope the Falcons can return to being an above-average rushing team as they were in 2016 and 2017 when Devonta Freeman was healthy and effective. Regardless, Gurley should enjoy a high opportunity share on the ground, as well as an uptick in targets from the 49 he saw in 2019. Matt Ryan has distributed an average of 103 targets to his RBs over the past four seasons, so 75+ for Gurley is well within the realm of possibility.
Brandin Cooks could turn out to be one of the biggest bargains in redraft this season. His lowest finish from 2015 to 2018 was WR15, despite playing for three different teams. Cooks has a chance to return to form in 2020 with a clean bill of health and a talented QB in Deshaun Watson. I’ll gladly take him as the WR34 any day.
Worst Picks
Clyde Edwards-Helaire has massive potential in the Chiefs offense but is also a bigger bust risk than just about any RB in the first three rounds. We can’t assume that he will operate as a workhorse back in Week 1 simply because he was a first-round pick. Damien Williams showed out in the 2019 playoffs, and the coaching staff has spoken highly of him this offseason. Edwards-Helaire could be relegated to a part-time role to start the season, like Nick Chubb and Miles Sanders in recent years. Considering that possible downside, I wish I had opted for a safer player like Leonard Fournette or Melvin Gordon instead.
[*This mock draft was completed before Damien Williams opted out of the 2020 season. In light of that news, I would choose CEH over both Fournette and Gordon.]
No 12th-round pick will make or break a team, but Jerick McKinnon probably wasn’t the ideal selection there. RB was already my biggest strength by far, and my WR corps was lacking by comparison. While I think McKinnon has some sneaky upside in the 49ers offense this year, at least as a late-round dart throw, my team would have been better off with some reinforcement at WR, perhaps in the form of Randall Cobb, Michael Pittman, or Curtis Samuel.
Final Thoughts
The perfect draft is an elusive concept. You’ll always have picks you’d like to take back. However, the goal of mock drafting is to refine your process. You get to go beyond raw ADP data and understand where positional hotspots lie. You can develop your own player tiers, or see what happens when you take a Lamar Jackson or George Kittle early. Overall, I thought I put together a pretty solid team, but I’m also confident that I can do an even better job next time by applying what I’ve learned from this exercise. Hopefully, this breakdown can help you in the same way as you prepare to dominate your league this season.
Thanks for reading this article! Look me up on Twitter at @fantasyfreezer if you’d like to hear more from me. I love answering fantasy questions, discussing trades, and engaging in friendly debates, so be sure to drop in and say hello.
