NFL training camps are underway and that means a lot of things here at CBS Sports with one of those being that we’ll be ramping up our mock drafts with the Fantasy Football Today team. In the coming weeks you’ll be getting multiple mock drafts weekly of all different kinds of formats including full-point PPR, non-PPR, half-point PPR, Superflex and salary cap (formerly known as auction) drafts.
After every mock draft, FFT’s Jamey Eisenberg will be providing his usual analysis of the mock and as per usual you don’t want to miss that. Jamey’s analysis includes the entire mock draft results from the industry participants and more. For this week’s full-point PPR mock draft, you can find Jamey’s analysis here. Unfortunately, the timing wasn’t perfect — as Jamey noted — with the mock taking place before the news broke that Chris Godwin would not land on the PUP list to start training camp and before the Buccaneers signed Julio Jones.
Today, we’ll follow up this mock and all those to come with a mock draft survey. I’ll poll a select few participants after each mock draft and get their thoughts on the biggest steals, reaches, value picks and more. I’ll also provide my takeaways on how I performed in the mock as I will participating in all of these. Without further ado, let’s dive right into this thing.
And remember, if you’re looking for draft results to match up with the mock, you will find them at the bottom of this page or by clicking the link above to Jamey’s analysis.
Dan Schneier
1. Did you have a format-specific strategy going in and how did it play out?
Yes, I did. As is the case with all full-point PPR drafts, I am looking to beat the rest of the league on the race to receiving options. I want at minimum four of my first six picks — and more likely five of my first six to go to the wide receiver position with one of those likely being a tight end. While it’s true you can find wide receiver talent late, in full-point PPR leagues the difference-making league winners come at the wide receiver position so I am aiming to give myself the best chance of finding those. In this mock, I was able to land Mark Andrews in Round 3, a hero RB with massive receiving upside (Christian McCaffrey) and four wide receivers with my four other picks. It went exactly according to plan and I was still able to grab Joe Burrow as my starting QB despite waiting on the position for what felt like forever.
2. Name one pick from another team you thought was a steal.
I’m not a buyer on Travis Etienne this year unless of course you’re talking about a drop off from his current ADP and drafting him in a full-point PPR league. Both of those things happened in this mock when Frank Stampfl grabbed him later than he’s been going at No. 58 overall. With the news of James Robinson not landing on the PUP to start camp, Etienne’s ADP is bound to take a slide, but in this range I think he can be an absolute steal given his massive receiving upside for this format and new head coach Doug Pederson’s history involving his backs in the passing game.
3. Name one pick from another team you thought was a reach.
In a full-point PPR league, it’s tough for me to get on board with A.J. Dillon at No. 57 overall. He showed more receiving upside last year than at any point during his collegiate career, but there doesn’t appear to be a major upside to his target share in 2022 and there were too many receivers (and even pass-first backs like Etienne) still on the board for me to like this pick.
4. Name your favorite value pick from your team.
I loved getting Mark Andrews at No. 27 overall in this mock. I’m a big believer in grabbing the weekly tight end advantage that comes from the elite group and to get one in Round 3 in a full-point PPR — especially a player coming off a massive target-filled season on a team that lost its best receiver — is exactly where I want to be.
5. Name the pick you regret the most.
It’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire. It’s always CEH. Having said that, I don’t think the value is awful in Round 7 on an elite offense that has a chance to go back to old-school Andy Reid ways (heavily using the running back in the pass game). At least that’s what I’m telling myself.
Tera Roberts
1. Did you have a format-specific strategy going in and how did it play out?
In a 3-WR PPR draft, I’m typically coming out of the first four rounds with three receivers. Austin Ekeler is my overall ranked RB2 so taking Ekeler at the 1.02 and receivers in rounds two through four was my exact plan.
2. Name one pick from another team you thought was a steal.
Damien Harris in round eight to Dave was a fantastic value. It’s tough to imagine another 15-touchdown season and New England committees are frustrating but at this value, Harris is well worth the pick.
3. Name one pick from another team you thought was a reach.
Allen Lazard in the sixth round was too early for my taste. I like Lazard as a solid floor option and think he’ll be a strong redzone presence. However, the upside is limited as the Packers will likely spread the ball evenly across the entire receiving corps and running backs.
4. Name your favorite value pick from your team.
Nico Collins is my favorite value pick of the draft as the Texans WR2. Davis Mills had a strong finish to the 2021 season and he can operate as a mid-to-high-end QB2, there will be enough volume to support Collins as a potential flex option.
5. Name the pick you regret the most.
In hindsight, I would’ve picked Michael Pittman over DJ Moore. Moore has been a WR2 for three years with terrible quarterback play and Baker Mayfield is an upgrade. This could be the year Moore breaks into WR1 territory. But I can admit, it was a bullish pick at the turn.
Jamey Eisenberg
1. Did you have a format-specific strategy going in and how did it play out?
I intended to go WR-WR from the No. 12 spot, but that plan changed when Ja’Marr Chase didn’t fall to the last pick in Round 1. Instead, I went with Stefon Diggs and D’Andre Swift, who should have a huge season this year if he can stay healthy.
2. Name one pick from another team you thought was a steal.
Tony Pollard in Round 7. He went one spot in front of me, and I was upset about that. I wanted a third running back with upside, and Pollard would have been perfect. I settled for Chase Edmonds, which isn’t bad, but he doesn’t have Pollard’s upside if he ever gets the chance to start in Dallas.
3. Name one pick from another team you thought was a reach.
Elijah Moore in Round 6. Moore went ahead of guys I like better like Drake London, Allen Lazard and DeAndre Hopkins, and I’m worried about Moore building off his quality rookie season if Garrett Wilson and Corey Davis are healthy.
4. Name your favorite value pick from your team.
Zach Ertz in Round 10. Ertz has the chance for a great start with Hopkins facing a six-game suspension, but Ertz should remain a vital weapon all year. I like him just behind Dallas Goedert and T.J. Hockenson, and I got Ertz three rounds after Goedert and two rounds after Hockenson.
5. Name the pick you regret the most.
I don’t regret any of these picks, but a different route I could have gone was drafting Davante Adams over Swift in Round 2. Had I done that, I might have drafted Breece Hall in Round 4 instead of Brandin Cooks or stuck with Cooks and stacked my receiving corps even more.
Adam Aizer
1. Did you have a format-specific strategy going in and how did it play out?
I wanted to be strong at wide receiver, and boy did I fail on that one! I decided to pivot to best player available just to see how it would play out. Consequently, I ended up strong at quarterback (Josh Allen) and at running back but certainly weak at wide receiver. I did not like the way the team turned out.
2. Name one pick from another team you thought was a steal.
Antonio Gibson, J.K. Dobbins, A.J. Dillon and Josh Jacobs all went in Round 5. There are concerns about all of them, but Round 5 is great value for these guys. Any of them could finish in the Top 12.
3. Name one pick from another team you thought was a reach.
Jaylen Waddle at 35th overall ahead of Diontae Johnson, Terry McLaurin, Brandin Cooks and more receivers that are much more likely to be the #1 wide receiver on their respective teams. I like Waddle but I have a hard time seeing him being a league winner with Tyreek Hill in town.
4. Name your favorite value pick from your team.
I have found myself liking Kareem Hunt more and more, and I drafted him in Round 7 in this league. I expect the Browns to be very run-heavy as usual and Hunt was a Fantasy star last season before his injury. He’ll also have enough catches to be relevant in any format.
5. Name one pick you regret the most from your team.
It’s hard to say I regret Leonard Fournette in Round 2 because I think he can be Fantasy stud again, but if I had taken Keenan Allen there I would have a much more balanced team without an obvious weakness. As it stands now, I am clearly weak at wide receiver. Unfortunately, we can’t play this league out so I won’t be able to truly test the “best player available” theory. It’s possible I could add wide receivers throughout the season or the young wide receivers I drafted will have breakout years and this team will be fine. But on paper, it would look much better with Allen instead of Fournette.
Dave Richard
1. Did you have a format-specific strategy going in and how did it play out?
I really wanted to take two WRs at the 2/3 turn. I didn’t expect Nick Chubb to fall to 24th overall, and I didn’t expect the top tier of elite wideouts to be practically gone. That’s why I took Chubb and the best-available receiver in A.J. Brown.
2. Name one pick from another team you thought was a steal.
Najee Harris at 11th overall. Potential top-5 Fantasy running back nearly falling out of Round 1. Amazing.
3. Name one pick from another team you thought was a reach.
Elijah Moore in Round 6. I love the talent, hate the crowded offense and scared to pieces over the quarterback.
4. Name your favorite value pick from your team.
Elijah Mitchell in Round 6. The history of running backs with the 49ers doesn’t bode well, nor does Mitchell’s health considering what he went through last season, but I got the starting rusher for Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers with the last pick of Round 6. That’s good value.
5. Name the pick you regret the most.
While an excellent value, the Damien Harris pick at the end of Round 8 was overkill. I wish there was a receiver on the board I liked, but the closest one was Tim Patrick, and it felt too soon and not as good of a value for him at that point.
