Fantasy Football PPR Mock Draft: Draft strategies, best values for 12-team leagues

Michael OHara

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Fantasy Football PPR Mock Draft: Draft strategies, best values for 12-team leagues image

With NFL preseason games already underway, fantasy football draft season is officially here. It will still be a couple of weeks before draft season really picks up steam, which means it's the perfect time to start prepping for upcoming drafts. Pouring over data, reading up on training camp reports, and consulting rankings are good ways to prepare. But the best way to get ready for Draft Day is by simulating the real deal through mock drafts.

DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: 2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

Mock drafts can give you an idea of what players may be available at your pick while allowing you to try out different strategies. With modern tools such as FantasyPros Draft Wizard and Sleeper's Mock Draft lobbies, mock drafts can be completed in minutes. By the time Draft Day rolls around, you can countless practice sessions under your belt.

For this mock draft, we'll be breaking down the pick-by-pick analysis of a team drafted from the 5th slot in a 12-team, PPR league. The Sporting News' rankings were consulted throughout the draft process. The final results of the team are shown below. You can see how the entire draft players out by checking out the draft board. 

2024 PPR Rankings
Top 250 Overall | QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF/ST | K

Fantasy Football PPR Mock Draft 2024: 12-team league results

The rosters in this league consist of the following: 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 FLEX, 1 D/ST, 1 Kicker, 5 Bench

Round 1 (1.05): Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

With the depth in Rounds 3-5 at wide receiver (to be discussed later), it makes sense to grab a stud running back to build a roster using the Hero RB draft strategy in this spot. Bijan Robinson is a superstar in the making at running back. He looked the part on the field last season; he was simply held back by inconsistent usage.

Robinson played 68 percent of snaps but handled just 41 percent of Atlanta's rush attempts. The most crushing blow to Robinson's fantasy value was his three goal line carries, the same number as Tank Bigsby. With an improved offense and coach speak pointing towards "CMC-like" usage, it's wheels up for Robinson in 2024.

Round 2 (2.08): Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals

The term "generational prospect" is thrown around a bit too liberally. When it comes to Marvin Harrison Jr., I'm comfortable saying he's the best wide receiver prospect since Calvin Johnson. The talent of Harrison Jr. is unquestioned, the question is the ability for him to succeed in Arizona's offense.

His only true target competition is Trey McBride, meaning Harrison will be a high-volume receiver from day one. Kyler Murray has also sown a tendency to pepper his No. 1 guy, whether it has been McBride, Marquise Brown, or DeAndre Hopkins. Harrison will certainly be given the opportunity to put his talent on display and should succeed as a rookie.

2024 POSITION TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY

QB | RB | WR | TE  | D/ST

Round 3 (3.05): Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans

The aforementioned depth at wide receiver becomes very apparent in this spot. Nico Collins was last season's per-game WR7 and became just the 5th receiver to ever post at least 3.00 yards per route run. When it comes to any efficiency metric, Collins was among the elite receivers in the league.

This season introduces a new set of circumstances in Houston with the return of a healthy Tank Dell and the acquisition of Stefon Diggs. Regardless of stepped-up target competition, Collins proved to be a high-end talent who will continue to be an offensive focal point. Investing in him in Round 3 is a no-brainer.

Round 4 (4.08): DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Grabbing pieces of the Philadelphia passing game is rather easy. First, DeVonta Smith is incredibly talented. But a revamped offense under Kellen Moore may unlock a new ceiling for the Eagles' receivers.

Moore's use of pre-snap motion has worked wonders for his offenses in recent years. Moore's "power slot" role has also allowed Keenan Allen and CeeDee Lamb to thrive in recent years. Smith has reportedly been taking a high number of slot snaps during training camp. These layup targets for Smith would make him a phenomenal option as a WR3.

Round 5 (5.05): Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

Having the opportunity to grab an elite TE in Round 5 proved to be too hard to pass up. Through Week 10, prior to injury, Andrews remained one of fantasy's greatest assets at tight end. He averaged 14.6 PPG and was the TE3 during this timeframe.

Zay Flowers will likely take a step forward in year two, but Andrews will remain a key piece of what should be one of the league's best offenses. He is one of the handful of tight ends who can contend for the TE1 throne, so a Round 5 investment is an easy call.

2024 FANTASY AUCTION VALUES (PPR & STANDARD)

Overall | QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF/ST | K

Round 6 (6.08): Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots

After adequately addressing wide receiver and tight end, grabbing a second running back made sense in this spot. Rhamondre Stevenson stabilizes the RB2 spot in this lineup providing the safety to take some swings on high variance players with potentially high ceilings later in the draft.

Like Andrews, Stevenson played in a limited capacity last season. Through Week 13, Stevenson was the RB19. His pass-catching role should allow him to provide steady top-24 production once again despite a poor New England offense. This offense likely caps his upside, but a stud in Bijan Robinson and upside picks later on make Stevenson a good fit for this roster.

Round 7 (7.05): Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals

Kyler Murray's fantasy value took a significant hit last season thanks to an ACL tear. His rushing production hit a career low, averaging just 30.5 yards per game. Despite this, Murray averaged 18.9 PPG, making him the per-game QB8.

Another year removed from the ACL tear, Murray's rushing production should bounce back, and he is poised to be a top-notch dual-threat option once again. Coupled with a revamped receiving corps, Murray could reasonably return to the top-5 production that we have seen in past years.

2024 FANTASY SLEEPERS
QB | RB | WR | TE | Each Team

Round 8 (8.08): Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

The upside swings at running back begin with Jaylen Warren in Round 8. Warren provided RB2 production last season, but 2024 could be the year when he ascends to new heights. Warren is quietly one of the most talented running backs who also features a diverse skill set.

Warren is like the running back counterpart of Nico Collins, posting elite marks in nearly every efficiency metric. Last season, Warren ranked:

  • 1st in missed tackles forced per attempt
  • 3rd in explosive rush rate
  • 2nd in yards per attempt
  • 3rd in rush yards over expected per attempt

Now in an Arthur Smith offense that will run (pun intended) through the running backs, Warren should set career highs in total volume. It sounds gross to say, but getting pieces of Arthur Smith's offense, specifically the running backs, seems incredibly valuable at cost.

Round 9 (9.05): Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans

In PPR leagues, Tyjae Spears is a quality option in the middle rounds who has legitimate upside. As a rookie, he ranked 9th in total targets and 7th in target share. He will maintain his fair share of receiving work in year two. But if he can fend off Tony Pollard to be the 1a in the Titans' backfield, he could pay off in a big way.

Beating out Tony Pollard for the starting job isn't out of the question. Especially considering how Pollard looked last season.

Considering these players were in different roles and offenses last season, there is additional context that needs to be applied to these numbers. But Spears proved to be a talented back and a starting job could be in his future.

Round 10 (10.08): Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions

Leagues are won by finding breakout stars. After a difficult start to his career, Jameson Williams has breakout written all over him. There has been a consistent drumbeat coming out of Detroit regarding Williams' growth.

Lions' staff and players alike have indicated that Williams has taken massive steps forward this offseason. Thanks to blazing speed and elite athleticism, Williams has a ridiculously high ceiling. With a bigger role in Detroit's offense and more looks from Jared Goff, fantasy managers and Lions fans are hopeful that this will be the year that Williams lives up to his top-15 draft capital.

Round 11 (11.05): Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Chase Brown is another player who has had a consistent positive drumbeat this offseason. The coaching staff is pleased with how he has progressed this offseason. He has also been taking the majority of first-team reps throughout training camp.

With the 1a role in a potent Cincinnati offense, Brown could be a steal in Round 11. He is an incredibly explosive running back who would thrive as the go-to back in Cincinnati. Last season, Brown posted the 2nd fastest speed of any ball carrier on a 54-yard house call. With more touches this season, fans could hear the "Chase Brown" and "touchdown" in the same sentence often.

Round 12 (12.08): Rico Dowdle, RB, Dallas Cowboys

The bet on Rico Dowdle revolves around a driving principle behind success in fantasy football: embracing uncertainty in quality offenses. Last season, the Cowboys ranked first in total scoring offense. This offense also provided running backs with plenty of opportunities to score. Tony Pollard finished 2023 with 16 goal line carries, 7th most in the league.

Pollard is no longer with the team, and the two primary candidates to win the starting role are Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliot. The former is the favorite, but Dowdle winning the job at some point during the year is well within the range of outcomes. If he does so, he'll have an immensely valuable role.

Round 13 (13.05): Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, New England Patriots

Ja'Lynn Polk enters a New England wide receiver room where targets are up for grabs. It seems that he is making the most of this opportunity. Polk is already taking reps with the first-team offense, and New England beat reporters have indicated that he has a legitimate case to be the Patriots' true No. 1 option when the season kicks off. High volume, coupled with contested catch ability that meshes well with Drake Maye's cannon for an arm make Polk an intriguing late-round option.

Round 14 & 15 (14.08 & 15.05): Baltimore Ravens D/ST & Jason Sanders, K, Miami Dolphins

Personally, I believe that kickers and defenses should not be drafted unless you are forced to. Streaming defenses has proven to be a strong strategy, and successful kickers pop up every year. But that's a conversation for another day.

Using The Sporting News' defense and kicker rankings, I was able to identify and land a top-tier option at each position. The Ravens' defensive dominance from last season should carry over, and Jason Sanders should benefit from a strong Dolphins offense.

Mock draft review and closing thoughts

Overall, I was very happy with how this team turned out. This season, the optimal draft strategy seems to involve grabbing a bell cow running back in the early rounds while loading up on receivers with other early-round picks. This strategy was executed to perfection in this draft. Bijan Robinson can compete for the RB1 title and he is complemented by a trio of strong receivers.

If I were to make one change in this draft, it would be opting for a receiver instead of a running back with one of my picks. A roster with Bijan Robinson doesn't get much value from a 6th running back. tacking on an extra receiver would have served a greater purpose on this roster. Outside of this, I find this to be a very strong roster.

As previously discussed, mock drafts are the optimal way to prepare for drafts. They give you the opportunity to work out any issues while determining an optimal draft strategy for your team. Every manager should complete a handful of mocks before Draft Day rolls around.

Michael OHara

Michael OHara Photo

Michael O'Hara is a Fantasy Sports Intern at The Sporting News, with a focus on fantasy football. Michael has been a fan of the NFL since childhood and began writing for fantasy football websites as a student at Ohio State University, including the Roto Street Journal and Fantasy Football Today.