Fantasy football draft season is here, and that means that owners are catching up on all of the latest news before they select their fantasy teams for 2023. Whether it's poring over cheat sheets, circling your favorite sleepers, comparing rankings, or refining your overall draft strategy, there's a lot to do before the big day.
Of course, there are a lot of resources out there, but the only way to truly test them is via a mock draft. These exercises can take a while to complete, especially if you end up in a particularly slow draft queue. As such, busy folks can check out the FantasyPros Mock Draft Simulator, which allows you to do a mock draft in minutes.
That, too, is absolutely useful, but those who have the team needed to complete a full mock draft should take advantage of that opportunity. Simply put, it's beneficial to prepare to face difficult decisions in a timed environment, and mock drafts help drafters to do that.
Recently, I participated in a 15-round mock draft with Walter Cherepinsky of WalterFootball.com. This mock was for a 12-team, PPR-scoring league, and during it, I put The Sporting News' top 200 rankings to the test to see what type of team I could craft.
I decided to take the No. 2 overall pick in this mock draft, and I wanted to land both a top-tier receiver and a strong running back with my first two selections. From there, the approach was going to be a balanced one that would alternate backs and receivers while taking at least one top quarterback or tight end within the first five rounds. After that, it was all about grabbing value picks and sleepers to round out the roster.
Without further ado, here's a look at what a PPR draft might look like if you have the No. 2 overall selection.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2023 Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Experts' Fantasy Football Mock Draft 2023: 12-Team PPR league
* This draft was for a PPR league that starts 1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 FLEX, 1 D/ST, 1 K, and has 6 bench spots
Round 1, Pick 2: WR Justin Jefferson, Vikings. I was targeting either Christian McCaffrey or Jefferson with this selection, and to my surprise, both were on the board at No. 2. Ja'Marr Chase went No. 1 overall, so I had my choice of SN's top-ranked PPR RB or top PPR WR with the second pick.
Ultimately, I decided to go with Jefferson for two reasons. First, I wanted to see what my team would look like if I waited on a running back into the late second round. I went with RBs early in my standard mock draft, so trying a new approach was at the forefront of my mind.
Second, Jefferson should be the top PPR producer at receiver this season. He led the league in catches (128) and receiving yards (1,809) last season and ranked No. 1 in fantasy points per game (FPPG) at his position. New addition Jordan Addison may take some targets from Jefferson, but the first-round pick should also open up some extra space in which Jefferson can operate. That will make him an excellent lineup anchor for us in this PPR format.
2023 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Top 200 | S-Flex | IDP
Round 2, Pick 23: RB Jonathan Taylor, Colts. Waiting on a running back paid off — albeit just barely. Taylor remained on the board just long enough for us to grab him here and make him our top back.
There are reasons to be concerned with Taylor. He demanded a trade away from the Colts amid a contract dispute and hasn't spent much time with the team this preseason as a result, but remember, this guy was the consensus No. 1 pick in fantasy football last season and led the league in carries (332), rushing yards (1,811) and rushing touchdowns (18) during 2021.
Taylor couldn't stay healthy in '22, and the blocking around him regressed which, in turn, led to his regression. The presence of Anthony Richardson — a dynamic running threat — could open up more space for him, so pairing him with Jefferson seems like a high-upside move at this point.
2023 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Top 200 | S-Flex | IDP
Round 3, Pick 26: WR Tee Higgins, Bengals. Ja'Marr Chase could've drawn consideration with the No. 2 pick, but passing on him at that juncture makes more sense. Why? Because Higgins may end up being one of the best receivers on the board in either the third or fourth round depending on the size of your league.
Higgins has been consistently productive for the Bengals since being a first-round pick in 2020. He has seen 108, 110, and 109 targets, respectively, in his first three seasons and he posted 74 catches in back-to-back seasons. He has never posted more than seven touchdowns in a season, but his 6-4 frame should allow him to be a double-digit touchdown threat at some point. Perhaps this contract year will be the first time that he does it.
Either way, Higgins represents another high-floor option at the receiver position and will give us a very consistent team. DeVonta Smtih was another potential choice here, so this just shows that the early third-round should contain within it plenty of receiver talent.
2023 FANTASY SLEEPERS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Each Team
Round 4, Pick 47: RB Kenneth Walker, Seahawks. Walker ranked 21st on Sporting News' top 200 PPR cheat sheet, so getting him with the 47th pick is an absolute steal. The Seahawks under Pete Carroll have tended to be a run-heavy team, and Walker figures to be their top runner during the 2023 NFL season.
Could Zach Charbonnet take carries from Walker? Sure, but Rashaad Penny did that early last season before he got hurt. After that, Walker emerged as a true workhorse and proved that he could shoulder the load even after dealing with an early-season injury. He averaged 95.9 yards and 0.7 touchdowns per start last season, so it's reasonable to expect him to be a high-end RB2 in 2023.
2023 AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Overall
Round 5, Pick 50: QB Joe Burow, Bengals. After waiting to take a quarterback in my standard mock draft, I figured it would be good to see what happens after taking a QB early. Besides, Burrow was one of the best players on the board, and pairing him with Higgins would provide this lineup with excellent upside.
Burrow averaged 21.7 FPPG last season, good for the fourth-best mark among quarterbacks. He may not have the rushing upside of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts, but he comes at a discount from those top-tier passers. He threw a career-high 35 touchdowns last season — the third consecutive season in which he has surpassed his career-best mark — so if he can do that again, he will certainly be worth the 50th overall pick.
2023 POSITION TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST
Round 6, Pick 71: RB Khalil Herbert, Bears. The sixth round of fantasy mock drafts is seemingly a wasteland in 2023, as there aren't a lot of good value picks on the board in Round 6. As such, I made a bit of a reach to grab a running back with upside in Herbert.
Herbert is ranked 33rd in SN's fantasy RB rankings for PPR formats, but he could end up vastly outplaying that ranking. He seems to be winning the battle to be the Bears' No. 1 running back, and he averaged a whopping 5.7 yards per carry last season behind a porous offensive line. He may get vultured by Justin Fields, D'Onta Foreman, or Roschon Johnson, but his upside running behind a better offensive line is immense. That's especially true since he figures to be the best receiver among the team's top backfield options.
FANTASY DRAFT STRATEGY:
Snake | Auction | Best ball | Dynasty | IDP
Round 7, Pick 74: WR Jahan Dotson, Commanders. This pick is a holdover from my last mock, albeit one I am making a round earlier than before. Dotson is a big-time breakout candidate for 2023. As a rookie last year, the first-round pick logged seven touchdown catches in 12 games despite having only 35 catches. Now, he will get a chance to work with Sam Howell, a player with whom he demonstrated chemistry in their lone start together last season.
Dotson recorded three catches for 72 yards with Howell at quarterback against a respectable Cowboys defense in Week 18 last season. If he can continue to make plays deep and in the red zone, the 5-11 playmaker should be a rock-solid WR3 for our fantasy team.
Round 8, Pick 95: TE Kyle Pitts, Falcons. The goal was to land Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert with this selection, but he was selected just ahead of this spot. That left Pitts as the best tight end on the board — or at least the one with the most upside.
Pitts disappointed in 2022, but he remains an immensely talented tight end who recorded 1,026 yards as a rookie. He only has three career touchdowns, but with teams likely to pay more attention to Bijan Robinson and Drake London in 2023, that could help Pitts to have some positive scoring regression.
Pitts only turns 23 in October and is considered a generational talent at tight end. That doesn't mean that he will pan out, but in the eighth round, we're risking very little finding out if he can be a top-10 tight end — and a potential breakout star.
Round 9, Pick 98: RB Jerick McKinnon, Chiefs. McKinnon was a player I considered drafting in each of the previous two rounds. He is ranked ahead of both Herbert and Pitts in SN's top 200 PPR rankings, but I wanted to see if I could wait until the ninth round to get him.
Mission accomplished.
McKinnon figures to be a big-time PPR threat given that he operates within a pass-heavy Chiefs offense and is the team's top pass-catching running back. His 4.2 targets per game were tied for 13th-most among running backs in the NFL last season, and he averaged 5.4 targets per game from Week 8 onward. If he remains in the larger role that he grew into during the 2022 season, he should emerge as a solid flex play in PPR leagues.
We could do a lot worse than McKinnon as our RB4, and he should be able to replace Herbert if our faith in the Bears' back doesn't pay off.
Round 10, Pick 119: WR Tank Dell, Texans. We need a few more receivers with upside to be comfortable with our team as a whole, and Dell seems like a nice option at this point. The 5-8 rookie out of Houston demonstrated good chemistry with C.J. Stroud during the pre-draft process, and that has carried over to the preseason.
The Texans don't have a true No. 1 receiver, so it's possible that Dell could slide into that role. At the very least, he seems likely to emerge as a high-volume slot receiver, so he's a solid sleeper pick in the 10th round.
Round 11, Pick 122: RB Tyler Allgeier, Falcons. No teams ran the ball more than the Bears and Falcons in 2022. Now, we have a running back from each team. Allgeier may be the backup to Bijan Robinson, but the BYU product ran for 1,035 yards on 210 carries last season and caught 16 of his 17 targets. He may not have been efficient at the goal line (four yards and one touchdown on six attempts inside the five-yard line), but if Robinson gets banged up or struggles as a rookie, Allgeier should easily outplay his draft slot.
And hey, Arthur Smith may run the ball enough to make Allgeier a decent flex play in easier matchups.
Round 12, Pick 143: WR Darnell Mooney, Bears. Mooney is probably a better standard-league player than a PPR player, but he's still a solid value at this point. He is Chicago's No. 2 receiver this year after being miscast as the team's top target in 2022. The presence of D.J. Moore should allow Mooney to more easily make downfield plays and take advantage of his career average of 12 yards per catch.
Mooney may never repeat his 81-catch, 1,055-yard performance from '21, but there's at least a chance he could bounce back. In the 12th round, it's worth taking a chance on him as a sleeper with upside.
Round 13, Pick 146: WR Jayden Reed, Packers. Reed and Dell are similar players in that they each have upside at receiver and could be high-volume slot players as rookies. It appears that Reed will start in the slot for the Packers and if the second-round rookie develops good chemistry with Jordan Love, he could work his way into flex consideration. Either way, he's a nice WR6 for this well-balanced lineup.
Round 14, Pick 167: D/ST Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have one of the best defensive players in the league in T.J. Watt, and they posted a record of 8-2 in games that he played during the regular season last year. The pass-rushing threat of him, Alex Highsmith, and Cameron Heyward gives the Steelers and high sack floor and should allow them to compete with most teams across the league.
Pittsburgh is playing San Francisco in Week 1, but that may not be too tough a matchup. The 49ers have lost some key offensive linemen and will be starting Brock Purdy coming off a significant elbow injury. If he shows signs of rust, the Steelers should end up being a top-10 defense in the first week of the fantasy season.
Round 15, Pick 179: K Jake Elliott, Eagles. Don't overthink kickers. Take a guy with a big leg on a good offense and roll from there. The Eagles were the NFL's second-highest-scoring team in 2022, averaging 29.1 points behind only the league-leading Chiefs (29.2). That makes Elliott an appealing option in the draft's final round.
By the end of the draft, this is what my team looked like:
Starters
QB Joe Burrow, Bengals
RB Jonathan Taylor, Colts
RB Kenneth Walker, Seahawks
WR Justin Jefferson, Vikings
WR Tee Higgins, Bengals
FLEX Khalil Herbert, Bears
TE Kyle Pitts, Falcons
D/ST Steelers
K Jake Elliott, Eagles
Bench
WR Jahan Dotson, Commanders
RB Jerick McKinnon, Chiefs
WR Tank Dell, Texans
RB Tyler Allgeier, Falcons
WR Darnell Mooney, Bears
WR Jayden Reed, Packers
I like this team quite a bit. Some may not be comfortable starting Herbert at the flex spot, but with Dotson, McKinnon, and Dell in reserve, I think this team is built to find the best matchups at that position to support my well-balanced lineup.
My one main concern with this team is having Pitts at tight end. He is a true boom-or-bust pick at the tight end spot, but if he flops for a second consecutive season, we will have to scour the waiver wire to find a replacement. It's difficult to do that at tight end, so that could end up being a roster hole here.
Perhaps next draft, I will go Goedert in the seventh and target another receiver at the end of the eighth round. Even so, that pick shouldn't prevent this team from being a playoff contender.
To see the full results of the mock draft, including who I passed and how some other teams were built, click here.
