Preseason games are officially over, and regular season football is less than a week away. We are in the heart of draft season, and you will soon get to see your fantasy roster take the field. If you have a draft coming up but haven't started preparing, don't worry there's still time. We may be past the point where you can read over spreadsheets and training camp reports, but these aren't even the most effective ways to prepare for drafts. The best way to get ready for Draft Day is by simulating the real deal through mock drafts.
Mock drafts are an absolute must for any fantasy manager's draft preparation; they allow drafters to try out a variety of draft strategies without any consequences if things go awry. With modern tools such as FantasyPros Draft Wizard and Sleeper's Mock Draft lobbies, mock drafts can be completed in minutes. By the time you're on the clock in your actual draft, you should know exactly who you want to target in each round.
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 final results of the team are shown below. FantasyPros Mock Draft Wizard was used to complete this draft.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: 2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Football PPR Mock Draft 2024: 12-team league results
The rosters in this league consist of the following: 1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 FLEX, 1 D/ST, 1 Kicker, 6 Bench
Round 1 (1.05): Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
If you are drafting anywhere between picks 4 and 7, take Breece Hall or Bijan Robinson if possible. There are so few stud running backs and a plethora of quality receivers available in the middle rounds that starting out with a Hero RB is the optimal way to build a roster this year. Hall is in the upper echelon of Hero RB candidates and was an easy pick in this spot with Christian McCaffrey and Bijan Robinson already off the board.
Hall managed to finish as the RB2 last year despite a putrid Jets' offense and his recovery from an ACL tear. This was an offense that afforded Hall just one goal line carry and he still managed to score more fantasy points than all running backs other than Christian McCaffrey. With Aaron Rodgers under center in 2024, the Jets offense should take strides and Hall will be a key piece of their success.
2024 PPR RANKINGS
Top 250 Overall | QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF/ST | K
Round 2 (2.08): Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
Chris Olave is arguably the most underrated receiver in the NFL. His career through two seasons has been highlighted by WR2 production, but he has the peripheral metrics of someone who can produce at a much higher level. There's reason to believe that Olave can finally break through to produce among the ranks of the WR1s.
Olave's usage in his first two years in the Saints' offense was criminal. He was used in a restricted, almost strictly vertical capacity. Olave has 257 targets through two NFL seasons; according to PPF, just 17 of these targets have come on slant routes. Those easy looks and "layup targets" have been almost non-existent for Olave for two years.
We can expect to see a meaningful change in how Olave is deployed in his third NFL season. Klint Kubiak is coming over from San Francisco to install a new offense, one that should feature easier looks for the receivers, utilize motion at a higher rate, and create an environment that is conducive to scoring fantasy points.
2024 POSITION TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY
QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST
Round 3 (3.05): Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
There's no other way to put it, Jaylen Waddle disappointed fantasy managers last year. As a result, he has slipped all the way down to the middle of the 4th round in drafts. But if you dig into the numbers, Waddle is a player who is very much worthy of a 3rd-round pick.
Looking through Waddle's injury notes from last year, he left five different games with an injury. Missing pieces of this many games significantly impacts a player's overall and per-game production. But if you look at Waddle's target-earning ability and efficiency on a per-route level, he is among the elite receivers in the NFL. He earned a target on 27.5 percent of routes (10th among WRs) and posted 2.68 yards per route run (8th among WRs).
The Dolphins' passing attack will once again be highly concentrated between Tyreek Hill and Waddle. If he can stay on the field, Waddle has a top-15 season in his range of outcomes.
Round 4 (4.08): Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
This pick is fairly straightforward. If Lamar Jackson is available in Round 4, you should probably draft him. This is one of the league's best offenses and Lamar is the best rushing quarterback in the NFL. Jackson has cleared 21.0 PPG in four of five seasons as a starter and shows no signs of slowing down.
If anyone tries to tell you that Jackson's value is capped by Derrick Henry stealing goal line work, they have a fundamental misunderstanding of Jackson's game. He finished last season with just five goal line carries. His rushing yardage and touchdowns from distance account for his fantasy production as a rusher. He will continue to be a dominant threat on the ground and can compete for the QB1 title if he stays healthy.
Round 5 (5.05): Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Rashee Rice proved last year that he absolutely owns the shallow portion of the field. With Kelce also working the intermediate and shallow thirds and Xavier Worthy taking the top off the defense, this Chiefs offense will be a sight to see in 2024.
Rice began regularly playing at least 60 percent of snaps after Week 6 this year. From Week 7 onward, he was a weapon in PPR leagues. He averaged 15.5 PPG which would have been the WR15 last year. We now have confirmation that Rice will avoid the Commissioner's Exempt List and is likely to avoid suspension this year. With this news, picking up Rice any time after Round 4 is a gift.
2024 FANTASY AUCTION VALUES (PPR & STANDARD)
Overall | QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF/ST | K
Round 6 (6.08): Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
With the depth at the top of tight end this year, there is no excuse to not leave your draft with a top-8 option. Evan Engram, last year's TE2, is one of these options. He is an incredibly steady and reliable option at tight end in PPR leagues.
Engram led all tight ends in both targets and receptions last year. His 114 catches ranked 4th among all players last year and was the second-most by any tight end in a single season. He should maintain this high-volume role in the Jaguars' offense and will provide consistent production in PPR leagues.
Round 7 (7.05): Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Godwin has been an incredibly reliable WR2, with some WR1 seasons sprinkled in over the course of his career. Last season was a bit different - Godwin was the WR37 in PPG. But this dip in production perfectly coincided with a significant change in his role.
Godwin ran 32 percent of his routes from the slot last year, a sharp dip from the 50-60 percent we saw in the years where he was an impactful fantasy asset. New offensive coordinator Liam Coen has promised to move Godwin back into the slot and lived up to it in the preseason. With a return to his former role, expect a bounce-back year for Godwin.
2024 FANTASY SLEEPERS
QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST | Deep Sleepers | Sleepers by Team
Round 8 (8.08): Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
With Breece Hall already on the roster, we were afforded some flexibility at running back. This allowed us to ignore the position until Round 8, when Chase Brown became the RB2 for this team. The second year player from Illinois has a big opportunity in front of him this year.
Brown is the ultimate upside swing. He has the opportunity to carve out a 1A role in one of the league's best offenses but can be picked up in the range of pick 100. Brown proved last year that he has legitimate playmaking ability and he will now have the chance to take on a big role in his second season.
Round 9 (9.05): Devin Singletary, RB, New York Giants
After taking a swing on the upside of Brown, this backfield needed to be stabilized by some (nearly) guaranteed volume. Devin Singletary provides this roster with what should be in the range of 200 carries.
He is not a sexy, upside-based pick but he is the locked-in starter in New York. He posted an 88 percent snap share in his final preseason game. This is not a rate that we should expect to carry into the regular season, but it's a great indication that he will be the go-to guy in New York. He could very easily be an RB2 this year if he fends off Tyrone Tracy.
Round 10 (10.08): Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Jordan Addison is a very messy pick at the moment. He is dealing with an ankle injury and has not practiced for multiple weeks. This is the type of injury that could linger into the regular season and cause issues for Addison's explosion and burst. On top of this, he has a looming suspension thanks to a DUI.
Even with these question marks, swinging on Addison past pick 115 is fair. He was a WR2 as a rookie and showed an explosive skillset that can produce fantasy points in droves. He is also in a Kevin O'Connell offense that will drop back at one of the highest rates in the league regardless of who's under center. As WR5, this roster is capable of withstanding the associated risks.
Round 11 (11.05): Joshua Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
This wide receiver room is rounded out by Chargers receiver Joshua Palmer. Palmer flashed last year without Keenan Allen or Mike Williams on the field, earning eight-plus targets in two of three games. Now that both Allen and Williams are with different teams, Palmer will have the opportunity to be Justin Herbert's top target.
Palmer's primary competition will be rookie Ladd McConkey. While he is an intriguing prospect, there is no guarantee that he will ascend to the top of the receiver pecking order as a rookie. Preseason usage indicates that the team views Palmer as their top option and he has the opportunity to thrive if he holds this role throughout the year.
Round 12 (12.08): Jaleel McLaughlin, RB, Denver Broncos
Now that Samaje Perine has been released, it's the Jaleel McLaughlin show in Denver. Not entirely, but he has the opportunity to monopolize the receiving work in the Denver offense. Even if it's just the 1B role, this can be highly valuable if he is seeing the majority of the running back targets.
Sean Payton's offenses have been incredibly valuable for running backs. In 17 years of coaching, his offense has ranked top-2 in running back scoring 12 times. He has also had an RB2 score at least 16.5 PPG on 5 occasions. McLaughlin is the best pass-catching back on this roster and has a real path to paying off thanks to how Payton uses his running backs.
2024 STANDARD, NON-PPR RANKINGS
Top 250 Overall | QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST | K
Round 13 (13.05): Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This is simply a bet against Rachaad White, one of the league's most inefficient running backs last year. White ranked towards the bottom of the league in nearly every relevant rushing efficiency metric. His fantasy value was driven by his enormous workload thanks to the lack of talent behind him.
The Buccaneers have now added Bucky Irving, a player who was highly productive at the University of Oregon last year. He led the FBS in total receptions for a running back last year and was a strong rusher as well. He has reportedly succeeded in Liam Coen's offense throughout preseason practices and could challenge White for touches if he remains inefficient.
Round 14 & 15 (14.08 & 15.05): Buffalo Bills D/ST & Jason Sanders, K, Miami Dolphins
Unless you're drafting the day before NFL Kickoff, kickers and defenses should not be drafted unless you are forced to. Taking shots on dart throws and making a decision on who to drop the day before the season is a much better idea. Streaming defenses has proven to be a strong strategy, and successful kickers pop up every year.
For the sake of this exercise, a kicker and defense were added at the end of the draft. The Sporting News' rankings were consulted for these picks and this roster features a kicker and a defense that rank inside of our top 10.
