2024 Fantasy Football Mock Draft, 1.0

Every fantasy draft is terrible and ridiculous in its own way. If you brought together the same group of designers twice, choosing in the same order on the same day, you would get radically different results each time.

Of course, mock drafts have an even greater level of ridiculousness because no one involved actually has to live with the results. At best, a player’s selection is a non-binding endorsement.

Over the weekend, 10 Yahoo-affiliated fantasy coaches conducted our first mock drill of the season.

I recommend that you do not take these results too seriously, because:

A) we only did eight rounds,

B) there are still four months until the NFL regular season opener, and

C) Dalton Del Don once again tried to make it all about himself as usual. Of course.

Our group’s first attempt to evaluate the 2024 player pool started out the way you’d expect, but quickly went in some unexpected directions. We go round by round, discussing notable picks along the way. Please note that Yahoo Default Settings are in play here (half PPR, one QB, flex).

Round 1

1. Christian McCaffrey (Aaron Tan)

2. Breece Hall (Dalton DelDon)

3. Tyreek Hill (Daniel Harris)

4. Bijan Robinson (Kate Magdziuk)

5. CeeDee Cordeiro (Mauricio Castillo)

6. Justin Jefferson (Andy Behrens)

7. Puka Nácua (Colin Brennan)

8. Ja’Marr Chase (Matt Harmon)

9. Ammon-Ra St.Jorge Martinho)

10. Jonathan Taylor (Scott Pianoowski)

Just a classic display pick from Del Don right at the top. Hall’s selection broke Dalton’s streak of more than 100 consecutive fantasy drafts in which he spent his first-round pick on a starting pitcher (all now on the IL).

Hall is obviously a great defender coming off an excellent season, leading all players at his position in targets (95), receptions (76) and receiving yards (591). He did, however, make 43 of those catches and 283 yards in a six-game span with Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian at quarterback, so perhaps we shouldn’t assume he’ll be the centerpiece of an Aaron Rodgers-led pass rush. game. The issue is not resolved. New York won’t be forced to rely on as many Packers dropped in key roles this season; Rodgers now has reliable outfield options at his disposal. We probably won’t see Hall get 25 targets in two games like what happened via Siemian in Weeks 16-17 last year.

That’s not to say Hall can’t or won’t finish as an RB2 (or better). He definitely belongs in the first round. But he will have to accumulate his fantasy points in a more traditional way. Without a doubt, a season with 10 to 12 touchdowns is a clear possibility.

Nacua doesn’t come this early in most drafts, but Collin simply panicked. Don’t judge him too harshly. He was defeated and reeked of fear throughout this entire simulation.

2nd round

1. Garrett Wilson (Pianow)

2. Jahmyr Gibbs (Jorge)

3. Saquon Barkley (Harmon)

4. (Collin)

5. AJ Brown (Behrens)

6. Kyren Williams (Mo)

7. Chris Olave (Kate)

8. Nico Collins (Dan)

9. Drake London (Dalton)

10. Derrick Henry (Aaron)

Henry could very well score 20 or more touchdowns this year as the undisputed leader of Baltimore’s offense. He felt like a steal with the last pick of the second round. Dalton obviously should have signed Henry instead of London, but the man’s ego won’t allow him to sign a proven player so early in the draft. As always, Del Don’s vanity is his greatest weakness.

If you think Harrison’s choice seems crazy… well, honestly, it was probably the sanest and most sensible thing Collin did in this simulation. MHJ has no noticeable flaws as a receiving prospect and is entering a situation in Arizona where he could easily see 150 targets as a rookie. I would still prefer Brown over Harrison 1,000 times out of 1,000, but I understand the enthusiasm.

Round 3

1. Travis Etienne Jr.

2. Josh Jacobs (Dalton)

3. Rachaad White (Dan)

4. Malik Nabers (Kate)

5. Sam LaPorta (Mo)

6. Isaiah Pacheco (Behrens)

7. Josh Allen (Collin)

8. James Cook (Harmon)

9. DK Metcalf (Jorge)

10. DJ Moore (Pianow)

It’s no big surprise to see LaPorta, last year’s TE1, selected as the first tight end on the board in 2024. The most important detail is that we are now waiting until the third round to define the position, because the top tier is no longer just one guy. Travis Kelce has finished as TE1 overall in six of the last eight seasons and hasn’t been outside the top three at that position since 2015, an outrageously long stretch of positional dominance. If you prefer the future inner-circle Hall of Famer over LaPorta, it’s clearly defensible.

We can make the same projected volume argument for Nabers as there is for Harrison, so it’s not a complete shock to see him land in this preliminary neighborhood. Yahoo’s current WR rankings offer no clarity on the Nabers question; he’s in his teens for one of us, in his 40s for another. His willingness to take it so soon comes down to his comfort level with the Giants’ seemingly dire QB situation. If there will always be someone in a draft who sees Nabers as a third-rounder, I will never take him.

Round 4

1. Davante Adams (Pianow)

2. Travis Kelce (Jorge)

3. Brandon Aiyuk (Harmon)

4. Amari Cooper (Collin)

5. De’Von Achane (Behrens)

6. Stefon Diggs (Mo)

7. Najee Harris (Kate)

8. Deebo Samuel (Dan)

9. Cooper Kupp (Dalton)

10. Mike Evans (Aaron)

Remember when Achane burst onto the scene last fall as a bust in the game, surrendering 518 yards from scrimmage and making Seven home visits within a three-week period? And remember how everyone compared him favorably to Jamaal Charles or Chris Johnson or both?

Today, we’re apparently nerfing Achane because Miami drafted a Day 3 running back and extended 32-year-old Raheem Mostert through 2025. Cool, okay.

Take a moment to remember the Achane experience:

He’s really good, guys. Personally, I remain a big believer in Achane – particularly the most robust version of this season. He’s definitely on track for double-digit weekly touches in an offense that maximizes speed and big-play ability.

Before we move on to the next round, I must remind you once again to disregard Collin’s picks. Again, he simply radiated fear. I’m sure he was just blurting out the first name he recognized. He tried to pick DeMarco Murray in the third, but we didn’t allow it. Unfortunately, Collin wasn’t ready for the big stage.

Round 5

1. DeVonta Smith (Aaron)

2. Jalen Dói (Dalton)

3. CJ Stroud (Dan)

4. Patrick Mahomes (Kate)

5. Lamar Jackson (Mo)

6. (Behrens)

7. Joe Mixon (Collin)

8. Jaylen Waddle (Harmon)

9. Terry McLaurin (Jorge)

10. Kenneth Walker (Pianow)

In a draft without normal industry standards, the quarterback race will likely come a round or two early, but these are definitely the right names. Any one of these four QBs could dislodge Josh Allen from the top of the leaderboard. Each of them is surrounded by several good-to-great receivers, while Allen will work with the least interesting receiver room he has had in Buffalo since 2019.

Round 6

1. Trey McBride (Pianow)

2. George Pickens (Jorge)

3. Anthony Richardson (Harmon)

4. Dalton Kincaid (Collin)

5. Alvin Kamara (Behrens)

6. Aaron Jones (Mo)

7. Tony Pollard (Kate)

8. Mark Andrews (Dan)

9. Dell Tank (Dalton)

10. Keenan Allen (Aaron)

In fantasy, across all sports, value can often be found in the elders. Aaron built a roster that probably has the highest average age in the league, but he also selected a group of guys who remain extraordinarily productive into old age: Henry, Evans and Allen. I don’t hate the cost of any of your 30-somethings. It’s often good business to let other coaches pick up the tax on rising players while you land well-established stars with minimal fuss.

Speaking of which: despite Aaron himself being the youngest coach in this mock, he opened his draft the same way our grandparents did, with three running backs in a row (McCaffrey, Henry, Etienne). Such a beautiful, old soul.

Round 7

1. George Kittle (Aaron)

2. Rashee Rice (Dalton)

3. Jayden Reed (Dan)

4. Zay Flores (Kate)

5. D’André Swift (Mo)

6. Kyle Pitts (Andy)

7. Zamir White (Collin)

8. David Montgomery (Harmon)

9. Joe Burrow (Jorge)

10. James Conner (Pianow)

I might have beaten Rice this round if he had fallen further, but only for reasons of simulated integrity. None of us can speak with any authority regarding the legal and/or league discipline Rice may face due to his alleged role in the high-speed multi-vehicle crash that occurred in late March (or the more recent alleged attack). We would just be guessing based on insufficient information.

If you think fantasy experts seem hopelessly lost when we try to discuss complicated medical situations… well, you’re correct. But we will probably be at our most dangerous and absurd when the non-lawyers among us begin to speculate about legal matters. I will not do it.

However, I he can It’s safe to say that if Rice was having the productive and quiet off-season the Chiefs were hoping for, then we’d all consider him a solid third- or fourth-round pick. He has averaged 8.9 targets and 78.0 receiving yards per week over his last 10 games, including the playoffs.

Still, if you want to just send Rice’s name to the do-not-draft list, I understand. Completely understandable.

When Rice, Reed and Flowers fell off the board before my pick, I chose to do something that is, to me, highly unusual. I selected a tight end who is not an Iowa product and is not Travis Kelce either. We’ll see how it goes; I’m not promising I’ll do this outside of a simulated environment. I’m not one of Pitts’ hardcore fanatics, but I recognize that in the one season he had a semi-competent quarterback (late-career Matt Ryan), he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards. We should all be interested in this year’s Kirk Cousins-Pitts-London-Robinson collaboration.

One final thought on the seventh round: If Montgomery is really going to fall that far when we’re in the draft for good, he’s a filthy steal. He led all quarterbacks in runs inside the 10-yard line (41) and inside the 5 (27) last year, and needless to say, he converted those opportunities at a high rate. Six rounds of separation between Gibbs and Montgomery seems like too much.

Round 8

1. Austin Ekeler (Pianow)

2. Rhamondre Stevenson (Jorge)

3. Tee Higgins (Harmon)

4. Nick Chubb (Collin)

5. Marquise Brown (Behrens)

6. Calvin Ridley (Mo)

7. Diontae Johnson (Kate)

8. Raheem Mostert (Dan)

9. Roma Odunze (Dalton)

10. Brock Purdy (Aaron)

Let the record show that Del Don was the only drafter who selected a receiver who actually intends to open the season as his team’s supposed WR3 in real life – and Dalton did it twice. He defeated Tank Dell in the sixth round, then Rome Odunze in the eighth. Christian Kirk, Jordan Addison, and several others are still sitting in the green room, unwelcome.

(As a Bears fan, my biggest wish is that Odunze ends up being a fantasy steal. He’s another near-perfect prospect with a immaculate route profile. If Dalton got anything right in this simulation, let’s hope it’s Rome.)

If you’re wondering if waiting at quarterback was still a viable approach, consider the remaining options for the two coaches who did it in this simulation, Pianowski and myself. The remaining names on the board for us include two of the top five QBs from last year (Dak Prescott and Jordan Love), the guy who led the league in passing yards (Tua Tagovailoa) and one of the best dual-threat players in the game (Kyler Murray). I can definitely understand the appeal of top-tier quarterbacks, but no one should panic in a 10-team league if they attack the elite guys.

And certainly no one should panic mockingly under any circumstances – *ahem* Collin *ahem* – because we don’t make lasting commitments on these things.