If you want to be a better golfer, go to the driving range.
If you want to be a better fantasy football manager, head to the mock draft lounge.
That’s what 10 Yahooligans did three days ago, selecting 150 players in a 15-round draft. The managers were drafted with these specs in mind: four-point passing touchdowns, half-point PPR rating, with nine starters per week (1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex, 1 PK, 1 DEF) and six players on reserve. The timer was set to 30 seconds to simulate the pressure of a real air stream. Do those reps, players.
We won’t play in this league, but that hasn’t stopped us from constantly challenging ourselves and drafting competitively. We always want to beat each other up, even when it doesn’t count.
First, let’s meet the scoffers and then I’ll guide you through some lessons.
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Team 1: John Galinsky, Yahoo Audience Engagement Team
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Team 2: Andy Behrens, Yahoo fantasy analyst
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Team 3: Dalton Del Don, Yahoo fantasy analyst
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Team 4: Collin Brennan, Yahoo Podcast Producer
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Team 5: Scott Pianowski, Yahoo fantasy analyst
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Team 6: Trevor Brigham, Yahoo Customer Service
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Team 7: Kate MagdziukYahoo fantasy editor/analyst
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Team 8: Matt Harmon, Yahoo fantasy analyst
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Team 9: Aaron Tan, social media editor at Yahoo
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Team 10: Jason Klabacha, Yahoo Fantasy Editor
Before we get into the conclusions, here’s a roundtable you can click on to see the full draft.
Running backs and wide receivers dominated the early rounds
Every player in the first two rounds was a running back or receiver; wide receivers covered 60% of the first round and that proportion changed for running backs in the second round. Star tight ends Sam LaPorta (Pick 3.02) and Travis Kelce (Pick 4.01) spent some time in the green room, waiting.
Three different positional shapes covered our initial lineup construction; three managers started with two wideouts, three managers started with two running backs, while the final four went with an even split of 1-1. I was one of the RB-RB teams, a strategy I rarely use in formats where three wideouts are needed. But this theoretical league only called for two starting starts, and mock drafts are a matter of experimentation anyway. So I drafted my preferred lineup, at least this time.
Wide receivers had the last laugh, as 57 wideouts were selected versus 47 running backs. This was a little surprising to me; I would have guessed that this ratio would slightly favor running backs, as late-round defensive picks are often just one injury to a teammate away from an increase in value.
Garrett Wilson holds the bragging rights as Ohio State’s WR
The Buckeyes have been a receiver factory the last few years, and you’re going to have a lot of different opinions on which pass catcher is the best. Chris Olave has his fans, for sure, and rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. is a buzzy prospect — both went to the second round.
But OSU’s first receiver off the board was Wilson (Pick 2.03), who has been very good, not great, for two years, hampered by poor quarterback play. Returning QB Aaron Rodgers has often been a kingmaker for his receivers, of course, and Wilson’s touchdown total is likely to increase in his third season. I couldn’t hit Wilson, but I would have if he had fallen to my pick in the middle of the round.
As for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, last year’s brilliant OSU rookie, he lasted until the 11th round.
Rookies Aren’t Hot Commodities for Revamped Leagues Yet
Harrison’s second-round selection was expected, in line with the old Yahoo ADP, but otherwise, the room was cold for the new talent class. A modest 13 rookies were drafted, and nine of them went to Round 9 or later. After Harrison, the next freshmen selected were Malik Nabers (Round 6), Jonathon Brooks (Round 7) and Keon Coleman (Round 7).
Rome Odunze fell to the 11th round – a modest surprise. Jayden Daniels was drafted in the 10th round, but the other rookie quarterbacks were ignored, including Caleb Williams. Of course, there is a reasonable explanation for this. . .
There’s nothing stressful about drafting QBs this year
This observation holds true for standard starting quarterback formats with a reasonable head count; Obviously, if your league requires multiple players at the position, or if you are playing in a giant-sized coaching league, the strategy changes significantly. But the position has lovely league-wide depth right now, a mix of passers and combined threats, a mix of experience and youth, and it takes the anxiety out of the quarterback hunt. No matter when you decide to enter the fantasy quarterback fray, you’ll likely be satisfied at the very least, and very happy at the most.
Real-life teams are always stressing the quarterback. Fantasy managers don’t need to do this.
The average draft round for everyone’s first quarterback (some picked two) comes out to a reasonable 7.2. The room ignored the position until Josh Allen was taken in Round 4. Some guys with multiple MVPs (Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson) lasted until Round 6. I waited longer to get a quarterback and still got Joe Burrow in Round 11. Dak Prescott was drafted in the 10th round and he’s not even that fantasy coach’s supposed starter.
And there’s an interesting reason why Prescott is the clipboard holder in this mock draft. . .
Anthony Richardson is one of this summer’s guys
Podcast producer extraordinaire Collin Brennan selected Richardson in the fourth round as the QB2 off the board. You can understand the excitement; Richardson is a dual-threat player and Shane Steichen is a play-calling wizard. Perhaps a healthy Richardson could slide into the top flight at this position.
Still, the ticket was expensive. Richardson’s pick was just two picks after Allen, one round ahead of Jalen Hurts, two rounds ahead of Mahomes and Jackson. Given the modest player penetration percentage in this league and the QB depth throughout the league, I’d say targeting Richardson this early solves a problem that doesn’t exist. Brennan could easily end up starting Prescott over Richardson more often, in theory, and in leagues of 12 or fewer coaches (and remember, this drill was designed in 10), it’s generally very difficult to find a trade partner if you’re overloaded. as a defender.
I love positive players like everyone else. But a speculative fourth-round quarterback is not my choice, the opportunity cost is too high. Collin was the last team to begin building a running back room. Of course, any draft strategy can work if you pick the right players.
We draft kickers and defenses, but you may not want to (if your league drafts early)
The editors asked everyone to put together a full starting lineup, which is why you’ll see 10 kickers and 10 defensemen on the board. Read and examine as you please. But many astute fantasy managers opt to avoid lower positions in early summer drafts, instead filling their bench with some speculative plays that could have significant value in September if things go well. The waiver wire in almost every league has very high replacement value for kickers and defensive backs — especially in a group with a modest 10 managers — so filling those spots doesn’t need to be a priority.
My D/ST pick was the Bengals, and it ties into one simple thing: they are the biggest Week 1 favorites (scoring 9.5 points against New England) and D/ST production correlates with the favored teams. If we were playing in this league, I would definitely broadcast the D/ST position, adding and eliminating new defense on a regular basis.
Team by team results
If you’re interested in seeing the full team lineup, you can flip through this table to see each of the 10 lineups.
