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A group of Rant Sports writers recently participated in the second Fantasy Football Mock Draft of the season. When drafting, it is my preference to pick towards the very end of the first round where I am afforded the opportunity to miss out on the curse that has recently inflicted top-five running backs plus I net back-to-back picks. If I had to choose another position I would settle for a top pick. Basically, I am good with any pick as long as it isn’t the middle of the draft (say five or six).
Hopefully, this mock wasn’t a sign of things to come this Fantasy Football season – I drew the fifth pick.
1.05: Trent Richardson – I would like to say this was a no brainer, but that wouldn’t be the exact truth. I like the pick and I certainly feel confident I chose right but I did struggle between Richardson and Marshawn Lynch. In the end, I chose the upside of Richardson versus the consistency of Lynch.
2.06: Chris Johnson – Some one has to select Johnson every year, in this mock I drew the short straw. Johnson does have tremendous upside and the o-line improvements during the offseason by the Tennessee Titans will help.
3.05: Roddy White – I needed a wide receiver at this point in the draft and really felt this to be my “no brainer” pick of the entire draft.
4.06: Larry Fitzgerald – I’m not going to lie, I love Fitzgerald and his upside this season. In 2012, he fell into Fantasy Football irrelevance, but those were factors outside his control. Things are different in Arizona.
5.05: Andrew Luck – This was my reach of the draft. A run on quarterbacks teamed with an overwhelming Luck “bro-mance” had me pulling the trigger one round before I traditionally would have. The bottom line, in Fantasy Football drafts, if there is a player you REALLY want – don’t wait too long or you could lose out.
6.06: DeMarco Murray – When healthy, Murray is easily RB2 value. With tongue firmly in cheek, I called the former Oklahoma Sooner with a prayer for good health in 2013.
7.05: Giovani Bernard – The picks from here forward were all about value. Bernard has the potential upside in an offense that has lacked a ground-game spark with the “Law Firm” of BenJarvis Green-Ellis.
8.06: Andre Brown – Again, this was a pick based on value and depth at the running back position. I am not sold on David Wilson, but even if Wilson performs, Brown gets the New York Giants goal line carries.
9.05: Pierre Garcon – Garcon is Robert Griffin III‘s go-to guy in Washington. This could be my potential steal of the draft if he lives up to the numbers he produced prior to injury in 2012.
10.06: Josh Gordon – Gordon’s two game suspension has many teams afraid of him in 2013. I see him as Cleveland’s top wide receiver at season’s end.
11.05: Jermichael Finley – This knucklehead rocked the wrong boat a season ago quickly landing himself in Aaron Rodger’s doghouse. One year removed and a make-up hug or two later, Finley returns to fantasy relevance.
12.06: Andy Dalton – I needed a back up quarterback and Dalton was the best available. He did throw for the seventh-most touchdown production last year. Plus the Bengals offense went through major upgrades in the offseason.
13.05: Justin Blackmon – Once again, value, value, value. He will be suspended for the first four games of the season, but I have other wide receivers to fill the void.
14.06: Aaron Dobson – Consider this my sleeper pick. Tom Brady will throw 4,000-plus yards for the New England Patriots and someone has to catch those balls, why not rookie Dobson?
15.05: Arizona Cardinals Defense – I’m a believer in the player formerly known as the “Honey Badger,” Tyrann Mathieu. He will improve the Cardinals defense.
16.06: Matt Prater – Eventually, we all have to pick a Fantasy Football kicker. The Denver Broncos will be an offensive juggernaut again in 2013, so why not Prater?
My draft strategy revolves around consistency, upside and, most importantly, value. I believe this group accurately reflects said strategy – this team will be sporty in 2013.
Jim Heath is a Fantasy Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_heath, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
