We are closing in on the NFL season, and that means it’s time for you to cram. If “Fantasy Football Mock Draft” isn’t auto-populating into your search bar this time of year, do you even care?
Remember those college exams that snuck up on you? Yeah, sort of like that, but you can’t fake it through a draft the way you can (sort of) an exam. In this world, you have to be ready to react on the fly. That countdown clock gets awfully loud awfully quick for those unprepared, and your final product will reflect that.
Check out PFN’s consensus rankings for specific player vs. player questions, but as far as building a roster goes, here is how I went about it in a recent mock!
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2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | League Settings
For this mock draft, I was picking from the No. 5 slot. This is as basic as it gets scoring-wise: non-PPR, with touchdowns being worth six points for rushing and receiving. Quarterbacks receive four points per passing touchdown.
Here is the full roster breakdown:
- 1 QB
- 2 RB
- 2 WR
- 1 TE
- 2 Flex
- 5 Bench
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 1
1.01) Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
1.02) Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
1.03) Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
1.04) Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
1.05) Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
1.06) Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
1.07) Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
1.08) Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
1.09) Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
1.10) Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
Pick Analysis: The top four picks went as expected, and that left me with a tough decision to make. Once Jefferson and Chase went off the board, I was sold on going running back, but that was still a tough call.
Robinson’s profile holds more versatility than Chubb, and that was part of my decision. The other part was my belief in the surrounding Browns pieces and that Chubb doesn’t have to be Superman the way I expect Robinson to be.
From a mobile QB to three fantasy-viable receivers, Cleveland can hurt defenses in a variety of ways that the Falcons simply can’t.
The Travis Kelce thing crossed my mind, but I simply haven’t been loving lineup constructions that result from starting with him. I have nothing against the GOAT; I just prefer to build my roster with a Tier 2 tight end that costs me significantly less.
Round 2
2.01) Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
2.02) A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
2.03) Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
2.04) Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills
2.05) Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
2.06) Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys
2.07) Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
2.08) Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions
2.09) Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
2.10) Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Pick Analysis: I have a first-round grade on Pollard, so I was thrilled to get him here. His potential to catch 60+ passes isn’t as valuable in this format as others, but a catch is still 50% more impactful than a carry in non-PPR leagues, so a versatile back still makes plenty of sense.
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I’m not sure how exactly to handle the Jonathan Taylor situation, but this ain’t it. The upside is there if he suits up, so I don’t mind the idea of taking the flier, but you don’t have to spend this draft capital on him at the moment.
Josh Jacobs broke out last season, and that’ll have managers worried about regression. That’s fair, but remember that he is on a one-year deal and that the Raiders are motivated to squeeze every ounce of value out of him. Not ideal for his career, but it’s perfectly fine for us redraft fantasy managers!
Round 3
3.01) CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
3.02) Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
3.03) Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
3.04) Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
3.05) Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
3.06) Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
3.07) Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
3.08) Travis Etienne, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
3.09) Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
3.10) Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
Pick Analysis: I don’t think it’s crazy to think Olave outscores Garrett Wilson this season. He was just as impressive as a rookie, and I think this Saints offense is set to surprise in a major way. In New York, Wilson has less offensive support, and yes, he does have Aaron Rodgers, but what is the ceiling in this slow-moving offense that could look to limit the possession count?
The receivers in this round solidify my belief that going RB-heavy in a non-PPR setting is right. I really have no interest in Rhamondre Stevenson this season, and I would have been happy with any of the receivers that went in this range. Remember, when drafting early, you need to like the player, but you also need to have a plan for structuring a roster around him.
Round 4
4.01) Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
4.02) DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
4.03) Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
4.04) Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
4.05) DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
4.06) Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
4.07) Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
4.08) Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
4.09) Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
4.10) Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Pick Analysis: Higgins has produced basically two identical seasons alongside Ja’Marr Chase (1,050 yards and seven scores), and I think that’s his floor.
We are talking about a 24-year-old who stands 6’4”, has the trust of his quarterback, and can never attract more than a single defender, thanks to the presence of Chase. He saw 11 targets and scored in the AFC Title game, and there’s a nonzero chance that he is the WR1 in Cincy on a weekly basis.
Sticking with the Bengals, I would have easily gone with Mixon over Hall at the top of this round. Hall might be the more explosive player, but Mixon carries health and the role security that I want out of a fourth-round selection.
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 5
5.01) Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
5.02) Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
5.03) Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns
5.04) Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
5.05) T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings
5.06) George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
5.07) Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans
5.08) Alexander Mattison, RB. Minnesota Vikings
5.09) DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Tennessee Titans
5.10) DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears
Pick Analysis: I think there’s a very real chance that Hockenson pushes Mark Andrews for TE2 honors this season, and that made him an easy pick 1.5 rounds after Andrews came off the board at the 3-4 turn.
For me, Keenan Allen was great value in this round … a round that I’ve grown to hate throughout the draft process. The running backs in this range all carry more risk than I’m willing to absorb, and I’m not as sold on the non-Allen receivers as most.
George Kittle’s weekly upside makes his year-end numbers look fine, but the weekly ups and downs are not for me — he was never on my radar for this pick and wouldn’t have been next round either.
Round 6
6.01) J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens
6.02) Darren Waller, TE, New York Giants
6.03) Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers
6.04) Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears
6.05) Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams
6.06) Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
6.07) Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
6.08) James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals
6.09) Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
6.10) D’Andre Swift, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Pick Analysis: For me, McLaurin was the end of a WR tier, and I felt the need to pull the trigger there, given my RB-RB start. Sam Howell might be an actual quarterback, and that would be an upgrade over what McLaurin has seen up to this point in his career.
The talent of Jahan Dotson is real, but they own different enough skill sets that I believe both can thrive. The ceiling for McLaurin isn’t crazy high, but the floor is high enough, and that’s exactly what I wanted in this spot.
I loved the Darren Waller pick. That team was WR-heavy and could have reached for a running back but instead opted for stability/upside at a onesie position in a shallow league. I think this was a sharp move. The same RB tier was going to be available in the coming rounds, so leveraging that knowledge to land a potentially elite TE was a pro move.
Round 7
7.01) Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
7.02) Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
7.03) Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
7.04) Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos
7.05) Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
7.06) Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
7.07) Dalvin Cook, RB, New York Jets
7.08) Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7.09) Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos
7.10) Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Pick Analysis: I was happy with the core I built through six rounds and not really all that interested in the skill guys in this range, so selecting Lawrence was not a difficult decision for me.
Is he that much different than Joe Burrow? A young signal-caller yet to hit his peak with a ton of pedigree and no shortage of offensive support. I’m not anti-Burrow by any means, but a near three-round discount to get a player that I expect to be 90% of Burrow and could even pass him is a deal I’m willing to take.
As for the other picks in this round, I think the best receiver taken was with the final pick.
Lockett. Sure, he’s entering his age-31 season, but with five straight seasons of 8+ touchdowns, I’ll fear decline when I see it. He is capable of challenging defenses in a variety of ways, and that is why I’m not scared off by the addition of Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Round 8
8.01) Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns
8.02) Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
8.03) Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
8.04) Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8.05) Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
8.06) Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8.07) Christian Kirk, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
8.08) David Montgomery, RB, Detroit Lions
8.09) Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts
8.10) James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
Pick Analysis: I went RB-heavy to open the draft, and that allowed me to put off the position for a handful of rounds, but I do need some depth. I was able to grab White as my RB3 and my secondary Flex option in Round 8, and I was happy with it.
Pacheco was my target entering the round, and Cook was a consideration when I was on the clock, but I was swayed by the potential vulture role of Damien Harris (and Josh Allen, for that matter) in Buffalo. I wanted a touch floor with a goalline role, and White checked both of those boxes, even if he’s part of an offense I have my concerns about.
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 9
9.01) Marquise Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals
9.02) George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
9.03) AJ Dillon, RB, Green Bay Packers
9.04) Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Commanders
9.05) Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
9.06) Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings
9.07) Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Washington Commanders
9.08) Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
9.09) Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
9.10) Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders
Pick Analysis: I was agonizing between the Pittsburgh receivers, so when the decision was made for me, I was relieved. I think both can pay off their price tags rather easily, and given the usage of Johnson last season and this preseason, it seems that the team believes there is more to his profile than what he has shown up to this point.
Jordan Addison and Jahan Dotson are two great selections with the potential to be weekly Flex options sooner rather than later. The pick I like least here is Marquise Brown. I just can’t get there with him. His skill set isn’t the most stable to begin with, and then … Arizona. I’m in no hurry to invest in this passing game, especially over the five other receivers that went in this round.
Round 10
10.01) Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears
10.02) Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seattle Seahawks
10.03) Gabe Davis, WR, Buffalo Bills
10.04) Jamaal Williams, RB, New Orleans Saints
10.05) Brandin Cooks, WR, Dallas Cowboys
10.06) Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
10.07) Rashaad Penny, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
10.08) Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints
10.09) Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
10.10) David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
Pick Analysis: Man, I love this round. You’ve got teams that punted on the TE position grabbing very viable options that I think will be consistent. You’ve got a high upside lead back in Herbert at a bargain. And you have some serious potential at the receiver position.
I haven’t been shy in my support of Gabe Davis this preseason, and I remain on him as a legit league-winner. Given his per-catch production over three seasons, it would only take a 70-catch season to vault him into the weekly WR2 ranks, and that is very much within the range of outcomes for a player who ranked sixth in routes run last year.
I went with Flowers here in an effort to chase both ceiling and floor. I believe Lamar Jackson is in for an MVP type of season, and Flowers has the inside track at being his WR1. Of course, Mark Andrews is the primary target, but a Todd Monken-led offense is going to have more than one usable piece in the passing game, and Flowers is my clear favorite to land that role.
Round 11
11.01) Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
11.02) Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans
11.03) Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
11.04) Aaron Rodgers, QB, New York Jets
11.05) Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
11.06) Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings
11.07) Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts
11.08) Dalton Schultz, TE, Houston Texans
11.09) Ezekiel Elliott, RB, New England Patriots
11.10) Kadarius Toney, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Pick Analysis: We saw a mini QB run happen here, and I like the values … but not the roster construction. Aaron Rodgers and Tua Tagovailoa offer nice upside, but the teams that selected them also took a QB in the first five rounds, giving them no chance to really feel any of that upside.
As for my pick, I continued to build out some receiver depth by chasing targets. I think we can all agree that things are going to be better in Denver this year than a year ago, and with Jerry Jeudy dinged up, Sutton has a chance to showcase himself as a capable target in Sean Payton’s offense.
It’s easy to forget that Sutton was a second-round pick and does have a 1,100-yard season on his résumé. I’m not saying he will be the top dog in Denver, but the fact that there is a nonzero chance makes him a great value outside the top 100 picks.
Round 12
12.01) Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills
12.02) Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Baltimore Ravens
12.03) JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, New England Patriots
12.04) Elijah Moore, WR, Cleveland Browns
12.05) Samaje Perine, RB, Denver Broncos
12.06) Raheem Mostert, RB, Miami Dolphins
12.07) Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears
12.08) Elijah Mitchell, RB, San Francisco 49ers
12.09) De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
12.10) Allen Lazard, WR, New York Jets
Pick Analysis: I understand the number of mouths to feed in Miami, but at this point in the draft, how do you pass on Mostert? Jeff Wilson Jr. is already banged up, and if the preseason showed us anything, it’s that the Dolphins are in no hurry to elevate De’Von Achane to the starting unit.
That means, that at basically no cost, I open the season with the featured back on a top-six offense in the league. There’s a world in which he cracks my starting lineup in short order, something I can’t say about anyone else selected in this round.
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 13
13.01) Jerick McKinnon, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
13.02) Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons
13.03) Damien Harris, RB, Buffalo Bills
13.04) Skyy Moore, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
13.05) Jakobi Meyers, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
13.06) Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans
13.07) Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
13.08) Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks
13.09) Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants
13.10) Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers
Pick Analysis: I couldn’t leave a draft without landing my guy Jakobi Meyers, could I? I do think the “PPR guys” like Meyers tend to get a bit overlooked in these non-PPR leagues.
Obviously, they are more valuable when every reception earns an extra point, but that doesn’t mean volume is a bad thing in non-PPR. Compare him to Jameson Williams in this round. When Williams is back, I don’t doubt that his peak performance will trump that of Meyers.
MORE: Who Should Be the First Pick in 2023 Fantasy Football Drafts?
But … did you play him that week? Did you play him the week before when he went catchless on two targets? The risk often gets overlooked for the upside, especially in non-PPR — don’t make that mistake.
It’s OK to go after guys like Williams, you just have to do so understanding that he could very well cost you a week, something Meyers (in my humble opinion) isn’t likely to do.
