Fantasy: 10-team mock draft with analysis after every round
Get ready for your season with theScore's 2018 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.
theScore staff took part in a 10-team, 12-round mock to provide a glimpse at what your drafts could look like and give some insight on what to watch for in each round.
This is a standard (non-PPR) scoring league with the following roster spots: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, BN, BN, BN, BN. We left off defenses and kickers, as they normally get selected in the final two rounds.
Draft participants: Justin Boone, Dan Wilkins, Mike Dickson, Alex Chippin, Michael McClymont, Jack Browne, Dan Levine, Sean Tomlinson, Gino Bottero, David P. Woods.
Round 1
| Pick | Player | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Todd Gurley (RB1) | Boone |
| 2 | Ezekiel Elliott (RB2) | Wilkins |
| 3 | Le'Veon Bell (RB3) | Dickson |
| 4 | Kareem Hunt (RB4) | Chippin |
| 5 | David Johnson (RB5) | McClymont |
| 6 | Antonio Brown (WR1) | Browne |
| 7 | Alvin Kamara (RB6) | Levine |
| 8 | DeAndre Hopkins (WR2) | Tomlinson |
| 9 | Leonard Fournette (RB7) | Bottero |
| 10 | Odell Beckham Jr. (WR3) | Woods |
Round 1: In my latest rankings update, Elliott fell to fourth overall behind Gurley, Bell, and Johnson. The change was due to doubts about the Cowboys' offense, especially now that it's dealing with several injuries on the line. Elliott is a great back, but if the team's stellar blockers aren't paving the way, he'll struggle to keep pace with the other elite players at his position ... Hunt led the NFL in rushing yards as a rookie and it's possible he could do it again, but watching him go nine games without a touchdown in the middle of last season makes it hard to push him into my top five. I definitely prefer Johnson, Brown, and Kamara, who went with the next three picks.
Round 2
| Pick | Player | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Melvin Gordon (RB8) | Woods |
| 12 | Julio Jones (WR4) | Bottero |
| 13 | Saquon Barkley (RB9) | Tomlinson |
| 14 | Michael Thomas (WR5) | Levine |
| 15 | Rob Gronkowski (TE1) | Browne |
| 16 | Dalvin Cook (RB10) | McClymont |
| 17 | Keenan Allen (WR6) | Chippin |
| 18 | A.J. Green (WR7) | Dickson |
| 19 | Devonta Freeman (RB11) | Wilkins |
| 20 | Davante Adams (WR8) | Boone |
Round 2: In 10-team leagues, the entire second round is loaded with talent. In fact, every player taken here has a chance to finish as the No. 1 fantasy player at their position this season ... Gordon as the RB8 is a nice value pick, considering the Chargers should be a winning team this year and will play one of the better fantasy schedules for running backs ... Some may think Gronk went a little early, but the advantage he offers at tight end is substantial enough that he's well worth a top-20 pick.
Round 3
| Pick | Player | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Stefon Diggs (WR9) | Boone |
| 22 | Doug Baldwin (WR10) | Wilkins |
| 23 | Jerick McKinnon (RB12) | Dickson |
| 24 | Travis Kelce (TE2) | Chippin |
| 25 | Mike Evans (WR11) | McClymont |
| 26 | T.Y. Hilton (WR12) | Browne |
| 27 | Jordan Howard (RB13) | Levine |
| 28 | Adam Thielen (WR13) | Tomlinson |
| 29 | Jay Ajayi (RB14) | Bottero |
| 30 | Alex Collins (RB15) | Woods |
Round 3: After getting Gurley in the first round, I went with back-to-back wide receivers in Adams and Diggs at the 2-3 turn. Adams has one of the highest touchdown ceilings of any wideout in the game, while Diggs is primed for a career year if he can stay healthy ... I understand the desire to secure an elite tight end, but I'm not willing to take Kelce with a top-25 selection. In 10-team leagues, I'd target him in the fourth round, and Zach Ertz in the fifth.
Round 4
| Pick | Player | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Amari Cooper (WR14) | Woods |
| 32 | Lamar Miller (RB16) | Bottero |
| 33 | LeSean McCoy (RB17) | Tomlinson |
| 34 | Larry Fitzgerald (WR15) | Levine |
| 35 | Allen Robinson (WR16) | Browne |
| 36 | Tyreek Hill (WR17) | McClymont |
| 37 | Christian McCaffrey (RB18) | Chippin |
| 38 | Demaryius Thomas (WR18) | Dickson |
| 39 | Joe Mixon (RB19) | Wilkins |
| 40 | Rex Burkhead (RB20) | Boone |
Round 4: Nobody went heavy at a single position through the first three rounds, and staying balanced allows you to capture value when it's available ... McCoy will be one of the riskiest picks in fantasy drafts this year. He has the potential to win leagues if he can somehow sustain his production, but the uncertainty surrounding his off-field issues and a Bills offense that's largely devoid of talent are factors that make it difficult to select him in the early rounds. I'd rather take my chances with McCaffrey or Mixon.
Round 5
| Pick | Player | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | Josh Gordon (WR19) | Boone |
| 42 | Chris Hogan (WR20) | Wilkins |
| 43 | Zach Ertz (TE3) | Dickson |
| 44 | JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR21) | Chippin |
| 45 | Marshawn Lynch (RB21) | McClymont |
| 46 | Aaron Rodgers (QB1) | Browne |
| 47 | Brandin Cooks (WR22) | Levine |
| 48 | Golden Tate (WR23) | Tomlinson |
| 49 | Alshon Jeffery (WR24) | Bottero |
| 50 | Marvin Jones (WR25) | Woods |
Round 5: Gordon is back with the Browns, and while that doesn't alleviate all the worries that come with drafting him, it puts him in play in this range of the draft. His upside is well-documented as a potential WR1 in fantasy ... Lynch was the only running back taken here, but as the hype builds around certain rookie backs, I suspect some will sneak into the fifth.
Round 6
| Pick | Player | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Kerryon Johnson (RB22) | Woods |
| 52 | Royce Freeman (RB23) | Bottero |
| 53 | Deshaun Watson (QB2) | Tomlinson |
| 54 | Mark Ingram (RB24) | Levine |
| 55 | Dion Lewis (RB25) | Browne |
| 56 | Russell Wilson (QB3) | McClymont |
| 57 | Jarvis Landry (WR26) | Chippin |
| 58 | Kenyan Drake (RB26) | Dickson |
| 59 | Corey Davis (WR27) | Wilkins |
| 60 | Derrick Henry (RB27) | Boone |
Round 6: This round was full of possible league-winners. Johnson and Freeman could flirt with low-end RB1 numbers if they're able to emerge as the clear starters on their teams ... Watson isn't going to match his historic production from the first half of the 2017 season, but we know that's within reach for him ... If Lewis or Henry is sidelined for any amount of time, the other will be a fantasy star ... Ingram will also have significant upside once he returns from his four-game suspension.
Round 7
| Pick | Player | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | Tevin Coleman (RB28) | Boone |
| 62 | Tom Brady (QB4) | Wilkins |
| 63 | Michael Crabtree (WR28) | Dickson |
| 64 | Chris Thompson (RB29) | Chippin |
| 65 | Emmanuel Sanders (WR29) | McClymont |
| 66 | Sony Michel (RB30) | Browne |
| 67 | Greg Olsen (TE4) | Levine |
| 68 | Sammy Watkins (WR30) | Tomlinson |
| 69 | Will Fuller (WR31) | Bottero |
| 70 | Aaron Jones (WR31) | Woods |
Round 7: With my starting receivers locked in, I decided to take more shots at running backs at the 6-7 turn. Much like Henry, Coleman is capable of attaining RB1 status in fantasy if his running mate Freeman gets hurt ... The discount you're getting on Michel due to his preseason injury is making him hard to pass on in the middle rounds. Burkhead is now dealing with an injury of his own, while Michel might be the best back in this rookie class behind Barkley.
Round 8
| Pick | Player | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 71 | Jimmy Graham (TE5) | Woods |
| 72 | Robby Anderson (WR32) | Bottero |
| 73 | Delanie Walker (TE6) | Tomlinson |
| 74 | Kenny Stills (WR33) | Levine |
| 75 | Isaiah Crowell (RB32) | Browne |
| 76 | Kyle Rudolph (TE7) | McClymont |
| 77 | Drew Brees (QB5) | Chippin |
| 78 | Cam Newton (QB6) | Dickson |
| 79 | Evan Engram (TE8) | Wilkins |
| 80 | Tarik Cohen (RB33) | Boone |
Round 8: Tight ends were a hot commodity in the eighth, with Graham, Walker, Rudolph, and Engram going off the board. Though Rudolph makes more sense a round later, Engram is the only one I have an issue with here. The sophomore is unlikely to see the volume he did last year when the Giants' receiving corps was ravaged by injuries. He's an excellent pass-catcher, but targets will be harder to come by in 2018.
Round 9
| Pick | Player | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 81 | Marquise Goodwin (WR34) | Boone |
| 82 | Chris Carson (RB34) | Wilkins |
| 83 | Devin Funchess (WR35) | Dickson |
| 84 | Robert Woods (WR36) | Chippin |
| 85 | Randall Cobb (WR37) | McClymont |
| 86 | Rashaad Penny (RB35) | Browne |
| 87 | C.J. Anderson (RB36) | Levine |
| 88 | Carlos Hyde (RB37) | Tomlinson |
| 89 | Carson Wentz (QB7) | Bottero |
| 90 | Jordy Nelson (WR38) | Woods |
Round 9: Similar to Michel, Penny's ADP is plummeting because of an injury that's held him out of the preseason. Carson is now set up to open the year as the starter in Seattle, but for the price of a ninth-round pick, you can stash Penny on your bench and wait for him to carve out a bigger role as the schedule goes on. The Seahawks didn't take him in the first round to keep him on the bench ... Hyde might prove to be the best pick in this mock. He's outplayed Duke Johnson and Nick Chubb so far, and has looked good in the process. Don't be shocked if he posts RB2 numbers early in the year.
Round 10
| Pick | Player | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | Anthony Miller (WR39) | Woods |
| 92 | Jordan Reed (TE9) | Bottero |
| 93 | Pierre Garcon (WR40) | Tomlinson |
| 94 | Kirk Cousins (QB8) | Levine |
| 95 | Julian Edelman (WR41) | Browne |
| 96 | Ronald Jones II (RB38) | McClymont |
| 97 | Antonio Callaway (WR42) | Chippin |
| 98 | Marqise Lee (WR43) | Dickson |
| 99 | Sterling Shepard (WR44) | Wilkins |
| 100 | Trey Burton (TE10) | Boone |
Round 10: Upside should always be the goal in the later rounds, and Miller fits that profile perfectly. The Bears rookie has impressed in the slot this summer, making countless plays in practice and flashing his talents during preseason contests. It's not out of the realm of possibility that Miller - not Robinson - leads Chicago in receptions and receiving yards in 2018 ... Burton could also be a darkhorse candidate for the honor after signing a big-money deal in the offseason, as Mitch Trubisky has targeted his new tight end early and often in exhibition action.
Round 11
| Pick | Player | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Matthew Stafford (QB9) | Boone |
| 102 | Marlon Mack (RB39) | Wilkins |
| 103 | Peyton Barber (RB40) | Dickson |
| 104 | Jamaal Williams (RB41) | Chippin |
| 105 | Adrian Peterson (RB42) | McClymont |
| 106 | Matt Breida (RB43) | Browne |
| 107 | D.J. Moore (WR45) | Levine |
| 108 | Chris Godwin (WR46) | Tomlinson |
| 109 | Nelson Agholor (WR47) | Bottero |
| 110 | Nick Chubb (RB44) | Woods |
Round 11: Waiting on a quarterback often proves to be fruitful, with guys like Stafford available deep in drafts. The Lions pivot always finds himself in the QB1 ranks and has a favorable schedule at the beginning of the season ... This was a slow draft held over the last few days, during which news of Peterson's signing broke. We don't know how long the veteran will last, but he'll have a chance to be fantasy relevant when Washington faces soft run defenses in two of its first three games. Just don't expect the fun to last all year.
Round 12
| Pick | Player | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 111 | Ben Roethlisberger (QB10) | Woods |
| 112 | Jamison Crowder (WR48) | Bottero |
| 113 | Duke Johnson (RB45) | Tomlinson |
| 114 | Bilal Powell (RB46) | Levine |
| 115 | Cooper Kupp (WR49) | Browne |
| 116 | Kelvin Benjamin (WR50) | McClymont |
| 117 | Devontae Booker (RB47) | Chippin |
| 118 | Andrew Luck (QB11) | Dickson |
| 119 | Kenny Golladay (WR51) | Wilkins |
| 120 | Michael Gallup (WR52) | Boone |
Round 12: Roethlisberger and Luck are intriguing fantasy starters who both have elite upside if they are healthy ... Rounding out your receiving corps with young talents like Golladay or Gallup is never a bad decision. Both players have breakout potential, with Golladay rising up the depth chart in a well-established passing attack, and Gallup owning a chance to be Dallas' top receiving weapon right out of the gate.