Fantasy: 12-team mock draft with analysis after every round

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2018 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.

Mock Drafts

• 10-team (Aug. 21)
• 12-team

theScore staff took part in a 12-team, 12-round mock to help provide a glimpse at what your drafts might 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 since they normally get selected in the final two rounds.

Draft Participants: Michael McClymont, Alex Chippin, Dustin Saracini, Dan Wilkins, Caitlyn Holroyd, Gino Bottero, Taylor Rohaly, Ian Dalley, Justin Boone, David P. Woods, Jack Browne, Michael Alessandrini.

Round 1

Round 1: Elliott has now been selected second overall in back-to-back mock drafts. There's no question he's one of the best running backs in the league, but it's becoming more difficult to justify taking him in the top three due to the injuries on the Cowboys' offensive line. I have him ranked fourth among RBs and will strongly consider moving Kamara above him in my next update ... While I prefer to take a running back in the first round, Hopkins is my seventh overall player and has monster upside with Deshaun Watson healthy.

Round 2

Round 2: Cook is going to make or break a lot of fantasy seasons. Coming off a torn ACL, facing competition from Latavius Murray, and playing behind a banged-up offensive line are all hurdles the sophomore rusher will need to clear to warrant this draft slot. I think he's up to the challenge and is worth a pick in the top 15 ... Drafting Gronk as my second-rounder wasn't an easy decision to settle on. Any time you take a position other than RB or WR in the early rounds, you're taking a risk. In a 12-team league, with so much uncertainty outside the elite tier of tight ends, Gronkowski offers a significant weekly advantage. I'm especially confident I can find value at a very deep receiver position later in the draft.

Round 3

Round 3: Fitzgerald, who continues to prove doubters wrong in fantasy, goes about a round-and-a-half earlier than his current ADP. Personally, I believe Fitzgerald will return top-36 value, but I also believe there's a chance Team Rohaly would have been able to get him with its next pick. I'm also much more interested in the upside that comes with Hill or Cooper and would take both wideouts over Fitzgerald ... I've spent all offseason expressing my excitement over Ajayi's fantasy potential in 2018, so it shouldn't be surprising to see me scoop him up here. The only thing holding him back in the second half of last season was volume. The path has been cleared for him to see a significant increase in touches, including goal-line work.

Related - Fantasy Podcast: RB breakouts, busts, and draft strategy

Round 4

Round 4: When we look back at the 2018 fantasy season, our biggest regret might be that we didn't take Gordon higher in drafts. His brief hiatus from training camp has helped hold his fantasy stock in check, and owners willing to gamble on him in the fourth round will be rewarded ... After going with Gronk early, I need to take some swings at RB and WR. Miller was a solid fantasy starter when Watson was under center last year. Despite some doubts about his job security, so far in the preseason, he's played all 16 snaps when Watson is on the field with the Texans' first-string offense, according to Adam Levitan of Draft Kings. Miller is poised to be a fantasy RB2, even if it doesn't feel good to call his name on draft day.

Round 5

Round 5: A round after Team Bottero went all-in on a rookie back in Freeman, we see Johnson go off the board to Team Chippin. Both players are in similar situations as members of committee backfields, and each has the talent to emerge as the clear-cut starter as the season progresses. Freeman's preseason touchdowns have caused his ADP to spike, but Devontae Booker's role as the passing-down back seems secure. At their current prices, I'd take the value with Johnson a round later ... Even though I might have to wait for Jeffery to get back to 100 percent, getting last year's WR13 in the fifth round seems like the kind of move that can help me backfill my WR depth chart.

Round 6

Round 6: Team Alessandrini prevented me from pairing Hopkins and Watson, but that's alright since I was able to bring the duo together in the FantasyPros Invitational League draft ... Carson continues his rise up draft boards, as Penny battles back from injury. Team Saracini may have locked down one of the best flex options available in the sixth round ... Team Woods guarantees control of the Patriots' backfield by taking Burkhead and Michel in the last two rounds. An interesting strategy ... After battling hamstring issues as a rookie, Davis is one of my favorite breakout candidates at any position this season. If Jeffery isn't ready at the start of the year, I'll have confidence slotting Davis in as my WR2.

Round 7

Round 7: As we enter the seventh round, only two teams have drafted QBs, while five clubs have found their starting TE. That's about to change in a hurry over the next two rounds ... After Team McClymont added Graham, a little run at tight end occurred, with Engram and Rudolph taken with two of the next four picks. It's not shocking, given the position has eight proven commodities. Graham is a nice value pick in this round, but don't feel the need to overextend for someone in this tier. There are several breakout options still available ... With Mike McCarthy's recent comments throwing his support behind Williams, I decided to select him here, with plans on grabbing his teammate Aaron Jones one round later.

Round 8

Round 8: Burton is one of the breakout tight ends I was referring to last round. He's the tight end I find myself ending up with most often in drafts ... A quarterback run dominates the eighth round with four passers landing on teams. Newton and Brady are outstanding value picks in this range. Brees always has the ceiling, though the Saints' defense and rushing attack have reduced the need for him to throw as much. Stafford is a consistent QB1 in fantasy, but he would have been available in the ninth round ... My plan was successful and I can now count on the Packers' starting RB to be my flex.

Round 9

Round 9: More great value picks at quarterback with Cousins and Wentz. Drafting either gives you the pillar of one of the league's best offenses, as well as top-five upside in fantasy ... Thompson's role in Washington won't change after the addition of Adrian Peterson. At this stage in their respective careers, Thompson is the far more explosive back and he proved last year he's capable of being an RB2 in fantasy. With the 33-year-old Peterson unlikely to hold up over the course of a full NFL campaign, Thompson could once again see heavy usage out of necessity.

Round 10

Round 10: Sometimes in drafts, you can wait too long on players. Lee was my highest-ranked receiver left, but rookies Moore, Miller, and Gallup are late-round targets of mine in every draft. I convinced myself at least one of that trio would be around when I was on the clock again. Sadly, that wasn't the case, as all three found homes in the 10th.

Round 11

Round 11: Taking Dez Bryant with one of your final picks is fine by me, though the odds of him making an impact in 2018 are dwindling. He seemed desperate for a job when talking to Browns head coach Hue Jackson on Hard Knocks ... I mentioned receiver was extremely deep this year. Brown, Lockett, Godwin, and Doctson are high-upside options and can be had for an investment in the double-digit rounds.

Round 12

Round 12: I'd add Golladay, Taylor, Ross, and even Ridley to that list of late-round breakout candidate receivers. If you aren't filling your bench out with running backs, you better be drafting a couple of those guys ... We say it every time, but with Roethlisberger, Luck, and Mahomes still up for grabs in the final rounds, it seems silly to spend early on an elite passer.

Mock Drafts

• 10-team (Aug. 21)
• 12-team