Fantasy: 10-team mock draft with analysis after every round

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theScore staff took part in a 10-team, 12-round mock draft to offer some insight on what to watch for in each round.

This is a half PPR (point per reception) scoring league with the following roster spots: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, BN, BN, BN, BN. We omitted defenders and kickers, as they're normally selected in the final two rounds.

Draft participants: Chris Scaglione, Gino Bottero, Justin Boone, Taylor Rohaly, Ian Dalley, Caitlyn Holroyd, Alex Chippin, Daniel Valente, Matt Washington, Mike Dickson.

Round 1

Round 1: Another mock draft and another running back-heavy first round. With the scoring set to half PPR, it's hard to argue against managers opting to secure an RB1 in the opening frame. However, we'll be watching Saquon Barkley and Jonathan Taylor closely to see if they'll be confident plays early in the season - Barkley is continuing to work his way back from a torn ACL, and Taylor is dealing with uncertain injury situations around him (Carson Wentz and multiple Colts' offensive linemen). I feel much better about drafting them in the second round, where they often fall.

Round 2

Round 2: Tight ends booked this round, with Travis Kelce and Darren Waller filling managers' desires to lock in an elite tight end. Both players averaged top-10 fantasy numbers when put up against the receiver position last year, so their value in your starting lineup can't be understated and will be difficult for other teams in your league to match.

With Aaron Rodgers back in Green Bay, the ADPs of Aaron Jones and Davante Adams haven't completely rebounded yet. Both players should have gone three to four spots higher in this mock.

Round 3

Round 3: If you're looking for justification to support focusing on running backs or grabbing an elite tight end early, just take a look at the receiver talent available in this round. Calvin Ridley, Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, Keenan Allen, and Terry McLaurin are surefire WR1s with the potential to go nuclear in 2021 (assuming Jefferson avoids any setbacks with his shoulder injury). You can't say the same about the runners taken in this round or even George Kittle, who is likely to be a solid pick but also has more target competition to deal with this year.

Round 4

Round 4: The run on top-end receivers continues, led by the king of offseason practice highlights and soon-to-be fantasy superstar CeeDee Lamb. While Lamb sadly didn't make it back to me, Robert Woods was an excellent consolation prize to slide in as my WR2. You can read all about my love of Woods and the Rams' offense in my players who will lead you to a fantasy title in 2021 article.

If you're looking for a running back in this range, Chris Carson is my favorite of the bunch as the unquestioned starter in a Seattle attack that appears to be on the verge of increasing its pace of play, which means more volume for everyone. Carson is also featured in that league-winners column.

Round 5

Round 5: There are very few guarantees that come with players at this point, which is why a couple of teams elected to go with a quarterback. Though it's too early for my liking, Patrick Mahomes and Kyler Murray aren't bad picks in this area of the draft.

James Robinson was by far the riskiest pick in this round, but perhaps our resident Jaguars fan Mike Dickson knows something about last year's breakout star that the rest of us don't. Beat writers have hinted at a likely timeshare between Robinson and first-round pick Travis Etienne, which could make both players productive while limiting their ceilings. I'd rather bet on Etienne or rookie Javonte Williams eventually working their way into lead-back roles as the season goes along.

Round 6

Round 6: As predicted, Etienne and Williams go off the board almost immediately after Robinson and offer higher upside.

Receivers remain the most intriguing position in the sixth round, with breakout candidates like Brandon Aiyuk and Jerry Jeudy, as well as back-to-back 1,000-yard veteran Tyler Lockett, being drafted. Landing Aiyuk as my third receiver gives me a shot at catching the next ascending star without a major investment. Even if he doesn't work out, proven wideouts like Ridley and Woods will keep my receiving corps stable.

Round 7

Round 7: While the move in recent years has been to wait on a quarterback, I've found myself paying up for one of the top-five fantasy QBs this season - if they fall a round or two. In this instance, Lamar Jackson slipped to the seventh round. With three running backs and three receivers already filling out my roster, the opportunity to get a player with QB1 overall in his range of outcomes was too hard to pass up. Remember, Jackson is just one season removed from leading all fantasy passers while averaging 28.11 points per game.

Round 8

Round 8: While the running backs in the last couple of rounds all come with fairly significant flaws, many of the receivers have a clearer path to big-time fantasy numbers in 2021. Players like Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Tee Higgins all finished inside the top-30 fantasy wideouts last year and could easily accomplish that feat again. Others could join them, like Ja'Marr Chase, Laviska Shenault, and Deebo Samuel - who profile as exciting young talents in promising offensive attacks.

Round 9

Round 9: A pair of 1,000-yard receivers from 2020 - Robby Anderson and Brandin Cooks - were excellent picks in this round. However, it's the rookie running backs that piqued my interest. 49ers' Trey Sermon and Jets' Michael Carter have been getting plenty of time running with their first-team offenses in OTAs and training camp, and they should have the inside track on major roles in Year 1. They're the exact kind of big swing selections you should be making at this point in your draft. Don't play it safe in the later rounds.

Round 10

Round 10: Keep moving Antonio Brown up your draft board. From the time of his Buccaneers' debut in Week 9 until the end of the regular season, Brown averaged the 26th most fantasy points among receivers. He's followed that up with rave reviews in training camp, catching almost everything Tom Brady has thrown his way. Competing for targets with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin isn't ideal, but Brown already proved he can produce as Tampa's third option. And if an injury occurs ahead of him on the depth chart, there's no reason why AB couldn't be a top-20 fantasy wideout in 2021.

Round 11

Round 11: After drafting two strong receivers in the opening four rounds, I've managed to give myself several shots at finding a breakout for my third receiver spot with Aiyuk, Shenault, Brown, and now Michael Gallup. In a 10-team league, your roster needs to be filled with high-end starters to bring home the title, and hammering a position like this gives you more opportunity to find that difference-maker.

Round 12

Round 12: If you don't get a top tight end, then waiting at the position is the way to go. Despite my initial concerns about Logan Thomas' workload, Curtis Samuel's lingering groin injury could keep Thomas' target volume intact. He's a decent option this late and can be paired with another late-round upside tight end like Robert Tonyan, Jonnu Smith, or Adam Trautman.

Had I not waited on tight end, my goal in Round 12 would have been to get a quality backup RB who's one injury away from massive volume, like Jamaal Williams, Gus Edwards, or Latavius Murray.