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

theScore staff took part in a 12-team, 12-round mock fantasy 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: Ian Dalley, Caitlyn Holroyd, Caio Miari, Daniel Valente, Justin Boone, Navin Vaswani, Brandon Wile, Dane Belbeck, Michael Bradburn, Gianluca Nesci, Taylor Rohaly, Mike Dickson.

Round 1

Round 1: If I had remembered that Team Dalley picked first in our last mock and selected Bijan Robinson, I wouldn't have awarded him the 1.01 this time around. Regardless, it's certainly within the range of outcomes that Robinson takes a massive leap and finishes the year as the highest-scoring running back. Just know that if you draft him in that spot, your league-mates are going to mock you.

My pick: With Robinson going earlier than usual and Justin Jefferson being the second receiver off the board, Hill fell to me at 1.05. It's a dream scenario to land last year's WR1 overall with the fifth pick. The 30-year-old posted 119 catches and over 1,700 yards in each of the past two seasons and doesn't appear to have lost a step at all.

Round 2

Round 2: Nacua continues to be a value pick in drafts where he falls to the second round. Sean McVay said Nacua's knee injury won't impact his availability for Week 1. That also makes 31-year-old Kupp a riskier pick near the end of this round, as the 14th receiver taken.

My pick: The mid- to late-second round is one of my least favorite parts in this year's drafts due to the lack of intriguing options. I know there will be quality receivers in the middle of the third, and I'm not as confident in the running backs who might be available at that point. So, I went with the top RB on my board here in Williams, who averaged the second-most fantasy points per game (19.9 in half PPR) among backs last season. The Rams upgraded their backfield depth by drafting Blake Corum, but Williams will remain the unquestioned starter as long as he stays healthy.

Round 3

Round 3: Three teams have passed on running backs in the first three rounds - Team Belbeck, Team Bradburn, and Team Nesci. The bad news for them is that they're picking side by side, which could make it tough since they'll be chasing the same strategy. Let's keep an eye on how this turns out.

My pick: As predicted, the running back tier that would be values here has completely emptied. Fortunately, I already have my anchor RB and can now focus on receivers. Evans is as safe a pick as you'll get in the early rounds following 10 straight 1,000-yard seasons and at least 13 touchdowns in three of the past four campaigns.

Round 4

Round 4: The tight end run began with LaPorta last round and started strong in the fourth with Kelce and McBride. However, we didn't see another tight end taken, which means there will be excellent TE values in Round 5 and maybe even Round 6.

My pick: There were three players I debated taking here: Jackson, Pickens, and Mark Andrews. Pickens is coming off a breakout season, but the threat of an Aiyuk trade to Pittsburgh made me hesitate. With several quality tight ends left, I didn't see Andrews as a priority. In the end I chose Jackson, who was the QB3 overall (fppg) among qualified starters last year.

Round 5

Round 5: The three teams who avoided running backs in the early rounds have all found their RB1s by the end of the fifth. Team Nesci went with Jacobs, who should cruise to a top-12 season in an exciting young Packers offense. Team Belbeck chose Cook, who was the RB11 over the final eight weeks once Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator in Buffalo. And Team Bradburn got White, last year's RB14 in half PPR.

My pick: Unfortunately, Andrews and Kincaid didn't make it back to me and I didn't see Kittle or Pitts as the right values with my current build. I also wanted to round out my receiving corps before the better options were all scooped up. Talk of a possible Rice suspension has quieted lately, and even if it does happen in 2024, we might only be looking at a game or two. So give me the Chiefs' top wideout, who was a top-24 fantasy receiver from Week 3 on in his rookie year.

Round 6

Round 6: Team Dalley was one of two managers to start RB-RB, and we're seeing that impact the rest of his roster. While Nabers and Cooper are a decent one-two punch at wideout, Odunze was a reach at the end of the sixth. The Bears' first-round rookie has an eighth-round ADP, likely because of the immense target competition he'll face from D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen in Chicago.

My pick: Another draft and another share of Conner - even if it is just a mock. The veteran back is an automatic pick for me in the sixth round and provides my roster with an overqualified RB2. Whenever Conner has been healthy and played the majority of the Cardinals' snaps over the last three years, he's delivered RB1 fantasy production. I expect he'll miss some games due to injury, but I'm confident I can find short-term replacements for those weeks.

Round 7

Round 7: We see another run of quarterbacks in this round, with Murray, Love, Burrow, and Prescott selected in the span of eight picks. All four QBs have top-five upside and are excellent targets in this area of the draft.

My pick: There are still plenty of interesting running backs who will be available over the next few rounds, so I went with one of the last high-volume receivers left in Johnson. The Panthers brought him in to be Bryce Young's security blanket, and we've seen Johnson excel in that role before. He had three consecutive seasons with 85 catches or more during his time in Pittsburgh, including a 107-reception, 1,161-yard, eight-touchdown effort in 2021 when he finished as the WR10 in fantasy.

Round 8

Round 8: It's hard not to like the rosters from the trio of managers who stayed away from running backs in the opening three rounds. They've all managed to find at least two quality backs in the middle rounds to go along with their high-volume receivers and high-end QB and TE starters. Team Nesci is the only one from that group with a tight end, but a couple of good options remain on the board.

My pick: Brooks is an upside pick in this range, but the rookie won't be useable in the opening month. When he is ready, the 21-year-old can offer a three-down skill set that's becoming increasingly rare. Don't be surprised if Brooks turns into a fantasy RB2 in the second half of the season.

Round 9

Round 9: Team Wile pulls off a move I've made in a few drafts this season, taking Pollard in the eighth and then coming back and getting his teammate Spears one round later. Given Team Wile's build, he needs to get creative in his search for an RB2, and pairing Pollard and Spears guarantees him the Titans' starter. At this phase of the draft, the risk is very low, so don't be afraid to lock down two backs on the same team (Pollard-Spears, Brown-Moss, Robinson-Ekeler).

My pick: Since I missed on the top seven tight ends, I'm willing to wait and gamble that I can find a value in the late rounds. Four managers need a starting tight end, so I'll have to be mindful of their picks. In the meantime, I steal another potential starting running back in Williams. The Broncos have spoken very highly about his return to form two years removed from a serious knee injury. Even if he shares this backfield - which I project will happen - Williams can still push for low-end RB2 numbers in fantasy.

Round 10

Round 10: After a couple of silent rounds in regards to tight ends, the game of chicken for who would take the next one finally ended with Team Nesci getting Njoku. The Browns star was the top-scoring fantasy TE on a per-game basis over the final 11 weeks of last season. Team Valente snagging a high-floor option in Ferguson is also good value in this round.

My pick: I went with pure upside for my tight end pick, selecting first-round rookie Bowers. The Raiders lined him up in all the formations in their first preseason outing, making me more hopeful the elite prospect can return value in Year 1. Even if he falters, the investment is minimal at this point. In that scenario, I would just be resigned to streaming off the waiver wire, which isn't the end of the world.

Round 11

Round 11: Running backs are almost always the way to go when you're deep in a draft, and this round was filled with great options. Davis, Charbonnet, Chandler, Hubbard, Allgeier, and even Elliott are all fine selections. They each have a chance to score as weekly flex options while also offering injury-related upside.

My pick: Charbonnet was my choice here mostly for his ceiling if something happens to Kenneth Walker in Seattle. Based on how the new coaching staff is talking up Walker, it seems like Charbonnet might not have much of a role for fantasy managers to count on. But Charbonnet is one of the few backups who would have RB1 fantasy potential if the starter misses time.

Round 12

Round 12: If you can't envision an outcome where your final picks find a path to significant fantasy stats, you shouldn't be taking them. Our group of mock drafters did a fine job here chasing players with intriguing ceilings if things fall their way. From young RBs to WRs getting training camp buzz to one of the best sleeper TEs, you'd be wise to click on these names at the end of your drafts.

My pick: I got sniped on a few late-round RB targets, so I pivoted to receiver with my final pick. Williams is coming back from an ACL tear but should be healthy early in the season and will immediately become Aaron Rodgers' No. 2 target. It's a long shot, but you could do worse than rolling the dice on a veteran who's been a top-24 fantasy wideout multiple times.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.