Fantasy Football 2022: Breaking Down Mock Draft and Cheatsheet

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce runs the ball at NFL football training camp Saturday, July 30, 2022, in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Which running backs are the best to target at various points during the opening round of a fantasy football draft? Which wide receivers should receive first-round consideration? And how early is too early to take the top-tier tight ends and quarterbacks?

These are all things fantasy managers have to consider during the first few rounds of a draft. But it's also important to think about those things while doing research and preparation before then, making now an opportune time to do so.

Many fantasy leagues will be holding drafts over the next month. One popular way to prepare is by doing mocks, which gives managers an idea of how things may unfold.

To help with those preparations, here's a breakdown of a three-round mock draft to help serve as a cheatsheet. The mock is courtesy of the Fantasy Pros Mock Draft Simulator and was conducted as a 12-team half-PPR league.

1st Round

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) takes part in the drills at the NFL football team's practice facility in Eagan, Minn., Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)

1. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

3. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

4. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

5. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

6. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

7. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

8. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

9. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

10. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

11. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

12. Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

Kupp may have been the clear No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL last season, but that doesn't mean he'll necessarily be the first WR off the board in fantasy drafts this year. Still, the manager at the No. 10 pick is getting tremendous value by landing the defending NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

The only wide receiver selected within the first eight picks was Jefferson, who is poised for a big showing in 2022. So it's not a reach to take him at No. 3, as there's a good chance he could end up as the WR1 this season.

It's also worth noting that Kelce got picked at No. 11. In some leagues, he's likely to fall into the second round. And there are some who may have the Baltimore Ravens' Mark Andrews pegged as the TE1 heading into the season. However, it's impossible to argue against Kelce's consistency, and he should be a safe selection, even worthy of a late first-round pick.

2nd Round

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews looks on during the team's NFL football practice, Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

13. Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos

14. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

15. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

16. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

17. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

18. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

19. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

20. D'Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions

21. Leonard Fournette, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

22. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

23. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

24. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There were two players taken in the back half of the second round that ended up as steals in this mock: Fournette at No. 21 and Andrews at No. 22.

Fournette is being undervalued heading into the season, considering he's the top running back for one of the best offenses in the NFL. He may have only rushed for 812 yards and eight touchdowns last year, but he also had 69 catches for 454 yards and two scores. So he's even better to have in half-PPR and PPR leagues.

Even if Andrews doesn't end up as the TE1 ahead of Kelce this season, he should have similar production to last year. In 17 games in 2021, he set career highs in receptions (107) and receiving yards (1,361) while scoring nine touchdowns. Andrews is the top pass-catcher on the Ravens, who don't exactly have a stacked receiving corps.

Both Fournette and Andrews are great players to target in the second round, perhaps even a bit earlier than they were taken in this mock.

3rd Round

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 05: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills takes part in a drill on August 05, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)

25. Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers

26. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

27. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

28. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

29. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

30. David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears

31. James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals

32. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts

33. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

34. A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

35. Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons

36. Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams

Allen was the only quarterback taken during the first three rounds of this mock. But these simulated managers made the right decisions. And it's quite clear why Allen is projected to be the QB1 heading into the season.

Not only did Allen pass for 4,407 yards and 36 touchdowns in 2021, but he also ran for a career-high 763 yards and had six rushing scores. That ability to use his legs makes him the most valuable fantasy QB to roster, especially because he's also a top-tier passer.

It's also interesting that Hill fell to the third round in this mock. There's some justifiable concern that he won't produce to the same extent he did in Kansas City now that he's in Miami. But it's quite possible he'll help take the Dolphins' offense to another level and give Tua Tagovailoa the top receiving option he'd been missing.

So even though Hill may no longer be with the Chiefs, he's still worthy of taking in the mid-to-late second round, depending on how the draft unfolds.