Fantasy Football 2020 Mock Draft: Updated 12-Team Round-by-Round Analysis

As the old axiom goes, practice makes perfect. And there are examples throughout history.

Before the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Normans and Anglo-Saxons staged a scrimmage with pool noodles and water balloons. Before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, he spent countless hours honing his skills in a bounce house.

What? I watch History Channel.

The best way to practice ahead of a fantasy football draft is to take part in a mock draft—a dry run that can give you an idea of where players are being taken so you can identify undervalued draft targets and overvalued potential busts. But if you're unable to take part in a mock yourself, the next best thing is examining ones that have taken place.

Think of it as knowing without doing.

With that in mind, for the fourth time this draft season I gathered some intrepid fantasy managers together for a 12-team PPR draft.

Some things went just as they did before—the running backs flew off the board. Others did not, in part because news from training camp has impacted player values.

Here's how things played out.

1.01: Christian McCaffrey, RB, CAR

1.02: Saquon Barkley, RB, NYG

1.03: Alvin Kamara, RB, NOS

1.04: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, DAL

1.05: Michael Thomas, WR, NOS

1.06: Dalvin Cook, RB, MIN

1.07: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, KCC

1.08: Davante Adams, WR, GBP

1.09: Derrick Henry, RB, TEN

1.10: Julio Jones, WR, ATL

1.11: Joe Mixon, RB, CIN

1.12: Josh Jacobs, RB, LVR

   

The Mixon Conundrum

As one might expect, there wasn't much in the way of surprises in Round 1 of this draft. However, it's worth pointing out that Joe Mixon's missed practice time as the result (perhaps) of migraines is beginning to affect his draft stock.

At the time this draft was conducted, the Bengals running back's ADP at Fantasy Football Calculator was 1.09—two spots before he was taken here. If those missed practices stretch into this week, the fourth-year pro could drop out of Round 1 altogether.

That could present an opportunity for value with Mixon. But the risk involved with using an early pick on the 24-year-old appears to be increasing.

   

My Pick

If there was another upset in Round 1, it had to be the selection of Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints over Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys with the third pick in the round.

I'll take it.

Elliott may well be the safest pick in the top five this season. In the three seasons in which Elliott has played at least 15 games, he has topped 1,750 yards from scrimmage and finished as a top-five PPR running back all three times.

Elliott has never finished outside the top five in PPR points per game.

2.01: Tyreek Hill, WR, KCC

2.02: Travis Kelce, TE, KCC

2.03: Kenyan Drake, RB, ARZ

2.04: Miles Sanders, RB, PHI

2.05: Austin Ekeler, RB, LAC

2.06: George Kittle, TE, SFO

2.07: Nick Chubb, RB, CLE

2.08: Aaron Jones, RB, GBP

2.09: DeAndre Hopkins, WR, ARZ

2.10: Chris Godwin, WR, TBB

2.11: Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL

2.12: Chris Carson, RB, SEA

   

Tight End Titans

Much like the first round, Round 2 of the drafts I have participated in (be they mock or otherwise) has been relatively predictable. The running backs continue to be hit hard, with at least 15 off the board by the end of the second round just about every time.

Round 2 is also where the "big two" tight ends are coming off the board. Usually, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs is selected first, with George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers following closely on his heels.

If you want one of the big guns at the tight end position, be prepared to pay for them. And once Kelce is picked, if you want to roster Kittle you're going to have to pounce PDQ.

    

My Pick

Had a running back like Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns or Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers made it to 2.09, I probably would have hit the backfield again. At the rate the RB position is being decimated in 2020, I'm all about early investment at that spot.

But they did not.

I'm admittedly not as high as some on DeAndre Hopkins in 2020—there are a lot of mouths to feed in the Arizona passing game, and Kyler Murray has already intimated the Redbirds will spread the ball around.

But Hopkins has a sky-high fantasy ceiling and a chance (if things fall the right way) to challenge for the No. 1 spot among wide receivers this season.

3.01: Kenny Golladay, WR, DET

3.02: Amari Cooper, WR, DAL

3.03: James Conner, RB, PIT

3.04: Leonard Fournette, RB, JAX

3.05: Todd Gurley, RB, ATL

3.06: David Johnson, RB, HOU

3.07: Patrick Mahomes, QB, KCC

3.08: Allen Robinson, WR, CHI

3.09: Odell Beckham Jr., WR, CLE

3.10: Mike Evans, WR, TBB

3.11: Jonathan Taylor, RB, IND

3.12: Le'Veon Bell, RB, NYJ

   

Rebound Running Backs

Not to keep beating the same horse, but running backs are being pounded in the early rounds of fantasy drafts this season. Six more came off the board in Round 3—bringing the total in the first three rounds of this draft to 21 of the first 36 picks.

Many of the backs taken in Round 3 here are veterans who have shown RB1 potential in the past but who struggled with a down season in 2019. If David Johnson of the Houston Texans or Todd Gurley of the Atlanta Falcons can turn back the clock in their new homes or Le'Veon Bell can bounce back in his second year with the New York Jets, they could be huge values for fantasy managers.

The kind of values that win leagues.

   

My Pick

Leonard Fournette did not struggle with a down season in 2019. In fact, the fourth-year veteran set career highs in a number of categories last year and finished the season inside the top 10 in PPR fantasy points.

I legitimately didn't understand why he's falling as far as he is this year.

Of course, that was before the Jacksonville Jaguars released him on Monday.

Um, ouch.

This isn't as bad as having a player go down with a late injury, in that in theory Fournette could still have fantasy value with a new team.

But it's still a crushing blow to my roster.

4.01: Mark Andrews, TE, BAL

4.02: JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, PIT

4.03: Kerryon Johnson, RB, DET

4.04: Melvin Gordon III, RB, DEN

4.05: DJ Moore, WR, CAR

4.06: Cam Akers, RB, LAR

4.07: Adam Thielen, WR, MIN

4.08: Zach Ertz, TE, PHI

4.09: Devin Singletary, RB, BUF

4.10: Robert Woods, WR, LAR

4.11: Raheem Mostert, RB, SFO

4.12: Cooper Kupp, WR, LAR

   

Wait, What?

In fairness, I have competed in enough leagues with the manager who drafted Detroit Lions running back Kerryon Johnson with the 39th overall pick to know that they know their stuff. An easy out, they aren't.

But there's no way to look at the pick as anything other than a massive reach.

Johnson's current ADP is 100.1—that's over five full rounds later than where the injury-prone third-year pro is being taken on average.

This isn't being pointed out to put that manager on blast. It's being done because we all have made gaffes in live drafts at one time or another. All you can do is attempt to minimize the damage as best you can.

That manager did so, circling back for some insurance by taking Lions rookie D'Andre Swift in Round 5.

   

My Pick

Have I mentioned that running backs are flying off the board in 2020?

Devin Singletary of the Buffalo Bills has admittedly had some fumbling issues in training camp. Rookie Zack Moss is also being talked up as a factor in the passing game this year.

But Singletary averaged over five yards a carry last year and has a year of NFL game experience under his belt.

With Frank Gore gone, Singletary could be in line for a big bump in touches—and a chance to break into RB2 territory at least.

At least that's what I have been telling myself since making the pick.

5.01: Dak Prescott, QB, DAL

5.02: Calvin Ridley, WR, ATL

5.03: A.J. Brown, WR, TEN

5.04: Ronald Jones II, RB, TBB

5.05: Tyler Lockett, WR, SEA

5.06: Keenan Allen, WR, LAC

5.07: DJ Chark Jr., WR, JAX

5.08: Terry McLaurin, WR, WAS

5.09: DK Metcalf, WR, SEA

5.10: D'Andre Swift, RB, DET

5.11: Kareem Hunt, RB, CLE

5.12: Courtland Sutton, WR, DEN

   

Wide Receiver Worm-Turn

It had to happen sooner or later. The pendulum was eventually going to swing from the running backs to the wide receivers. It happened a bit later in this draft than in some I've taken part in, but in Round 5 eight wide receivers came off the board.

The thing is, though, if you look at the ADP for players like Terry McLaurin (51.6), you'll see he only came off the board a handful of picks later than average here.

If you're in the fourth or fifth round and only have one wide receiver rostered, don't panic—there will be viable options available to you later on.

The value at wide receiver in 2020 lies with exercising a measure of patience.

    

My Pick

Yes, that's right. I did it again. Four running backs in the first five rounds.

In 2020, it's a lot easier to find wide receivers with genuine potential to become solid weekly starters from the fifth round on than it is at running back. In this draft, 29 backs were off the board by the end of Round 5.

Ronald Jones II of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hurt his foot Friday in practice, but the injury isn't believed to be serious. With Bruce Arians stating recently that Jones is expected to "carry the load" in 2020, the third-year pro was one of the last backs left who is any kind of sure bet for touches this year.

6.01: Mark Ingram II, RB, BAL

6.02: Stefon Diggs, WR, BUF

6.03: Darren Waller, TE, LVR

6.04: Russell Wilson, QB, SEA

6.05: DeVante Parker, WR, MIA

6.06: Will Fuller V, WR, HOU

6.07: David Montgomery, RB, CHI

6.08: J.K. Dobbins, RB, BAL

6.09: T.Y. Hilton, WR, IND

6.10: A.J. Green, WR, CIN

6.11: James White, RB, NEP

6.12: Michael Gallup, WR, DAL

   

Equilibrium, Fantasy Draft Style

After the running back position was ravaged early in this draft, things are starting to level out by the end of Round 6. While there have still been more backs selected (33) than wide receivers (30), the gap has narrowed from double digits just two rounds ago.

The running backs available in this round have significant question marks, whether it's injury (David Montgomery) or role in 2020 (James White). But the wide receivers selected here include players who have demonstrated fantasy WR1 upside in the past.

In fact, DeVante Parker of the Miami Dolphins was a WR1 just last year, after reeling in 72 passes for over 1,200 yards and nine scores on the way to a WR11 finish.

   

My Pick

I wanted Parker here. I mean really, really wanted him. The 27-year-old is arguably the best middle-round WR target in fantasy football in 2020.

Value city.

But as consolation prizes go, T.Y. Hilton isn't a bad one—provided he can rebound from a down 2019 season and mesh with a new quarterback in Philip Rivers.

If Hilton can check those boxes, the upside is there in theory. As recently as 2018, the 30-year-old posted a 76/1,270/6 stat line and finished the season inside the top 15 among wide receivers in PPR fantasy points.

7.01: Jordan Howard, RB, MIA

7.02: Marquise Brown, WR, BAL

7.03: Zack Moss, RB, BUF

7.04: Tyler Boyd, WR, CIN

7.05: Jarvis Landry, WR, CLE

7.06: Brandin Cooks, WR, HOU

7.07: Diontae Johnson, WR, PIT

7.08: Tarik Cohen, RB, CHI

7.09: Evan Engram, TE, NYG

7.10: Phillip Lindsay, RB, DEN

7.11: Julian Edelman, WR, NEP

7.12: Deshaun Watson, QB, HOU

   

Patience Is a Virtue

If you read my recent fantasy football blueprint here at Bleacher Report, then you know I'm a proponent of waiting to draft a fantasy quarterback. There's enough depth at the position that weekly starters with significant upside are available in the middle and late rounds.

This draft provides an object lesson in the wisdom of that philosophy.

Last year, Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans topped 4,000 total yards and finished as a top-five fantasy quarterback for the second consecutive season.

Not bad for a player who came off the board almost three rounds after Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys.

    

My Pick

In each of the past two seasons, Tyler Boyd of the Cincinnati Bengals caught over 75 passes, topped 1,000 receiving yards and finished the year as a top-20 fantasy receiver in leagues that award a point for receptions.

Yes, the return of veteran A.J. Green could mean a drop in target share for Boyd in 2020. But if Joe Burrow is half the quarterback the Bengals hope he is, Cincinnati should be a better offensive team overall.

Even if his production tails off a bit, Boyd should still be at least a solid source of WR3 numbers this season.

8.01: Sterling Shepard, WR, NYG

8.02: Kyler Murray, QB, ARZ

8.03: Marvin Jones Jr., WR, DET

8.04: Darius Slayton, WR, NYG

8.05: Hunter Henry, TE, LAC

8.06: Alexander Mattison, RB, MIN

8.07: Deebo Samuel, WR, SFO

8.08: Matt Ryan, QB, ATL

8.09: Jamison Crowder, WR, NYJ

8.10: Hayden Hurst, TE, ATL

8.11: Adrian Peterson, RB, WAS

8.12: Emmanuel Sanders, WR, NOS

   

Giant-Sized Choices

In wideouts Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton and Golden Tate and tight end Evan Engram, the New York Giants have no shortage of passing-game talent. But the question facing fantasy managers in 2020 is which of those wideouts will emerge as Daniel Jones' top target in 2020.

According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, Shepard has stood out the most in training camp, with the 27-year-old having "torched" every cornerback he has faced on the practice field.

It appears that news reached at least one drafter in this league. While Slayton has the highest average draft position of the trio, Shepard was drafted first in this mock—three selections before Slayton.

    

My Pick

A couple wide receivers I probably would have selected over Jamison Crowder of the New York Jets came off the board earlier in this round. And I strongly considered going with veteran wideout Emmanuel Sanders of the New Orleans Saints in this spot.

But while Crowder doesn't offer an especially high fantasy ceiling, the veteran slot man quietly turned in a career-high 78 catches in 2019—numbers that landed the 27-year-old in high-end fantasy WR3 territory.

As one of the few reliable pass-catchers in New York this year, there's no reason to think Crowder can't back that finish up in 2020.

9.01: Antonio Gibson, RB, WAS

9.02: Tyler Higbee, TE, LAR

9.03: Carson Wentz, QB, PHI

9.04: Tony Pollard, RB, DAL

9.05: Marlon Mack, RB, IND

9.06: Mike Gesicki, TE, MIA

9.07: Boston Scott, RB, PHI

9.08: Drew Brees, QB, NOS

9.09: Matt Breida, RB, MIA

9.10: Christian Kirk, WR, ARZ

9.11: Jared Cook, TE, NOS

9.12: CeeDee Lamb, WR, DAL

   

The Masters of Maybe

Contrary to what many believe, fantasy leagues aren't won in early rounds by players we expect to have big seasons. It's the players who come from out of nowhere in the later rounds that can swing things toward a championship.

A handful of such candidates were drafted in Round 9.

If Matt Breida winds up the lead back in Miami, he could pay huge dividends. So could CeeDee Lamb if he's a quick study in Dallas. Ditto for Mike Gesicki if the young tight end can build on a solid stretch run in 2019.

Of course, they could also wind up on the waiver wire by Thanksgiving.

  

My Pick

There are two "handcuff" backs in 2020 that merit overdrafting—Alexander Mattison in Minnesota and Tony Pollard in Dallas. Both play behind first-round fantasy talents. Both have shown the ability to carry the load when called upon in the past.

Yes, Pollard's ADP of 119.6 is the better part of two rounds later than when he was drafted here. But there was no guarantee that he would be there at the back end of Round 10.

Don't be afraid to reach for a player who can help your team.

10.01: Damien Harris, RB, NEP

10.02: Tevin Coleman, RB, SFO

10.03: Baker Mayfield, QB, CLE

10.04: Mecole Hardman, WR, KCC

10.05: T.J. Hockenson, TE, DET

10.06: Jerry Jeudy, WR, DEN

10.07: Cam Newton, QB, NEP

10.08: Golden Tate, WR, DET

10.09: Matthew Stafford, QB, DET

10.10: Latavius Murray, RB, NOS

10.11: Mike Williams, WR, LAC

10.12: Jonnu Smith, TE, TEN

   

RB Question Marks

The first two picks of the 10th round could have an impact on this league that far outweighs their draft slot—or none at all.

As Jeff Howe reported for The Athletic, Damien Harris has impressed in Patriots training camp, and he's pushing Sony Michel for early-down work. But as any longtime fantasy manager can tell you, putting too much faith in any Bill Belichick back can be asking for trouble.

It's something of a similar story in San Francisco, albeit for a different reason. Tevin Coleman has shown the ability to produce in a Kyle Shanahan offense, and the Niners will run the ball. But Coleman's 2020 workload is very much up in the air at this point.

   

My Pick

This may be my most fitting pick of the entire draft, given that I've been driving the Matthew Stafford bandwagon most of the summer.

Yes, Stafford is coming off a major injury after missing half of last season with a back injury. But before that he hadn't missed time since 2011, and before the injury the 32-year-old was on pace for almost 5,000 yards, 38 touchdown passes and top-five fantasy numbers.

So long as he stays healthy, Stafford will be a value in this spot.

11.01: Austin Hooper, TE, CLE

11.02: Noah Fant, TE, DEN

11.03: Josh Allen, QB, BUF

11.04: Rob Gronkowski, TE, TBB

11.05: Tom Brady, QB, TBB

11.06: Chris Herndon, TE, NYJ

11.07: John Brown, WR, BUF

11.08: Preston Williams, WR, MIA

11.09: Anthony Miller, WR, CHI

11.10: Pittsburgh Steelers Defense/Special Teams

11.11: Chase Edmonds, RB, ARZ

11.12: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

    

12.01: San Francisco 49ers Defense/Special Teams

12.02: Baltimore Ravens Defense/Special Teams

12.03: Daniel Jones, QB, NYG

12.04: Darrell Henderson, RB, LAR

12.05: Duke Johnson, RB, HOU

12.06: Harrison Butker, PK, KCC

12.07: Jalen Reagor, WR, PHI

12.08: Dallas Goedert, TE, PHI

12.09: Jack Doyle, TE, IND

12.10: Henry Ruggs III, WR, LVR

12.11: Sony Michel, RB, NEP

12.12: Ryan Tannehill, QB, TEN

    

13.01: Justin Jefferson, WR, MIN

13.02: Jared Goff, QB, LAR

13.03: DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI

13.04: Ben Roethlisberger, QB, PIT

13.05: Sammy Watkins, WR, KCC

13.06: Nyheim Hines, RB, IND

13.07: Joe Burrow, QB, CIN

13.08: AJ Dillon, RB, GBP

13.09: Blake Jarwin, TE, DAL

13.10: Tyler Eifert, TE, JAX

13.11: Larry Fitzgerald, WR, ARZ

13.12: Robby Anderson, WR, CAR

     

Sleeper Alert

There were a pair of wide receivers drafted in Round 11 with some real "sleeper" potential in 2020.

Before tearing his ACL partway into his rookie year, Preston Williams (and not DeVante Parker) was putting up the best stats of any wideout for the Miami Dolphins. Even with Parker entrenched as the No. 1 receiver, there will be targets for Williams this year.

It happened with zero fanfare, but from Week 11 on last year Anthony Miller of the Chicago Bears was a top-20 receiver in PPR fantasy leagues. If Miller can post even WR3 numbers over a full season in his third season, he'll be a steal this late in drafts.

   

My Picks

The hype regarding Rob Gronkowski's return to the NFL has gotten out of hand in some circles. But when you wait until the 11th round to draft a tight end, the sure bets are gone. If he finishes anywhere inside the top 12, I'll be happy.

Jack Doyle of the Indianapolis Colts, on the other hand, is something of an insurance policy if Gronk's reunion tour is a dud. Philip Rivers has targeted his tight end regularly, and when healthy, the 30-year-old Doyle is a sneaky-good one.

Like Matt Stafford, injuries derailed Ben Roethlisberger's 2019 season—he tore up his elbow early in the second week of the season. But as recently as two years ago, Roethlisberger topped 5,000 passing yards, led the NFL in that category and was fantasy's runner-up under center.

14.01: Justin Jackson, RB, LAC

14.02: Allen Lazard, WR, GBP

14.03: Giovani Bernard, RB, CIN

14.04: Gardner Minshew II, QB, JAX

14.05: Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, SFO

14.06: New Orleans Saints Defense/Special Teams

14.07: Bryce Love, RB, WAS

14.08: Darrel Williams, RB, KCC

14.09: Hunter Renfrow, WR, LVR

14.10: Chicago Bears Defense/Special Teams

14.11: Curtis Samuel, WR, CAR

14.12: Justin Tucker, PK, BAL

   

15.01: Frank Gore, RB, NYJ

15.02: Buffalo Bills Defense/Special Teams

15.03: Wil Lutz, PK, NOS

15.04: Kansas City Chiefs Defense/Special Teams

15.05: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense/Special Teams

15.06: Ke'Shawn Vaughn, RB, TBB

15.07: Indianapolis Colts Defense/Special Teams

15.08: Los Angeles Rams Defense/Special Teams

15.09: Tennessee Titans Defense/Special Teams

15.10: Breshad Perriman, WR, NYJ

15.11: Philip Rivers, QB, IND

15.12: Ian Thomas, TE, CAR

    

16.01: Robbie Gould, PK, SFO

16.02: Ka'imi Fairbairn, PK, HOU

16.03: Greg Zuerlein, PK, DAL

16.04: Younghoe Koo, PK, ATL

16.05: Matt Gay, PK, TBB

16.06: Irv Smith Jr., TE, MIN

16.07: Derek Carr, QB, LVR

16.08: Dan Bailey, PK, MIN

16.09: Zane Gonzalez, PK, ARZ

16.10: Benny Snell Jr., RB, PIT

16.11: Matt Prater, PK, DET

16.12: Philadelphia Eagles Defense/Special Teams

     

Sleeper Alert 2.0

From all indications, Allen Lazard is solidifying his grip on the No. 2 spot at wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers. Lazard isn't going to win fantasy managers any weeks, but he could develop into a nice depth piece and bye week replacement.

Gardner Minshew enters his second NFL season entrenched as the starting quarterback for a Jacksonville Jaguars team that will likely spend much of the 2019 season playing catch-up. That could mean plenty of garbage-time fantasy production.

The last player taken in this draft could be anything but "Mr. Irrelevant"—especially in Week 1. The Philadelphia Eagles have some issues on defense, but to open the 2020 campaign they travel to face a Washington team that has even more on offense.

   

My Pick

Had Lazard fallen a bit farther, he'd have been my pick in the 14th round. But Hunter Renfrow of the Las Vegas Raiders offers at least a little sleeper potential in an unsettled WR corps after showing a strong rapport with Derek Carr late last year.

It gets overshadowed by Kansas City's explosive offense, but the Chiefs defense has been solid for fantasy owners over the past couple of seasons. In 2019, the Chiefs finished ninth among defenses in fantasy points. The year before, Kansas City led the AFC in that regard.

Zane Gonzalez of the Arizona Cardinals is a kicker. He kicks things. Footballs, usually.

Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford, DET (10.09); Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (13.04)

At first glance, this doesn't appear to be an especially imposing duo. But both Stafford and Roethlisberger have shown top-five fantasy upside in just the past couple of years. Both are proven veteran quarterbacks. And neither was drafted before the 10th round.

    

Running Backs

Ezekiel Elliott, DAL (1.04); Leonard Fournette, JAX (3.04); Devin Singletary, BUF (4.09); Ronald Jones II, TBB (5.04); Tony Pollard, DAL (9.04)

Given that four of the first five picks were spent on running backs, this was supposed to be the strength of this team...until Fournette was jettisoned.

If he finds a new home soon, there's enough depth here to weather the storm for a while. But if he languishes on the open market or there's another early-season injury, I have big-time problems.

Wide Receivers

DeAndre Hopkins, ARZ (2.09); T.Y. Hilton, IND (6.09); Tyler Boyd, CIN (7.04); Jamison Crowder, NYJ (8.09); Hunter Renfrow, LVR (14.09)

Hopkins is the obvious anchor to this group of wide receivers, and Hilton and Boyd aren't a bad twosome behind him—especially if the former can put last season's blah year behind him. But there's not much depth at wide receiver—all it would take is one injury for this position to become a potential problem area.

    

Tight Ends

Rob Gronkowski, TBB (11.04), Jack Doyle, IND (12.09)

Unless Gronkowski has a time machine and has that bad boy dialed in to 2011, this team is going to be in a hole at the tight end position more often than not. With that said, if either of these veteran tight ends can approach their realistic fantasy ceiling, said hole won't be especially deep.

    

Team Defense/Kicker

Kansas City Chiefs (15.04); Zane Gonzalez, ARZ (16.09)

There's an excellent reason defense and kicker were my last two picks in this draft. If you take out the fluke season turned in by the Patriots last year, in this scoring, the No. 1 defense outscored the No. 12 defense by less than four fantasy points per game. The difference at kicker was even smaller. The "edge" just isn't worth the investment required to get it.

    

Average draft positions courtesy of Fantasy Football Calculator. Unless otherwise noted, fantasy scoring data courtesy of FFToday.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year.