Fantasy Football Picks 2021: 2-Round Mock Draft and Strategy Breakdown

The 2021 NFL season is set to kick off in less than two weeks, which means that fantasy-draft season is winding down.

It's always smart to wait until late in the preseason to conduct fantasy drafts. Even when the games are meaningless, the injuries are real. While we have a good idea of who the fantasy standouts are going to be, we have an even better idea as the cutdown to 53-player rosters nears.

We're not in the sweet spot for fantasy drafting, and a lot of drafts are going to fire over the next week or so. We're here to help you late (smart) drafters with a few proven strategies to consider during your selection process.

First, though, we're going to dive into a two-round point-per-reception (PPR) mock.

Round 1

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

2. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

3. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

4. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

5. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

6. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

7. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

8. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

9. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

10. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

11. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

12. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

Round 2

1. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

3. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

4. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals

5. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons

6. Patrick Mahomes, QR, Kansas City Chiefs

7. A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans

8. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team

9. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

10. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

11. Allen Robinson II, WR, Chicago Bears

12. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

There's a good chance that somebody in your league is going to draft Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes within the first two rounds. Don't be that manager.

While Mahomes has a ridiculously high weekly floor—he threw for at least 200 yards and a touchdown in every start last season—there is a strong second tier of quarterbacks who can provide even better value.

Whether you grab Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals, Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks or Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, you're going to wind up with a reliable weekly starter—barring injury, of course.

These are all quarterbacks who can likely be had in Round 3 or later, and that's important. You want to come out of the first two rounds with a pair of elite running backs and/or receivers. The drop-off from the top tier of backs and wideouts is much greater than it is at quarterback.

Using our two-round mock as an example, the team that drafted Mahomes will be waiting until pick No. 3 to get its first running back. Solid backs will be available there, but every-down players probably won't.

If Mahomes falls to Round 3, however, feel free to pull the trigger. Just make sure that your skill-player core is set before grabbing a quarterback.

One way to avoid overdrafting at a position is to set personal tiers before draft day. Knowing which players you're comfortable taking in which rounds can help you flow through the selection process without agonizing over every pick.

It can also help you get out in front of positional runs. If, for example, Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb is the last player in your top tier of running backs, making him the 10th back taken in Round 1 or at the very top of Round 2 is worthwhile.

If, however, Chubb is at the top of your second tier, passing on him for a top-tier receiver will provide more value.

Let's use the above mock as an example. Chubb is the 10th back taken in the first round. However, only two more running backs are taken in Round 2. If Chubb is in your second tier, you're likely to find a back of near-equal value (based on your own draft board) in the late-second round or third round.

Executing mock drafts can help you recognize when positional rounds are happening and how they're likely to affect the upcoming rounds. If none of your top-tier backs are available, it's better to be at the start of that second-round receiver run than to force a running back selection.

Never take a player you're uncertain about just because the position is starting to move.

This may sound like common sense, but it's important to soak up as much injury information as possible ahead of your draft.

You're probably well aware that New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas is expected to miss significant time after undergoing ankle surgery in June. Knowing that will help you avoid overdrafting him.

However, you may not be as familiar with the fact that New York Giants wideout Kenny Golladay has been dealing with a hamstring injury throughout training camp. He may be on the field by Week 1, but the Giants are struggling to establish chemistry between Golladay and quarterback Daniel Jones.

"We have to make sure we get that experience however we're afforded it before we get to Week 1," head coach Joe Judge said, per Darryl Slater of NJ.com.

Similarly, Detroit Lions running back D'Andre Swift is dealing with a groin injury and may be hampered in the regular season.

It's smart to spend a few hours of prep work before your draft conducting mock drafts and examining average draft positioning. Digging into the latest injury news should be part of the process.