The final two weeks of February are arguably the toughest of the year. The weekends feel barren without the NFL. Winter’s almost over, but there’s still the potential for a cold snap or snowfall. And there just isn’t much going on in the sports world until the NCAA Tournament in mid-March.
During these winter doldrums, I like to begin some early prep work for the upcoming fantasy football season. If nothing else, doing mock drafts is a fun way to spend a half hour. And it’s never too early to start thinking about next season.
Of course, the mock drafts we do in February will look a lot different in May or June as we get more clarity regarding free agents, trades and draft picks. So without further ado, here’s a mock draft I conducted using our Draft Wizard in a 12-team standard league. I was randomly assigned the 5th pick.
- Introduction to Best Ball Leagues
- Underdog Best Ball Strategy
- Erickson’s Best Ball Positional Primers
- Best Ball Roster Construction Strategy
Early Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Team Standard League
Pick 1.5: Nick Chubb (RB – CLE)
Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, Saquon Barkley and Kenneth Walker (interesting!) all went within the first four picks. My top choices were Chubb, Austin Ekeler and Derrick Henry. Josh Jacobs was available too, but with his uncertainty as a free agent, I opted not to take him.
Ultimately, I went with Chubb. He finished as the RB5 in standard last season and gives me a good balance of upside and safety. Ekeler is less enticing in non-PPR formats, and I just can’t get myself to take Henry, given the mileage on him.
Pick 2.8: Breece Hall (RB – NYJ)
Running backs are flying off the board, so I want to ensure I get my RB2 before attacking receiver. Hall is a stud and was on pace to become the Offensive Rookie of the Year if not for a torn ACL.
I’m admittedly nervous about Hall at least early on in 2023, as we’ve seen running backs like J.K. Dobbins take some time to get right following knee surgery. But we won’t know much about Hall’s rehab until we get closer to OTAs. So, for now, Hall gives me an awesome tailback tandem.
Pick 3.5: Tee Higgins (WR – CIN)
Higgins is the best receiver left on the board, but he’s far from your typical WR2. Higgins would probably be a WR1 on most teams. And while he will occasionally play second-fiddle to Ja’Marr Chase, he’s a stud in his own right, finishing as the WR17 in standard leagues in 2022.
Pick 4.8: Dameon Pierce (RB – HOU)
I’m adding another second-year running back who ended his season on injured reserve in Pierce, who was the lone bright spot on a horrific Texans offense. However, Pierce’s ankle injury doesn’t appear to be as serious as Hall’s ACL injury, so I’m not as worried about him starting the year fully healthy.
Snagging my WR2 was definitely a consideration, but there are plenty of receivers I’m comfortable with adding in the next round. However, the drop-off between Pierce and the rest of the tailbacks remaining is ugly. In a standard league, I’ll happily slot Pierce in as my flex.
Pick 5.5: Chris Olave (WR – NO)
Olave is the perfect upside play I need at receiver. He finished as the WR23 as a rookie, hauling in 72 passes for 1,042 yards and four touchdowns. But injuries and shoddy QB play held him back from reaching his ceiling. We’ll see who ends up running the show in New Orleans, but it has to be better than Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton.
Pick 6.8: Jameson Williams (WR – DET)
Rather than take a better-known commodity like Mike Williams, Tyler Lockett or Jerry Jeudy, I’d rather shoot for the moon with Williams. The second-year receiver caught just one pass during his rookie season, but it was a 41-yard touchdown. A full year removed from his knee injury, I expect Williams to thrive as Detroit’s game-breaking weapon.
Pick 7.5: DeAndre Hopkins (WR – ARI)
I’m happy to add Hopkins as my WR4. Sure, he will be 31 by the time the season begins. But he showed no signs of slowing down last season. In just nine games, he caught 64 balls for 717 yards and three touchdowns. With a healthy Kyler Murray and a better offensive system, Hopkins could be a WR1 coming at a 7th-round value.
Pick 8.8: Rachaad White (RB – TB)
This pick is what makes doing mocks in February so fun and unpredictable. The Buccaneers still have Leonard Fournettebut can cut him and pay just $1.5 million in dead cap. Should that happen, there’s no chance White will go in the eighth round. It’s a pick based mainly on speculation, but I’d rather take a shot on someone who could end up as a lead back this late.
Pick 9.5: Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN)
I love Courtland Sutton. I thought he’d have much better success as the deep ball target in Denver’s offense. As we know, none of it worked out. However, Sutton is Denver’s WR1. Denver has a new head coach in Sean Payton, who helped turn Michael Thomas into a stud. I’m getting the WR1 in a Sean Payton offense in the ninth round. I’ll take my chances on that proposition unless Russ is truly cooked.
Pick 10.8: Kyler Murray (QB – ARI)
Woah. Kyler Murray is ranked as the QB16 by our expert consensus rankings (ECR). What? Sure, Murray was disappointing in 2022. But Kliff Kingsbury was a doofus! Now the former No. 1 overall pick is ranked behind Daniel Jones, Geno Smith and Jared Goff? This is the ultimate buy-low opportunity. Plus, I can stack him and Hopkins.
Pick 11.5: David Njoku (TE – CLE)
I’m obligated to take a starting tight end.
Pick 12.8: Nico Collins (WR – HOU)
I’ve always been intrigued by Collins’ size and athleticism. With a real QB and coaching staff, maybe he can join the crowded WR3 ranks.
DraftWizard Grade: 82/100 (B-)
Fair enough Draft Wizard. My team will be criticized for its quarterback and tight end, but I love my depth at tailback and think my shots at receiver will pay off. This team has a good blend of floor and upside. But obviously, it’s only February!
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