Fantasy Football 12 Team Redraft Mock Draft with the 5th Pick

12 Team Mock Draft – 5th Pick – PPR – Redraft – Yahoo

Does anyone else buy every single fantasy magazine and subscription that they can get their hands on every summer? No? Just me? This isn’t the “end all-be all” to my research, but it sure does provide me hours of entertainment and allows me to go a little crazy with my pen as I take copious amounts of notes. I live and breathe fantasy football. 24/7. 365 days a year.

Part of my year-round research is to take part in mock drafts. If you have never taken part in a mock draft, I HIGHLY recommend it! It’s great practice and you can take part in mock drafts on most platforms. My personal favorite platforms for mock drafts are Sleeper, Fantasy Pros Draft Wizard or Yahoo. You will never complete two mock drafts that are exactly the same. That is what I love about Fantasy Football. Your strategy and plan can change on a dime and you have to be ready to move to Plan B or Plan C!

I recently took part in a 12 team mock draft on Yahoo and had the 5th pick. The roster layout consists of 1 QB/2 WR/2 RB/1 TE/1 Flex/1 K/1 DEF/6 BN. As I break down my thoughts on my mock draft results, my hope is that whether you are new to Fantasy Football or consider yourself a veteran, you will find some new strategies that you can use to take down your opponents in your next draft!

Round One – 5th Overall Pick – Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans RB

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Going into the draft, I knew that I would have a HUGE choice to make with the 5th pick. The first four picks came of no surprise to me. The top four RB’s were off the board in a hurry. I was up to bat. Time to make a decision.

I struggled with this one. I love to start out with a stud RB, so I knew I would get one if I went with Dalvin Cook or Derrick Henry. However, I could also land the top WR in Michael Thomas and potentially stack with Drew Brees later in the draft. I decided to start my draft off with a RB since the quality of RBs is not as deep as the quality of WRs. I stayed away from Cook because at the 1.05 spot, I need to be absolutely sure that my pick will not be a bust. I cannot be sure of that with Cook’s injury history and a possible holdout into the season. Ultimately, I chose “The King.” Coming off a career year and the league rushing title with 1,540 yards, I feel comfortable knowing that the Titans focal point in this offense will continue to go through Henry. As a result, I feel great about this pick.

Round Two – 20th Overall Pick – Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR

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Did you know Chris Godwin finished second at the WR position in PPR last season with 276 points, despite missing the last two games of the season with a hamstring injury? (Michael Thomas was first with 374 points!) When he fell to me, I couldn’t pass up selecting Godwin with my second pick. I typically like to start my draft with two stud RBs; however, I couldn’t pass up the value here. With 6 wide receivers off the board already, I took the opportunity to draft a WR1 who now has Tom Brady as his QB. Yes please.

Round Three – 29th Overall Pick – Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs RB

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Going into Round Three, I knew I wanted another RB. After starting my draft RB-WR, I wanted to solidify my starting RBs since the talent drops off significantly. Meanwhile, the WR talent is deep this year and I feel confident in finding solid WR in the later rounds. As a result, I was at a crossroads: Todd Gurley or Clyde Edwards-Helaire? On one hand, I could draft Gurley who finds himself on a new team and has a history of fantasy success. During the past three seasons, Gurley has finished RB1, RB3 and RB14, respectively. On the other hand, I could draft CEH, a rookie out of LSU, primed to enter one of the most exciting offenses in the NFL and certainly for fantasy purposes.

The rookie hype is real. However, I believe that CEH can produce this season and be a top 15 RB. He will share carries with Damien Williams for sure, but this is an offense with Andy Reid. Edwards-Helaire is a patient runner that will allow his blocks to develop while he presses the line of scrimmage. Andy Reid loves his RBs and I feel confident selecting CEH as the 15th RB off the board.

Round Four – 44th Overall Pick – James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers RB

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Because I adjusted my strategy in Round Two and took a top 10 WR, I now need to circle back and load up on RB before the talent drops off. By starting off the draft RB-WR-RB-RB, I can now start three RB (One in the Flex), ensure that I will feel safe during injuries/by weeks, or even use one as trade bait during the season. I love this pick in the fourth round. Don’t forget about 2018. Just two years ago, Conner finished 6th among RBs in PPR with 280 points. He struggled with injuries last year, missing 6 games, but now returns healthy this year, along with a healthy Big Ben. I see a bounce back year for James Conner and I will happily draft him as the 23rd RB off the board.

Round Five – 53rd Overall Pick – Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams WR

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I now have 3 RBs and 1 WR on my team. At this point, the top tier Tight Ends and top tier Quarterbacks are off the board. I can focus my search on finding another solid WR. Enter Robert Woods. With the departure of Brandin Cooks, Woods will continue to see his fair share of targets. Over the last two seasons, Woods has seen at least 130 targets. He only had 2 TDs last year, so he is due for some positive regression in the TD category. As the 22nd WR off the board, I couldn’t be happier to select him as my second WR, pairing him with Chris Godwin.

Round Six – 68th Overall Pick – Damien Williams, Kansas City Chiefs RB

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At this point, I have a decision to make. A small QB run breaks out in the beginning of the round. Do I hop on that train and grab one before the QBs dry up, or take my chances? I always like to say, “When they zig…you zag.” As a result, I drafted my fourth RB, going for depth on my bench. You could say I “handcuffed” since I drafted CEH in round three. However, they will both be utilized in that offense and there are plenty of opportunities to score when Mahomes takes the field. Plus, if CEH doesn’t work out or gets injured, I now have Damien on my roster as well to take over and don’t have to worry about trading for him. *Never be afraid to start filling out a bench spot or two before you have your QB or TE positions filled!*

Round Seven – 77th Overall Pick – Evan Engram, New York Giants TE

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I decided to wait on a tight end. If I can’t get Travis Kelce, George Kittle or Zach Ertz, I am going to wait at tight end. However, at this point in the draft, I was almost halfway through and saw Evan Engram sitting there. I noticed several other teams drafting after me in the sixth hadn’t acquired a tight end yet either. I drafted Engram with two things in mind:

1. Great value! The 6th tight end off the board and I don’t feel like I reached. Engram is coming off a foot injury that caused him to miss 8 games last year. He has a history of injuries over the past two years, but should be healthy entering this season.
2. With this pick, I am hoping to start a panic from other owners who feel like they need to draft a tight end now.

Round Eight – 92nd Overall Pick – Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans WR

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At this juncture in the draft, I now have my starting roster completely filled out, with the exception of my QB. So far, nine of the twelve teams have selected their starting QB already. As a result, I feel comfortable waiting another round and continuing to build depth on my bench. I selected Cooks knowing that he may very well be starting on my roster this season, especially given the departure of DeAndre Hopkins. Cooks had four consecutive years of 1,000 or more receiving yards with three different teams. Although he had a down year in 2019, I do see positive regression coming his way. He now has a better QB in Deshaun Watson and should bounce back this year.

Round Nine – 101st Overall Pick – Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints QB

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I can’t believe I was able to grab Drew Brees this late. The 11th QB off the board, Drew Brees has the potential to be a top 5 QB. Over the last five years, his fantasy finishes are QB6, QB3, QB9, QB8, QB22. Keep in mind, he missed five games last year due to injury, hence his low finish. Now, Brees returns for his 20th season healthy and has Alvin Kamara back healthy. Let’s not forget some guy named Michael Thomas. In addition, the Saints added Emmanuel Sanders to their WR core over the off-season. Brees has a full arsenal again this season and I am pleased to have him as my starter, at such a great value pick!

Round Ten – 116th Overall Pick – Sterling Shepard, New York Giants WR

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My starting lineup is set (Minus my Defense and Kicker…SAVE THEM FOR LAST!) Now, it’s time to continue to add depth to my bench. Over his four year career, Shepard has averaged 62 receptions for 716 yards and 4 TDs. I will take that for bench depth any day! He missed a few games last year due to a concussion and will hopefully stay healthy for me all year. He has had a full year of working with Daniel Jones as his QB as well which should help the chemistry with the offense as a whole.

Round Eleven – 125th Overall Pick – Diontae Johnson – Pittsburgh Steelers WR

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This may be the pick I am most excited about. Diontae finished his rookie season with 59 receptions for 680 yards and 5 TDs. Don’t forget that Ben Roethlisberger only played in 2 games last year before going down with an injury to his elbow. Big Ben enters this season healthy and Diontae is a perfect candidate for a breakout season, lining up alongide Juju Smith-Schuster. I didn’t hesitate to scoop up Diontae as my fourth bench spot. He could provide great value during bye weeks later in the season.

Round Twelve – 140th Overall Pick – Dallas Goedert – Philadelphia Eagles TE

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As I near the end of the draft, I am strictly asking myself, “What players have a chance to see the field the most often and could be a great play if their counterpart was to get injured and miss time?” Dallas Goedert fits that mold perfectly for me. The 16th TE drafted, Goedert has a role in the Eagles offense even with Zach Ertz on the field. Last year, Dallas had 58 receptions for 607 yards and 5 TD. This was all the while Zach Ertz was on the field as well. This is a perfect TE to plug and play during bye weeks and maybe even trade down the road. Ertz has had his fair share of injuries, so if he misses any time, I’m gold at the TE position.

Round Thirteen – 149th Overall Pick – Adrian Peterson – Washington Redskins RB

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I remember the days when Adrian Peterson was the unanimous #1 pick in most fantasy drafts. Now entering his 14th year in the league, AP is being drafted in the late rounds as a flier. The Redskins RB depth chart is deep with Derrius Guice, Adrian Peterson, rookie Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic. I expect a full blown RBBC here, with Peterson seeing some time on the field. Peterson has shown he still has some gas in the tank, finishing the 2019 season out with 211 carries for 898 yards and 5 TDs. He also added 142 receiving yards putting him at 1,040 scrimmage yards for the year. Those carries will be reduced but it’s worth taking a shot at a RB who can certainly add depth to my bench.

Round Fourteen – 164th Overall Pick – New Orleans Saints Defense

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The last defense to finish #1 in back to back seasons was the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012-2013. It doesn’t happen often, so I don’t bother trying to chase the defense that was amazing last year. That was last year. A lot changes in the course of a year. New England Defense was selected in Round 11 while I was grabbing my favorite guy, Diontae Johnson. I waited three more rounds to grab a defense and selected the Saints DEF. The Saints have managed top 15 finishes for three consecutive seasons (2017- #7, 2018- #14, 2019 -#9). I will take those odds and I can stream defenses throughout the year if I need to.

Round Fifteen – 173rd Overall Pick – Dan Bailey – Minnesota Vikings Kicker

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To have a kicker or not have a kicker? That is the age old debate. You may play in leagues with a kicker and you may play in leagues that eliminate the kicker and add a flex spot. Personally, I enjoy leagues with no kickers. But nonetheless, I need a kicker so I live by one rule and one rule only: Please DO NOT draft your kicker until the LAST round! I looked at the past four years and the average point differential between the #1 kicker and #8 kicker is 31.5 points. Average that out for 16 games and that’s only a differential of 1.96 points per game. You will inevitably have someone draft a kicker rounds before you. Don’t sweat it. Smile and go ahead and grab that sleeper that you think will go off during the season. Again, you can stream your kicker throughout the season.

Here is my final roster! How did I do? What picks do you like the most? Anything you would change? Remember: Practice makes perfect and most importantly…have fun!

QB – Drew Brees
RB – Derrick Henry
RB – Clyde Edwards-Helaire
WR – Chris Godwin
WR – Robert Woods
W/R/T – James Conner
TE – Evan Engram
DEF – New Orleans Saints
K – Dan Bailey
BN – Damien Williams
BN – Brandin Cooks
BN – Sterling Shepard
BN – Diontae Johnson
BN – Dallas Goedert
BN – Adrian Peterson

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