It’s never too early to get prepared to win your fantasy football league. And that’s exactly what we’ll be aiming to do today!
Through the DraftHero mock draft simulator app on 4for4, I’ve run a 12-team full-PPR fantasy football mock draft. This is to get a broad idea of player values and what types of macro-level strategies we can see forming ahead of the NFL season.
Today we’ll be using Yahoo!-specific scoring settings, with a single quarterback and full-PPR scoring. With three wide receiver slots, they will be very valuable commodities through the draft. The full 2023 fantasy football mock draft board will be inserted at the end of the article. It showcases Justin Jefferson as the No. 1 overall pick. In addition, we have other first-round WR1 and WR2 options, such as Cooper Kupp, Ja’Marr Chase, or Tyreek Hill.
Roster Settings: 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1 FLEX, 1DST, 1K, and 6 Bench Spots
*Check out the full Yahoo! ADP at 4for4!
Fantasy Football Mock Draft, Rounds 1-4
Biggest Reach: Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints (Round 3, Pick 1)
There weren’t a lot of reaches here in the first rounds. Which makes this five-pick reach seem like more than it is. It’s hard to say exactly what the target tree in New Orleans will be like if Michael Thomas is back in form, but Chris Olave still has plenty of upside. Newly acquired Derek Carr has a history of supporting two fantasy options, so Olave thriving with Thomas is not out of the question.
Biggest Fall: Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots (Round 3, Pick 5)
A great pick in any format, Rhamondre Stevenson could absorb a vast majority of the running back targets this season. This is in addition to a monster early-down role. Full-PPR or not, Stevenson should be a target in your redraft leagues. He has the ability to build on a great 2022 season as a pass-catcher, with some further touchdown upside. He’s a real option to become an RB1 for fantasy managers this year.
Fantasy Football Mock Draft, Rounds 5-8
Takeaways
The wide receivers rule this middle portion of the draft right now, with 22 coming off the board in these four rounds. Be wary of getting caught up in these huge WR runs; there’s a big difference between Diontae Johnson and Jordan Addison in a PPR league.
Wide receivers are incredibly valuable, but if there’s a chance to zig into a falling quarterback, running back, or tight end, it may be worth it. Don’t let a great fantasy asset pass you by in Round 7 just because you’re scared of getting left behind and subsequently taking a lowly WR4.
Fantasy Football Mock Draft, Rounds 9-12
Biggest Reaches: Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens (Round 9, Pick 2), Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears (Round 10, Pick 6)
After the long run on wide receivers in the middle rounds, teams were left scrambling for options later on, and this is the outcome. Both of these options are on extremely run-heavy offenses and are very unlikely to be target hogs. They can both have explosive games from time to time, but in a PPR league, they are especially inconsistent fantasy producers.
Fantasy Football Mock Draft, Rounds 13-16
Takeaways
Depending on your particular league settings, you are either forced to leave your draft with a kicker and a defense, or you are not. I decided not to enforce that rule in this draft so we could see some extra names at the end. If your league does force you to leave the draft with both, I prefer to select my D/ST in the 15th and my kicker in the 16th. Some of my favorite D/ST picks so far have been the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Biggest Fall: Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 13, Pick 8)
As a late-round dart throw, Jaylen Warren is one of the better choices you could go with, especially if your running back room feels light. Warren continued to gain usage throughout his rookie campaign and arguably looked better in the running and passing game than Najee Harris. He could push for a bigger chunk of the split in the 2023 season.
*Check out the full set of 4for4’s award-winning Rankings, customized for your Yahoo! league here.
This is the first fantasy football mock draft of 2023, but we will be doing fantasy drafts throughout the NFL offseason now that the NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror. We will have half-PPR mock drafts, 10-team mocks, and everything in between throughout the fantasy draft season.