Fantasy Football Mock Draft (12-team PPR): DeVonta Smith, CeeDee Lamb among WRs targeted, Rams RB tipped for tremendous upside
Dominating your fantasy football draft from an early pick isn’t hard. It’s about roster construction that gives you the best chance to score massive fantasy points every week. Seems easy, right? Well, tons of people screw this up every year because they don’t draft from tiers, which causes them to reach for players and miss out on value elsewhere.
This exercise will look at how you can draft from the front end of drafts (from the 1.02) and use Average Draft Position (ADP) to help me select which players will be in range for each draft pick. I’ll use ADP from Sleeper to coordinate my picks. We’ll assume this is a 12-team, points-per-reception league (PPR). Let’s look at 10 rounds of picks, which gives us 120 players to choose from.
2024 Fantasy Football Mock Draft
1.02 CeeDee Lamb – WR (DAL)
Last year’s highest point scorer in all of fantasy is a gift to anyone picking this high. Dallas will again be one of the most pass-heavy teams in the league. Head Coach Mike McCarthy calls plays and is fighting to keep his job. If Lamb isn’t one of the league leaders in targets, it’s because something went insanely wrong. I have no issue with Lamb being the first receiver off the board. His 23.7 points per game a year ago led all receivers. If Christian McCaffrey falls to 1.02 because Lamb goes first, he would be my pick.
2.11 De’Von Achane – RB (MIA)
We want impact players in fantasy, and Achane is just that. His insane efficiency last year is likely not sustainable, but who cares? He averaged 7.77 yards per carry. That was over two yards more than Christian McCaffrey. Per Fantasy Points Data, Achane led the NFL in explosive run rate (runs that go over 15 yards), as 12.6% of his carries went over that mark. Listen, fantasy is fun. Draft exciting players on good offenses. Achane is exactly that.
3.02 Nico Collins – WR (HOU)
It was a breakout season for Collins, who finished seventh in points per game at WR in 2023. This year, he’s richer (new contract) and has another offseason of chemistry with QB C.J. Stroud. This goes back to drafting elite players on explosive offenses with high-end quarterbacks. Collins checks every box. I’m not overly worried about Stefon Diggs joining the Texans, as Collins will see even fewer double teams and continue to win at every level of the field. Per Fantasy Points Data, Collins was 4th among all WRs (min. 25 targets) in yards per target. Have no fear drafting Collins this year.
4.11 DeVonta Smith – WR (PHI)
There might not be a receiver I like more for 2024 than Smith. He’s sliding into the slot role of new Eagles OC, Kellen Moore. That spot in recent years was played by Keenan Allen in 2023 (WR 3 in PPG) and CeeDee Lamb in 2022 (WR 7 in PPG). We’re going to see Smith get peppered with targets. Allen, in this same offense a year ago, was second in the NFL in team target percentage at just over 30%. If Smith can get even close to those numbers, he’s going to produce as a top-10 receiver. You’re getting him at the end of round four. That’s stealing.
5.02 Dalton Kincaid – TE (BUF)
There is a real chance that Kincaid leads all tight ends in targets this season. He’s the number one option on a Bills team that lacks an alpha receiver on the outside. Remember, Buffalo spent a first-round pick on Kincaid a year ago. I’m betting on the upside of a young, talented player who becomes the apple of his QB’s eye. I’d much rather spend a 5th round pick on Kincaid than a third-rounder on Sam LaPorta or Trey McBride.
6.11 Dak Prescott – QB (DAL)
Now we’re cooking. Prescott is the most undervalued QB in fantasy. Last year, he led the NFL in passing touchdowns (36), and in 2024, will be playing for a new contract. Plus, we get to pair him with our first pick (CeeDee Lamb) to give us a fantastic stack. We’re getting a guy who will likely throw over 30 touchdowns and easily over 4000 yards outside of the top-5 QBs selected. That’s value.
Here's a comparison of Dak Prescott's fantasy projection using Sportskeeda's Who Should I Draft tool.
7.02 Hollywood Brown – WR (KC)
You might be asking, “This seems like a lot of receivers”, and you’re right, but it’s all about roster construction. Here’s the number one wide receiver on a Patrick Mahomes offense who wants to get vertical again. Brown can win on routes underneath and over the top. That deep element was severely lacking in Kansas City last season, and that is exactly why Brown was brought in. Brown is a dynamic playmaker, but during his time in Baltimore, he was stuck on a run-first offense. In Arizona, he missed time with an injury. His depressed ADP is your golden ticket to fantasy success.
8.11 Jonathan Brooks – RB (CAR)
OK, it's time to get into the running back business. Brooks is a rookie who might be slow out of the gate due to an ACL injury last season. Trust me, when he gets his chance to play, he’s not giving up the starting role. I want Brooks on my team for a major second-half explosion under new head coach Dave Canales. We’ve seen what Canales can do with offenses like Seattle and Tampa Bay over the last two seasons. Now drop the best rookie running back into his scheme. Look out.
9.02 Devin Singletary – RB (NYG)
We’re nearly 100 picks into the draft, and we’re landing a full-time starter at running back who has proven to be durable and productive. This is a no-brainer. Singletary joins a Giants offense that doesn’t have many playmakers. He’ll be counted on to be a three-down workhorse in the mould of a lowercase Saquon Barkley. I expect Singletary to massively outperform his ADP and finish as a top-15 running back.
10.11 Blake Corum – RB (LAR)
Upside is the name of the game with Corum who instantly slides in as the backup to Kyren Williams. We all know that Williams struggles to stay healthy, and if (and when) he goes down, Corum assumes the top role in Sean McVay’s explosive offense. 120 picks into a draft, you don’t often find “league-winners,” but Corum and his downhill running style are just that.