I wanted to try something different with the 12-team, 0.5 PPR mock draft we did Tuesday afternoon on Fantasy Football Today. And I ended up altering my plans a couple of times. That's OK because you want to be flexible, especially in a mock.
When I found out that I had the No. 4 pick, my plan was to take a Zero RB approach, starting with Michael Thomas in the first round. That plan was scrapped after Tommy Tran drafted Thomas at No. 3 overall.
Then, I thought about drafting a modified Zero RB team after selecting Alvin Kamara. I took George Kittle in Round 2 and Calvin Ridley in Round 3, and I was on my way.
But in Round 4, things changed again. I didn't love the receivers on the board — Keenan Allen, T.Y Hilton, Courtland Sutton and A.J. Green were the next four drafted — and I felt like David Johnson was a better value selection. His Average Draft Position is No. 39 overall, and I got him at No. 45. If he hits as the featured running back for the Texans, then this pick is great.
In Round 5, I pivoted again. I was planning to select D.J. Chark, who I love, but I wanted to draft another running back and went with Leonard Fournette. Now, I have Fournette as a bust candidate, but that's based on his ADP at No. 32 overall. At No. 52 overall, as my third running back, he's a steal.
So instead of shying away from running backs with this team, I now had three through five rounds. It was a different approach, but hopefully I made the right choice if Johnson and Fournette are good.
My receiving corps needed some work now, and in Round 6, I went with another player that I have as a bust candidate in DeVante Parker. I'm expecting Parker to regress this season, especially if Tua Tagovailoa starts more games than Ryan Fitzpatrick, but No. 69 overall is a good spot for Parker given the construction of this team.
Russell Wilson was an easy selection in Round 7, and I finished my starting lineup in Round 8 with Sterling Shepard. He's not the ideal No. 3 receiver, but he could be the No. 1 receiving option for the Giants this year.
I was thrilled with my how my bench filled out with Kerryon Johnson, Jalen Reagor, Chase Edmonds, Steven Sims, Ryquell Armstead and Malcolm Brown. And this team should be competitive in this format.
In looking at my bench, I've recently started moving Johnson up in my rankings. With the NFL not allowing any offseason work because of the coronavirus pandemic — and now there will be no preseason games — it will be tough on the rookies to make a significant impact early in the year. As a result, Johnson should benefit, while D'Andre Swift could suffer. I would still draft Swift ahead of Johnson, but I'm more interested in the veteran than I was initially following the NFL Draft.
As for my other reserves, we'll find out if Reagor can play a prominent role in Philadelphia's receiving corps right away, but he's a good receiver to stash on your bench with the hope he's a top target for Carson Wentz. And Sims is one of my favorite sleepers as the slot receiver in Washington.
Edmonds is a lottery ticket in case something happens to Kenyan Drake, and Armstead is essentially a handcuff for Fournette. As for Brown, there's a chance he could have a bigger role in the Rams' backfield than we expect in helping to replace Todd Gurley.
Rams coach Sean McVay said on NFL Network host Dan Hellie's podcast that Brown, Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson will form a committee, and McVay will "see how these guys do." I like Akers and Henderson, in that order, better than Brown, but he's a good flier in Round 14 in all leagues.
For a full breakdown of this mock draft, you can listen to Wednesday's Fantasy Football Today Podcast. We did the draft while recording, so you can get all of our thoughts in real time. Be sure to subscribe for nonstop Fantasy analysis through the season.
In this league, all touchdowns are worth six points, and we award one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving and one point for every 25 yards passing. We also award 0.5 points for every reception. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and DST. There also are six reserve spots for a 15-round draft.
Our draft order is as follows:
1. Meron Berkson, CBS Sports HQ Producer
2. Michael Kiser, Director, VOD and Video Optimization
3. Tommy Tran, CBS Sports HQ Host
4. Jamey Eisenberg, Senior Fantasy Writer
5. Adam Aizer, Podcast Host
6. Heath Cummings, Senior Fantasy Writer
7. Ben Gretch, Fantasy Editor
8. Ben Schragger, Podcast Producer
9. Dave Richard, Senior Fantasy Writer
10. R.J. White, NFL Editor
11. Chris Towers, Senior Editor, Fantasy
12. Andrew Baumhor, CBS Sports HQ Producer