As we approach the 4th of July holiday, Fantasy Football Mock Drafts are in full force, with several league sites opening up their mock fantasy football draft sections for the new season. With only a few weeks remaining until NFL teams start training camp, finding out which player is going where, especially in the early rounds, is yet another tool I use in my draft strategies.
So lets not mess around with anymore talk. Below is the the first of three rounds in a recent mock draft Fantasy Knuckleheads was able to take part in, including the player and analysis. See any surprises so far?
Make sure to check out our Draft Section for all the drafting help you need, including analysis, mock drafts and real drafts.
6 points for all touchdowns and PPR scoring.
ROUND ONE
1. Adrian Peterson RB, Vikings
Wow AP got selected first overall!! What a shocker!! At this point, it would shock me more to see Peterson not selected 1st overall in all league formats. Whether Christian Ponder and the passing game sinks or swims without Percy Harvin, Peterson is going to be the focal point of the offense.
2. Arian Foster RB, Texans
No surprise here either. Peterson and Foster have been the 1-2 punch in a majority of mock and real leagues since the offseason. Foster worries me due to the fact that Derek Newton is currently penciled in as the starter at right tackle, which hurt Foster's numbers somewhat in 2012. But not taking Foster here doesn't make a lot of sense. Hopefully the offensive line works itself out better than it did last year. Like I wrote in my Top 5 Handcuffs article, taking Ben Tate later will put me more at ease with this pick if Foster winds up injured in season.
3. Ray Rice RB, Ravens
There has been a lot of hype surrounding Bernard Pierce the last several weeks, but is it overblown? This is the time where player hype runs rampant, but the No. 3 owner clearly isn't buying it. Even if Rice does give up carries to Pierce, his yards-per-carry average has been strong enough that it doesn't worry me too much. If this was a non-PPR league, I would question this decision.
4. Doug Martin RB, Buccaneers
Martin's fantasy football value has been on a steady incline and continues to go up as the weeks go by. As of now, there is a possibility, albeit a small one, that Martin bypasses Foster as the No. 2 fantasy player behind Peterson. It's really hard seeing a sophomore slump in Martin's future. Muscle Hamster is just too good a talent.
5. Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs
Charles is a guy I absolutely love because he fits the mold of a running/receiving running back that Andy Reid used in Philadelphia, but will Reid go away from the run game like he had done several times in 2012?
6. Aaron Rodgers QB, Packers
Kurt wrote a piece debating who should be the first quarterback has more value this year: Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees? Both will toss up over 4000+ yards and scores in the 30s, but I still agree with this pick. Nothing wrong with Brees. But at No. 6 overall, I still give Rodgers the edge.
7. Trent Richardson RB, Browns
With a whole new coaching staff, including OC Norv Turner, it's hard not to like Richardson in his second year. If the passing game, with Brandon Weeden and Josh Gordon, can get on the same page, Richardson should easily surpass his 2012 numbers. This could wind up being an excellent value pick.
8. Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks
I don't buy the hype that Seattle is going to be more of a passing offense than they were last year simply because Percy Harvin is now in the mix. The running game is the team's bread and butter, which should put Lynch squarely on the RB1 radar once again in 2013. No doubt that Russell Wilson's passing numbers will improve, but not enough that Lynch will see that much of a decrease in carries.
9. Calvin Johnson WR, Lions
Megatron's touchdown catches (5) were down considerably compared to 2010 and 2011, but he made up for it in receptions (122) and receiving yards (1964). Only thing that can make Johnson better is having Ryan Broyles stay healthy in all 16 games.
10. LeSean McCoy RB, Eagles
McCoy is a wild card with Chip Kelly's offense still up in the air, but this is pick about right for a player who figures to have a pretty sizable role in both the running and passing game once again. With Bryce Brown around, McCoy might never see top-5 running back numbers, but he is too good a fantasy prospect to slide down anymore than this spot.
11. C.J. Spiller RB, Bills
This is value beyond value. Spiller hasn't made it out of the top 6 in any league drafts I've seen so far until this one. Unless owners are concerned about Buffalo's coaching and quarterback positions, no way Spiller should have slid to No. 11. Kudos to this owner for snagging the value pick of the first round.
12. Drew Brees QB, Saints
Brees gets somewhat of a bad rap because of age and because he doesn't have the talent around him that guys like Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers have. But Brees is one of those quarterbacks who makes talent around him better. With Sean Payton now back on the sidelines, Brees should come close to 4500 passing yards and 30+ scores. The only drawback between Brees and Rodgers is Brees has thrown 33 total interceptions in the past two seasons compared to Rodgers' 14.