Jones-Drew rises in NFL.com's 2009 PPR fantasy football mock draft

Fabiano's analysis: Rosenthal passed on Forte, who fell to Ambrosius at No. 4 overall, to take Jones-Drew. That speaks volumes about how MJD's value has risen. Tomlinson, despite his age and last season's poor numbers, still went in the first round. Hanson took Andre Johnson ahead of Larry Fitzgerald, who is considered the consensus top fantasy wideout. Williams, because of lack of pass-catching numbers, fell to the last pick in the round.

Fabiano's analysis: Three wide receivers (Fitzgerald, Johnson, Moss) were taken to start the round, which shouldn't be a shock in a PPR format. The position dominated the round, with eight receivers taken. The fall of Westbrook's value was apparent, as he stayed on the board until the No. 17 overall pick. Gonos passed on Drew Brees and made Brady the first quarterback selected. Barber could turn out to be a steal for Bonini in the second round.

Fabiano's analysis: Caplan made Witten the first tight end to come off the board. Six more wideouts were taken in the round, as Colston, Welker, Houshmandzadeh, Owens, Bowe and Marshall were selected. Moreno was the first rookie drafted, as Rank took him with the No. 29 overall pick. Bush was taken in the round as well, but he'll fall into the middle rounds in leagues that use standard scoring systems. Brees was the second quarterback taken.

Fabiano's analysis: Smith, a potential sleeper/breakout candidate, was the first player off the board in this round. Viable fantasy starting runners like Ward, McFadden and Grant were all available, proving that fantasy leaguers can still get value at the position outside of the first three rounds. Lynch, who has been suspended for three games, fell to the No. 40 overall pick. Ochocinco could turn out to be a nice value for Bonini with Carson Palmer back.

Fabiano's analysis: Jones, who finished in the top five in fantasy points on NFL.com among runner last season, fell into the fifth round. That speaks volumes about how his value is being questioned for 2009. The round also saw two tight ends (Gates, Tony Gonzalez) and a potential sleeper in Anthony Gonzalez come off the board. Addai, who's stock has fallen after last season's failures and the addition of Donald Brown, wasn't taken until late in the round.

Fabiano's analysis: Brown was the second rookie selected, taken as a handcuff for Addai. The fact that Rivers, Rodgers, Warner and Romo were all taken in either the fifth or sixth round proves that fantasy leaguers can find good value at the position even in the middle of the draft. Johnson and Parker, once considered elite backs, fell into the sixth round. Rosenthal took Rice ahead of fellow Ravens backs Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain.

Fabiano's analysis: This round was dominated by wide receivers, as eight were selected in the 12 selections. That list includes Avery and Hester, who are both considered potential sleeper candidates after offseason moves. The same holds true for Olsen, who is now a surefire No. 1 fantasy tight end with Jay Cutler under center in Chicago. Engel took the rookie McCoy, not as a handcuff for Westbrook (Sabino) but as his fourth running back.

Fabiano's analysis: Three tight ends came off the board in the round, Cooley, Daniels and Winslow. All three are fantasy starters and could be real bargains at this point in the draft. It's apparent that Cutler's value has fallen after a trade to the Bears, as he lasted to the No. 88 overall selection. Ambrosius made Crabtree the first rookie wideout taken, while Rosenthal had a nice bargain pick with Palmer. Cockcroft could end up with a good value in Benson.

Fabiano's analysis: Caplan could end up with a decent value in Jones, who is slated to be the starter in Seattle's run-based offense. Graham, Lewis, Roethlisberger and McGahee all fell in value compared to their values heading into the 2008 season. Hansen is high on Charles, who has some low-end sleeper value behind Larry Johnson in Kansas City. Greene, the rookie runner out of Iowa, was taken ahead of his teammate, Washington, out of the Jets backfield.

Fabiano's analysis: Muhammad, Branch and Chambers, all risk-reward veteran wideouts, came off the board in the round. Jackson, who is slated to start the first three games of the season in lieu of Lynch's suspension, could become a nice bargain for Sabino. Maclin was the second rookie wideout to come off the board, taken by Ambrosius with the No. 117 pick. There are obviously still plenty of questions about Cassel, who was still available until late in the round.

Fabiano's analysis: Backup running backs were extremely popular in this round, as Williams, Bush, Norwood and Bradshaw were all selected. Bradshaw could turn into a viable sleeper. Engel could end up with an absolute steal in Hightower, who still has a chance to start even with Wells in the Cardinals backfield mix. Austin has some low-end sleeper appeal in Dallas, where he'll battle Patrick Crayton for the right to start opposite Roy E. Williams.

Fabiano's analysis: Four fantasy backup quarterbacks came off the board in this round, a list that includes Orton and Manning. Edwards, a nice sleeper with Terrell Owens now in Buffalo, landed on Rank's squad with the No. 140 pick. Taylor's value was obviously affected now that he's in New England. McClain, who rushed for 10 touchdowns last season, has seen his stock drop now that he'll play a more traditional fullback role in Baltimore.

Fabiano's analysis: A run on defenses occurred in this round, but surprisingly it wasn't led by the Steelers. Instead, Caplan took the Eagles with the first pick. The Steelers would come off the board two picks later, followed closely by the Ravens and Giants. More potential sleepers like Harrison, Bennett and Keller also had their names called. Faulk, who has added value in PPR leagues, went to Kessenich with the final selection in the round.

Fabiano's analysis: Cockcroft took his fourth Giants player in five rounds with Nicks, who warrants a late-round look. Former Giant Burress was also drafted despite his current free-agent status. The same holds true for Favre, who could be a terrific pick if he returns to play for the Vikings. At this point, all indications are that he will be back in 2009. Four more defenses were selected in the round, led by the Vikings and Jets.

Fabiano's analysis: An additional four defenses were selected in this round, led by the Cowboys and Titans. Rank took a chance on Henry, who has had a great offseason, while Bonini gambled that Brown could move up the Giants' depth chart in his rookie season. Buckhalter still has a chance to start in Denver, though Moreno looks like the favorite. Ambrosius took the first kicker, Gostkowski, with the No. 172 overall selection in the draft.

Fabiano's analysis: Delhomme was the lone non-kicker to be selected in the 16th and final round, and that's a good lesson to learn. There's never any reason to take a kicker until one of the final two rounds. Several veterans, a list that includes Elam, Akers and Longwell, all had their names called. Hartley is a serious sleeper at the position. The only surprise was Tynes, who missed much of last season due to injuries but was still taken by Sabino.