With the NFL (and fantasy) season rapidly approaching, it's more important than ever to sharpen your drafting skills via mock drafts. But if you don't have time to enter one FOR FREE on NFL.com, you can just read about ours here. A few weeks back we conducted a standard scoring fantasy football mock draft, but this time around we dove into a 15-round, point-per-reception (PPR) mock draft.
The PPR scoring league consisted of NFL Fantasy LIVE members, producers, and writers. Each team needed to assemble a starting lineup of one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one flex (RB/WR), one tight end, one kicker and one defense/special teams unit. Marcas Grant and Alex Gelhar provided a little commentary and analysis in between the results of each round below. So soak up all of the glory of this mock, and be sure to let the crew know how bad their teams are in the comments below or on Twitter.
Draft order
- Matt Harmon - NFL.com Fantasy Writer/Editor
- Hytham Kilani - NFL Fantasy LIVE Producer
- Marcas Grant - NFL.com Fantasy Editor
- Dylan Milner - NFL Fantasy LIVE Senior Producer
- Michael Fabiano - NFL.com Senior Fantasy Analyst
- Heather Pink - NFL Fantasy LIVE Producer
- Alex Gelhar - NFL.com Fantasy Writer/Editor
- Matt Franciscovich (a.k.a. Franchise) - NFL.com Fantasy Writer/Editor
- James Koh - NFL Fantasy LIVE host
- Alex Wilk - NFL Fantasy LIVE Producer
ROUND 1
- Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers - Harmon
- Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings - Kilani
- Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs - Grant
- Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears - Milner
- Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans - Fabiano
- Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers - Pink
- Eddie Lacy, RB, Green Bay Packers - Gelhar
- Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks - Franchise
- Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers - Koh
- LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills - Wilk
Marcas Grant: We're all about that PPR life in this latest mock draft and New Guy (aka Matt Harmon) starts with a bold choice of Le'Veon Bell up top. Way to make a name for yourself.
Alex Gelhar: A bit of a surprise, but still a solid pick. Bell had 83 receptions a season ago and will be the center-piece of that offense, regardless of how many games he's suspended for. I would have been surprised to see Aaron Rodgers in Round 1, but then I realized Koh drafted him and it all made sense.
MG: His theme for this draft was definitely YOLO ... or maybe KOH-LO. I'm still surprised we saw just one WR in the first round.
ROUND 2
- Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys - Wilk
- C.J. Anderson, RB, Denver Broncos - Koh
- Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants - Franchise
- Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons - Gelhar
- Jeremy Hill, RB, Cincinnati Bengals - Pink
- Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos - Fabiano
- Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay Packers - Milner
- Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots - Grant
- Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions - Kilani
- DeMarco Murray, RB, Philadelphia Eagles - Harmon
AG: One place where we didn't see just one WR was Round 2, where seven pass-catchers went off the board (counting Gronk). That being said, I think those that went after an RB returned solid value.
MG: Speaking of Gronk, I was shocked that he fell to me at No. 18. I'm certainly not complaining though. Getting DeMarco Murray at No. 20 is crazy value.
AG: Agreed, great value for both of you. Harmon's backfield was looking quiet beefy as we entered Round 3, if you catch my drift.
ROUND 3
- Justin Forsett, RB, Baltimore Ravens - Harmon
- Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts - Kilani
- Randall Cobb, WR, Green Bacy Packers - Grant
- A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals - Milner
- Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Fabiano
- Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears - Pink
- DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans - Gelhar
- Mark Ingram, RB, New Orleans Saints - Franchise
- Jimmy Graham, TE, Seattle Seahawks - Koh
- Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Denver Broncos - Wilk
MG: That's either a shot at Joseph Randle or a reference to Harmon starting the third round with a third running back (Justin Forsett). Either way, I approve. How did we let that happen, by the way?
AG: Aliens? Magic? Jon Gruden? Anyway, the number of WR1-level talents available in Round 3 was amazing. I personally loved getting DeAndre Hopkins as the WR12 overall. What pick jumped out at you?
MG: All of the WR picks have a ton of value in Round 3. In hindsight, it's a little amazing that A.J. Green was there. It feels like he's become an innocent bystander from all of the Andy Dalton slander being thrown around.
ROUND 4
- Carlos Hyde, RB, San Francisco 49ers - Wilk
- Brandin Cooks, WR, New Orleans Saints - Koh
- T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts - Franchise
- Frank Gore, RB, Indianapolis Colts - Gelhar
- Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers - Pink
- Andre Ellington, RB, Arizona Cardinals - Fabiano
- Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots - Milner
- Jordan Matthews, WR, Philadelphia Eagles - Grant
- Lamar Miller, RB, Miami Dolphins - Kilani
- Andre Johnson, WR, Indianapolis Colts - Harmon
AG: Agreed. You know who isn't damaging the perception of his skill position players? Andrew Luck. Three Colts went in Round 4 alone! Are we getting too bullish on this "Greatest Shoe on Earth" talk, considering Luck has more mouths to feed than the Duggers?
MG: Maybe. But if there are three guys who seem reliable, it's the three that went in the fourth round. When we start talking about Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett, it might get a little dicey. Also as much as I love Brandin Cooks, all the increasing hype is making me nervous.
AG: I've stated my reservations about Cooks before, and the top of Round 4 feels WAY too rich for my liking. One quick note: I like the team Kilani has built thus far. He could have the top scoring player at QB, RB and WR when it's all said and done.
ROUND 5
- Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs - Harmon
- Melvin Gordon, RB, San Diego Chargers - Kilani
- Alfred Morris, RB, Washington Redskins - Grant
- Latavius Murray, RB, Oakland Raiders - Milner
- Keenan Allen, WR, San Diego Chargers - Fabiano
- Joique Bell, RB, Detroit Lions - Pink
- C.J. Spiller, RB, New Orleans Saints - Gelhar
- Giovani Bernard, RB, Cincinnati Bengals - Franchise
- DeSean Jackson, WR, Washington Redskins - Koh
- Kevin White, WR, Chicago Bears - Wilk
MG: Then he follows it up with a nice Melvin Gordon pick in Round 5. This is where PPR changes things. I would have to raise a questioning eyebrow if you took C.J. Spiller in the fifth round of a standard league. But in this case, it feels like a great pick.
AG: Agreed. A back like Spiller has loads more value in PPR formats, which was why I snagged him here (perhaps a tad early) to play as my flex. Perhaps it's because he's a Bears fan, but I feel like Wilk reached tremendously on Kevin White, considering Eddie Royal and Martellus Bennett will eat up a ton of targets in the Windy City. I know White might be on your "ride or die" team, though, so I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
MG: I do love Kevin White, but I also would have tried to wait another round or two to grab him. I have a sneaking suspicion that Wilk was blinded by his Bears bias. Don't think it's a terrible pick, but I think he could have afforded to wait a little longer.
ROUND 6
- Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks - Wilk
- Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers - Koh
- Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos - Franchise
- Allen Robinson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars - Gelhar
- Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons - Pink
- T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars - Fabiano
- Todd Gurley, RB, St. Louis Rams - Milner
- Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders - Grant
- Jarvis Landry, WR, Miami Dolphins - Kilani
- Brandon Marshall, WR, New York Jets - Harmon
AG: Round 6 featured a mini QB run, with Wilk and Franchise getting excellent value with Russell Wilson and Peyton Manning, respectively. But then in a shocking turn of events, Pink went and made Matt Ryan the fifth QB off the board
MG: Yeah, that definitely caught me off guard. Especially considering some of the players that were still out there at that time. I know that T.J. Yeldon is a starting NFL running back, but am I the only one who's dubious about his potential for production this year? What I've seen on tape from him doesn't really excite me.
AG: Yeldon will certainly get his chances early on, but what he does for them remains to be seen. Hopefully we don't have Toby Gerhart 2.0 on our hands. By the way, while Koh's team has some issues, nabbing the Daily Show in Round 6 is an absolute steal in my book.
ROUND 7
- Joseph Randle, RB, Dallas Cowboys - Harmon
- Rashad Jennings, RB, New York Giants - Kilani
- Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints - Grant
- Greg Olsen, TE, Carolina Panthers - Milner
- Ameer Abdullah, RB, Detroit Lions - Fabiano
- Julius Thomas, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars - Pink
- Martavis Bryant, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers - Gelhar
- Tre Mason, RB, St. Louis Rams - Franchise
- Tevin Coleman, RB, Atlanta Falcons - Koh
- Sammy Watkins, WR, Buffalo Bills - Wilk
MG: Once we hit Round 7, I had to look around to make sure I wasn't seeing things. DREW BREES WAS STILL AVAILABLE! I think his numbers will be a bit down this year, but I keep waiting for the fantasy police to come drag me away for theft.
AG: Yeah, at this point him falling in one of our mocks has become more of a running joke than anything else. I'm not worried at all about Brees this year (but I am worried about you getting fantasy arrested). I like the upside picks in this round. Fabiano stole Ameer Abdullah from me, but I was more than happy to settle for Martavis Bryant.
MG: I low-key like Franchise grabbing Tre Mason here, as well. For all of the Todd Gurley hype, I'm skeptical that he'll be ready to earn a big chunk of the backfield touches in the first few weeks of the season.
ROUND 8
- Dwayne Allen, TE, Indianapolis Colts - Wilk
- David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals - Koh
- Duke Johnson, RB, Cleveland Browns - Franchise
- Shane Vereen, RB, New York Giants - Gelhar
- Golden Tate, WR, Detroit Lions - Pink
- Vincent Jackson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Fabiano
- Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys - Milner
- Jeremy Maclin, WR, Kansas City Chiefs - Grant
- Darren McFadden, RB, Dallas Cowboys - Kilani
- Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers - Harmon
AG: Speaking of guys whose touch total I'm concerned about, I was really surprised to see Koh grab David Johnson in Round 8. Considering Darren McFadden went seven picks later (and guys like Isaiah Crowell and Devonta Freeman went in Round 9), I can't help but feel like that was a reach.
MG: I felt like there were a couple of reaches in this round -- both named Johnson. I've repeatedly said I like Duke Johnson's potential, but I just hate his situation. My favorite pick in this round might be Golden Tate. He might not catch 99 passes this year with Megatron healthy, but he's better than a Round 9 PPR pick.
AG: I'd include Vincent Jackson and Jeremy Maclin in that company as well. I'm super down on Maclin overall, but in PPR he still has value. At least all of those 5-yard catches he'll make will add up to more points in this format.
ROUND 9
- Brandon LaFell, WR, New England Patriots - Harmon
- Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles- Kilani
- John Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals - Grant
- Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals - Milner
- Martellus Bennett, TE, Chicago Bears - Fabiano
- Isaiah Crowell, RB, Cleveland Browns - Pink
- Charles Johnson, WR, Minnesota Vikings - Gelhar
- Steve Smith, WR, Baltimore Ravens - Franchise
- Jaelen Strong, WR, Houston Texans - Koh
- Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons - Wilk
MG: I can say with certainty that I love the first two picks of Round 9 simply because I was targeting both of those players and both were snaked just in front of me. But I thought there were a lot of strong picks in this round overall.
AG: Agreed. I liked your John Brown pick, by the way. The only two that jumped out at me were Michael Floyd and Jaelen Strong. Considering I got Fitzgerald all the way down in Round 13, I feel like Milner might have reached a tad on Floyd, as he lacks the upside of Brown. Similarly, Koh took Strong as his third (AND FINAL) WR. Perhaps that was an operator error, given his arm is in a sling?
MG: We'll chalk it up to Koh dealing with pain meds after his surgery. With Isaiah Crowell going in this round, it's a reminder that maybe Franchise reached a tad to get Duke Johnson earlier.
ROUND 10
- Victor Cruz, WR, New York Giants - Wilk
- Knile Davis, RB, Kansas City Chiefs - Koh
- Roddy White, RB, Atlanta Falcons - Franchise
- David Cobb, RB, Tennessee Titans - Gelhar
- Ryan Mathews, RB, Philadelphia Eagles - Pink
- Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers - Fabiano
- Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Milner
- Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Tennessee Titans - Grant
- Kendall Wright, WR, Tennessee Titans - Kilani
- DeAngelo Williams, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers - Harmon
AG: So we had three Colts go in Round 4 which was logical, but now we see three Titans players taken in Round 10 -- and we both picked one! To quote the great Vince Lombardi, "What the hell's going on out here?!?"
MG: There were a lot of speculative efforts in this round -- Victor Cruz, Doug Martin and Kendall Wright, to name a few. Then again, isn't that what these later rounds are all about? Take some fliers and see what pans out?
AG: Can we start using "Take some fliers and see what pans out" as the analysis in all of our columns? It'd save us SO much time once the season rolls around.
ROUND 11
- Breshad Perriman, WR, Baltimore Ravens - Harmon
- DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins - Kilani
- Reggie Bush, RB, San Francisco 49ers - Grant
- Pierre Garcon, WR, Washington Redskins - Milner
- Tom Brady, QB New England Patriots - Fabiano
- Torrey Smith, WR, San Francisco 49ers - Pink
- Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins - Gelhar
- Tyler Eifert, TE, Cincinnati Bengals - Franchise
- Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers - Koh
- Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions - Wilk
MG: It would certainly shorten this particular analysis. It would also make us susceptible to automation. While I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords, I doubt any of them would have the patience and foresight to get such great QB values as Brady, Tannehill and Stafford in the 11th round.
AG: Very true. And what, no love for the Baron of the Bolo (aka Philip Rivers)? Interesting that we see two rookies with question marks (Breshad Perriman, DeVante Parker) drafted right before two veterans with question marks (Pierre Garcon, Torrey Smith). Which group do you think got it right?
MG: I understand both sides of that argument. As a fantasy skeptic, I tend to side with guys who have something of a track record, but in this case the track record of Garcon and Smith is mediocrity. Why not take a guy who has the potential for big upside?
ROUND 12
- Fred Jackson, RB, Buffalo Bills - Wilk
- LeGarrette Blount, RB, New England Patriots - Koh
- Charles Sims, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Franchise
- Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles - Gelhar
- Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Minnesota Vikings - Pink
- Mike Wallace, WR, Minnesota Vikings - Fabiano
- Cody Latimer, WR, Denver Broncos - Milner
- Javorius Allen, RB, Baltimore Ravens - Grant
- Stephen Gostkowski, K, New England Patriots - Kilani
- Eric Decker, WR, New York Jets - Harmon
AG: Round 12 is really a mixed bag. Harmon got nice value in Eric Decker, as did Fabiano with Mike Wallace, although that allowed Kilani to snipe Stephen Gostkowski from Fabs a round early. And then ... Marcas goes with the total homer pick and scoops up Javorious Allen. Explain yourself!
MG: Um ... because Silas Redd was too much of a reach? It really was about upside in that spot. Plus, I might be drinking the Kool-Aid that James Koh was stirring about believing Allen could challenge Justin Forsett. I won't go that far with it, but I do think he could see some action midway through the season.
AG: Buck Allen ... OH YEAH! Anyway, let's keep this rolling along. I'm running out of steam faster than the Kool-Aid man running a marathon.
ROUND 13
- Kenny Stills, WR, Miami Dolphins - Harmon
- Bishop Sankey, RB, Tennessee Titans - Kilani
- Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona Cardinals - Grant
- Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers - Milner
- Danny Woodhead, RB, San Diego Chargers - Fabiano
- Houston Texans D/ST - Pink
- Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals - Gelhar
- Robert Turbin, RB, Seattle Seahawks - Franchise
- Seattle Seahawks D/ST - Koh
- Dwayne Bowe, WR, Cleveland Browns - Wilk
MG: Speaking of running out of steam, a lot of the non-defensive picks in Round 13 fell under the category of "might as well."
AG: Hey, Larry Fitzgerald and I resent that! But you're mostly right. I don't mind Fabiano scooping up PFTCommenter's favorite player (Danny Woodhead), and also think Harmon got nice value with Kenny Stills. If he emerges in that passing game, he'll post good numbers as the new deep threat.
MG: But then there's Bishop Sankey and Dwayne Bowe. Riddle me that, Batman!
ROUND 14
- Buffalo Bills D/ST - Wilk
- Jerick McKinnon, RB, Minnesota Vikings - Koh
- Cody Parkey, K, Philadelphia Eagles - Franchise
- Mason Crosby, K, Green Bay Packers - Gelhar
- Adam Vinatieri, K, Indianapolis Colts - Pink
- Steven Hauschka, K, Seattle Seahawks - Fabiano
- St. Louis Rams D/ST - Milner
- Arizona Cardinals D/ST - Grant
- Jordan Cameron, TE, Miami Dolphins - Kilani
- Carolina Panthers D/ST - Harmon
AG: Looking to Round 14 ... na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na ... Jordan Cameron! (Yes, I did listen to the old Batman theme song to count the appropriate number of na nas).
MG: I don't even know how to follow that. I'll just say that it's sorta cute that Harmon continues his complicated relationship with the Panthers by selecting their defense.
AG: Young love is often the hardest to give up.
ROUND 15
- Justin Tucker, K, Baltimore Ravens - Harmon
- Philadelphia Eagles D/ST - Kilani
- Dan Bailey, K, Dallas Cowboys - Grant
- Sebastian Janikowski, K, Oakland Raiders - Milner
- Denver Broncos D/ST - Fabiano
- Phillip Dorsett, WR, Indianapolis Colts - Pink
- Green Bay Packers D/ST - Gelhar
- Baltimore Ravens D/ST - Franchise
- Matt Prater, K, Detroit Lions - Koh
- Greg Zuerlein, K, St. Louis Rams - Wilk
MG: Round 15, aka, the Sebastian Janikowski Invitational. That's all I've got.
