Coming into this ESPN fantasy football mock draft, I was sooooo ready to start with a balanced RB-WR or WR-RB start. And then pounce on an elite onesie in Round 3 based on my draft strategy research on QB and TE. Then the draft happened, and I had to adapt.

That is the beauty of practicing with the Draft Champion Mock Draft Simulator. You can see how different strategies play out based on how the draft unfolds.

Before we go headlong into why my plans changed, let's set the stage for this mock draft.

Settings For My ESPN Fantasy Football Mock Draft In Draft Champion

• Platform: ESPN
• ADP Data: ESPN
• Scoring: PPR
• Starters: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 FLX, 1 DST, 1K
• Teams: 10
• Draft Position: 6th
   

Final roster:

• QB: Justin Fields, Caleb Williams
• RB: Chase Brown, Omarion Hampton, Breece Hall, TreVeyon Henderson, Jordan Mason
• WR: CeeDee Lamb, Nico Collins, Tetairoa McMillan, Jameson Williams, Jayden Higgins, Luther Burden
• TE: Tyler Warren
• DST: Eagles
• K: Harrison Butker

Breaking Down My Fantasy Football Mock Draft
 

Okay, back to the draft and why I decided to pivot: after starting with CeeDee Lamb, Nico Collins fell back to me in Round 2.

Collins is in my Tier 1 of WRs, y'all. We are talking about Julio Jones' underlying data. The man could finish as the WR1 overall if healthy. In short, he is the type of player I am happy to reorganize my plans around.

With two Tier 1 options at WR onboard, I knew I would need to allocate draft capital to other positions in the coming rounds. Still, the door was open to another WR at the flex should another value fall.

Rule of thumb: the more you allocate to a position early, the less you allocate later, and vice versa.

Going WR-WR meant I could go elite QB or TE in Round 3, but it added pressure at RB. In this type of league, many teams draft RBs early, aiming to fill three starting spots.

Before my next pick, three of the elite dual-threat QBs went, as did Brock Bowers and Trey McBride. I considered Jalen Hurts, but was concerned about my RBs. The teams to my right all had at least one RB, but in a 2-RB with 1-FLEX format, they could each take one.

My goal was to come away with two to three backs in Tiers 3 and 4. That meant starting in Round 3 with Chase Brown. I hoped to get lucky and have Hurts or George Kittle slide back in Round 4, but it didn't happen.

So I jammed the pedal to the metal at RB, reeling off Omarion Hampton (Mr. Ride or Die), Breece Hall, and TreVeyon Henderson over the next four picks. 

No, I can't start all four of my RBs, but looking at ADP versus my WR Tiers, I knew I could circle back to that position later (i.e., Tetairoa McMillan and others are values in my ranks vs. ESPN ADP).

How about the audacity of our Mock Draft Simulator to give a C+ grade to the Hampton pick? Doesn't it know who pays the bills? Actually, you guys just need to harp on the rest of our rankers, who are playing scared when it comes to Hampton.

Wait. You could argue that the big boss and I are the ones out of line here. I don't care, give me the Chargers' first-rounder in Round 4 of fantasy drafts all day. That is robbery. Mask up and get some Hampton.

My draft strategy was in a completely different place than when I started. With flat QB and TE tiers ahead, my goal became clear: build the deepest RB/WR squads and destroy all challengers in the flex. If needed, those assets could later be flipped to upgrade at QB and TE.

With my RB thirst thoroughly quenched, I set my gaze upon the horizon in search of WR values.

If you don't know what movie that is from, here is the return stare.

How fitting. There are two of them, and my queue was just full enough that I had a shot to land two ass kickers with my next two picks.

You're a daisy if you do.

Tetairoa McMillan was a target-earning machine in college and could push for 150 looks in Year 1 on an okay-but-not-great Panthers receiving corps. McMillan is my WR19. I secured his services as the WR27.

After a slow start to his career due to injuries and a suspension, Jameson Williams caught fire in 2024. While the target competition is stiff in Detroit, it is an offense we like. And Williams could still be ascending. His game-breaking ability and breakout in his first year in a full-time role are positive attributes.

Ask yourself this: What happens if Jamo gets a 25% target share?

Yeah, buddy. Jamo is a player who can do more with a 25% than most. Will it be easy with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta? No. But we don't have to pay a WR2 price—he is the WR30 on ESPN! Small miss. Big Hit. Yes. Please.

Roster recap so far:

• QB:
• RB: Chase Brown, Omarion Hampton
• WR: CeeDee Lamb, Nico Collins
• TE:
• FLEX: Breece Hall v TreVeyon Henderson v Tetairoa McMillan v Jameson Williams

Some of you might be stressed about QB and TE.

Again, that is the beauty of the Mock Draft Simulator. Get your anxiety out now, so you are cool and collected on the clock. If you hate my draft, that's okay! You can use it to analyze where you have taken a different strategy.

Given how long I waited, my strategy now shifts to needing more outs. That means drafting two of either QB or TE (maybe both).

Of course, per usual, I am looking for upside. Who could go bonkers if they hit their ceiling? That means some form of rushing upside at the QB spot. At TE, I am willing to go with a less-proven option that has the traits to boom.

I can't offset George Kittle with Hunter Henry. Matthew Stafford can't reach the heights of the dual-threats. Not even in a career year. You picking up what I am laying down? Upside. Upside. Upside.

Let's get something straight: Justin Fields is a terrible passer. Until proven otherwise, no one should even argue the point. The man has averaged 180 yards in games with 90% or more of the snaps.

But, he's got legs and he knows how to use them.

In terms of fantasy points per dropback, Fields is the equivalent of Lamar Jackson in the seasons where he doesn't go nuclear as a passer.

• 2024 Fields: 0.62
• 2023 Jackson: 0.62

While we shouldn't expect Fields to turn into a 250-yard per game player suddenly, we *could* get a spike passing season. It might look like 220 yards with some passing TD luck.

It is more likely that Fields does that than that Jared Goff turns into a 20-yard-per-game rusher. One thing is at the outer edges of the range of outcomes. The other is in the land of the impossible.

Not even Master Yoda could turn Stafford into a rushing option. If Yoda heard me say this, he would probably get irritated and say something really cool like "speed matters not." Sorry, Yoda. I'm calling bullshit. Sure, you can lift the X-Wing fighter out of the swamp, but have you watched Stafford run?

After securing Fields, I took my most-drafted tight end of the season: Tyler Warren. 

Can I guarantee it will work out? Nope. Warren faces multiple challenges:

• Massive QB questions
• Crowded receiving room
• Run-oriented offense

Does he have the traits we can't find later in the draft? Yep.

Warren is a yards-after-catch machine who will play in the perfect scheme for his skill set. Remember how Brock Bowers fell last year in drafts due to Davante Adams (target competition) and a bad QB room?

Once the season starts, we have no control over injuries, trades, and numerous other factors. Talent is the trump card. We want players who can capitalize when things go their way.

After Warren, I turned back to RB with Jordan Mason. Good offense. Good offensive line. Aaron Jones is aging. Mason could hit the starting lineup or serve as a trade piece.

With my next pick, I doubled up at QB with Caleb Williams. He offered more upside than TE options like Henry. Everything went Williams' way this offseason.

• Coaching upgrade: Ben Johnson
• Offensive line upgrade: No. 4 per PFF
• New weapons: TE Colston Loveland (Round 1), WR Luther Burden III (Round 2)

This man ran for 489 yards as a rookie. We are talking about a QB who could throw for 4,200-plus and run for 450-plus. Not an easy combination to find. Our floor-ceiling logic loves his upside: 23.4 PPG.

Okay, let's bring it home:

While I usually opt for RBs later, I couldn't resist the rookie WRs in Jayden Higgins and Luther Burden. They could surprise immediately, while many of the RBs need an injury.

Final thoughts: Tyler Warren is the most significant question mark on my team. If he hits, watch out. If not, I will have to work the wire or make a deal. The good news: the team is deep at WR and RB.

Hindsight is 20/20: I could have gone with Jalen Hurts in Round 3 and still put together a strong RB room. But it isn't a slam dunk. The other drafters could have easily hammered RBs there. I would have felt bad if I missed Hampton. The pivot would have been Kenneth Walker—not a bad trade-off.

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