Knowledge is power.
When you’re doing the prep work for your fantasy football draft, you not only need to learn the players and their numbers, but you also have to learn their coaches and schemes, their offensive lines, their schedules, the weather, etc. etc. etc. Sometimes it feels like a bit of overkill, but believe me, just when you think you have enough information, you’ll find something new and wonder how the hell you won all those other championships without it. You just can’t get enough.
But while knowledge may be power, it is how you implement that knowledge that determines your level of success in fantasy football. You could know and understand the most minute details, but if you don’t know how to take that knowledge and put it to work for you in your draft, the battle is already lost.
That’s where the Mock Draft Army comes in.
For those not “in-the-know,” allow me to explain.
For me, there’s no better way to prep for your draft than to do a series of mocks. It allows you to test out countless strategies while also giving you a realistic look as to how others perceive the value of players. Do enough mocks and you can walk into your own draft and crush the dreams of everyone else in your league.
The problem, however, is that when you hit the big sites to do your mock drafts, rarely do you find 10 or 12 people willing to take part in the entire draft. Some will, but for the most part, you get a lot of people who draft maybe four or five rounds before they put it on auto-draft and leave the room. And if you don’t even fill the room, then computer players are assigned to auto-draft the whole way. How is that going to give you an understanding of public perception? Auto-drafting uses the web site’s default rankings, a creation of its writers, so when their mocks are filling up with auto-drafters, the Average Draft Position (ADP) becomes nothing more than an extension of those rankings.
Not only does the Mock Draft Army offer you a place to do full mock drafts, but it also gives you the opportunity to draft alongside members of the fantasy sports industry so that you can not only see which guys they like, but also get the chance to ask them any and all questions you may have. From there, I take the data and put together my own ADP which, according to many who joined the army for fantasy baseball this season, is one of the best and most helpful you’ll find.
Drafts will run right up until Week 1 of the NFL season and are run during the week, both daytime and evening hours. They will consist of leagues between 10 and 14 teams, both with standard scoring and PPR format. If you would like to get on the email list for the weekly mock draft schedule, follow me on Twitter -- @rotobuzzguy – or email me at rotobuzzguy@gmail.com. Schedules go out every Sunday night.
If you’re looking to join at the last minute this week, there are very limited spots available for the following drafts:
| Wednesday, July 22 | 6pm ET | 12-team PPR |
| Wednesday, July 22 | 8pm ET | 10-team Standard |
| Thursday, July 23 | 6:30pm ET | 12-team Standard |
Player News
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the team does not “have any feelings on competition” when asked about the quarterback room.
O’Connell was asked about a potential quarterback competition on the Rich Eisen Show Wednesday and was unclear on whether J.J. McCarthy would have to compete to start. He said, “we’ve got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase.” O’Connell discussed first putting Brett Rypien and the newly acquired Sam Howell in a position to play before any competition would occur. He continued that McCarthy is “owning it” this offseason and is taking snaps from starting center Ryan Kelly. After missing last season with a torn meniscus, McCarthy has been ramping up workouts in the offseason and is the front-runner to start for the Vikings in 2025. As of now, Howell looks to be reinforcement at the backup spot in case it turns out McCarthy is not ready to start.
Texans re-signed DT Foley Fatukasi.
Fatukasi initially joined the Texans last offseason on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old was a rotational defensive lineman, tallying four tackles for loss and one sack. He returns to Houston for 2025, where he will be a part of a deep Texans front seven.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Tyreek Hill’s second wrist surgery was part of the original plan and his timeline remains unchanged.
Hill announced the second surgery on social media and Pelissero quickly added some context to the situation. The speedy receiver suffered the wrist injury just before the start of the season and it lingered throughout the year, though he never missed a game because of it. If the second surgery truly is a non-story, an offseason to recover might be what Hill needs to return to form after a down 2024 season. On the other hand, Hill is 31 years old, played his worst football last year, and his offense prioritized targets for Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane. As it stands, Hill might have the highest risk-reward split in fantasy drafts.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports there are “multiple people in the league who believe the new regime is not so high on Travis Etienne.”
Fowler also noted Tank Bigsby’s fumbling issue but didn’t directly relate that to the feelings of the new brain trust in Jacksonville. The Jags clearly felt they were lacking at running back this offseason and addressed that opening via the draft with Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round and LeQuint Allen in the seventh. The pair of additions complicate an already-messy backfield by committee. Etienne is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is a long-shot to be brought back in 2026. The Jags could opt to move on early by trading him, clearing $6.1 million in cap space in the process. If the team does trade Etienne, Tuten would likely be the team’s top back in the long run, making him a high-upside bet in early fantasy drafts.
Broncos signed third-round pick WR Pat Bryant to a four-year contract.
The deal includes $1.4 million guaranteed and is worth $6.6 million in total. Sean Payton compared aspects of Bryant’s game to those of Michael Thomas in his post-draft press conference and there are at least a few similarities in their profiles. Bryant stands at 6'2/204 and ran a 4.61-second Forty at the combine. Thomas measured in at 6'3/212 and clocked a 4.57-second Forty. Though the two have similar physical characteristics, Thomas was known for his proficiency from the slot while Bryant primarily played on the outside as a field-stretcher at Illinois. Bryant’s transition to slot duties may take some time, but third-round draft capital makes him worth a shot in dynasty leagues.
Colts EDGE Samson Ebukam (Achilles) said he is expected to be cleared for training camp.
Ebukam suffered a torn Achilles in training camp last year and did not play in the 2024 season. He broke out in 2023 with a career-high 9.5 sacks in his first season with the Colts. He now has one year left on his deal and will be looking for a rebound season as he stares down free agency in 2026