When it comes to your fantasy football draft prep, there's no better tool than a good, old-fashioned fantasy football mock draft.

You can study all the fantasy football rankings and draft strategy articles you want. But until you actually see it all in action, they’re just words and numbers on a page. 

 

 

 

Keep in mind that fantasy rankings are subjective, and even 2024's latest fantasy football ADP info is only a guideline for public perception. Even if you know it all inside and out, until you step into a room with 11 other championship-hungry fantasy fanatics, you really have no idea how things will go. Until now.

Here's what happened in our first (and arguably biggest) fantasy football mock draft ahead of the 2024 NFL season.

2024 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12 Team PPR

What we did here is a little different from what we’ve done with fantasy football mock drafts in the past.

In previous seasons, we’ve only used the Fantasy Alarm team for our mock drafts. The crew is always fantastic, but one thing we noticed is that, due to the familiarity with each other, as well as the aligned opinions on so many players, we were presenting you with more of an exercise in pick-sniping than what your home or work league might look like. 

Having a pick or two of yours sniped in a draft is par for the course. You could even argue that it's case in point why fantasy mock drafts can be so valuable and give you a better idea of how your actual 2024 fantasy drafts might play out. Nonetheless, we wanted to offer you a chance to see multiple expert opinions and a greater variety of draft strategies in effect.

And wow – did we ever succeed!

We assembled 12 of the greatest fantasy football minds from across the industry and locked them into a room to fight it out for 16 rounds. Even better, we eliminated kickers and team defenses from the rosters with the hope of giving you an even deeper look at the player pool.

So, let’s dive in. We’ll start with the draft specs, the players and the draft board, and then we’ll get to the analysis of our first 2024 fantasy football mock draft of the summer.

Fantasy Mock Draft Format & Scoring

  • 12-teams, 16 rounds, snake draft
  • Full-point PPR scoring with the usual touchdown and yardage scoring (no bonuses)
  • Starting Rosters: QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 2 FLEX (R/W/T)
  • Bench: 7 players

Our Fantasy Football Mock Drafters (In Draft Order)

  1. Rich Hribar – Sharp Football Analysis
  2. Mike Dempsey – SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio
  3. Joey Wright – Football Guys
  4. Bob Harris – Football Guys/SiriusXM
  5. Howard Bender – Fantasy Alarm
  6. Scott Fish – Fantasy Cares
  7. Jen Piacenti – Sports Illustrated
  8. Andrew Cooper – Fantasy Alarm
  9. Marcas Grant – Matthew Berry’s Fantasy Life
  10. Jon Impemba – Fantasy Alarm
  11. JJ Zachariason – Late Round Fantasy Football
  12. Hutchinson Brown – Dynasty League Football/Football Guys

If you’re on X (formerly known as Twitter), please give everyone a follow! And check out their sites as well for all of their work. They are all worth it!

The 2024 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Board

The final mock draft board is pasted here, but you can also click here to open it in a new window for easier reference.

It's a beautiful board. But what can we learn from this fantasy mock draft?

12-Team PPR Fantasy Football Mock Draft Results & Strategy 

First and foremost, a note of thanks to all of our participants in this mock draft.! This crew is absolutely dynamic, and the draft board reads like a “who’s who” in the fantasy industry. We’re talking about some of the most analytical minds with long track records of success, and, if you had seen the chat room, some vibrant personalities. Without naming names, it should be noted that the smack talk was nothing short of amazing. That being said, let’s get to my draft.

Walking into the draft, my strategy was no different than usual. I like to take the best player available (in accordance with my own personal player rankings) at the top and read the room for subsequent picks. My guess was that we would see some of the typical early-round drafting we’ve witnessed through the early best ball drafts and watch the wide receivers come flying off the board earlier. When that happens, I often jump into the fray because I know there will be running back value pushed down. I also like to grab a top-five tight end if I can, otherwise, I’ll see what quarterback values present themselves and wait on the tight end position.

Drawing the 1.05 is not exactly an enviable position as you usually have that decision between a top running back and a top-five receiver. In this case, I went Bijan Robinson in a new scheme over Justin Jefferson with a new quarterback or Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is great but is in an expanding offense as guys like Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams could see their roles expand. Why not Breece Hall? Because I have a ton of him already and as a Jets fan, I am also somewhat concerned about a selfish Aaron Rodgers hurting his work at the goal line.

Did you know Rodgers leads the NFL in touchdown passes of one yard? Yeah, he’s a stat-padder.

From there, everything went as planned. There was a continued heavy-receiver game plan as JJ Zachariason (notorious Zero-RB truther), Jen Piacenti and Scott Fish all went WR/WR with their first two picks. So, it was an easy move for me, grabbing Michael Pittman and DK Metcalf, followed up by the Dalton Kincaid pick.

From there, I just built the team based on need and players available. I got solid second and third running backs, some value on Kyler Murray and then it was about depth and handcuffs. And yes, Scott Fish and I had words regarding his Tyler Allgeier pick.

One final note about the mock draft overall: QB value was high throughout. The first QB, Jalen Hurts, came off the board in the third round, but seeing the rest last until the sixth is probably not what you’ll see in your own drafts. That’s OK. Let it be a lesson that you really don’t need to overdraft the position. Brock Purdy, Jared Goff and Justin Herbert all fell to the 15th and 16th rounds. I grabbed Will Levis, but you already know why if you read my Top 10 Fantasy Sleepers.

What did the rest of the crew have to say about their mock drafts? Here we go, in no particular order:

What Did Andrew Cooper Have To Say?

As always, I started my draft by taking "best available player". In full PPR, guys like Breece Hall (who led the league in RB screens last year) and Davante Adams (second most targets behind only CeeDee Lamb) felt like safe bets. Patrick Mahomes fell to the sixth round which made QB easy, so I just needed to piece together my tight end group.

With deep benches in this league and uncertain target pecking orders, I took Pat Freiermuth and Roman Wilson from the Steelers as well as Greg Dulcich, Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims from the Broncos. That way, I give myself a shot at some players that could be a focal point of their offense and then I'll drop the "odd man out" to waivers for the next hot pickup.

How About Jon Impemba?

I didn't necessarily go into this mock draft with a total plan put in place, but I knew that I wanted to attack the running back position early from the 10th spot. Over the past few seasons, we've seen a rise in the value of wide receivers and a de-emphasis on the running back position given its volatility and injury risk. Fantasy managers would rather draft in volume and hope to hit one of a few mid-to-late round selections. And that strategy certainly makes sense - but only if you like the running backs that are available.

For me, I feel like the running back "dead zone" is greater than ever while the depth at wide receiver allows for a far greater chance of hitting a productive player in the mid-to-late rounds of a draft. Going with Barkley and Achane with picks 1.10 and 2.03 allows me to secure two running backs in highly productive offenses that should score plenty of points. I followed up those selections by taking Jalen Hurts. Yes, I stacked the Eagles ground game, which has been plenty productive over the last two seasons from both a QB and lead back perspective.

At wide receiver, I landed DJ Moore and Terry McLaurin over the next two rounds as my WR1 and WR2 while taking some high upside options with Christian Watson and Jameson Williams as my WR3 and WR4. I filled out my RB depth snagging Rhamondre Stevenson and D'Andre Swift in rounds six and seven. We saw how productive a healthy D'Andre Swift can be last season and Rhamondre Stevenson, with a new contract in hand, is set to be the bellcow for an Alex Van Pelt-led offense which should feature the run.

In The Words Of JJ Zachariason…

With a heavy dose of wide receiver starters and the ability to start more in the flex, I knew I’d be going wide receiver-heavy in this one. Being at the tail end of the first allowed for that, too, since I’ve got a tier break after Breece Hall and Bijan Robinson fall off boards. Even after going without a running back through six rounds, I was able to snag capable pass-catchers with upside in Jaylen Warren and Tyjae Spears. 

I then paired them with a higher-floor runner in Brian Robinson to round things out prior to throwing darts at some rookies late. All in all, structurally, it was the proper thing to do, in my eyes. The running back room should score some points while I’d be able to dominate at the other positions. And there’s contingent upside for all of the backs I drafted.

From Joey Wright…

The ebbs and flows of a stressful draft were on full display for me in this expert mock. I had the third overall pick and every manager seemed to be in great draft shape and it’s only June! I was happy to see my number one ranked tight end Sam LaPorta slip to me in the second round. Lately, I have seen managers reaching at the turn of the first round to secure him. I usually have a bit of revisionist history when I see the value of the other drafted tight ends taken after LaPorta. However, in this specific draft, I love how spending early at the position opened my options as the draft went on.

I was able to secure five of my top thirty wide receivers alongside my eighth-ranked running back, Josh Jacobs. I waited for value I couldn’t pass up on at quarterback. Joe Burrow is my seventh-ranked quarterback, and I was able to draft him as the ninth signal-caller off the board. Ecstatic to have him at the helm of this team.

Overall, I like my mock draft team quite a bit. It reflects a strong receiver room paired with an anchor running back and elite tight end: the sure-fire way to fantasy glory in 2024.

From The Mind Of Scott Fish…

I went into this mock not far off from what I do in my normal, shallow roster redraft leagues. I had the thought of pinning down a likely stud at QB and TE so I don't have to worry about them, and then can focus the rest of the draft (and eventually any waivers) on RB or WR.

I grabbed Kelce early after LaPorta went, and Stroud once other QBs started going off the board. This allowed more shots and to be more comfortable with riskier picks at the other two positions.

However, my true main goal was to draft one of Howard's handcuffs, which I was indeed successful in accomplishing.

As Jen Piacenti Recounts…

Welcome to Snipe City! I can honestly say I have never been sniped so many times in a draft. The most painful one? When Andrew Cooper took my Jerome Ford handcuff in Round 10 (Nick Chubb).

All in all, I feel OK about this mock draft. I like my WR group, and I should have a capable QB between Dak Prescott and Justin Herbert (last round!). Najee and Moss should be decent running backs and it has to finally be Kyle Pitts breakout season, right?

Let’s do this again in a month.

This According To Bob Harris…

Picking fourth overall forces some tough decisions. I'm all in on Breece Hall this season, but the receiving talent still on the board led me to take that direction. Ja'Marr Chase can be a difference maker with a healthy Joe Burrow. Ideally, I want to get out of the first six rounds with at least three high-end receivers, a running back with a locked-in featured role, and Anthony Richardson. I checked all those boxes here.

There's a valid argument for landing one of the top four or five tight ends in that range. I didn't do that in this draft and might regret taking Alvin Kamara over Evan Engram.

One note: be sure to check the commissioning/draft site you use before you draft. The ADP rankings we saw here did not conform to the norms most of us in this draft have been dealing with in our early best ball leagues. I only got Mike Evans late in Round 4 because he was buried in the draft queue.

Short & Sweet From Mike Dempsey

When I saw I had the 1.02, I wanted to start Hill-LaPorta-Henry (assuming CMC would go 1.01). I missed LaPorta by a pick, so I pivoted to Kyren Williams. After that, I wanted to get as many WRs and RBs who were the clear #1 on their teams. I also was able to get QBs and TEs who have a shot to finish top 5 at their positions, if things break right.  

Hutchinson Brown Said…

This draft was very fun but also pretty nerve-wracking. The competition was fierce in the draft room. With many smart people competing, I had moments where my queue was being bled dry and I was on the clock. Also, even after searching for hidden gems, I unfortunately missed some picks because the ADP was very wacky and sorted in an odd manner. However, even with how tough the draft was, I did have fun and am pleased with the team I was able to put together. I got two top tier assets at quarterback and tight end, establishing my “onesie” positions. 

I like my Jahmyr Gibbs and Garret Wilson pairing at the top, and I was able to get some more wide receivers and running backs who should help my fantasy team. Towards the end of the draft, I totally caught a bad case of rookie fever, with six of my seven bench spots being filled by rookie players. My favorite pick by another team (besides taking advantage of wacky ADPs) was Kendre Miller by JJ Zachariason. I love the day two pick’s potential in his second year in the Saints offense with Alvin Kamara slowly but surely aging out.

Finally, Marcus Grant’s Amazing Assessment Of His Draft

Round 1: Puka Nacua, WR, Rams – The downside of drafting Nacua this early is that Cooper Kupp could offer similar upside several rounds later. The upside of drafting Nacua this early is, well, Nacua's upside.

Round 2: Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts – By midseason, Taylor was back to the form that made him a contender for the 1.01 a couple of seasons ago. Combine that with the chance to share the backfield with a healthy Anthony Richardson and expectations are high.

Round 3: Stefon Diggs, WR, Texans – I admit that the Texans receivers could be tough to decipher in redraft leagues. But Diggs is still a talented player who will earn a lot of targets. Plus, I wouldn't be surprised if he goes on a super-villain rampage this year to prove something to the Bills critics.

Round 4: James Cook, RB, Bills – With Ray Davis in Buffalo, Cook's total touches could diminish. But he still will catch the football. With so many targets vacated from last year, Cook's target share could get a big boost.

Round 5: Diontae Johnson, WR, Panthers – Last season, Carolina's receivers struggled to get open consistently for Bryce Young. So, what do they do? Add a receiver who knows how to get open and be a target magnet. This might be a little early, but I'm optimistic enough to reach here.

Round 6: Aaron Jones, RB, Vikings – There's some fear that Jones could lose work to Ty Chandler. The same Chandler that couldn't push Alexander Mattison? I'll stick with Jones, who was excellent when healthy last year in Green Bay.

Round 7: Jordan Love, QB, Packers – Speaking of excellent last year in Green Bay, Love proved to everyone that he's ready to lead this offense. I'm not sure which Packers receiver to lean on, but if you want a big piece of the passing game, all you need is Love (sorry, not sorry).

Round 8: James Conner, RB, Cardinals – It feels like Conner is perpetually disrespected by fantasy drafters. Yes, he does come with injury risk, but his on-field production makes him worth the gamble.

Round 9: Blake Corum, RB, Rams – Call me crazy, but even as good as Kyren Williams was last season, I don't think the Rams want to lean so heavily on one running back. I'm willing to take a chance on the rookie seeing a decent workload.

Round 10: Dallas Goedert, TE, Eagles – By this point, I hadn't taken a tight end and most of the good ones were gone. But I'm okay with getting one in a dynamic offense – even if the week-to-week production might be inconsistent.

Round 11: Jahan Dotson, WR, Commanders – I'm buying in on the Commanders offense this season. Jayden Daniels should lift the passing game and it's making me intrigued in a late-round Jahan Dotson. Especially as a fourth receiver.

Round 12: MarShawn Lloyd, RB, Packers – Did I draft MarShawn Lloyd because I think he's going to eat into Josh Jacobs' workload more than some believe? Or did I do it to fill my personal quota of drafting USC Trojans? Who's to really say?

Round 13: Jalin Hyatt, WR, Giants – Last year, I threw my chips in on Hyatt as a deep sleeper. But that was when he was expected to carry a bigger burden. Now with Malik Nabers and fewer expectations, maybe Hyatt can perform with less pressure. Or maybe I'm wish-casting.

Round 14: Devontez Walker, WR, Ravens – Let's be honest, the Ravens are still looking for consistency from their receivers. If they're serious about trying to be more vertical this season, Walker could become a playmaker.

Round 15: Dameon Pierce, RB, Texans – Pierce was a disappointment last year and Joe Mixon will have a strong hold on the RB1 job. But if Texans coaches are to be believed (always risky), Pierce will still have a role. It's at least worth taking a flier on.

Round 16: Luke Musgrave, TE, Packers – Let's be honest: at this point, pickings are slim. With the volatility at tight end, I'll take a swing at one in a good offense. Also, if he hits, it's a nice pairing with Love. At least that's what I'm telling myself. 

…and you?

What does this fantasy football 12 Team PPR mock draft tell you about the 2024 season? Which expert do you think ended up with the best team? Let us know in our Fantasy Alarm Discord, and check back soon as we continue to run fantasy mock drafts for all league formats all the way through NFL Week 1.

2024 Fantasy Football: Related Draft Guide Articles

Gloss over a few more of our draft guide articles to get additional tips and help for the 2024 fantasy football season: