Fantasy Sharks 2020 Dynasty Mock Draft – Superflex
For those of you that play in dynasty leagues, you know that this is the best time of the year. Rookie drafts are coming, as well as the combine, the NFL Draft, and dynasty startups. In what is likely to be the first of many Dynasty Drafts that we cover here at Create-A-Rank, we take a look at a 2020 Superflex Dynasty Startup Mock Draft done by myself and other industry experts. It is a 12-team dynasty league, with PPR scoring and a tight end premium. I was honored to be a part of this group of amazing analysts and to participate in this mock draft with them.
Below you will find each expert pick with a brief explanation as to why that player was selected. We will go through the first three (of 10) rounds in this edition and cover the rest in an additional two articles. There is a lot to learn from this draft and I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed doing it.
Rosters: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, TE, 3 R/W/T, 1 Q/R/W/T
Scoring: PPR, TE Prem
Here are our participants in order of selection accompanied by their Twitter handle and website affiliation. Give them a follow and let us know what you think of their picks!
- Tommy Mo: @2on1FFB, 2on1fantasysports.com
- Randal K: @FF_Terminator,The Undroppables
- JetPack Galileo: @JetPackGalileo, FFAstronauts.com
- Chalk: @101chalk,The Undroppables
- Andrew Hall: @AndrewHallFF, ProFootballNetwork.com
- Scott: @DynoGameTheory, CreateARank.com
- Tommy Garrett: @TommyGarrettPFN, ProFootballNetwork.com
- Travis: @TSeel14, True North Fantasy Football
- Dan: @awlsabermetrics, 2on1fantasysports.com
- Jake: @dabeezybff,The Undroppables
- Paul Lundgaard: @pauliessleepers, PauliesSleepers.com
- D. Brown: @DBrownFF88,The Undroppables
Now Available: 2020 Dynasty Rookie Rankings!
2020 Dynasty Mock Draft Round 1:
1.01 – Christian McCaffrey – RB, Carolina
(Tommy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
CMC has proven that he’s a bell cow in a league where the bell cow is becoming increasingly rare. There is no one behind him to steal reps or threaten his snap share. He has essentially become QB-proof as he’s done it with Cam Newton, Kyle Allen, and Will Grier the past two seasons. He is basically this entire offense, it all runs through him. In PPR leagues this year, CMC had under 10 points only one time (Week 2), and has a floor of 20+ points, with a ceiling of 40+. No one this past year was more consistent than CMC, and more reliable on a weekly basis as his average ppg was just under 29 points (15 weeks).
McCaffrey also showed his versatility as he can do it on the ground (1,361 yards and 14 TDs) and through the air (933 yards and 4 TDs). Kamara is basically a poor man’s CMC. With next year’s plan of a new HC and new QB, the outlook should be looking up for McCaffrey. Plus the emergence of D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel has helped to open up lanes for the Pro Bowl RB. In any fantasy league format, whether this is one QB, SF, redraft or dynasty, CMC is the one guy I want on my team no matter what. With the first pick in the draft, he’s the only one I’m willing to go all-in on for next year and the future without worry or hesitation because at 23 years old he’s just coming into his prime.
1.02 – Lamar Jackson – QB, Baltimore
(Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables)
Valuing quarterbacks in dynasty leagues is tricky while it’s fairly standard practice to fade the position in single QB start leagues. But in Superflex leagues, the position takes on tremendous importance. In a draft with this much talent, there are only so many places to gain an edge on my competition. I feel like this is one of them.
I chose Jackson over Patrick Mahomes, in part, for his rushing floor. It’s hard to ignore 1,213 yards and seven touchdowns from your quarterback. Those numbers would have placed him 6th in the league behind Chris Carson among running backs! That’s an advantage no other QB in the league provides and one that I simply couldn’t ignore. I didn’t even mention his 36 passing touchdowns, which happened to lead the league.
1.03 – Saquon Barkley – RB, New York Giants
(JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts)
Saquon Barkley is going to retire as the greatest running back of all time. The question is if that is as valuable in Superflex as drafting the greatest quarterback of all time. 2019 will probably be the low point for both Barkley and Mahomes after seasons marked by injury, and moving into the 2020 season they will be locked into everyone’s top four.
Every year, there is at least one player who destroys the fantasy landscape and stands head and shoulders above the rest. If you have this player, you’re guaranteed to make playoffs and the probability of winning a championship skyrockets. I call him the Juggernaut. This year it was McCaffrey. 2017-2018 it was Todd Gurley. Before that, it was David Johnson. Every year there is one unstoppable monster. Of all the players in the entire football landscape, professional and college, Barkley is the one I am most confident in. Saquon has multiple Juggernaut seasons in him.
For now, I pass on Mahomes to take a 22-year-old running back fresh off of 1400 scrimmage yards. I expect six more years of elite play at the one position that can take over a fantasy season.
1.04 – Patrick Mahomes – QB, Kansas City
(Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables)
Like Terminator mentioned above, when building a Superflex dynasty team, there is no more critical position to gain an edge than the QB. While an elite workhouse RB is generally needed to secure the bag, dynasty teams will not even compete for a playoff spot without consistency from the QB position in SF leagues. Not only is their scarcity at the position as a whole, but the drop off in production and consistency is also fairly dramatic between QB tiers.
Many expected Mahomes to regress. But, he posted 3,857 passing yards with 25 TDs and four INTs while missing two games. If he was healthy all season, 4,000/30 was probably the outcome. Either way, Mahomes put up a solid season considering the injuries that hit the Chiefs with their playmakers (Mahomes, Kelce, Hill, McCoy) all getting sidelined at some point. Entering 2020, Mahomes will be turning only 25 years old and still paired with Kelce and Hill so the future outlook couldn’t be brighter for the gunslinger. Well, unless the Chiefs add one of those touted running backs in the incoming 2020 class. Imagine the high-powered KC offense led by Mahomes getting a pass-catching back with size-adjusted speed.
Young, elite signal-callers who are the faces of the NFL (see Mahomes and Jackson) are smash locks at the top of startup SF drafts. My decision became much easier once L-Jax was taken at 1.02 and Mahomes fell to me here. Other than CMC being available at 1.04, either one of these QBs would be a steal and I am surprised that I was able to take the reigning MVP to start my build.
1.05 – Michael Thomas – WR, New Orleans
(Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network)
Like many others, in a dynasty startup, I tend to look for low-variance young players in the first two rounds whenever possible. Michael Thomas is about the best wide receiver there is in both categories. Getting him at 1.05 was shocking, even for a Superflex league, since he is such a stud at the position. Also, when drafting in a startup dynasty league, I generally lean on wide receivers more than running backs since receivers tend to hold their value longer, so I had planned on taking a wide receiver if both Lamar and Patrick were gone, which they were. I was just surprised that CMC and Barkley both went ahead of Thomas given his high level of production at a valuable position.
I’m not sure what numbers you need to read about Thomas, he’s been a fantasy stud for a few years now and it doesn’t look like that’s changing anytime soon. There is some concern about Brees retiring but it doesn’t seem likely for at least the next few years. Therefore, lock Thomas in for a top 3 WR for at least 2-3 years in most leagues, which is easily worth a first-round startup pick.
1.06 – Chris Godwin – WR, Tampa Bay
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Createarank.com)
The basic strategy I employ in dynasty startups is quite simple. Load up on young stud WRs. They are very stable assets and they tend to be the longest-lasting (except for QB). Chris Godwin is 23 years old and still has his full prime years ahead of him. I’m sure this pick will raise eyebrows for many, but to me, it’s a no brainer.
Normally I would trade the 1.06 to an owner with a zeal for one of those stud RBs (Zeke or Kamara). I would move back, acquire future assets and still land Godwin in the 2nd. But Godwin was next on my big board, so in a mock, you just pick your guy.
1.07 – Ezekiel Elliott – RB, Dallas
(Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network)
Of the consensus top-4 who were drafted in 2019, only Ezekiel Elliott and Christian McCaffrey returned top-5 positional value by seasons end. Finding a running back to be the core of your team whose offense does not employ a committee approach is becoming harder and harder to find. Elliott is a true three-down back. In 2019, he was on the field for 85.7% of their offensive snaps. Adding more security to Elliot’s value is the Cowboys have already invested highly in him after giving him a six-year, $90-million deal in September. With the amount of running backs that will be unrestricted free agents in 2020, give me the security for years to come that this 24-year old brings, especially at the 7th overall pick.
As for on-field production, few players rival the consistency that Elliott offers. Aside from 2017, where he served a 6-game suspension, he has never finished with less than 1,350 rushing yards. He is also a weapon in the passing game for Cowboys, averaging 404 receiving yards per season. Elliott scored less than 10 PPR points only once this year (Week 10) but went over 20 points in seven games. Consistent play week in and week out is what builds championships.
1.08 – DeAndre Hopkins – WR, Houston
(Travis – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Football)
Hopkins was the pick here over Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara. Generally, I build with a strong running back core but WR longevity was a deciding factor here, along with Dalvin Cook’s long injury history.
Hopkins has been stellar throughout his career, clearing 1100 yards in five of his seven seasons and eclipsing 100 receptions three times. While most of his production has been despite subpar quarterback play, stability has arrived in the form of Deshaun Watson. That stability is another reason I was confident is selecting “Nuk” at 8th overall. Since Watson entered the league, Hopkins hasn’t gone under 150 targets, 95 catches, or 1100 yards. Consistency like that as a cornerstone WR1? Sign me up!
1.09 – Alvin Kamara – RB, New Orleans
(Dan – @awlsabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
This choice really was between Alvin Kamara or Dalvin Cook for me. Dalvin showed how well he could play this year while Kamara had the worst year of his career. My deciding factor was that even though I’m not a staunch believer in guys being “injury-prone,” Cook just hasn’t shown the ability to stay healthy. Kamara suffered through a brutal touchdown regression. He played several weeks through a high ankle sprain which visibly zapped his burst he is most known for. He still finished as a top 10 running back.
With all of his negatives this season, he still finished with 4.7ypc and 94 targets. The reason people are so sour on him is the touchdown drop. Now, I’m not saying he can produce 13-18 touchdowns every season, but this season seems like the lowest output he will have for years to come. I really don’t feel the need to do a deep dive stats-wise. Kamara is a stud on a great offense, that showed the system can win regardless if Brees is in at QB or not. As long as Sean Peyton stays, solidifying a 24-year-old running back in that offense- sign me up!
1.10 – Joe Mixon – RB, Cincinnati
(Jake – @dabeezybff – Sons of Dynasty, Undroppables)
Pick 10 was a no brainer for me. Mixon is a top 5 RB going into 2020. One of the most electric RBs in the NFL, he had 278 carries for 1,137 yards in 2019. Good for 4.1 YPC and five rushing TDs. He also caught 35 passes for 287 yds and three more TDs. He put these numbers up on one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Cincy is in a rebuild and they most likely draft Joe Burrows No. 1 overall which is a huge upgrade to that offense. Rebuilding the line and adding a few playmakers and Cincy has a new offense that will run through Mixon. From Weeks 8 through 16 he was seeing 15 + touches a game. Some more involvement in the passing game will only help his production. Workhorse RB1 in 20 with the potential to finish in the top 5.
1.11 – Dalvin Cook – RB, Minnesota
(Paul Lundgaard – @pauliessleepers – pauliessleepers.com & Undroppables Project)
I always say going in to draft season that “my only plan is to not have a plan”. I want the draft to come to me to make sure I don’t miss value and build the best team that I can. Drafting with these sharks was challenging and when my pick came up I decided,
despite the Superflex and TE premium format, that I wanted to come out of the first turn with a workhorse RB and Elite WR.
Despite his injury risk, I chose 24-year-old Dalvin Cook. Weeks 1-14 he was the RB2 on a point per game basis. When he is out there, he is winning you games. And he has to finish a full season at some point, right? Right?? I digress.
1.12 – Deshaun Watson – QB, Houston
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88 -Sons of Dynasty)
With the 12th pick, I knew I wanted a QB with one of my two selections. Luckily, only two QBs were selected previously leaving me with the top tier two QB, Watson. In 2017, as a rookie, Watson threw 19 touchdowns in seven games. Let’s look at the numbers, since Week 1 of 2018 he has 8,017 yds, 52 TD, 21 INT, and a 100.6 Rating. Averaging 22 fantasy points per game in his short career he is truly one of the bright and upcoming stars at QB in the NFL. Texans need to continue to address their offensive line woes in an attempt to protect their star QB.
2020 Dynasty Mock Draft Round 2:
2.01- Nick Chubb – RB, Cleveland
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88 -Sons of Dynasty)
Chubb led the league in rushing attempts in 2019 with 285. Turned that into 1,453 yards, a respectable 5.1 yards per carry (led NFL). Browns are built to run the ball and have a top 5 Dynasty RB in Chubb. Happy to get him at the turn as I am all but assured to watch the RB pool dry up before reaching me again 23 picks later.
2.02- Davante Adams – WR, Green Bay
(Paul Lundgaard – @pauliessleepers – pauliessleepers.com & Undroppables Project)
This worked out pretty well as Adams was my other choice at 1.11. Another player coming off
an injury-riddled season, but neither of my first two picks would I consider “injury prone.” Adams
is Aaron Rodgers first read on every passing down and he would have projected the WR3
for 2019 had he stayed healthy with his stats projected out a full season. Adams averaged a
whopping 10.58 targets/game to cement his elite WR status and Rodgers still has at least two
seasons left in my opinion and Adams is a young 27.
My strategy for the first turn worked out well. The reason I wanted one of each RB/WR here is
that the next time around, had I failed to get one, there would not be a bell-cow back or Elite WR
on the board.
2.03- Tyreek Hill – WR, Kansas City
(Jake – @dabeezybff- Sons of Dynasty, Undroppables)
Round 2, I usually go RB but my targets were gone, so I went with one of the fastest WRs in the game. Hill had a crazy offseason but proved again to be a dominant force on the field. 58 rec for 860 yds and 7 TDs averaging 14.8 yds per catch in 12 games. He’s not just a deep threat but has turned into one of the best route runners in the game. With Mahomes at the helm, he is a bet to bounce back in 2020 as a surefire WR1.
2.04- Russell Wilson – QB, Seattle
(Dan – @awlsabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
I had so many different possibilities to make with this pick, but honestly, I wanted to hedge against a possible QB run. Normally, I wouldn’t want to be making a pick with this mindset. But, in a dynasty Superflex startup, this really is the one position I don’t want to fall too far behind the pack. I have seen what can befall a team when their QB position is not up to par with the rest of the league- it is rarely pretty. By securing a top-end quarterback here I felt comfortable I could build the rest of my team and be ok losing out on a position player so early.
Now, the pick itself was between Wilson or Kyler Murray. That is something a few months ago I would never have imagined writing. But Murray showed some real ability this year and made me a believer when I was not one going into the season. Kyler’s age and that offense were very compelling to me, but Wilson is still young at 31 and has a proven track record that I couldn’t ignore. All he has done is throw for nearly 4k yards and 30 touchdowns every year, and now with Lockett, Metcalf, and Dissly (some foreshadowing here), Wilson looks to have a solid group of weapons to utilize in the passing game even more for the next several years.
2.05- Aaron Jones – RB, Green Bay
(Travis – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Football)
As a conductor on the Aaron Jones steam engine since 2017, my Co-host Ty (@tnfftyrell) would love this pick! Finishing as the RB2 in PPR formats this season, Aaron Jones’ draft stock will be a hot topic as we move through the offseason. Detractors will point to his almost sure regression from his 19 touchdowns (16 rushing, 3 receiving). They’ll also point to the presence of Jamaal Williams and Green Bay’s willingness to utilize him in passing situations, as evidenced by Williams’ 39 receptions on 45 targets. What they’ll fail to highlight is the fact that Jones soaked up 68 targets of his own in a revamped Green Bay offense. An offense that targeted running backs almost 30% of the time, using backs as their second priority in the passing game and the top priority when Adams went down.
I also considered Josh Jacobs or Kyler Murray in this spot but I went with Jones due to his All-World talent, that passing game efficiency, and his attachment to a potent offense with a veteran signal caller on a contending team. Aaron Rodgers and Co. should have 2 to 4 years of quality production left for fantasy owners and I want a piece of the pie. Another factor was the roster build. I drafted a WR in the first round and the stud running backs were becoming sparse. Jones showed elite traits this season and I’m confident he’ll continue to be featured as a receiving threat and I know he can produce even when sharing carries. I’ve now solidified my top Wideout and running back. The roster building fun is about to begin.
2.06 – Josh Jacobs – RB, Oakland
(Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network)
I will be the first to admit; this is not a pick I saw coming after going RB in the first round. I would have loved for Russell Wilson to fall to me here. He went two picks before mine, causing me to pivot. My initial reaction was to go with a wide receiver, but after taking a hard look, I had more questions than answers. Odell Beckham, Mike Evans, and JuJu Smith-Schuster all have their own issues when it comes to quarterback play, and Amari Cooper might not even be in Dallas in a few months. Yes, they all are fantastic players, but at the time of this draft, I have enough reservations to wait for some of the players breaking out this year.
Let’s play a game, shall we?
Player A) 201 carries for 957 yards (4.76 avg) & 7 TDs
Player B) 185 carries for 830 yards (4.48 avg) & 8 TDs
The first is Josh Jacobs, and Player B was Saquon Barkey in 2018. Both stats are through 11 games played. Are you surprised? I know I was when I first made this comparison back in mid-November. While the receiving numbers aren’t there, the production on the ground was. While missing 3 games with an injury, Jacobs still had 242 rushes for 1150 yards and 7 touchdowns. If you take those rushing yards for a 16 game average, he would have finished with just over 1,400 yards on the season – good enough for 3rd best in 2019.
Jacobs came into the NFL with so much tread on his tires after seeing less than 300 total touches during his time at Alabama. At only 21 years old, Jacobs will be Jon Gruden’s workhorse for years to come, and I fully expect for them to work on his pass-catching ability in the offseason.
2.07- Leonard Fournette – RB, Jacksonville
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Createarank.com)
Getting Fournette as the RB10 in this draft seems like great value. He is a former rookie 1.01 with top 10 NFL draft capital. He had 100 targets this past season and in a PPR format, targets are king. Fournette was 5th in the NFL in carries inside the 20 and inside the 10, yet he only has three TDs to show for it.
I make this pick hoping the targets are sticky and the TD regression applies. While my strategy is to load up on young WRs, it certainly doesn’t hurt to find value at the RB position when it shows itself. Fournette is 24 years old and should remain a bell-cow back for another few years.
2.08- Dak Prescott – QB, Dallas
(Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network)
Since I already had my stud WR on the roster, I was targeting a few players with my second-round pick. Unfortunately, they were all taken before me. Both Watson and Wilson, the #3 and #4 QB in my rankings for Superflex, went before my pick, as did other young running backs like Chubb, Jones, Jacobs, and Fournette. Not gonna lie, I was a little on tilt. I decided that I couldn’t wait for my first QB any longer and decided to take Dak Prescott at 2.08.
Dak has been severely underpaid by the Cowboys for years, thanks to a team-friendly rookie deal, but he’s about to get his money. I would be shocked if Dallas lets Dak walk and pays WR Amari Cooper instead. Prescott should see a 3 to 4 year deal with significant money, meaning he will be the franchise quarterback playing behind one of the best offensive lines in all of football, at least for the next 2-3 years. Add in Zeke and defenses won’t be able to key on the passing game as much as they should, leaving Dak open to pick apart secondaries for years to come. Welcome to the squad, Dakota.
2.09- George Kittle – TE, San Francisco
(Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables)
A pair of mini RB runs cleared the remaining top-end workhorse RBs with @JaxFalcone taking the last one I’d consider in the second round when he took Fournette. When looking at the wide receivers, the pool is deep at the mid WR1 to mid WR2 range so it was an easy fade for me here and grab whichever receiver was available after the turn. That left me with taking another QB or going tight end.
In this TE premium league, I found another opportunity to zig while the rest zagged and took George Kittle. The tight end position has been troublesome for years and although considered as a “TE1” means little, Kittle comfortably sits at the top tier by himself with even Kelce a distant second. Although the 49ers play a run-dominant brand of football, Kittle is San Francisco’s top receiving threat and their passing offense is built around that. The elite TE posted 85 receptions for 1,053 yards and five TDs.
Although he ended up second to Kelce in total PPR points scored with 222.5, they both averaged the same points per game (15.9) while Kittle missed two games. Kittle is also four years younger than Kelce. Starting a Superflex, TE premium dynasty team by filling the two most scarce positions with arguably the two best players, my foundation is complete.
In hindsight, I could have taken Kyler Murray and been extremely happy with the QB4 in dynasty to round off the quarterback position but shoring up TE while my expert leaguemates scramble in the later rounds for Tyler Higbee as their starting tight end, I’ll be smashing high upside RB and WR plays.
2.10- Odell Beckham Jr. – WR, Cleveland
(JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts)
Drafted before the firing of Freddie Kitchens, this was a pick based on hope. Circumstances change, injuries heal, but 27-year-old talent does not disappear. Odell Beckham Jr. is the best wide receiver in the game when he is healthy. Although he has dealt with nagging injuries over the last few seasons, the hernia is not a long term concern. Moving forward, I expect the chemistry with Baker to start to click as they both learn to work towards ownership of their team, and I expect Jimmy Haslam to invest in an offensive mind who is able to use all of the other expensive offensive assets.
The WR spot is my focus here and I am happy to grab one of the two elite guys (Mike Evans) left at the position. I hope to see Kyler Murray slide to me on the turn to make it a clean Superflex Big 3.
2.11- Mike Evans – WR, Tampa Bay
(Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables)
Despite missing the season’s final three games with a severe hamstring pull, Mike Evans managed to surpass 1,000 yards for the sixth consecutive season to open his career. Hall of Famer Randy Moss is the only other wide receiver to accomplish that feat. Evans is on record, via the Tampa Bay Times, stating that he hopes to “stay healthy next year and surpass him” as the first player to go 7-for-7 to start his career.
Quite frankly, Evans shouldn’t have been available here and his availability made this selection a no-brainer.
2.12- Derrick Henry – RB, Tennessee
(Tommy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
Derrick Henry is the unsexy pick of the first two rounds, but drafting the 2019 rushing titleholder at 2.12 is too good of a value to pass up, especially if I’m following the same consistent player approach to this draft (and every draft thanks to @BobLung).
Henry finishes the season as the RB3 in standard formats (hell of a prediction by @FFBallBlast) and RB5 in PPR. Henry hit these numbers by averaging 16 ppg (15 weeks) with 1 game missed to injury and only two games below 10 fantasy points. In the 2nd half of the season, he turned it on again with a floor of 23 points, repeating his thrashing of Jacksonville in Week 12. And while most fantasy leagues are finished by Week 16, Henry still turned in an amazing Week 17 performance to help the Titans clinch a playoff appearance and the rushing title with 211 yards and three TDs.
At 25 years old, Henry is in his prime and has at least 2-3 solid years left, more than enough to warrant a 2.12 pick here. He had a consensus ADP of RB19 in PPR formats coming into 2019 and would be the RB11 in this draft who could once again be a top 8 RB in 2020. Even in PPR formats, Henry has proven he can carry the load and although he may be more of a plodder that comes on hot in the second half of the season, that second half boom is good enough to be a league winner. And when compared to the remaining RBs on the board (Miles, KJ, MG3, and Gurley) he has the highest upside with a good O-line and solid defense.
Round 3:
3.01- Travis Kelce – TE, Kansas City
(Tommy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
Again, consistency, consistency, consistency. No other TE has been more consistent in the past five years than Travis Kelce. That’s what I want in my draft. And I want to take top value players at the lowest value I can get them before missing out on drafting them. The TE position has lacked depth in recent years and I’ve always preached to roster as many top 5 players at each position as possible. Kelce has finished his 4th straight year as the top TE in the class with a steady average of 131 targets, 1,182 yards, and 6.75 TDs the past four years. While his numbers slightly dipped this year from last year, his usage in the offense did not change as he averaged an 86.87% snap share all year.
Although Kelce is 30, the opportunities for him will continue into 2020 and beyond as the TE position is the slowest to mature and has a relatively long shelf life. Kelce has so much value in fantasy that although he is consistently the TE1, he’s also finishing 2019 as the WR6 in scoring in PPR formats. And although I still don’t have a WR1 on my team, the value was too good here to pass on not only THE best TE in the game but also a consistent top 10 WR with one of the best QBs throwing to him. Oh! And the best part of all is it’s a TE premium scoring league so bonus points to the best pass-catching TE in the league.
3.02- Kyler Murray – QB, Arizona
(Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables)
I wanted Titans bruiser Derrick Henry in this spot. But when Tommy Mo selected Henry (and his 18 touchdowns) right in front of me, I decided to pivot to a different strategy. Wide receiver wasn’t really an option here because there was too much talent left at the position. And after Henry, there is a tier break for me. So that ruled out RB. Back to QB we go. Like Jackson, Cardinals rookie Kyler Murray provides a nice safe rushing floor. He managed 544 yards and four touchdowns in his inaugural campaign while throwing the ball a whopping 549 times!
A terrible defense should ensure the Cardinals throw plenty once again in 2020. Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury is building his “Air-Raid” offense around the dynamic signal-caller and the Cardinals front office has surrounded him with young talent. He should continue to improve, even if veteran WR Larry Fitzgerald decides to ride off into the sunset. I now have a decided advantage at arguably the most important position in this league.
3.03- Carson Wentz – QB, Philadelphia
(JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts)
Shoot for the moon and you’ll land among the stars? Carson Wentz is a nice fall back option for a young QB building block after seeing Terminator lock up his QB room with elite assets. After a disappointing season, where his weapons struggled to stay on the field and hold onto the ball, I’m looking for a bounce back from Wentz.
The offensive line is built for long term dynasty success (the best youth and talent combination in the league), and I believe they’ll be adding multiple receiving weapons with the most stacked WR draft class since 2014. The stability that the offensive line and aggressive head coach provide gives me enough to reason to invest in Wentz as my dynasty QB1. I’m happy to have a guy who will be around for the next 10 years.
3.04- JuJu Smith-Schuster – WR, Pittsburgh
(Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables)
I waited for wide receiver until round three and it paid off as JuJu was still on the board after the turn. Even with a down season, I have JuJu as the WR6 in dynasty with Big Ben returning for at least a season or two. JuJu only finished with 552 receiving yards but still had some strong outings. Before Roethlisberger was lost, Smith-Schuster started off the season on a good note with 6-78 and 5-84 showings. And while the production wasn’t there, neither were the targets or the talent at quarterback.
Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges are not the solutions after Roethlisberger. We can only hope that Big Ben plays strong for the next couple of seasons. Regardless, these are the times to lock in premium young studs who will only be 23 years old when the 2020 season starts at a discount: during Times of uncertainty with QB situation and when a stud is coming off a disappointing season. Last offseason, JuJu had the same hype and backing as Chris Godwin enjoys today.
3.05- Evan Engram – TE, New York Giants
(Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network)
As the draft snaked back around, I was definitely eyeing my first RB but realized that only one went in this next turn: Derrick Henry. I can probably wait, right? This is a TE premium league, and both Kittle and Kelce went between my picks, which sort of forced my hand. I started WR-QB and wouldn’t mind having a nice balanced start to the team, so I went with Evan Engram as my TE1.
Engram is being undervalued at the moment, mainly because of his injury. At the start of the 2019 season, there were doubts about his quarterback in Daniel Jones, but he’s come on strong and seems to have no issue throwing the rock. Engram is a stud at a position where studs are even harder to find, making him the obvious choice for a dynasty startup behind Kittle and Kelce. Now he just needs to stay healthy…
3.06- Amari Cooper – WR, Dallas
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Createarank.com)
Amari is a top 5 or 6 Dynasty WR for me, so getting him at WR9 feels like value. Either way, he fits the plan: draft a stable of young WRs that can grow together and hopefully reach their prime together over the next several seasons. Amari is still only 25 years old and has yet to reach his full potential. Admittedly, he scares me a little, but there is simply too much talent and opportunity to pass up in round three.
I strongly considered Miles Sanders or DJ Moore here. Sanders would definitely be a target of mine in the 3rd round if I were to be doing a startup this offseason. After I took Fournette in the 2nd, it made me shy away from him at 3.06, as I thought he might sneak by. But not with this crew. You’ll need to nab Sanders in round 3 if you want to get him.
3.07 – Josh Allen – QB, Buffalo
(Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network)
2019 was just another example that you want to draft a quarterback with a rushing upside to help boost their floors. While not as elusive as QBs who went before him, Josh Allen still finished 3rd in the NFL amongst QBs in rushing yards along with 9 touchdowns. Inside the 10-yard line, Allen’s size and athleticism strike a scary resemblance to what we saw in Cam Newton in his prime.
Although he can at times struggle with accuracy, Allen completed nearly 60% of his passes and showed some welcomed development in his decision making compared to his 2018 rookie campaign. I fully expect him to take another step in the right direction and hope the Bills add some talent to the WR position, maybe even in the upcoming draft. In a SuperFlex format, it is imperative to get your starting quarterbacks when you can, as you never know when the run will hit. Given the group of drafters assembled for this mock, this was a pick I could not afford to pass on.
3.08- Aaron Rodgers – QB, Green Bay
(Travis – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Football)
As I mentioned when I went over my second round pick,I thought I could still get quarterback value by waiting until the third round, and I think it paid off. Aaron Rodgers may not be the top 5 lock he once was, he still finished this season 12th with over 4000 yards, with 26 touchdowns and only threw 4 interceptions. Rodgers was also top 5 in red zone pass attempts, and deep ball attempts, so there are scoring opportunities to be had.
With Davante Adams and Aaron Jones providing the only reliable juice, the Packers are likely to re-tool the offense this offseason. With added weapons and a healthy season from Adams, Aaron Rodgers can still get it done as a fantasy QB1.
3.09- Baker Mayfield – QB, Cleveland
(Dan – @awlsabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
There was a slight run on guys I was hoping would come back to me (looking at you Tommy Garrett), but this pick piggybacks a lot off my previous one. The entire Browns team had a down year, but it is also something that if you listened to some sharp follows on Twitter, a few guys were predicting it. Super teams and Free Agency champions rarely ever produce the way the offseason hype machine pumps them up.
I don’t think 2019 is the true Baker Mayfield, Sophomore slumps happen, and I think people are way too keen to just throw the baby out with the bathwater after one bad season. He is still only 24 years old, his career is not now set in stone. I have a feeling the 2020 Browns and beyond will be much better versions of themselves than 2019. A slice of humble pie and not buying into their hype as much as they did will go a long way (and some offensive linemen).
I also am benefiting that only a few minutes before I was up for my pick the Browns canned Freddie Kitchens, who by all accounts, was very much not getting the job done. Even to the point apparently Kitchens was calling plays that were not being put into action by Monken during the week leading up to the game. The Browns have already been linked to a few hot coaching prospects. They are surely one of the most attractive landing spots with all of the skill players they have. I have the Browns as all strong bounce-back candidates in 2020, and this time last year I would not have gotten Baker this late. I will take advantage of the down year and bank on a big improvement for years to come.
3.10- D.J. Moore – WR, Carolina
(Jake – @Dabeezybff – Sons of Dynasty, Undroppables)
Moore was my 3rd round pick. As a rookie in 18, he looked like a difference-maker and in 19 he did not disappoint. He finished 19 with 87 rec for 1175 yds and 4 TDs on 135 targets. 135 targets. That’s a big number. On top of it, the targets were coming from a Rookie QB. He’s phenomenal after the catch and is a threat to take it to the house on any given play. At 22 years old this kid is going to be a top WR in the league in no time. Big target in Dynasty.
3.11- Julio Jones – WR, Atlanta
(Paul Lundgaard – @pauliessleepers – pauliessleepers.com & Undroppables)
There was a decent run on QBs since I picked last (fine by me) and no one really jumping off
the page as a “must draft” at that position. Same for TEs, although I considered Zack Ertz
here as I do like having an Elite TE in a premium scoring format. But I have Julio Jones staring
me in the face and if you follow me on Twitter, you know I am a huge fan. He is 30, but we have seen Elite WRs continue to produce into their early 30s.
I watch every Falcons game and I saw no dip in performance on the field whatsoever. In fact, his 99/1394/6 2019 campaign was BETTER than 2016 and 2017! Julio only missed one game this year which now makes only four missed games in the last six years. He was the WR3 this year so I now have the potential of having two top 5 WRs. At the end of the 3rd round, this is a steal!
3.12- Kenny Golladay – WR, Detroit
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88- Sons of Dynasty)
In 2019 Golladay was primed for a big year as Matthew Stafford’s WR1. Unfortunately, Stafford season ended at the halfway point. But 2nd and 3rd string QBs wouldn’t be enough to detour Golladay from being the WR9 in PPR (WR3 Standard) Finishing the season with 65 receptions, 1,190 (2nd straight 1,000+ yard season) at 18.0 yards per catch (3rd in NFL) and 11 TDs (Lead NFL) ahead of the likes of OBJ, Nuk, Cooper. Expecting him to continue Top 10 production in 2020 with a healthy gun-slinging QB. Happy to have him as my WR1 at the end of the 3rd round.
