Having already completed a Fantasy Football mock draft from position one, it was time to try my second mock from position two. It is a 12 team, Points Per Reception (PPR), three wide receiver format. However, this time I changed my initial strategy and selected a wide receiver in the first round.

The result was a completely different, but overall produced a much improved team from the first mock draft.

(This mock was completed at FantasyPros and was 12 team, Point Per Reception (PPR), three wide receiver format with five bench spots. All data taken from PlayerProfiler.com)

2017 Fantasy Football PPR Mock Draft: Position Two

Round 1

1 D. Johnson RB Arizona 2 A. Brown WR Pittsburgh 3 L. Bell RB Pittsburgh 4 O. Beckham WR NY Giants 5 D. Freeman RB Atlanta 6 E. Elliott RB Dallas 7 T.Y. Hilton WR Indianapolis 8 J. Jones WR Atlanta 9 A.J. Green WR Cincinnati 10 M. Evans WR Tampa Bay 11 L. McCoy RB Buffalo 12 J. Howard RB Chicago

PICK: Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh

Reaction: Given the three wide receiver format, it is important to secure a top overall fantasy receiver. Antonio Brown’s consistently separates him from the rest of the league. While the full point PPR scoring often affects the typical draft order, it is still difficult to rationalize picking Devonta Freeman over Ezekiel Elliott. The presence of Tevin Coleman and Freeman’s lack of a contract extension muddy the waters. On the flip side, Chicago running back Jordan Howard gets drafted in the first round despite having only 29 receptions in 2016.

Round 2

13 J. Ajayi RB Miami 14 D. Murray RB Tennessee 15 M. Gordon RB Los Angeles Chargers 16 D. Hopkins WR Houston 17 L. Miller RB Houston 18 M. Thomas WR New Orleans 19 J. Nelson WR Green Bay 20 D. Bryant WR Dallas 21 R. Gronkowski TE New England 22 K. Allen WR Los Angeles Chargers 23 A. Cooper WR Oakland 24 T. Gurley RB Los Angeles Rams

PICK: Amari Cooper, Oakland

Reaction: Two drafts, two second round selections of Amari Cooper. No complaints here, as Cooper is one of the best receivers in the league tethered to a young star quarterback in a high pass volume offense. Back-to-back Texans in round two is a terrible decision with Tom Savage as their starting quarterback. It is a mistake to draft a tight end this early, especially one who is a professional wrestler on the side. It makes no sense to take Keenan Allen here when he has played a total of nine games over the last two seasons.

Round 3

25 D. Baldwin WR Seattle 26 M. Ingram RB New Orleans 27 S. Watkins WR Buffalo 28 T. Pryor WR Washington 29 T. Montgomery RB Green Bay 30 A. Jeffery WR Philadelphia 31 B. Cooks WR New England 32 D. Thomas WR Denver 33 D. Adams WR Green Bay 34 A. Robinson WR Jacksonville 35 J. Edelman WR New England 36 E. Sanders WR Denver

PICK: Mark Ingram, New Orleans

Reaction: My least favorite pick of the mock draft, but I felt the need to draft a running back. Allen Robinson was tempting, and would have giving me three outstanding wide receivers. Ingram should be the goal line back in the Saints offense however, which is always a solid fantasy role. Has Ty Montgomery really shown enough to be a third round pick? Justin Forsett had a good year once as well. Many are wary of Patriots running backs because of the unpredictability and the same should go for their wide receivers as well. Imagine if Denver had a real quarterback? Both Emmanuel Sanders (17th in fantasy points per game at 14.2) and Demaryius Thomas (19th) would be top 12 wide receivers.

Round 4

37 G. Tate WR Detroit 38 J. Landry WR Miami 39 T. Kelce TE Kansas City 40 C. Hyde RB San Francisco 41 T. Coleman RB Atlanta 42 B. Powell RB New York Jets 43 L. Fitzgerald WR Arizona 44 A. Rodgers QB Green Bay 45 A. Luck QB Indianapolis 46 C.J. Anderson RB Denver 47 J. Crowder WR Washington 48 T. Brady QB New England

PICK: Jamison Crowder, Washington

Reaction: By process of elimination, this needed to be a wide receiver pick. Taking a quarterback or tight end this early is simply a mistake, and the running back difference between rounds four and five is negligible. Crowder is a target magnet in the slot with an accurate high volume passing quarterback in Kirk Cousins. If Jordan Reed gets injured again, Crowder’s stats would approach WR2 territory. The temptation is always strong to take a top three quarterback in this round, but it is best to avoid. Rodgers, Luck, and Brady would all need to produce 4,500+ yard and 35+ touchdown years to justify this pick. With players like Derek Carr, Matthew Stafford, and Philip Rivers available five rounds later, it is a huge mistake.

Round 5

49 M. Crabtree WR Oakland 50 S. Ware RB Kansas City 51 J. Reed TE Washington 52 E. Lacy RB Seattle 53 E. Decker WR New York Jets 54 D. Brees QB New Orleans 55 G. Olsen TE Carolina 56 S. Diggs WR Minnesota 57 R. Kelley RB Washington 58 I. Crowell RB Cleveland 59 P. Garcon WR San Francisco 60 G. Tate WR Detroit

PICK: Spencer Ware, Kansas City

Reaction: Round Five is the polarizing round. After Crabtree, there are legitimate concerns about each of these players. The safest choice is Greg Olsen, who is a lock for a top five tight end season. However, I still think it’s too early to select a tight end. Golden Tate started slow but over his last 11 games he totaled 74 receptions, 943 yards, and four touchdowns. Eric Decker could be great value here, if he changes teams. The lead running back in Kansas City will produce an RB1 season, so Spencer Ware was too tempting to pass up when I already have three solid wide receivers.

Round 6

61 M. Ryan QB Atlanta 62 D. Walker TE Tennessee 63 R. Wilson QB Seattle 64 E. Ebron TE Detroit 65 K. Cousins QB Washington 66 L. Blount RB New England 67 D. Lewis RB New England 68 C. Meredith WR Chicago 69 R. Burkhead RB New England 70 D. Moncrief WR Indianapolis 71 D. Woodhead RB Baltimore 72 T. Eifert TE Cincinnati

PICK: Danny Woodhead, Baltimore

Reaction: Love getting Woodhead in the sixth round in a murky Baltimore backfield. An 80+ reception season is definitely in his range of outcomes. With Kenneth Dixon suspended for the first four games of the season, Woodhead could be a PPR RB1. New England running backs fly off the board here, as it’s anyone’s guess who will be the main fantasy point scorer. Hate the Delanie Walker pick, this could be the year the 33 year old Walker breaks down. Love Cameron Meredith, just not in Round Six. Need to see more game to game consistency first.

Round 7

73 B. Marshall WR New York Giants 74 T. Riddick RB Detroit 75 D. Prescott QB Dallas 76 C. Coleman WR Cleveland 77 Z. Ertz TE Philadelphia 78 G. Bernard RB Cincinnati 79 C. Newton QB Carolina 80 J. Graham TE Seattle 81 P. Rivers QB Los Angeles Chargers 82 R. Cobb WR Green Bay 83 B. Roethlisberger QB Pittsburgh 84 K. Rudolph TE Minnesota

PICK: Theo Riddick, Detroit

Reaction: No player’s value is more enhanced by a PPR format draft than Theo Riddick. In just ten games last season, he had 53 receptions which ranked sixth among all running backs. Riddick was 12th in receiving yards (371 yds), which followed the 2015 season where he finished second in running back receiving yards (697 yds).The difference between him and Giovani Bernard is staggering, yet they are usually drafted in the same round. Cobb could exceed value here, and this is the perfect spot to kick the tires on 33-year-old Brandon Marshall.

Round 8

85 C.J. Prosise RB Seattle 86 L. Murray RB Minnesota 87 A. Abdullah RB Detroit 88 A. Peterson RB Free Agent 89 K. Dixon RB Baltimore 90 F. Gore RB Indianapolis 91 C. Brate TE Tampa Bay 92 C. Sims RB Tampa Bay 93 J. Stewart RB Carolina 94 J. Charles RB Free Agent 95 W. Snead WR New Orleans 96 J. Maclin WR Kansas City

PICK: Willie Snead, New Orleans

Reaction: No Brandin Cooks in New Orleans, and Willie Snead is available in Round Eight? Fantasy Football Larceny! A lot of great picks here and it’s one of the main reasons I like these rounds better than rounds four, five, and six. Prosise should break out this season in PPR formats. With Doug Martin suspended and a prime cut candidate, Charles Sims becomes even more valuable. Jeremy Maclin is one year removed from 16.3 fantasy points per game and 12 red zone receptions (eighth among all wide receivers). Most people don’t realize he’s only 29 years old and the top receiving option in Kansas City (no, it’s not Tyreek Hill).

Round 9

97 T. Rawls RB Seattle 98 K. Benjamin WR Carolina 99 J. Matthews WR Philadelphia 100 P. Perkins RB New York Giants 101 K. Britt WR Cleveland 102 T. Hill WR Kansas City 103 D. Johnson RB Cleveland 104 J. Hill RB Cincinnati 105 D. Martin RB Tampa Bay 106 M. Forte RB New York Jets 107 T. Williams WR Los Angeles Chargers 108 D. Jackson WR Tampa Bay

PICK: Kelvin Benjamin, Carolina

Reaction: We all make a bad pick in our drafts and this was mine. Carolina is primed for a bounce back season, and that could mean Benjamin does as well. He started the season with 13 receptions, 199 yards, and three touchdowns through two games. However, he never totaled over 86 receiving yards again until Week 17, and had a three game stretch during the fantasy playoffs with 49 total receiving yards. The player I should have taken was Jordan Matthews who is the answer to this quiz:

Fantasy Football Quiz: What 4th year WR is averaging 75 receptions and 6.3 TDs per season yet has a current ADP of Round 9? — Mike Randle (@FtsyWarriorMike) April 10, 2017

As for Round Nine running backs? They are all players to be avoided in PPR formats except Duke Johnson. Be especially careful with Matt Forte, who turns 32 this season. Are old running backs in bad offenses really worth a draft pick?

Round 10

109 A. Thielen WR Minnesota 110 M. Mitchell WR New England 111 B. Perriman WR Baltimore 112 K. White WR Chicago 113 S. Shepard WR New York Giants 114 K. Stills WR Miami 115 J. McKinnon RB Minnesota 116 J. White RB New England 117 T. Sharpe WR Tennessee 118 D. Henry RB Tennessee 119 M. Bennett TE Green Bay 120 T. Lockett WR Seattle

PICK: Martellus Bennett, Green Bay

Reaction: Round 10 seems about right for a tight end selection. Martellus Bennett gives Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers his best big target since Jermichael Finley in 2011. In a bunched up fantasy position, Bennett should outperform earlier tight ends such as Zach Ertz, Eric Ebron, and Cameron Brate. Derrick Henry seems like an incredible value in Round Ten. Kenny Stills is too feast or famine to trust in anything but Best Ball leagues. If Breshad Perriman is Baltimore’s WR1, he is the steal of the draft in this spot.

Round 11 & 12

121 J. Rodgers RB Tampa Bay 122 D. Carr QB Oakland 123 D. Parker WR Miami 124 M. Gillislee RB New England 125 E. Rogers WR Pittsburgh 126 J. Brown WR Arizona 127 W. Smallwood RB Philadelphia 128 W. Fuller WR Houston 129 D. Sproles RB Philadelphia 130 M. Jones WR Detroit 131 R. Mathews RB Philadelphia 132 S. Vereen RB New York Giants

133 H. Henry TE Los Angeles Chargers 134 M. Stafford QB Detroit 135 D. Washington RB Oakland 136 J. Winston QB Tampa Bay 137 J. Doyle TE Indianapolis 138 M. Mariota QB Tennessee 139 A. Gates TE Los Angeles Chargers 140 R. Woods WR Los Angeles Rams 141 M. Lee WR Jacksonville 142 T. Taylor QB Buffalo 143 C. Beasley WR Dallas 144 C. J. Fiedorowicz TE Houston

PICKS: Derek Carr, Oakland & Cole Beasley, Dallas

Reaction: Always good quarterback options late in PPR drafts, and Derek Carr has top five potential this season. Cole Beasley is a huge WR3 sleeper. His targets have increased 31.6 percent over the past two seasons and PPR production has risen 42.1 percent. With Jason Witten turning 35 years old this week, the short underneath routes will be available for Beasley. One of the best late round pickups in fantasy this season. Jacquizz Rodgers could have huge value here, depending on what Tampa Bay does in the draft this Thursday. John Brown should be better with total health and no Michael Floyd in Arizona. Stafford, Winston, and Mariota in Round 12? Why on earth would anyone take a quarterback early?

Round 13 & 14

145 Seattle Defense 146 Denver Defense 147 Houston Defense 148 Kansas City Defense 149 Arizona Defense 150 Minnesota Defense 151 Los Angeles Chargers Defense 152 Los Angeles Rams Defense 153 New England Defense 154 Carolina Defense 155 Baltimore Defense 156 New York Jets Defense

157 S. Gostkowski K New England 158 J. Tucker K Baltimore 159 B. Walsh K Seattle 160 M. Crosby K Buffalo 161 S. Hauschka K Buffalo 162 M. Bryant K Atlanta 163 D. Bailey K Dallas 164 C. Catanzaro K New York Jets 165 A. Vinatieri K Indianapolis 166 B. McManus K Denver 167 C. Santos K Kansas City 168 G. Gano K Carolina

PICKS: Denver Defense & Cairo Santos, Kansas City

Summary

Given the receiving ability and overall production of the top three running backs, it was interesting to see how a mock team looked after bypassing David Johnson, Le’Veon Bell, and Ezekiel Elliott. The result was a surprisingly strong team. My top four wide receivers are Antonio Brown, Amari Cooper, Jamison Crowder and Willie Snead. All should be 80 plus receptions PPR players.

The running backs are a solid mix of goal line RB1s and PPR magnets. Mark Ingram and Spencer Ware should both reach double digit touchdowns, while Danny Woodhead and Theo Riddick should both be in the top five for running back receptions. Martellus Bennett in round ten was a steal, and the bench has a red zone target (Benjamin) and a PPR slot receiver (Beasley). Finally, my team rounds out with a solid top ten quarterback in Derek Carr.

Overall, the team I drafted from position two is significantly better than the team from position one.

What a difference one draft spot makes in fantasy football.