Matt Hicks, Staff Writer

I recently participated in the first group of mock drafts hosted by FFDynasty260. This included 10, 3 round rookie mock drafts for fantasy football writers. I’ll reference the ADP they put together from the results throughout this article, you can view their ADP for all rookies here. I participated in 4/10 of the mock drafts, drafted from the 1.10 position for each one.

First Round Picks (1.10)

Christian Kirk

I like Kirk a lot at this pick. He has a lower ceiling than some of the other wideouts that will go in the first round, but he can make an immediate impact as a lot receiver in the NFL. Landing spot is, of course, important for everyone; but especially Kirk. If he lands as the slot option is a playoff contending team like Seattle, Carolina, or New Orleans he’s a steal at 1.10 in PPR leagues. In the Top2Sports Rookie Mock Draft, I took Kirk at 1.6; so, I got great value with him here.

Calvin Ridley (2)

I took Calvin Ridley in two mocks. Although he is seemingly the consensus top pick for NFL teams, fantasy football writers don’t feel the same. He has an ADP of 9.1, which puts him second for WRs behind D.J. Moore (ADP of 7.1). Ridley is quick and creates space but lacks strength and doesn’t tower over corners, at 6’ flat. Ridley has the potential to be a career WR2 but I don’t foresee him being a consistent WR1 at any point in his career. Yet, a low end WR2/high end WR3 right off the bat is a good player to get with the 1.10 pick.

John Kelly

Kelly is my favorite RB out of the “tier 3” guys. Yet, at 13.6, he has a lower ADP than Penny (4.9), Ronald Jones (7.6), Royce Freeman (9.0), and Kerryon Johnson (12.8). Kelly has good size (5’10”, 216 pounds) and runs extremely well between the tackles; often running over defenders and pushing his way to extra yardage. Kelly’s talent was buried beneath the poor offense Butch Jones insisted on running while creating champions of life at the University of Tennessee. Remember, Jones is the same coach who buried Alvin Kamara’s talent and forced the one-time standout transfer back Jalen Hurd from Alabama to leave Knoxville. Although Kelly’s ADP puts him as a second rounder, he went in the first round in 3/10 of the mock drafts; I encourage you to be the one who bets on him, I sure will be.

Second Round Picks (2.10)

Dallas Goedert (2)

I got two shares of Goedert late in the second round. Although some may prefer to wait on a TE, I think it’s smart to be aggressive for the position with the least fantasy depth. At 6’5” 256 pounds, Goedert is a large target that possess both the strength required for separation and the speed to be a short and vertical target. Although rookie tight ends rarely make a fantasy impact early, I think Goedert has the potential to be a high TE2 this year.

Hayden Hurst

Hurst is a well rounded tight end prospect that will likely get drafted to be on the field early. He’s quick and athletic for the position and proved to be a great pass catcher at the University of South Carolina. I took Hurst in this mock draft over Mark Andrews (Oklahoma) and Mike Gesicki (Penn State). Andrews is a weak prospect who doesn’t stand out on tape as much more than a tight end who was schemed well in Oklahoma’s underneath routes-based offense. Gesicki, to me, is a bit more of an investment; if I have a tight end I like on my roster already I might make the invest on him instead of Hurst. Hurst, however, has the lowest ADP of the top 4 TEs. With an ADP of 33.9 you probably could get him in the third.

Lamar Jackson

Third Round Picks (3.10)

Lamar Jackson (2)

In terms of fantasy, Jackson is easily my favorite quarterback option in this draft. Jackson has explosive speed and game tap that will make you fall in love with his play style. He can make plays through the air and gain yardage outside of the pocket. He’s proven to be elusive in his run game, and powerful enough to extend plays after contact. Jackson has mechanical issues (balance and release) but is developed enough to start in 2018. If you need a quarterback, especially in superflex leagues, don’t be afraid to take him in the second, like I did. Jackson’s ADP (32.6), though, does make him a third-round option. Jackson, however, has the second highest ADP for quarterbacks (Mayfield 26.10, Rosen 37.10), so if you see a quarterback come off the board, assume Jackson is next and don’t pass up the chance to take the quarterback I believe has the highest fantasy ceiling in this draft class.

Hayden Hurst

Anthony Miller

Miller is often lost amongst the talk of the bigger name wide receivers, but with an ADP of 34.7, he’s likely to be around at this pick. Miller is on the smaller size (5’10” 201 pounds) but that seems to be the standard for this draft class. What is standard is how quick Miller is, and his ability to create separation off the line of scrimmage. I also appreciate how Miller is often credited for being a tough competitor. If Miller fits in as a WR 3 on a NFL team with a top quarterback, he could be a breakout star this season.