I landed the 1st overall pick in our Roto Street Journal Mock Draft, meaning I could get a swing at what it would be like to draft from one of the more challenging draft slots in a 2023 fantasy football league.
Read more: “How to draft” from the… 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 spot
Here’s how I attacked the Roto Street Journal 12-team mock draft with Half-PPR scoring (QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, and FLEX) from the 1 spot:
1.01: WR1, Justin Jefferson
This was a no-brainer for me at the No. 1 spot. I know The Wolf currently has Christian McCaffrey a spot ahead of Jetta on his 2023 Fantasy Big Board, but this is one time I will have to disagree with our fearless leader. Jefferson led the league in fantasy scoring a year ago, while finishing 10th in target share and third in yards per route run. He’s obviously the clear top option with KJ Osborn and the newly drafted Jordan Addison alongside him. Plus, with Dalvin Cook now in New York, we could see an even more aerial-focused attack from last year’s sixth-ranked passing offense.
2.12: WR2, DeVonta Smith
Going into my back-to-back picks at 24 and 25, I secretly prayed that a Tier 2 RB would somehow fall to me. That wasn’t the case, so I decided to go WR again in this 3 WR league, and once Chris Olave was gone, it was a two-horse race between Smith and Tee Higgins. I ultimately went with Smith, who I’m excited about with another year under the belt for him and his All-Pro QB Jalen Hurts. Philly had the third-most run-heavy offense in 2022, and it obviously worked for them as they won the NFC, but Smith still finished as the WR10, and I think he carries a similar ceiling in 2023.
3.01: QB1, Patrick Mahomes
This was new for me — I rarely go QB early. But I already had two solid receivers, and all of the RB and TE options I had available felt like a reach, so I broke the seal and made the first QB selection of the draft. Mahomes is obviously a monster and well on his way to the best quarterback career of all time, but what really got me excited about this pick was finally having consistency at QB, which I never get when I wait until the 10th or 11th round to take a guy like Jared Goff or Dak Prescott. Mahomes’ all-world arm talent, his running ability, and his creative offensive system have made him a top-four fantasy QB the last three years, and I’m expecting more of the same this year.
4.12: WR3, Terry McLaurin
I hadn’t planned on going Zero RB in this draft, but the flow of the board basically forced me into it. I didn’t feel good about the RB options available here, like Kenneth Walker or Alexander Mattison, so I loaded up at receiver again and took, in my opinion, one of the more underrated wideouts in the NFL. McLaurin was 2022’s WR14 despite playing in the league’s 21st-ranked passing attack, and I think Sam Howell will be an improvement over the Taylor Heinicke/Carson Wentz show from last year. And as you can see, they’ve already shown some flashes of big-play potential in the preseason.
5.01: TE1, George Kittle
Again, with no palatable RBs in my sights, I decided to go elsewhere and took George Kittle as the third tight end off the board after Travis Kelce in the first and Mark Andrews in the second. Clearly, the RSJ boys view me as a trendsetter, as four more tight ends would go over the next round and a half. Kittle is an absolute monster, finishing as a top-four TE the last two years despite missing multiple games in both seasons. What really got me excited about this one is the rapport he showed with Brock Purdy throughout the end of last season and the playoffs. These two trust each other to make plays when the 49ers need it, and I’m expecting another huge year out of Kittle. I’ll take running backs when I’m dead (or with my next two picks).
6.12: RB1, James Conner
I just threw up in my mouth a little bit typing that one. Yes, this is the drawback of the no RB strategy. Heading into these back-to-back picks, I was really hoping to use one on Javonte Williams, but he was unfortunately swiped two picks before the snake got to me. But Conner is no slouch, and he was last year’s RB19 despite only playing 13 games. He led the team in all major rushing statistics in 2022 and finished fifth in receptions. The Cardinals could be an absolute dumpster fire this year with a first-year head coach, DeAndre Hopkins gone, and Kyler Murray likely out for an extended period, but that means they’ll need to rely on Conner that much more. He no longer has a QB that’s any semblance of a rushing threat (we drafted before the team acquired Josh Dobbs), and his top two competitors in the backfield combined for 42 carries last year. Every 2-15 team has to have one bright spot, and I think Arizona’s will be Conner.
7.01: RB2, D’Andre Swift
Desperately needing another running back, I picked Swift over the likes of Alvin Kamara, Rachaad White, and David Montgomery, who went with the next three selections. Swift is likely to emerge as the starter in Philly, but it’s yet to be confirmed — in fact, the Eagles’ official depth chart has FIVE guys all listed at RB1. Swift will face some competition from fellow offseason pickup Rashaad Penny and returning contributors from 2022 like Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell. Still, I don’t think it’ll take long for Swift to emerge as the top option. His 5.5 yards per carry last year was third among RBs with over 90 carries, and he now joins a much more run-focused attack with arguably the best offensive line in football.
8.12: RB3, Jamaal Williams
Suppose Conner starts slow in a new offense, or it takes Swift a few weeks to establish himself as the lead back. In that case, I’ve got my insurance in Jamaal Williams, who will be New Orleans’ de facto starter for Weeks 1-3 while Alvin Kamara serves his suspension. Williams was a goal-line beast for Detroit last year, scoring 17 touchdowns to lead the league, with most coming in short-yardage situations. Even when Kamara returns, Williams should have a solid role in the Saints’ run game, especially in the red zone.
9.01: WR4, Courtland Sutton
A little background — about three minutes before making this pick, the news came in that Jerry Jeudy was carted off the practice field with a hamstring injury. With Tim Patrick already out for the year, this felt like a sign from the fantasy gods to snag Sutton here. It’s now being reported that Jeudy will miss “several weeks” nursing his hammy, and Sutton should have a significant role in what I expect to be a much-improved offense under Sean Payton.
10.12: WR5, Tyler Boyd
Boyd is the clear WR3 on his team, but he could easily be a top-two option in most NFL offenses. He’s got a top-five QB in Joe Burrow, and he’s one injury away from being an absolute steal to end the 10th round.
11.01: WR6, Jakobi Meyers
As a Patriots fan, I know firsthand how talented Meyers is, and I know that he’d be going earlier in drafts if he was in a more desirable situation. Instead, he’s in Las Vegas, trying to help the Raiders bounce back from an ugly 6-11 season. He has a lot of competition for targets from Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow, but could still emerge as a solid option for the Raiders. And if Jimmy Garappolo gets hurt, which wouldn’t be a shocker given his history, Meyers and Raiders backup Brian Hoyer have some familiarity with each other after three years together in New England.
12.12: TE2, Greg Dulcich
I was thrilled to snag Dulcich this late as some tight end depth behind Kittle. As mentioned, I think Denver’s offense will be much improved this year, and although Dulcich isn’t listed as the TE1 currently, I don’t see a world where he isn’t Denver’s top receiving option at tight end. He was also the TE10 from Weeks 6-16 last year when he was active.
13.01: RB4, Devin Singletary
It’s not a sexy pick by any means, but RB depth is important, and Singletary is the next man up in Houston if anything happens to Dameon Pierce. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
14.12: RB5, Chase Brown
The title of Mr. Irrelevant in this draft fell to Cincy’s 5th-round rookie out of Illinois, who will likely start the season third on their depth chart but could see some action, especially if an injury hits the Bengals backfield. He was a pure depth pick here, and Brown was the best remaining RB on the board.
Final Roster:
QB: Patrick Mahomes
RB: James Conner
RB: D’Andre Swift
WR: Justin Jefferson
WR: DeVonta Smith
WR: Terry McLaurin
TE: George Kittle
FLEX: Jamaal Williams
Bench: Courtland Sutton, Tyler Boyd, Jakobi Meyers, Greg Dulcich, Devin Singletary, Chase Brown
Further Observations
Obviously, I’m pumped to have Jetta and Mahomes, but otherwise, I’m worried about consistency. DeVonta, Kittle, and McLaurin could vary significantly from week to week, and my RB room is a bit scary.
Overall, it’s not my best work, but that’s how it goes when you’re drafting with some of the best fantasy experts in the business.
You can find the link to the draft board here.
