2019 10-Round Fantasy Football Expert Mock Draft, Part I: A surprise at No. 1
With the NFL draft in the rearview mirror and fantasy football draft season in full effect, it’s time for our Yahoo experts to get in on the action. We recently held a 12-team, 10-round mock to get things started. We’ll reveal two rounds in each story, starting with Rounds 1-2 below. Most mocks have Saquon Barkley or Ezekiel Elliott going first overall — but not here.
ROUND 1: Christian McCaffrey goes first
Pick 1: Christian McCaffrey, CAR, RB1 — I could go any of three ways here — although Kamara is clearly in the Top 4, he's the Ringo of the group. If you want Zeke or Barkley, I won't complain a peep. I want exposure to all of these guys, in some way. (Scott Pianowski 1)
Pick 2: Ezekiel Elliott, DAL, RB2 — Ultimately I decided I'd rather roll with the Dallas offensive environment than the horror show that is the NYG passing game. Not that Barkley can't thrive in any environment. Back to Zeke — perhaps this is the year Prescott siphons a few less rushing TDs at the goal. (Pianowski 2)
Pick 3: Saquon Barkley, NYG, RB3 — Scored double figures in 15 of 16 games. Crossed 100 total yards in 13 of 16. He's a true consistency king no matter how miserable Eli Manning plays. (Brad Evans 1)
Pick 4: Alvin Kamara, NO, RB4 — His 58.7% opportunity share should rise sans Mark Ingram, but even if it doesn't, his hyper-efficiency and multidimensional role in the Saints' explosive offense virtually guarantees top-five numbers. (Evans 2)
Pick 5: David Johnson, ARI, RB5 — Take your #burnt complaints and shove 'em. Johnson was criminally misused last year but still managed top-nine FF production. In an uptempo scheme and paired with a mobile QB, his bounce-back is imminent. (Liz Loza 1)
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Pick 6: Davante Adams, GB, WR1 — Managing double-digit TDs for three consecutive seasons, Adams is a monster in contested situations and solid after the catch. Oh, and hey, he's also Aaron Rodgers’ favorite target. (Loza 2)
Pick 7: DeAndre Hopkins, HOU, WR2 — Nuk is as dominant as any receiver in the game and coming off a ridiculous 115-1,572-11 season. He's an easy call in the mid-first. (Andy Behrens 1)
Pick 8: Odell Beckham Jr., CLE, WR3 — Can't wait to see the numbers OBJ will produce with a legitimate quarterback. His per-16 seasonal averages are 106 receptions, 1,485 yards and 12 TDs. (Behrens 2)
Pick 9: Melvin Gordon, LAC, RB6 — Holdout potential be damned, he is a jump above other RBs available. (Matt Harmon 1)
Pick 10: Julio Jones, ATL, WR4 — The other RBs available here have enough warts to pass in favor of an established WR1. (Harmon 2)
Pick 11: Nick Chubb, CLE, RB7 — A potentially special back on what should be an explosive offense, Chubb should be off the board in Round 1. (Dalton Del Don 1)
Pick 12: Damien Williams, KC, RB8 — Another electric RB in a near-ideal situation whose ADP has been bafflingly low this summer. He’s a gift if you can get him in the second. (DDD 2)
ROUND 2: First tight end comes off the board
Pick 13: Travis Kelce, KC, TE1 — You can really separate yourself by getting one of the few elite tight ends, and Kelce remains in his prime (with just one career game missed) and in a terrific environment. (DDD 1)
Pick 14: James Conner, PIT, RB9 — I don’t love this pick, as I view Conner as something of a risk, but he’s less of one than Lev Bell in my eyes, and I’m all about waiting on WRs this year. I considered Kittle and Mack here. (DDD 2)
Pick 15: Joe Mixon, CIN, RB10 — The offensive line evaporation is troublesome but Mixon still has workhorse duties on lock. (Harmon 1)
Pick 16: Michael Thomas, NO, WR5 — Historically efficient in 2018, Thomas should still own a dominant target share with few proven options behind him. (Harmon 2)
Pick 17: Le'Veon Bell, NYJ, RB11 — This is about as far as you can reasonably expect Bell to fall in any draft. The downgrade from the Steelers to Jets is baked into this price. Bell isn't going to challenge 2K scrimmage yards, in all likelihood, but he remains a decent bet for 1,500 in a healthy season. (Behrens 1)
Pick 18: JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT, WR6 — It's incredibly close for me between JuJu and Tyreek Hill (following the no-suspension news), but the expected volume edge for Smith-Schuster is too tempting. He's a good bet to lead the NFL in targets and receptions. (Behrens 2)
Pick 19: Dalvin Cook, MIN, RB12 — Guess what? Running backs get hurt. But few are as productive as Cook when healthy. Whether he's catching balls out of the backfield (3.6/gm) or leaving defenders grabbing at air (6 evaded tackles/gm) the FSU product is fire on the field. (Loza 1)
Pick 20: Marlon Mack, IND, RB13 — I wish he saw more targets, but that's a small complaint when examining the offense he's tied to and the top-end o-line he's working behind. (Loza 2)
Pick 21: Antonio Brown, OAK, WR7 — Diva tendencies aside, Brown is a dominant receiver who can throttle defenses in various ways. Carr is a concern, but Brown is a strong candidate to lead the NFL in targets this year. (Evans 1)
Pick 22: Tyreek Hill, KC, WR8 — In a twist few saw coming, Hill avoided discipline from the league for his off-the-field controversies. Risks are attached, but the explosive target (10.8 ypt in '18) is an undeniable WR1 in any format. (Evans 2)
Pick 23: Mike Evans, TB, WR9 — Still feel like he can climb a level, and Bruce Arians is reason to get excited. You live and die with Jameis Winston, but Evans has thrived with him before. (Pianowski 1)
Pick 24: T.Y. Hilton, IND, WR10 — The touchdown count is the only downside, but Hilton is tied to a smart coach, an elite QB, and has a reasonable shot at winning another yardage title. (Pianowski 2)
Part II of our mock will reveal results of Round 3-4
Follow the Yahoo fantasy football crew on Twitter: Brad Evans, Liz Loza, Andy Behrens, Scott Pianowski, Matt Harmon and Dalton Del Don
