Yahoo Fantasy Football Mock, RDs 1-2: David Johnson kicks off RB party

With most free agents signed and the NFL Draft in the books, it’s time for fantasy owners to get back in the saddle, Yahoo mouthpieces included. Below is our first mock of the season – 12-teams, .5 PPR, all positions must be filled. Peruse, follow and ridicule, self-proclaimed fantasy savant.

ROUND 1

1. David Johnson, Ari, RB1 – Perfect fantasy weapon – in addition to over 1.2k rush yards, 16 rush TDs in ’16, posted similar receiving line (80/879/4) as Nuke Hopkins. –Brandon Funston

2. Ezekiel Elliott, Dal, RB2 – What happens when elite all-around skills marry to elite O-line? NFL-high 1.6 K rushing yards and 10+ fantasy points in every ’16 contest. –Funston

3. Le’Veon Bell, Pit, RB3 – Third is a nice play to be, you get one of the Holy Trinity at RB. –Scott Pianowski

4. Antonio Brown, Pit, WR1 – Remember when the height police discounted people like Brown? Good times. Finish last three years at WR: 3, 1, 1. –Pianow

5. Julio Jones, Atl, WR2 – We think of him as a significant injury risk, but he’s only missed three games over the past three seasons while averaging 108.3 YPG. –Andy Behrens

6. Odell Beckham, NYG, WR3 – Does this really require an explanation? He’s delivered at least 1300 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of his three pro seasons. –Behrens

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7. Mike Evans, TB, WR4 – The big man has hauled in 12 TDs two of the last three seasons. Add in DJax to take off defensive heat and Evans will continue to be money in the red zone. –Liz Loza

8. Jordan Howard, Chi, RB4 – I’m not convinced he’ll stay healthy through Halloween, but his projected volume is too tempting to pass up. –Loza

9. LeSean McCoy, Buf, RB5 – Mike Gillislee’s departure and a new offensive coordinator likely means he’ll exceed some 320 touches. Still one of the game’s finest all-around threats. –Brad Evans

10. Melvin Gordon, LAC, RB6 – My main squeeze from 2016 actually delivered on the hyperbole. Without competition for touches and on a high-octane offense, he’ll easily eclipse 1,500 combined yards and again cross the plane 10-plus times. –Evans

11. Jay Ajayi, Mia, RB7 – A bit of a risk given the lack of track record, but he sure looked like a budding star after taking over Miami’s backfield last year. –Dalton Del Don

12. A.J. Green, Cin, WR5 – He’s coming off an injury-plagued year but few players in fantasy football were more consistent beforehand. –3D

ROUND 2

13. Devonta Freeman, Atl, RB8 – Worries of him sharing Atlanta’s backfield have quieted after he totaled 1,541 yards with 13 touchdowns last season. –3D

14. Jordy Nelson, GB, WR6 – He’s racked up 27 touchdown catches over the last two seasons in which he’s played. –3D

15. DeMarco Murray, Ten, RB9 – Critics argue Derrick Henry will steal a larger chunk of the opportunity share, but he will still command at least 18 touches per game in an ascending offense. –Evans

16. Leonard Fournette, Jax, RB10 – Fear the unknown and you’ll lose out on a top-tiered RB. Rookie is a beast in the making, especially in a Nathaniel Hackett offense that will emphasize ball control. Think 1,300 total yards with 6-8 TDs. –Evans

17. Michael Thomas, NO, WR7 – Brandin Cooks’ exit leaves 113 targets left unaccounted for, allowing Thomas to step in as the team’s No. WR. –Loza

18. Eddie Lacy, Sea, RB11 – SEA agreed to give Lacy top dog money with stipulations that he stay in shape. I think the change of scenery keeps him piling up yards and not pounds. –Loza

19. Dez Bryant, Dal, WR8 – Health is clearly key. Dez is a proven 1300-yard, double-digit-TD receiver when he’s right. –Behrens

20. Lamar Miller, Hou, RB12 – Even in a disappointing season, Miller still topped 1200 scrimmage yards. He’s been a top-10 fantasy RB twice in the past three seasons. –Behrens

21. Amari Cooper, Oak, WR9 – The touchdown count hasn’t matched up to the raw talent, pedigree, and work between the 20s. But heck, he was 12th at the position even without a lot of scores last year. That’s a par, and a birdie if the RZ is figured out. –Pianow

22. T.Y. Hilton, Ind, WR10 – Coming off a WR5 season, doesn’t seem to get full respect yet. The dip in 2015 was tied to Andrew Luck never being right. A safe pick, and there’s some upside, too. –Pianow

23. Alshon Jeffery, Phi, WR11 – I believe in QB Carson Wentz, and I think he’ll be a nice upgrade for Jeffery, and it doesn’t hurt that Jeffery signed a prove-it one-year deal. –Funston

24. DeAndre Hopkins, Hou, WR12 – I have no hesitation in blaming ’16 slide on QB Osweiler – rookie signal caller DeShaun Watson has good short/intermediate range accuracy, which is where Nuke can make hay. –Funston

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