Average Draft Position in early August shows 10th overall pick will be Maurice Jones-Drew. He is the No. 6 running back being drafted and he is going after the top three quarterbacks and Calvin Johnson.
You might have a tough decision to make at No. 10 if Jones-Drew is there because the longer his holdout lasts, the worse his value could be. Holdout running backs, as Chris Johnson showed us last year, are typically not good.
But drafting a running back in this spot is the way to go. And don't be afraid to take two running backs with your first two picks. Based on ADP, you could come away with Jones-Drew and DeMarco Murray, which is a solid start to your team, especially if Jones-Drew doesn't have any setbacks from sitting out.
We'll show you an idea of how to draft at No. 10 overall and don't worry about picking late in Round 1 and missing out on the top-end players. You still get two quality players with an early pick in Round 2 and you'll see here that you can craft a great team that should be competitive.
Editor’s note: The percentages listed are what position you should target based on that round for each pick.
| Round 1 |
| Standard | QB | 20% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 0% |
| PPR | QB | 10% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 10% |
Finding a featured running back this year is difficult to do going into the season. If you have the chance to draft one, even if there's a risk involved, you should jump at the opportunity.
Darren McFadden and
Trent Richardson are two of the riskiest running backs this year. McFadden, as we all know, is injury prone, and he's missed 19 games in his four-year career. Richardson has yet to play a down in the NFL and he obviously plays for a rebuilding team in Cleveland. But if you want to win Fantasy titles you have to be bold, and taking McFadden in the standard league and Richardson in the PPR format is the right pick to make, even in Round 1.
Players you can get here: Aaron Rodgers,
Drew Brees,
Tom Brady,
Calvin Johnson,
Matt Forte,
Maurice Jones-Drew,
Darren McFadden,
Trent Richardson My selection at No. 10 standard: Darren McFadden My selection at No. 10 PPR: Trent Richardson | Round 2 |
| Standard | QB | 20% | RB | 30% | WR | 40% | TE | 10% |
| PPR | QB | 20% | RB | 30% | WR | 40% | TE | 10% |
Taking a running back in Round 1 gives you some flexibility to look at another position in this spot, if you choose. There is no harm this season in taking two running backs with your first two picks. Your plan should be to take the player with the best value and most upside and in both leagues we'll take a chance on
Andre Johnson. He's my No. 2 receiver behind
Calvin Johnson and I'm expecting a bounce-back year in 2012. Yes, he's injury prone, having dealt with hamstring woes last year and an offseason knee procedure. But when he's healthy and we saw him dominate in the playoffs last year without
Matt Schaub (foot), he's on par with
Calvin Johnson. I'll gladly take
Andre Johnson here.
Players you can get here: Cam Newton,
Matthew Stafford,
Steven Jackson,
Jamaal Charles,
Darren Sproles,
Matt Forte,
Andre Johnson,
Larry Fitzgerald,
Greg Jennings,
Roddy White,
Rob Gronkowski,
Jimmy Graham My selection at No. 15 standard: Andre Johnson My selection at No. 15 PPR: Andre Johnson | Round 3 |
| Standard | QB | 20% | RB | 40% | WR | 20% | TE | 20% |
| PPR | QB | 20% | RB | 40% | WR | 20% | TE | 20% |
Again, we're playing to win, so we're not going to be afraid to take risks. That means gambling on injured players who have the chance to be stars. ADP shows you have to take
Hakeem Nicks here in a standard league if you want him, and he's a Top 5 Fantasy receiver when healthy. But his foot injury will make him fall on Draft Day, which will present tremendous value. The same goes for
Adrian Peterson. He is a huge
if coming back from last year's torn ACL, but when he's 100 percent he will produce like a Top 5 running back. I like Round 3 as a gamble round on potential stars and I would definitely draft Nicks and Peterson -- risks and all.
Players you can get here: Ahmad Bradshaw,
Adrian Peterson,
Jamaal Charles,
Doug Martin,
Jordy Nelson,
Hakeem Nicks,
Brandon Marshall,
Julio Jones My selection at No. 34 standard: Hakeem Nicks My selection at No. 34 PPR: Adrian Peterson | Round 4 |
| Standard | QB | 20% | RB | 40% | WR | 20% | TE | 20% |
| PPR | QB | 20% | RB | 20% | WR | 40% | TE | 20% |
We're into Round 4, and quarterback should enter your thoughts here. The best thing to do is gauge the draft board to see who has quarterbacks and your options left. If you can wait, which you can here, take a running back in the standard league to pair with McFadden. The best option based on ADP is
Darren Sproles. He's clearly better in PPR leagues than standard formats, but his production last year shows he can shine in all situations. The healthy return of
Mark Ingram will hurt Sproles, but the Saints aren't going to stop throwing, which favors Sproles in the New Orleans' backfield. In the PPR league, we'll go with one of the more underrated receivers this season in
Steve Smith. He was a star again last year with
Cam Newton, and the two should be fantastic in 2012. Don't be surprised if Smith is a Top 3 Fantasy receiver this season.
Players you can get here: Michael Vick,
Tony Romo,
Darren Sproles,
Marshawn Lynch,
Reggie Bush,
BenJarvus Green-Ellis,
Miles Austin,
Jeremy Maclin,
Steve Smith,
Victor Cruz,
Aaron Hernandez My selection at No. 39 standard: Darren Sproles My selection at No. 39 PPR: Steve Smith | Round 5 |
| Standard | QB | 30% | RB | 20% | WR | 20% | TE | 30% |
| PPR | QB | 30% | RB | 20% | WR | 20% | TE | 30% |
Eli Manning never gets the respect he deserves. He was the No. 6 quarterback last season, and he has three years in a row with at least 4,000 passing yards and 27 touchdowns. When you wait for a quarterback, this is the type of value you hope to get in return, and he's a great starting option in the PPR league. In the standard format, we're going to take value over need.
And DeSean Jackson is in line for a bounce-back year. Now you have three standout receivers locked up with Johnson, Nicks and Jackson. And Jackson gives us great insurance in case Johnson or Nicks aren't ready due to their injuries.
Players you can get here: Eli Manning,
Philip Rivers,
Isaac Redman,
Roy Helu,
Willis McGahee,
Dwayne Bowe,
Vincent Jackson,
Brandon Lloyd,
DeSean Jackson,
My selection at No. 58 standard: DeSean Jackson My selection at No. 58 PPR: Eli Manning | Round 6 |
| Standard | QB | 40% | RB | 20% | WR | 10% | TE | 30% |
| PPR | QB | 0% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 20% |
Quarterback has become a priority now, but we're still never going to pass up value. And you're going to find this year that tight end is deep, and great players will fall.
Antonio Gates is being drafted on average in Round 5, which is nuts. And in some leagues, he will fall to Round 6, like he did here. Don't pass that up, especially with some quality quarterbacks still on the board. You can make the same argument in other leagues with guys like
Vernon Davis and
Jermichael Finley. In the PPR league, we need to look at running back, especially as insurance for Peterson. Green-Ellis is not a good receiver at all, but he could score double digits in touchdowns. Those scores will negate his lack of receptions, and he should easily gain over 1,000 total yards.
Players you can get here: Shonn Greene,
BenJarvus Green-Ellis,
Donald Brown,
Jonathan Stewart,
Steve Johnson,
Torrey Smith,
Eric Decker,
Reggie Wayne,
Antonio Gates,
Vernon Davis,
Jermichael Finley My selection at No. 63 standard: Antonio Gates My selection at No. 63 PPR: BenJarvus Green-Ellis | Round 7 |
| Standard | QB | 40% | RB | 30% | WR | 30% | TE | 0% |
| PPR | QB | 0% | RB | 40% | WR | 30% | TE | 30% |
The PPR league is shaping up well with a quarterback, three running backs and two standout receivers. We could use a tight end, but the position is deep. Again, we'll look at a position of need with an eye toward value. Finding another running back could be key because of Peterson's situation, so we'll take
Willis McGahee. That gives us four potential starting running backs in Richardson, Peterson, Green-Ellis and McGahee. That's a good core through seven rounds. In the standard league in this spot, you should see what the owners at Pick 11 and 12 have at quarterback. Pick 11 took
Drew Brees in Round 1 and Pick 12 took Manning in Round 5. We still have
Peyton Manning and
Matt Ryan on the board coming back to us, so we'll gamble on another running back. Now, at the time of this mock draft,
Jahvid Best wasn't the injury risk he is now. But just worry about the position and getting a third running back is the right move.
Players you can get here: Matt Ryan,
Peyton Manning,
James Starks,
C.J. Spiller,
DeAngelo Williams,
Jahvid Best,
Willis McGahee,
Titus Young,
Robert Meachem,
Pierre Garcon,
Anquan Boldin My selection at No. 82 standard: Jahvid Best My selection at No. 82 PPR: Willis McGahee | Round 8 |
| Standard | QB | 50% | RB | 10% | WR | 40% | TE | 0% |
| PPR | QB | 0% | RB | 10% | WR | 50% | TE | 40% |
Well, the owner at Pick 12 made an interesting move and took
Peyton Manning with the first pick in Round 8. That left us with one choice with Ryan, which worked out great. He's a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback with the chance to be a Top 5 option based on his weapons and continued development. Everyone loves
Roddy White and
Julio Jones this year, and Ryan is at the helm of this passing game. He made waiting on a quarterback worth it. In the PPR league, we can use a third receiver and potential flex option.
Robert Meachem is a sleeper going to the Chargers and he should be amazing value in Round 8. Target him in all formats since he could be one of
Philip Rivers' best weapons this year.
Players you can get here: Matt Ryan,
Ben Roethlisberger,
Toby Gerhart,
Pierre Thomas,
Ryan Williams,
David Wilson,
Robert Meachem,
Titus Young,
Greg Little,
Malcom Floyd,
Fred Davis,
Jermaine Gresham,
Jacob Tamme My selection at No. 87 standard: Matt Ryan My selection at No. 87 PPR: Robert Meachem | Round 9 |
| Standard | QB | 0% | RB | 50% | WR | 50% | TE | 0% |
| PPR | QB | 0% | RB | 30% | WR | 30% | TE | 40% |
I'm never going to preach getting handcuff running backs as a must, but with McFadden it might be the wise move. You should lock up
Mike Goodson when you get the chance and we have the team in the standard league to make the pick in this spot. Now, if McFadden goes down, we have the Raiders starting running back. In the PPR league, this is a good spot to take a sleeper, and everyone should target
Jacquizz Rodgers this season. The Falcons plan to open up the offense, and Rodgers will take touches away from
Michael Turner this season.
Players you can get here: Mike Goodson,
Jacquizz Rodgers,
Robert Turbin,
Isaiah Pead,
Lance Moore,
Randy Moss,
Brandon LaFell My selection at No. 106 standard: Mike Goodson My selection at No. 106 PPR: Jacquizz Rodgers | Round 10 |
| Standard | QB | 20% | RB | 30% | WR | 40% | TE | 10% |
| PPR | QB | 20% | RB | 30% | WR | 10% | TE | 40% |
We need to find a tight end in the PPR league, but there is plenty of talent still on the board with
Jermaine Gresham,
Brent Celek,
Jacob Tamme,
Tony Gonzalez and
Brandon Pettigrew. That can allow us to wait one more round. We'll take another receiver with upside here, and
Malcom Floyd will help Meachem replace
Vincent Jackson. You now have the top two receivers for the Chargers, and that's not a bad thing with how good Rivers has been in his career. In the standard league, we'll take another great value pick in
Robert Griffin III. Even with Ryan you should still have a good backup and Griffin could be trade bait if he lives up to the preseason hype.
Players you can get here: Robert Griffin III,
Jay Cutler,
Carson Palmer,
Josh Freeman,
Bernard Scott,
Tim Hightower,
Randy Moss,
Santonio Holmes,
Malcom Floyd,
Darrius Heyward-Bey,
Jermaine Gresham,
Brent Celek,
Jacob Tamme,
Tony Gonzalez,
Brandon Pettigrew My selection at No. 111 standard: Robert Griffin III My selection at No. 111 PPR: Malcom Floyd | Round 11 |
| Standard | QB | 0% | RB | 40% | WR | 40% | TE | 20% |
| PPR | QB | 20% | RB | 20% | WR | 10% | TE | 50% |
When you draft standout receivers like Johnson, Nicks and Jackson, you can afford to take a flier on a player with upside. We'll gamble on
Randall Cobb from the Packers here. He will either turn into a good No. 4 receiver, or he could be the player we release early in the season for a waiver wire pickup. I like his potential catching passes from
Aaron Rodgers. In the PPR league, our pick is obvious, and Pettigrew is the guy we're going with. He doesn't stretch the field or score a lot of touchdowns, but he does catch plenty of passes with 83 receptions for 777 yards and five scores. A similar season is expected, and he's a Top 10 Fantasy tight end in PPR formats.
Players you can get here: Randall Cobb,
Mike Williams,
Brian Quick,
Danny Amendola,
Jermaine Gresham,
Brent Celek,
Jacob Tamme,
Tony Gonzalez,
Brandon Pettigrew My selection at No. 130 standard: Randall Cobb My selection at No. 130 PPR: Brandon Pettigrew | Round 12 |
| Standard | QB | 0% | RB | 50% | WR | 40% | TE | 10% | K | 0% | DST | 0% |
| PPR | QB | 30% | RB | 30% | WR | 30% | TE | 10% | K | 0% | DST | 0% |
With your last pick before taking a DST and a kicker you should look for someone with upside. In the standard league, we'll go with
Rashad Jennings, and he's someone you should target in all formats. The longer Jones-Drew remains out, the better Jennings will start to look on Draft Day, especially in Round 12. In the PPR league, we'll back up Manning with
Andy Dalton, who is worth a late-round flier as a No. 2 quarterback with the chance to be successful for at least one or two weeks during the season.
Players you can get here: Andy Dalton,
Joe Flacco,
Ryan Fitzpatrick,
Robert Turbin,
Kevin Smith,
Bernard Pierce,
Rashad Jennings My selection at No. 135 standard: Rashad Jennings My selection at No. 135 PPR: Andy Dalton | Round 13 |
| Standard | QB | 0% | RB | 0% | WR | 0% | TE | 0% | K | 0% | DST | 100% |
| PPR | QB | 0% | RB | 0% | WR | 0% | TE | 0% | K | 0% | DST | 100% |
We're going with a DST in this spot, and the Bills should be considered a sleeper. The additions of
Mario Williams and
Mark Anderson will help -- and Buffalo has a great secondary, which had 20 interceptions last year. If you miss on the top options then take a flier on the Bills DST. They might draw some laughs at your draft party, but you'll be the one laughing if they play up to expectations.
Players you can get here: Patriots DST, Jets DST, Bills DST, Lions DST
My selection at No. 154 standard: Bills DST
My selection at No. 154 PPR: Bills DST
| Round 14 |
| Standard | QB | 0% | RB | 0% | WR | 0% | TE | 0% | K | 100% | DST | 0% |
| PPR | QB | 0% | RB | 0% | WR | 0% | TE | 0% | K | 100% | DST | 0% |
It's always good to take a kicker early in the final round who is consistent, and
Sebastian Janikowski has been good for the majority of his 13-year career. He made 64 field goals the past two years and last year he hit a 63-yard field goal. In leagues that reward bonus points for long field goals, Janikowski made seven kicks of at least 50 yards last year. He should be in that range again this season and you shouldn't pass on him at this spot.
Players you can get here: Sebastian Janikowski, Mason Crosby, Jason Hanson, Dan Bailey, Alex Henery My selection at No. 159 standard: Sebastian Janikowski My selection at No. 159 PPR: Sebastian Janikowski Here is a look at what the teams look like following the draft:
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