2023 Fantasy Football 12-Team Half-PPR Mock Draft
The 2023 fantasy football season is rapidly approaching, and mock draft season is in full swing as players prepare for their fantasy drafts in the coming days and weeks. I did a mock draft for you and am going to recap it so you can get a good look at how things fell and where players are being drafted. You can take part in your own custom mock drafts right here at FantasySP with our Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator.
Mock Draft Roster Breakdown and Settings
This mock was a 12-team draft in Half-PPR format. All other scoring is straightforward and unadjusted from standard settings, with rushing and receiving TDs earning six points and passing TDs worth four points. This mock was done out of the fourth overall slot, and the whole board is below so you can see how things shook out.
Roster Breakdown
- 1 QB
- 2 RB
- 2 WR
- 1 TE
- 2 Flex (WR/RB/TE)
- 6 Bench
Round 1 (1.04): RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Pick Analysis: I went with the stud rookie with the fourth-overall pick and passed on big-time wideouts like Ja'Marr Chase or Tyreek Hill. There aren't many backs that can do it all, and Robinson is one of those guys. It doesn't hurt that he is a generational prospect at the position and the team he landed on may use their running backs more than any team in the league this season. He has all the upside of Christian McCaffrey or Austin Ekeler with a lot less injury concern and tread on his tires.
Round 2 (2.09): WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
Pick Analysis: Things didn't fall exactly as I had hoped here, but I still came away with a hell of a player. Despite missing a game last year, St. Brown still caught 106 of his 146 targets for 1,161 yards and six touchdowns. There's no reason he won't take another leap forward in year three. Around 120 receptions, 1,350 yards and eight TDs is a very realistic projection for this rising star on an ascending young team.
Round 3 (3.04): QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Pick Analysis: My hope was that Rhamondre Stevenson fell to me here. However, when he didn't, I pivoted in a different direction. With Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen both gone, I went with the last QB in the top tier of guys. I usually don't like to draft a QB this high, but with the way things fell, this was the move to make. While drafting a QB early doesn't always feel great, no one is complaining when they have an elite option that they can set and forget every week.
Round 4 (4.09): WR Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns
Pick Analysis: This was a pick that I didn't love. With Cooper, you are going to have to deal with weeks when he disappears, and he somehow feels like a tier below the guys he is drafted around. Still, year after year, you look at the numbers at the end of the year, and he's sitting there with 1,100+ yards and eight or nine TDs. There are a few guys I would have rather had here, but Cooper was the best player available when I was on the clock.
Round 5 (5.04): RB James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
Pick Analysis: This pick was a matter of limiting risk with my RB2. Five running backs went in the next six picks after this, and I considered all of them. I passed on Javonte Williams because he was coming off a torn ACL, and I don't want to deal with the same things we saw from JK Dobbins last year. Alvin Kamara, I passed on because he's suspended on top of declining production in consecutive years. This was just too high to take D'Andre Swift with all the uncertainty in the Eagles' backfield. Dalvin Cook is a great talent, but I am staying away from the Jets' backfield for now. Rachaad White was the guy I almost picked; however, we opted for the proven commodity in Conner.
Round 6 (6.09): WR Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
Pick Analysis: This may have been a bit of reach, but I saw the guy I wanted, so I went and got him. I am particularly high on Aiyuk, so made sure to get him. It was a tough call between him and his teammate George Kittle. This pick is also one of the main reasons I took Amari Cooper over Deebo Samuel as well. I knew I wanted Aiyuk later, and I didn't want two San Francisco wideouts.
Round 7 (7.04): RB Jamaal Williams, New Orleans Saints
Pick Analysis: With Kamara suspended for three games and Kendre Miller continuing to deal with injury woes, it looks like Williams could be a stud RB1 for the first three weeks of the season. Once Kamara returns, I still expect Williams to serve in the Mark Ingram role, which is similar to the role he had last year in Detroit when he led the league in rushing TDs.
Round 8 (8.09): WR Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Pick Analysis: I somehow subconsciously got higher and higher on Sutton throughout August. He is popping up on more and more of my teams as we get deeper into the offseason. The post-hype dip has deflated his value, and I'm buying in. While everyone else zigs and goes after Jeudy, I'm going to zag and buy low on Sutton instead.
Round 9 (9.04): RB Jerick McKinnon, Kansas City Chiefs
Pick Analysis: This may seem like an odd pick, given that I have been so bullish on Isiah Pacheco this offseason. Here I am considering the fact that I could be wrong. If the experts that are high on McKinnon are right, then his upside is massive. At this point in the draft, I was looking to maximize potential value, and McKinnon's upside does that.
Round 10 (10.09): TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Pick Analysis: This wasn't the plan at TE, but it's tough to complain about getting Pitts in the 10th round. I did consider Evan Engram here as well, but opted for the elite talent and upside of Pitts instead. The only thing holding him back is his offensive situation. He's in a run-heavy attack with an unproven QB. I am banking on a bounce-back year.
Round 11 (11.04): WR DJ Chark, Carolina Panthers
Pick Analysis: This is another guy that I am particularly high on. I project him to start the season as the Panthers' WR1. If Bryce Young is close to what he's expected to be, getting his WR1 in Round 11 could be a league-winning move. If he doesn't pan out, then all I missed out on were a bunch of other dart throws anyway.
Round 12 (12.09): RB Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns
Pick Analysis: This was another upside dart throw. I wanted a running back, and Ford slots in as Kareem Hunt's replacement in Cleveland. Most are projecting Nick Chubb to see a big increase in targets this season now that Hunt is gone. It's possible that's not the case, and Ford takes right over where Hunt was before his dramatic decline last season.
Round 13 (13.04): QB Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
Pick Analysis: I usually don't bother with a backup quarterback, and quite frankly, I don't think Richardson is very good. That doesn't matter here, though. He has as much upside as anyone in his draft class and is up there with anyone in the league because of his elite physical tools and ability to run. This could be the second coming of rookie Cam Newton. It probably won't be, but his upside was too much to pass over again in the 13th round. He has also been named the Colts' Week 1 starter, so that concern is out of the way.
Round 14 (14.09): WR Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints
Pick Analysis: As a rookie in 2022, Shaheed was as dynamic a deep threat as there was. His volume was low, but he averaged 17.4 yards per catch and 14.3 yards per carry. He scored three TDs, which went for 68, 53 and 44 yards. The 44-yard TD was on a carry, while 20% of his receptions last season went for at least 30 yards. He is a home-run hitter who is now teamed with a big-armed QB and is well worth a shot in the final round of your drafts.
