Fantasy Football 12-Team Half-PPR Mock Draft: Double Hero RB Strategy

The 2023 fantasy football season is rapidly approaching, and the 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 using our Mock Draft Simulator and am going to recap it so you can get a good look at how things fell and where players are being drafted. 

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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. If you want to try a mock draft with your own league's settings, check out our fully customizable Mock Draft Simulator!

Roster Breakdown

• 1 QB
• 2 RB
• 3 WR
• 1 TE
• 2 Flex (WR/RB/TE)
• 6 Bench

 

Round 1 (1.09): RB Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

Pick Analysis: In my last mock draft, I picked from the four spot in the first round; this time, I was given pick nine. When it came down to it, I was left picking between Travis Kelce and Saquon. I currently have Barkley ranked over Nick Chubb, because it's hard to trust that Chubb will get volume in the passing attack before you actually see it, so he wasn't a real option. At the end of the day, I decided to go with a stud running back over an elite tight end. Barkley's high volume on the ground and through the air gives him as much upside as any player in the league.

Round 2 (2.04): RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

Pick Analysis: A long-time favorite of mine, I couldn't pass up on Henry here. He still has enough left in the tank that he could be an absolute steal in the second round. The upside of Henry is the dominant RB1 overall, and that is tough to pass on in Round 2. However, I did consider both Garrett Wilson and Amon-Ra St. Brown here. By picking Henry, I decided to deploy the Double Hero Running Back strategy here. With Henry and Barkley locked into my top two RB spots, I can now wait multiple rounds before selecting another RB.

Round 3 (3.09): TE Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

Pick Analysis: I took a big risk here and neglected wide receivers for the third straight round for a superstar tight end who will put up wide receiver numbers. Andrews is just one year removed from usurping Travis Kelce as the fantasy TE1. I don't believe any other TE is close to Andrews or Kelce, so I took the positional advantage of grabbing one of the top two guys. The way the draft fell, I'm glad I did, because the only wide receivers to go before my next pick were Tee Higgins and Keenan Allen, and I value Andrews higher than both.

Round 4 (4.04): WR Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns

Pick Analysis: Here, I grabbed Cooper as my WR1. He's ideally a WR2, however, after seeing how this draft played out, this team will be fine without a high-end WR1. Strength at other positions can make up for the lack of elite wideout, and Cooper finished as the WR9 last year in .5 PPR leagues. This year, he will have Dehaun Watson for a full season, which should increase his production, especially if Watson is able to regain his Pro Bowl form.

Round 5 (5.09): WR Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders

Pick Analysis: This pick had to be another wide receiver, and I went with Scary Terry. The only thing that gave me pause was his recent injury scare. He does have turf toe, and that could linger into the season despite a negative MRI. That is also the only reason he was available this late in the draft. With Sam Howell looking good in the preseason, McLaurin could have a monster year. Jerry Jeudy was also a consideration here, but at the end of the day, the superior player was the right pick.

Round 6 (6.04): WR Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers

Pick Analysis: This is a guy I find myself leaving almost every draft with. He is an outstanding option as WR3 in any league. While the WR1 on this team may not be a superstar, this roster now has three wideouts who all have the ability to finish as a WR1. This pick made starting the draft off RB-RB-TE a success.

Round 7 (7.09): QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Pick Analysis: Here, I grabbed my quarterback. Lawrence is in line for a monster breakout year, and I have a significant tier break at the QB position after him. Apparently, so does everyone else, because it would be more than two rounds before another QB came off the board after him. It worked out all around because I didn't particularly love any of the running backs or receivers sitting there in Round 7 anyway.

Round 8 (8.04): WR Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos

Pick Analysis: This is a guy with a climbing ADP who has a ton of upside. Last year was a disaster for Denver's offense, but let's not forget how good Sutton can be when things are going well. This year, the hype is all surrounding Jerry Jeudy, but Sutton is more than capable of outperforming him this year. This is a bit of a dice roll, however, I needed WR depth and he was the pick over Brandin Cooks here.

Round 9 (9.09): RB Jamaal Williams, New Orleans Saints

Pick Analysis: It was a bit surprising to see Williams still sitting here in Round 9. He is a locked and loaded RB1 for the Saints the first three weeks with Alvin Kamara suspended, and then still has a ton of value all year. This offense is built to have a valuable between-the-tackles back, and Williams is a guy who led the league in TDs last season. This is a great pick, and, if anything, I should taken him a round earlier.

Round 10 (10.04): RB Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick Analysis: I didn't like the wideouts here at all, and this was close to the end of the line for flex-worthy RBs. I went back and forth for a while trying to decide between Warren and Tyler Allgeier. Kendre Miller would have been an option as well, but grabbing two Saints' running backs would severely limit the upside of my roster once Kamara returns in Week 4. Eventually, I went with Warren for his pass-catching ability, nonetheless, it was a tough call.

Round 11 (11.09): TE Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars

Pick Analysis: First things first, this pick was not made to add a backup tight end. Engram was selected here because he was the best flex option available on the board. The only other option here in my eyes was Raheem Mostert, however, there is a real chance that Jonathan Taylor will be in Miami by this time next week, and that will make Mostert essentially useless. Even if JT doesn't end up in South Beach, Mostert still could end up as the RB3 for the Dolphins. Engram, on the other hand, is guaranteed to be a crucial part of the Jags' offense.

Round 12 (12.04): WR Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints

Pick Analysis: This was an upside dart throw. Shaheed has all the things you look for in a potential late upside pick. He's a second-year wideout with incredible big-play ability who is paired with a new big-armed quarterback in a potential breakout offense with weapons around him to allow him to break big plays. There is no denying his talent, and he will pay off if given the opportunity.

Round 13 (13.09): RB Zack Moss, Indianapolis Colts

Pick Analysis: Moss is not a good running back. Nevertheless, with everything up in the air in Indy regarding Jonathan Taylor, he could be the Colts' RB1, and I just got him in Round 13. If that's not how things play out, then no harm, no foul; I will cut him before Week 1 even kicks off or soon after. However, I was hoping Anthony Richardson fell to me here. I usually wouldn't draft a second QB in a single-QB league, but his upside would make him worth holding on to for at least a few weeks to see what he's got. His value could explode with a strong September.

Round 14 (14.04): WR DeVante Parker, New England Patriots

Pick Analysis: In the last round, I grabbed Parker. This isn't a sexy pick, but he is looking like the WR1 in New England this season. Even as the WR1, he won't have a monster year, but he could be a guy who can become a dependable weekly flex option, and dependable isn't easy to find in Round 14.