16-Team PPR Fantasy Football Mock Draft from 12th Position | Kyler Murray, Isiah Pacheco, Garrett Wilson, Kenneth Walker III, Amari Cooper and More

Morgan conducts his eighth fantasy football draft of the year, selecting 12th a 16-team setup.

It’s time for another fantasy football mock draft!

This was a 16-team PPR mock done through the FantasySP Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator. I decided to go with pick 12. There were eight starting spots (one QB, TE and flex, two RB and three WR) and seven bench spots.

Let’s get into the picks!

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Round 1 - Garrett Wilson

Jahmyr Gibbs fell to me, but I’ve made that pick before, so I decided to switch things up and go with Wilson. He’s been a great fantasy asset without a good quarterback and now gets a season with Aaron Rodgers - Wilson should enjoy his best fantasy season yet.

Round 2 - Isiah Pacheco

After passing on a running back in round one, it was a priority here. Pacheco fell to me, which is perfect, because I see him as a draft steal this season. This very well could be Pacheco’s best fantasy season too.

Round 3 - Kenneth Walker III

There were three players I considered here, but I decided to knock out my second starting RB because it’s such a deep league. D.J. Moore and DeVonta Smith were my other options, but I believe I can get a receiver later on, while running backs will be a little more scarce.

Round 4 - Amari Cooper

And this is why I passed on a receiver in the third round, because guys like Cooper are available later on. He’s coming off one of his best seasons ever, and has room to grow in the touchdown reception department. With no Nick Chubb around at least to start the season, I expect Cooper to have a massive fantasy season.

Round 5 - Kyler Murray

I wasn’t a huge fan of the running backs, wide receivers and tight ends available, so why not grab my starting QB with Murray? He looked good in his NFL return last season, and should be even better a year removed from his injury. The offensive weapons around him are better than in past seasons, and he’s got top-five fantasy potential because of his rushing ability… sign me up!

Round 6 - Chris Godwin

I’m usually not a big Godwin guy, but after he fell a good ways past his ADP, I decided to grab him as my third wide receiver. Like Cooper, he has room to grow in the touchdown reception department, and this late in a 16-team setup, I love the value here.

Round 7 - Gus Edwards

I needed a third solid running back, and I decided on Edwards for that spot. There weren’t too many other players I was super high on, so I decided on a player to help fill out my starting lineup.

Round 8 - Justin Herbert

I was looking at tight ends here, but decided on a backup quarterback instead. In a 16-team league, having a backup option is a must, and Herbert is a great value pick for this round. He can fill in when Murray is on a bye or out with an injury, or maybe start over Murray if the Chargers’ offense is a little more pass-happy than we all expect it to be.

Round 9 - Ty Chandler

I debated several players across several positions before eventually landing on Chandler in the ninth. Chandler isn’t likely going to be fantasy relevant if Aaron Jones is healthy, but in a deeper league like this, Chandler is worth rostering just in case he takes over the lead role at some point.

Round 10 - Xavier Legette

I really was hoping Antonio Gibson would be available for this pick, but he went right after I picked Chandler - that’s a pick I instantly regret. Here, I went with Legette, who could become a weekly starting option in a Carolina offense desperate for playmakers. 

Round 11 - Tyler Conklin

I finally got a tight end in round 11 with Conklin. I was debating just grabbing one in the last round, or just playing the waiver wire, but didn’t really like anyone else available, so I went with a player who also should excel with Rodgers at quarterback now.

Round 12 - Dameon Pierce

I don’t love this pick because it’s only good if the starting running back on the team gets injured, but I needed some more depth, and Pierce was on the best offense of the available players. 

Round 13 - Demarcus Robinson

Got some more wide receiver depth in round 13 with Robinson. Puka Nacua is already banged up, and Cooper Kupp has had his share of injuries over the years, so it makes a lot of sense to snag Robinson, who finished last season strong and could be a draft steal in deeper leagues this season.

Round 14 - Greg Dortch

I probably should have grabbed a second tight end here, but went with Dortch instead. He’s excelled with Murray at quarterback and should have a decent offensive role for Arizona this season.

Round 15 - Theo Johnson

This is a total shot in the dark with my backup tight end pick. I expect New York to struggle this season again, which means they’ll look toward the future. Johnson, a 2024 fourth-round pick, should get some playing time in the back half of the season, and just maybe he could be worth starting for a couple weeks. I might not be able to wait that long for him and need this roster spot for somebody else, but at least with a lottery ticket pick, it’d be much easier to part ways with Johnson.

Final Thoughts

My first 16-team mock draft of the year was an eye opener. I play in some deeper leagues, but they are all dynasties, so I wasn’t really prepared for the lack of talent available in the back part of the draft.

In hindsight, I should have skipped on Herbert and either targeted a tight end or running back. There were enough QB streaming options available late to get by if Murray went down with an injury. 

I like the running back trio of Pacheco, Walker and Edwards, although my depth is spotty if a couple of those guys went down. I could have avoided that issue by taking a RB instead of Herbert in round nine. 

Another thing I could have done to help myself out at RB or TE is swapping out a receiver I drafted. A starting trio of Wilson, Cooper and Godwin is good, and Legette, Robinson and Dortch are solid fill-in options for when the top three have their bye weeks. If one of Legette, Robinson or Dortch was able to consistently be an average fantasy asset, I could use one of my top three starters as trade bait to get another back or tight end.

Another trade option would be to use Herbert or Murray, although it’s hard to get good value back for a fantasy quarterback, especially with the settings I laid out above. Still, if Herbert and Murray were both top-10 fantasy players, I could definitely use one of them to add another RB, WR or TE.

We’ve already talked about the tight end spot a bunch, but we’ll briefly go over it here again. Conklin really isn’t as bad a starting option in a 16-team setup as I’m making him seem. I think he’s got a chance to be a streaming option in standard 10-team leagues this season. The reason I’m worried after the mock is because he’s my only starting fantasy option at the position early in the season, and if he struggles, I might not have the talent around him to win.

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