Fantasy Football 2016: Examining Preseason Mock Draft and Cheat Sheet

The first round of fantasy football drafts continues to change every season. 

It wasn’t long ago that the first round was dominated by running backs. Loading up on ball-carriers early was common practice and wide receiver was considered a position that could be found later in drafts. 

That’s not the case anymore. A quick look at the latest average draft position numbers tell a much different story. According to the composite ADP numbers from FantasyPros, of the first 12 picks in a draft, seven will be either a wide receiver or Rob Gronkowski. 

That’s a key trend to know heading into the draft as more and more players are opting to go with extreme draft plans like zero RB, which entails owners saving running back for later while stocking up on multiple top receivers. 

Finding value requires having a hierarchy of players at each position and seeing where you can scoop up a player later with a great chance to outperform where he was drafted at. 

With that being said, here’s a look at each of the skill positions’ top 15 players: 

Obviously there’s some tiering that needs to be involved. For instance, all that separated Julio Jones and Antonio Brown last season were two touchdowns from Brown. Jones could outscore Brown on a weekly basis. Both are elite fantasy wide receiver options. 

Here’s a look at a simulated mock draft using composite ADP numbers. Note, the rankings above do not impact the mock draft. The mock draft is a reflection of FantasyPros’ composite average draft position across six different sites:

Looking at the current ADP for some of the options getting ready to play this season, there are some mid-round players who are well worth their price. They might not all pan out, but a fantasy football draft is about securing as many lottery tickets as you can. 

Here’s a look at a few players who should be targeted in your draft at their current price. 

Jeremy Langford, RB, CHI

ADP: 58.2

When looking at who to target in the middle rounds, opportunity is essential. 

Simply put, a player in line for more carries and targets is likely to outscore a more talented player stuck in a situation where they aren’t getting the ball. 

Using that criteria, Jeremy Langford is a good deal for the price. The second-year running back has an average draft position of 58.2, but is as cheap as 82 in Yahoo leagues. 

Langford quietly flashed the potential to be a feature back in his rookie season. He played behind Matt Forte and still wound up getting 170 touches, including 22 receptions, on the season. What’s even more encouraging is that when he was called upon to be the featured back, he responded with starter-worthy games as a fantasy player:

Now Langford is projected to be the full-time starter after Forte …

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