Fantasy Football 2023: Examining Expert Mock Drafts After Preseason Week 2

Kickoff the 2023 NFL season is so close you can almost hear the pre-snap calls, feel the hits and soak up all the fun of a perfectly executed end zone dance.

Week 2 of the preseason slate is almost in the books—the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders will wrap it up Monday night—so fantasy football experts and managers have nearly a full data set to help steer them through the rest of draft season.

So, what is that data trying to tell us? We'll aim to tackle that question by examining recent mock drafts from some of the top experts in the fantasy community.

12-Team, Half-PPR

AP Photo/Dennis Waszak Jr

New York Jets running back Dalvin Cook speaks to reporters at the team's facility in Florham Park, N.J., on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. The former Minnesota Vikings star signed a one-year contract with the Jets on Aug. 16. (AP Photo/Dennis Waszak Jr.)

The CBS Sports' crew compiled a 12-team, half-PPR mock draft recently on the heels of Ezekiel Elliott signing with the New England Patriots and Dalvin Cook joining the New York Jets.

Since both backfields have a different feel, let's start the examinations here. First off the board was Patriots starter Rhamondre Stevenson, who went in the third round at 32nd overall. Elliott, meanwhile, went seven rounds later as the 116th selection. For the Jets, Breece Hall opened the fifth round as the 49th pick, while Cook landed in the seventh round as the 82nd pick.

Jamey Eisenberg felt all four were good values at their respective spots and called Stevenson's selection in particular "the perfect spot for him." Eisenberg's rationale was that, while Elliott could impact some of the short-yardage and goal-line work, Stevenson "should still be the clear leader of the New England backfield" with the majority of carries, most of the pass-catching chances and a fair share of scoring plays.

As for the other selections, nothing really jumped off the screen. A seven-pick gap between Nick Chubb (No. 11) and Derrick Henry (No. 18) was interesting, as the run-first backs seemingly have a similar outlook in any league that awards points (or, in this case, half-points) per reception. A few other notable picks were Jonathan Taylor at No. 24 and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 35.

10-Team, PPR

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FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY - JULY 26: Wide receiver Garrett Wilson #17 of the New York Jets during training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on July 26, 2023 in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

The ESPN crew just finished up their annual Fantasy Football Marathon, so their most recent mock was held on Aug. 15. While that means Week 2 of the preseason didn't factor into the results, there's still enough interesting things happening here to make it worth a closer look.

For starters, Jets receiver Garrett Wilson landed in the first round at No. 8 overall—ahead of Bijan Robinson and Saquon Barkley. That feels aggressive, even if you like Wilson's chances of breaking out now that he's catching passes from Aaron Rodgers. Wilson has been, on average, the 18th player taken in PPR drafts, per FantasyPros, but this goes to show that average draft position (ADP) is merely a guide and not a defined order your draft room must follow.

In this mock, Derrick Henry (No. 12) went two picks before Nick Chubb (No. 14), so, again, specific selections so often hinge on personal preference. Speaking of, Stefon Diggs, a first-round pick in the CBS mock, lasted halfway through the second round here (No. 15). If you have a player you like, feel free to take them if you're anywhere near their average draft range, because selection spots will vary.

Perhaps this mock's most interesting pick came in the third round, when the first quarterback was taken at No. 23. What makes this notable? Well, the quarterback in question wasn't Patrick Mahomes (No. 24) or Josh Allen (No. 26). Instead, it was Jalen Hurts. If you go by average draft position, Mahomes goes first (No. 15 in PPR leagues), followed by Allen (No. 22) and then Hurts (No. 23).

12-Team, PPR

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MIAMI GARDENS, FL - AUGUST 05: Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) runs a receiving route during the Miami Dolphins Training Camp on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The last mock came courtesy of NBC Sports. It's a 12-team, PPR league with standard roster construction.

This opened with three consecutive wide receivers (Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase and Tyreek Hill—in that order) and prioritized pass-catchers early and often. Christian McCaffrey (No. 4), Austin Ekeler (No. 5), Bijan Robinson (No. 8) and Saquon Barkley (No. 12) were the only running backs taken in the first 14 picks, with all other selections being receivers or Travis Kelce (No. 6).

Once Nick Chubb went at No. 15, though, that didn't open things up a bit. Between pick Nos. 15 and 27, only four receivers were taken (Davante Adams, No. 16; Jaylen Waddle, No. 17; Tee Higgins, No. 22; and Chris Olave, No. 26). Five running backs went in this range, but so did three quarterbacks (Mahomes, No. 20; Allen, No. 23; and Hurts, No. 24) and one tight end (Mark Andrews, No. 25).

One team pushed running backs down the board more than any, passing over the position with its first six picks. If you're interested in a strategy like that, here's what it yielded: a receiving corps featuring CeeDee Lamb, Garrett Wilson, D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Diontae Johnson, Justin Fields at quarterback and a running back group led by Brian Robinson, Jamaal Williams and Tyler Allgeier.