ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 10: Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears drops back to pass against the Buffalo Bills during the first half of a preseason game at Highmark Stadium on August 10, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)Rich Barnes/Getty Images

Fantasy Football 2024: Mock Draft Strategy, Dynasty and Keeper Cheatsheet

Zach BuckleyAug 15, 2024

The 2024 NFL season kicks off in a matter of weeks.

If you haven't fired up your mock-draft machines yet, you're missing out on one of the most valuable pre-draft tools available to you.

Mock drafts give you the look, feel and clock-ticking pressure of the talent grab without the season-long stakes attached to it. That means you're free to experiment however you see fit. You can clean valuable data from the process so long as you approach it correctly.

To help you do just that, we'll walk you through some of our favorite mock draft strategies. Then, we'll run through a 12-team, five-round mock draft with FantasyPros' mock draft simulator before finishing with our 2024 dynasty rankings at the marquee positions.

Mock Draft Strategy

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CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 28: Breece Hall #20 runs teh ball against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on December 28, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Experiment with different lineup constructions.

Since you aren't tied to the team you're drafting in a mock, you should take some liberties with its construction. Even if you feel confident about the plan you've crafted for your actual draft, this is the chance to take different approaches and find out if there's anything you can add to your strategy.

Maybe it's starting with two running backs or avoiding the running back position through the first rounds. It could be setting the quarterback market in the second or third round or being the last team to take a signal-caller. Do you gain any noticeable advantage by not waiting until the very last round for your kicker or your defense?

Not all of these plans will pan out, but mock drafts help you find which ones you like and which don't work for you.

Make reasonable reaches away from ADP values.

While average draft position (ADP) data provides a general feel for when players are being drafted, they don't tell you exactly where a player will go in your actual draft. So, just like you shouldn't strictly adhere to it during your draft, you should also be willing to move away from it in mocks.

You don't want to stray too far, obviously, or you'll wind up distorting the data. However, a reasonable reach—a handful of picks in the first two rounds, a round or two after that—can help you see what happens when someone gets unexpectedly pushed up the draft board.

React to the other picks differently in different drafts.

While you'll want to have at least a general idea for how you attack your actual draft, you might consider going into certain mocks without any plan in place. That way you're just reading and reacting to the selections around you and getting a feel for how to pivot when other managers make surprise selections.

If you take this mindset into multiple mocks, your reactions shouldn't be the same. If there's an early run on a particular position group, you should pay that premium in mock and then avoid the position and snatch up bargains elsewhere in another. That way you can see how your roster shakes out when you do or don't chase the position that your fellow drafters are prioritizing.

5-Round, 12-Team, PPR Mock

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CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 16: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) in a game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on Saturday, December, 16, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Round 1

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, SF

2. Bijan Robinson, RB, ATL

3. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, CIN

4. CeeDee Lamb, WR, DAL

5. Tyreek Hill, WR, MIA

6. Breece Hall, RB, NYJ

7. Justin Jefferson, WR, MIN

8. Saquon Barkley, RB, PHI

9. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, DET

10. Jonathan Taylor, RB, IND

11. Garrett Wilson, WR, NYJ

12. A.J. Brown, WR, PHI

Round 2

13. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, DET

14. Puka Nacua, WR, LAR

15. Travis Etienne Jr., RB, JAX

16. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, ARI

17. Kyren Williams, RB, LAR

18. Drake London, WR, ATL

19. Derrick Henry, RB, BAL

20. Davante Adams, WR, LV

21. Isiah Pacheco, RB, KC

22. Chris Olave, WR, NO

23. De'Von Achane, RB, MIA

24. Josh Allen, QB, BUF

Round 3

25. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, IND

26. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, SF

27. Jalen Hurts, QB, PHI

28. Travis Kelce, TE, KC

29. Sam LaPorta, TE, DET

30. Patrick Mahomes, QB, KC

31. Jaylen Waddle, WR, MIA

32. James Cook, RB, BUF

33. Mike Evans, WR, TB

34. Josh Jacobs, RB, GB

35. Rachaad White, RB, TB

36. Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL

Round 4

37. Cooper Kupp, WR, LAR

38. Joe Mixon, RB, HOU

39. Deebo Samuel Sr., WR, SF

40. Trey McBride, TE, ARI

41. Stefon Diggs, WR, BUF

42. Kenneth Walker III, RB, SEA

43. Nico Collins, WR, HOU

44. DJ Moore, WR, CHI

45. Alvin Kamara, RB, NO

46. DK Metcalf, WR, SEA

47. Malik Nabers, WR, NYG

48. DeVonta Smith, WR, PHI

Round 5

49. Amari Cooper, WR, CLE

50. Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, NE

51. Aaron Jones, RB, MIN

52. George Pickens, WR, PIT

53. James Conner, RB, ARI

54. Mark Andrews, TE, BAL

55. C.J. Stroud, QB, HOU

56. Anthony Richardson, QB, IND

57. David Montgomery, RB, DET

58. Dalton Kincaid, TE, BUF

59. Zay Flowers, WR, BAL

60. Jaylen Warren, RB, PIT

Cheatsheet Dynasty Rankings

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GLENDALE, ARIZONA - AUGUST 10: Marvin Harrison Jr. #18 of the Arizona Cardinals warms up before a preseason football game against the New Orleans Saints at State Farm Stadium on August 10, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images)

Quarterback

1. Josh Allen, BUF

2. Jalen Hurts, PHI

3. Lamar Jackson, BUF

4. C.J. Stroud, HOU

5. Patrick Mahomes, KC

6. Anthony Richardson, IND

7. Joe Burrow, CIN

8. Caleb Williams, CHI

9. Jordan Love, GB

10. Kyler Murray, ARI

Running back