Fantasy Football 2024: Preseason Mock Draft Strategy, Rankings and Analysis

Week 3 of the 2024 NFL preseason will bring the league's exhibition slate to a close.

Things are about to get real, in other words, for both the actual teams and those assembled by fantasy football managers.

If your league hasn't drafted yet, that's a good thing. Drafting as late as possible allows managers to get as much information as they can before making any decisions. Not to mention, it also affords maximum time to make use of the various research tools that play a part of your pre-draft process.

We'll utilize one of the most valuable tools here by laying out and then evaluating a three-round, 12-team mock draft put together with FantasyPros' mock draft simulator. Finally, we'll close with our top-10 point-per-reception rankings at the four skill positions.

3-Round, 12-Team PPR Mock Draft

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DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 14: CeeDee Lamb #88 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up before kickoff against the Green Bay Packers during the NFC Wild Card playoff game at AT&T Stadium on January 14, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Round 1

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, SF

2. CeeDee Lamb, WR, DAL

3. Tyreek Hill, WR, MIA

4. Breece Hall, RB, NYJ

5. Justin Jefferson, WR, MIN

6. Bijan Robinson, RB, ATL

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

8. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, CIN

9. A.J. Brown, WR, PHI

10. Garrett Wilson, WR, NYJ

11. Saquon Barkley, RB, PHI

12. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, DET

Round 2

13. Cooper Kupp, WR, LAR

14. Jonathan Taylor, RB, IND

15. Davante Adams, WR, LV

16. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, ARI

17. Puka Nacua, WR, LAR

18. Kyren Williams, RB, LAR

19. Travis Etienne Jr., RB, JAX

20. Drake London, WR, ATL

21. Derrick Henry, RB, BAL

22. Josh Allen, QB, BUF

23. Chris Olave, WR, NO

24. Isiah Pacheco, RB, KC

Round 3

25. Travis Kelce, TE, KC

26. Sam LaPorta, TE, DET

27. Jaylen Waddle, WR, MIA

28. James Cook, RB, BUF

29. De'Von Achane, RB, MIA

30. Deebo Samuel Sr., WR, SF

31. Nico Collins, WR, HOU

32. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, SF

33. Alvin Kamara, RB, NO

34. Josh Jacobs, RB, GB

35. Patrick Mahomes, QB, KC

36. DJ Moore, WR, CHI

Mock Draft Analysis

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ATLANTA, GA DECEMBER 24: Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson (7) warms up prior to the start of the NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons on December 24th, 2023 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

There are plenty of coin-flip debates early in the draft.

Christian McCaffrey should be universally regarded as the top option in fantasy. Draft debates start immediately after he comes off the board, though.

Which receiver should pace the position group? Here, it was CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Ja'Marr Chase in that order. Expect these five names to vary across different talent grabs, though. Since all are elite options, it's essentially a matter of preference.

The same holds true regarding which running back should follow McCaffrey: Breece Hall or Bijan Robinson? There's a similar discussion around this year's RB4, as Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jonathan Taylor are closely bunched. And over at tight end, hair-splitting is a must to choose between Sam LaPorta and George Kittle as TE1.

Welcome back to the early rounds, Cooper Kupp.

Cooper Kupp, once among the top producers in fantasy, has labored through consecutive injury-riddled seasons. Even worse for his outlook, during his most recent disappointment, the Rams may have spawned a new go-to receiver in Puka Nacua, who authored a 105-catch, 1,486-yard, six-score performance as a fifth-round rookie in 2023.

That's why most mocks show a sizable gap between Nacua (average draft position: 14th overall, eighth at wide receiver, per FantasyPros) and Kupp (37th and 17th, respectively) with a decided advantage for the former.

In this mock, though, Kupp launched up to the 13th spot. That made him eighth at the position and four picks above his teammate. Most talent grabs won't play out this way, but this is a good reminder that you should expect the unexpected when your league drafts.

2024 PPR Rankings

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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 09: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before the preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 09, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Quarterback

1. Josh Allen, BUF

2. Jalen Hurts, PHI

3. Lamar Jackson, BUF

4. Anthony Richardson, IND

5. Patrick Mahomes, KC

6. C.J. Stroud, HOU

7. Joe Burrow, CIN

8. Caleb Williams, CHI

9. Jordan Love, GB

10. Kyler Murray, ARI

Running back

1. Bijan Robinson, ATL

2. Breece Hall, NYJ

3. Christian McCaffrey, SF

4. Jahmyr Gibbs, DET

5. Jonathan Taylor, IND

6. De'Von Achane, MIA

7. Saquon Barkley, PHI

8. Travis Etienne Jr., JAX

9. Kyren Williams, LAR

10. Kenneth Walker III, SEA

Wide receiver

1. Justin Jefferson, MIN

2. Ja'Marr Chase, CIN

3. CeeDee Lamb, DAL

4. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET

5. Marvin Harrison Jr., ARI

6. Garrett Wilson, NYJ

7. Puka Nacua, LAR

8. A.J. Brown, PHI

9. Malik Nabers, NYG

10. Tyreek Hill, MIA

Tight end

1. Sam LaPorta, DET

2. Travis Kelce, KC

3. Mark Andrews, BAL

4. Dalton Kincaid, BUF

5. Trey McBride, ARI

6. Kyle Pitts, ATL

7. George Kittle, SF

8. Evan Engram, JAX

9. David Njoku, CLE

10. Brock Bowers, LV