Fantasy Football 2012: Mock Simulation of 12-Team Draft When Holding No. 7 Slot

For the year-round thrill ride that is fantasy football, here's the first dry run of draft expectations when holding the No. 7 slot in 12 -team leagues (standard scoring), specifically working off CBSSports.com guru Jamey Eisenberg's early Top 200 countdown.

For for the sake of brevity, we'll stop at Round 14.

Round 1, Pick 7 overall: Motive—Best overall player

1st option: WR Calvin Johnson, Lions
2nd option: RB Chris Johnson, Titans
3rd option: RB Ryan Mathews, Chargers

Round 2, Pick 17 overall: Motive—Best running back or high-end receiver

1st option: RB Matt Forte, Bears
2nd option: WR Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
3rd option: WR Hakeem Nicks, Giants

Round 3, Pick 31: Motive—Best tailback or receiver (unless Matthew Stafford falls)

1st option: RB Fred Jackson, Bills
2nd option: RB Jamaal Charles, Chiefs
3rd option: WR Mike Wallace, Steelers

Round 4, Pick 41 overall: Motive—Best RB, WR or QB available

1st option: RB Roy Helu, Redskins
2nd option: WR Steve Smith, Panthers
3rd option: WR Miles Austin, Cowboys

Round 5, Pick 55: Motive—Best WR, RB or QB available

1st option: WR Vincent Jackson, Buccaneers
2nd option: RB Beanie Wells, Cardinals
3rd option: WR Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs

Round 6, Pick 65 overall: Motive—Best player available (particularly QB)

1st option: QB Matt Schaub, Texans
2nd option: RB Trent Richardson, Bucs/Browns?
3rd option: WR Steve Johnson, Bills

Round 7, Pick 79 overall: Motive—Best player available

1st option: RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bengals
2nd option: WR Sidney Rice, Seahawks
3rd option: WR Titus Young, Lions

Round 8, Pick 89 overall: Motive—Best player available

1st option: TE Brandon Pettigrew, Lions
2nd option: RB Jonathan Stewart, Panthers
3rd option: WR Malcom Floyd, Chargers

Round 9, Pick 103 overall: Motive—Best high-end receiver

1st option: WR Malcom Floyd, Chargers
2nd option: WR Nate Washington, Titans
3rd option: WR Pierre Garcon, Redskins

Round 10, Pick 113 overall: Motive—Best player available

1st option: RB Jahvid Best, Lions
2nd option: WR Nate Washington, Titans
3rd option: RB Ben Tate, Texans

Round 11, Pick 127: Motive—Best receiver available

1st option: WR Laurent Robinson, Jaguars
2nd option: WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders
3rd option: WR Greg Little, Browns

Round 12, Pick 137: Motive—Best quarterback or wide receiver

1st option: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills
2nd option: QB Matt Flynn, Seahawks
3rd option: WR Austin Collie, Colts

Round 13, Pick 151: Motive—Best backup TE or defense available

1st option: TE Dustin Keller, Jets
2nd option: TE Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers
3rd option: QB Sam Bradford, Rams

Round 14, Pick 161: Motive—Best defense available

1st option: D/ST Green Bay Packers
2nd option: D/ST New York Jets
3rd option: D/ST Philadelphia Eagles

Breakdown

• I will always be a proponent of drafting running backs in Round 1, but who could argue with Calvin Johnson's value at No. 7 overall? He may have just scratched the surface of his potential from a monster 2011 campaign. With Calvin (96 catches, 1,681 yards, 16 TDs last year) in the mix, though, I now feel more pressure to land a legitimate RB1 in Round 2.
• Mission accomplished with Matt Forte and Fred Jackson in Rounds 2 and 3! (Note: It'll be interesting to see how Jamaal Charles' pre-draft value fluctuates during the summer months. If fully recovered from an ACL tear last September, he could bring top-15 value to the third round.)
• Matt Schaub (my No. 12 QB in the preseason) lasting until the 65th pick is a byproduct of his freak foot injury from last year—not his capacity for 3,800 yards passing in a full season.
• There was no preordained plan to draft three Lions—Calvin, Brandon Pettigrew, Jahvid Best—but it's also imperative for owners to emphasize and capitalize on good value throughout the draft.
• I wouldn't spend a fantasy arm and leg for Laurent Robinson...but I'm also not projecting him as a bust with Jacksonville this season. He has experience running Mike Mularkey's offense and should average 8.5 targets per game.
• There were no kickers taken in this exercise, prompting this response: That's why we have Rounds 15 and 16 of drafts. You don't reach for kickers. Ever!

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.