Fantasy Football Mock Draft 2012: Full 2nd Round with Pick-by-Pick Analysis

The 2012 NFL draft is in the books, and as free agency tapers off over the next few weeks and we near the start of training camp, another fantasy football season will get underway as leagues across the land gather in person or online to conduct this year's draft.

Early preparation can help you get a leg up on your opponents in 2012, so this will continue a series of articles that will take an in-depth, pick-by-pick look at an entire fantasy draft, from the first running back taken, to the very last kicker off the board.

For this mock draft, we'll assume a standard 12-team league with 16 roster spots in which you start one quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, one tight end, one kicker and one team defense. This league has no "flex" position, but does award one point per reception and six points for all touchdowns, be they passing, rushing or receiving. The draft is serpentine, meaning that the draft order is reversed in even-numbered rounds.

Other scoring is "standard," meaning 10 rushing/receiving yards per point, 25 passing yards per point, three points for all field goals (with a two point bonus for field goals of over 50 yards) and defensive scoring that awards points for turnovers, sacks and yardage and points allowed. Lost fumbles and interceptions thrown are a two-point deduction.

You can view the first round of this mock draft by clicking here.

Now that the rules have been laid out, team twelve is on the clock!

Team Twelve (2.01): Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White put together another rock-solid season in 2011, as the eighth-year pro topped 100 passes for the second consecutive season while racking up nearly 1,300 receiving yards and finishing among the top 10 fantasy wide-outs for the fourth straight year.

Drafting at the end of the first round might not seem ideal, but it can be turned into something of a strategic advantage if you're not afraid to be aggressive. Granted, the running back position could be an area of concern for this team moving forward, but they have added two wide receivers with the potential to finish in the top five at their position, which isn't bad for the back of the bus.

First Pick: Wes Welker, WR, NE

Team Eleven (2.02): Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

Quarterback Tom Brady appears to be getting better with age, as the 34 year-old signal caller posted the highest yardage total and second highest touchdown numbers of his 12-year career last year for the New England Patriots, finishing the season as fantasy football's third-ranked signal-caller.

Brady may not throw for 5,200 yards again, but the Patriots upgraded their receiving corps in the offseason with the addition of Brandon Lloyd, and given all the turmoil swirling around Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, Brady is a much safer bet as the second quarterback off the board.

First Pick: Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN

Team Ten (2.03): Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland Raiders

The tenth team in this mock draft is rapidly developing into an exercise in risk/reward drafting strategy, as the selection of Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden could either leave the team with a formidable duo of tailbacks or holding a bag full of dog poop.

McFadden averaged a career high 5.4 yards per carry in 2011, but a foot injury limited the fifth-year veteran to only seven games last year. McFadden has yet to play a full 16-game schedule in his professional career, so while McFadden is a powerful runner and prolific fantasy producer when he's on the field, his injury history makes him a risky choice in fantasy drafts.

First Pick: Matt Forte, RB, CHI

Team Nine (2.04): Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

The 2011 season was over almost before it started for running back Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs, as a torn ACL in the season's second game limited the fifth-year pro to a measly 83 yards on 12 carries for the year.

The Charles injury killed the dreams of many fantasy teams that spent a top five pick on Charles last year in the hopes that he would repeat his 1,900+ total yards performance from 2010. The injury and the presence of Peyton Hillis may prevent Charles from reaching those heights in 2012, but if the talented back is healthy, he possesses top 10 upside and would be an excellent value here.

First Pick: Andre Johnson, WR, HOU

Team Eight (2.05): Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots

To say that New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski exploded last season would be something of an understatement, as the third year pro set an NFL record for tight ends with 17 touchdown catches while racking up 90 receptions for 1,327 yards.

Taking a tight end this early in a fantasy draft is something of a calculated risk. However, Gronkowski was the leading tight end in fantasy points by a wide margin last year, and while he may not set another NFL record, Gronkowski does have a ridiculous 27 touchdown catches in his two seasons in the NFL.

First Pick: Chris Johnson, RB, TEN

Team Seven (2.06): Ryan Mathews, RB, San Diego Chargers

Second year running back Ryan Mathews broke the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his brief career with the San Diego Chargers in 2011, rushing for nearly 1,100 yards and six scores while chipping in another 455 yards and a touchdown on 50 receptions.

The departure of Mike Tolbert in free agency means an expanded role for Mathews in the Chargers offense in 2012, and those increased touches plus Mathews' receiving ability makes him a solid value here, especially for a team that eschewed the running back position in the first round.

First Pick: Larry Fitzgerald, WR, AZ

Team Six (2.07): Jimmy Graham, TE, New Orleans Saints

This pick could either be a stroke of genius or a nail in the coffin of this team's chances for contending in 2012, as Team Eight continues to push the action by following up the selection of the draft's first quarterback in the first round by taking an elite tight end in the second.

Jimmy Graham of the New Orleans Saints led all players at his position with 99 catches a season ago, and with wide receiver Robert Meachem now gone in the Big Easy, there's little reason to think that Graham won't post similar numbers this year.

First Pick: Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB

Team Five (2.08): Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees had a season for the ages for the New Orleans Saints in 2011, as the 33 year-old gunslinger broke Dan Marino's single-season yardage record en route to throwing for nearly 5,500 years and finishing the year as fantasy football's top option under center. 

It was unlikely that Brees was going to match last year's ludicrous production even before the Saints were swallowed up by the "Bountygate" scandal, but the 12th year pro is the last of the truly "elite" fantasy quarterbacks and would be a good pick here given the drop off we've hit at other positions.

First Pick: Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, JAX 

Team Four (2.09): Greg Jennings, WR, Green Bay Packers

This pick is an excellent example of basing a selection somewhat off what you expect your opponents to do as you near the end of a round. There are three teams that will each pick twice between now and Team Four's next go-round, and given that all three teams already have one running back it's fairly safe to assume that no more than three backs will have been taken by the next time Team Four is on the clock.

That opens the door to potentially pursuing a different strategy such as loading up at wide receiver while forgoing the running back position until the third round, and in that event Greg Jennings of the Green Bay Packers, who hauled in 67 catches for 949 yards in 13 games last year, would be a fine choice.

First Pick: Calvin Johnson, WR, DET

Team Three (2.10): Trent Richardson, RB, Cleveland Browns

There was a time when the prevailing school of thought in fantasy football was to select a running back with each of your first two draft picks.  That strategy doesn't always hold true in today's pass-happy NFL, but it can still give your fantasy team an edge, especially if you're able to acquire a pair of backs that won't face a lot of competition for touches. 

Alabama running back Trent Richardson was the third overall pick in April's NFL draft after rolling for over 2,000 total yards for the Crimson Tide in 2011. With Peyton Hillis now in Kansas City, Richardson should see plenty of work in his first season in the National Football League, making him an easy choice as the first rookie off fantasy draft boards this year. 

First Pick: LeSean McCoy, RB, PHI

Team Two (2.11): Hakeem Nicks, WR, New York Giants

New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks has developed into a dependable fantasy asset over the past couple of seasons, as the 24 year-old wideout has topped 75 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards, and posted a top 12 fantasy finish at his position each of the past two years.

Nicks has missed time in each of those seasons, and the numbers he's posted haven't exactly been eye-popping. However, Nicks also posted 10 or more fantasy points in 11 of 15 games last year, and that sort of consistency can be very attractive in a wide receiver.

First Pick: Arian Foster, RB, HOU

Team One (2.12): A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Second year wide receiver A.J. Green was a big part of the Cincinnati Bengals surprising run to the playoffs last year, hauling in 65 passes for over 1,000 yards and seven scores while finishing among the top 15 fantasy options at his position.

Green developed an excellent rapport with quarterback Andy Dalton in their rookie campaigns, improving steadily as a player as the season wore on. With his first full offseason under his belt, there's no reason to believe that Green's improvement won't continue into 2012, and Green should have a very good chance of bettering last year's fantasy production in his sophomore season.