Fantasy Football 2016: Early Mock Draft and Rankings Before Training Camps

We're nearing the end of July, and you know what that means. Soon, a barrage of emails will fill your inbox (or, if you're a fantasy football league commissioner, you'll begin blowing up everyone else's inboxes) urging you to get ready for your upcoming fantasy draft. 

Fantasy team building really gets underway in earnest in August, but it's never too early to begin creating your rankings lists and playing around with mock drafts to ensure that you're prepared for whichever scenarios present themselves in your draft room.

The following pre-training camps rankings and mock draft should help you begin to consider how to best build your team.  

These rankings and mock draft assume a 10-team standard league.  

Top QBs

Position Ranking	Overall Ranking	Player	Team	Bye
1	35	Cam Newton	CAR	7
2	49	Aaron Rodgers	GB	4
3	50	Russell Wilson	SEA	5
4	61	Andrew Luck	IND	10
5	68	Drew Brees	NO	5
6	69	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	8
7	78	Carson Palmer	ARI	9
8	79	Tom Brady	NE	9
9	88	Eli Manning	NYG	8
10	89	Blake Bortles	JAC	5
11	90	Philip Rivers	SD	11
12	131	Tyrod Taylor	BUF	10
13	132	Tony Romo	DAL	7
14	133	Kirk Cousins	WAS	9
15	134	Derek Carr	OAK	10
16	169	Marcus Mariota	TEN	13
17	170	Matthew Stafford	DET	10
18	171	Andy Dalton	CIN	9
19	193	Jameis Winston	TB	6
20	194	Ryan Tannehill	MIA	8

It's no surprise that Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton leads the list of the top passers to target for your league in 2016. 

Sure, Newton may have ended his season on a sour note with a loss in Super Bowl 50 to the Denver Broncos, especially given his questionable fumble late in the game. 

That fumble, a memorable low point in Newton's year, was one of four that the quarterback had on the season. But fantasy owners are willing to be somewhat forgiving, considering that Newton's 373 total points in 2015-16 was nearly 40 more than the next-best quarterback, Tom Brady. 

Speaking of Brady, look for him to fall down draft boards given that currently, his four-game suspension is set to remain in place to start the year. However, he could be an excellent steal if he's still available after Round 7.

Top RBs

Position Ranking	Overall Ranking	Player	Team	Bye
1	3	Adrian Peterson	MIN	6
2	5	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	8
3	6	Todd Gurley	LA	8
4	8	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	7
5	9	David Johnson	ARI	9
6	11	Devonta Freeman	ATL	11
7	14	Doug Martin	TB	6
8	16	Lamar Miller	HOU	9
9	18	Mark Ingram	NO	5
10	20	Thomas Rawls	SEA	5
11	22	Eddie Lacy	GB	4
12	25	Jamaal Charles	KC	5
13	27	LeSean McCoy	BUF	10
14	32	Jonathan Stewart	CAR	7
15	33	Carlos Hyde	SF	8
16	34	Matt Forte	NYJ	11
17	40	C.J. Anderson	DEN	11
18	41	Dion Lewis	NE	9
19	55	Jeremy Hill	CIN	9
20	56	Latavius Murray	OAK	10

The recent trend in fantasy has been favoring wide receivers over running backs as the first skill-position players taken off the board, which is natural given the progression toward aerial attack offenses.

Indeed, in 2016, the top two players atop the overall rankings are wide receivers and not running backs.

However, while wide receivers are deep, the running backs drop off somewhat precipitously after Round 2—and certainly after Round 3.  

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

If you have a top-five pick in your fantasy draft, it might be worth passing up a player such as wide receiver Antonio Brown or Odell Beckham Jr. to grab Adrian Peterson early.

You could grab a WR1 such as Allen Robinson, A.J. Green or Jordy Nelson early in Round 2, but if you pass up a rusher in Round 1, then you'll be looking at starting guys such as Doug Martin or Lamar Miller as your No. 1.

Top WRs

Position Ranking	Overall Ranking	Player	Team	Bye
1	1	Antonio Brown	PIT	8
2	2	Odell Beckham Jr.	NYG	8
3	4	Julio Jones	ATL	11
4	7	DeAndre Hopkins	HOU	9
5	10	Dez Bryant	DAL	7
6	13	Allen Robinson	JAC	5
7	15	A.J. Green	CIN	9
8	17	Jordy Nelson	GB	4
9	19	Brandon Marshall	NYJ	11
10	21	Alshon Jeffery	CHI	9
11	23	Mike Evans	TB	6
12	24	Sammy Watkins	BUF	10
13	26	Brandin Cooks	NO	5
14	29	Amari Cooper	OAK	10
15	30	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	11
16	31	Keenan Allen	SD	11
17	36	T.Y. Hilton	IND	10
18	37	Kelvin Benjamin	CAR	7
19	38	Julian Edelman	NE	9
20	39	Doug Baldwin	SEA	5

Speaking of wide receivers, it's without a doubt the deepest position group in this year's fantasy draft.

While landing Brown with the first overall draft pick will set your team up for some serious points (the wideout scored 243 fantasy points in 2015—the most of any wide receiver), you could still land players such as Randall Cobb and Emmanuel Sanders in Round 5. 

There are also players who could be deep steals and change the makeup of your squad, such as the Chicago Bears' Kevin White.

Currently ranked at No. 84 overall and 38th among wide receives, a good training camp showing after missing his entire rookie season due to injury could cause White to shoot up draft boards. Philadelphia's Nelson Agholor (122 overall) is another wideout worth filling up a bench position with. 

Top TEs

Position Ranking	Overall Ranking	Player	Team	Bye
1	12	Rob Gronkowski	NE	9
2	28	Jordan Reed	WAS	9
3	48	Greg Olsen	CAR	7
4	60	Delanie Walker	TEN	13
5	91	Travis Kelce	KC	5
6	92	Coby Fleener	NO	5
7	93	Tyler Eifert	CIN	9
8	109	Gary Barnidge	CLE	13
9	110	Ladarius Green	PIT	8
10	11	Zach Ertz	PHI	4

There is only one tight end worth considering early in the draft, and that's, of course, New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski.

Even then, with Brady potentially out for the first four games of the season, Gronkowski could have a slow start to his year, especially compared to 2015, when he scored 176 points overall. 

Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

After Gronk comes off the board, expect there to be a run on tight ends in the third or fourth rounds.

However, if you want to target other needs with your early- to mid-round picks, you should be perfectly fine if you "settle" for someone like Tyler Eifert in Round 10. 

Top DST

Unit Ranking	Overall Ranking	Unit	Bye
1	141	SEA	5
2	142	CAR	7
3	143	CIN	9
4	144	HOU	9
5	145	KC	5
6	146	DEN	11
7	147	ARI	9
8	149	NYJ	11
9	150	GB	4
10	151	OAK	10

We don't even reach the defense/special teams units and the kickers in the sample mock draft below, which tells you everything you need to know about targeting these positions before Round 10 if you're in a 10-team league.

Don't do it.

Even the best D/ST isn't going to blow your roster wide open. In 2015, the Denver Broncos defense and special teams scored 182 points, 20 more points than the next-best unit, the Kansas City Chiefs.  

But after that, the next five units were all clustered within 20 points of one another. And the worst part about drafting these units is that it's a total crapshoot; the best unit can change depending on the weather, stadium and opponent. Kickoffs are impossible to predict, and one injury to a key player can undo even the stoutest defense. 

The best thing to do is take a defense with your second-to-last pick and plan to surf the waiver wire throughout the year to take advantage of the best matchups. 

Top Ks

Position Ranking	Overall Ranking	Player	Team	Bye
1	148	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	9
2	152	Steven Hauschka	SEA	5
3	153	Dan Bailey	DAL	7
4	154	Justin Tucker	BAL	8
5	155	Adam Vinatieri	IND	10
6	156	Mason Crosby	GB	4
7	157	Josh Brown	NYG	8
8	158	Graham Gano	CAR	7
9	159	Blair Walsh	MIN	6
10	160	Chandler Catanzaro	ARI	9

There's always one fantasy owner who targets Stephen Gostkowski in Round 6 or 7.

Laugh at that owner; don't be that owner.

Consider this: The top 10 fantasy kickers in 2015 only had a point differential of 33 points from the highest (168) to the lowest (135).

Select a career kicker who has been consistent with your final pick and be done with it.  

Mock Draft

Pick	Position	Player	Team
1	WR	Antonio Brown	PIT
2	WR	Odell Beckham Jr.	NYG
3	RB	Adrian Peterson	MIN
4	WR	Julio Jones	ATL
5	RB	Le'Veon Bell	PIT
6	RB	Todd Gurley	LA
7	WR	DeAndre Hopkins	HOU
8	RB	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL
9	RB	David Johnson	ARI
10	WR	Dez Bryant	DAL
Round 2
11	RB	Devonta Freeman	ATL
12	TE	Rob Gronkowski	NE
13	WR	Allen Robinson	JAC
14	RB	Doug Martin	TB
15	WR	A.J. Green	CIN
16	RB	Lamar Miller	HOU
17	WR	Jordy Nelson	GB
18	RB	Mark Ingram	NO
19	WR	Brandon Marshall	NYJ
20	RB	Thomas Rawls	SEA
Round 3
21	WR	Alshon Jeffery	CHI
22	RB	Eddie Lacy	GB
23	WR	Mike Evans	TB
24	WR	Sammy Watkins	BUF
25	RB	Jamaal Charles	KC
26	WR	Brandin Cooks	NO
27	RB	LeSean McCoy	BUF
28	TE	Jordan Reed	WAS
29	WR	Amari Cooper	OAK
30	WR	Demaryius Thomas	DEN
Round 4
31	WR	Keenan Allen	SD
32	RB	Jonathan Stewart	CAR
33	RB	Carlos Hyde	SF
34	RB	Matt Forte	NYJ
35	QB	Cam Newton	CAR
36	WR	T.Y. Hilton	IND
37	WR	Kelvin Benjamin	CAR
38	WR	Julian Edelman	NE
39	WR	Doug Baldwin	SEA
40	RB	C.J. Anderson	DEN
Round 5
41	RB	Dion Lewis	NE
42	WR	Jarvis Landry	MIA
43	WR	Jeremy Maclin	KC
44	WR	Randall Cobb	GB
45	WR	Eric Decker	NYJ
46	WR	Golden Tate	DET
47	WR	Emmanuel Sanders	DEN
48	TE	Greg Olsen	CAR
49	QB	Aaron Rodgers	GB
50	QB	Russell Wilson	SEA
Round 6
51	WR	Michael Floyd	ARI
52	WR	DeVante Parker	MIA
53	WR	Larry Fitzgerald	ARI
54	WR	Donte Moncrief	IND
55	RB	Jeremy Hill	CIN
56	RB	Latavius Murray	OAK
57	RB	Ryan Mathews	PHI
58	RB	Jeremy Langford	CHI
59	RB	DeMarco Murray	TEN
60	TE	Delanie Walker	TEN
Round 7
61	QB	Andrew Luck	IND
62	RB	Matt Jones	WAS
63	RB	Justin Forsett	BAL
64	RB	T.J. Yeldon	JAC
65	RB	Melvin Gordon	SD
66	RB	Duke Johnson Jr.	CLE
67	RB	Danny Woodhead	SD
68	QB	Drew Brees	NO
69	QB	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT
70	WR	John Brown	ARI
Round 8
71	WR	Jordan Matthews	PHI
72	WR	DeSean Jackson	WAS
73	RB	Frank Gore	IND
74	RB	Rashad Jennings	NYG
75	RB	Giovani Bernard	CIN
76	RB	Ameer Abdullah	DET
77	RB	Chris Ivory	JAC
78	QB	Carson Palmer	ARI
79	QB	Tom Brady	NE
80	WR	Allen Hurns	JAC
Round 9
81	WR	Michael Crabtree	OAK
82	WR	Tyler Lockett	SEA
83	WR	Marvin Jones	DET
84	WR	Kevin White	CHI
85	WR	Stefon Diggs	MIN
86	WR	Corey Coleman	CLE
87	WR	Sterling Shepard	NYG
88	QB	Eli Manning	NYG
89	QB	Blake Bortles	JAC
90	QB	Philip Rivers	SD
Round 10
91	TE	Travis Kelce	KC
92	TE	Coby Fleener	NO
93	TE	Tyler Eifert	CIN
94	RB	Jay Ajayi	MIA
95	RB	Derrick Henry	TEN
96	WR	Torrey Smith	SF
97	WR	Willie Snead	NO
98	WR	Dorial Green-Beckham	TEN
99	WR	Laquon Treadwell	MIN
100	WR	Vincent Jackson	TB

All rankings via ESPN and current as of Tuesday, July 19. Fantasy stats via ESPN.