2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Strategy and Cheat Sheet for Opening Rounds

This is the year when all the previous fantasy football strategies get turned on their heads.

In the past, the talk was about loading up on running backs and figuring out who at that position would be trustworthy. However, wide receivers are the hot commodity in 2016 with the NFL completely transformed into a passing league.

This change and others will create some intriguing picks in the first few rounds of your draft. Here is a look at projections for a 10-team league with standard scoring, along with a breakdown of how you should approach the big day. 

	Round 1
	Round 2
	Round 3
	Round 4
Team	Player	Pos.	Team
Team 1	Antonio Brown	WR	Pittsburgh Steelers
Team 2	Julio Jones	WR	Atlanta Falcons
Team 3	Odell Beckham Jr.	WR	New York Giants
Team 4	Todd Gurley	RB	Los Angeles Rams
Team 5	Adrian Peterson	RB	Minnesota Vikings
Team 6	DeAndre Hopkins	WR	Houston Texans
Team 7	David Johnson	RB	Arizona Cardinals
Team 8	Rob Gronkowski	TE	New England Patriots
Team 9	Devonta Freeman	RB	Atlanta Falcons
Team 10	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Dallas Cowboys
Team 10	A.J. Green	WR	Cincinnati Bengals
Team 9	Dez Bryant	WR	Dallas Cowboys
Team 8	Lamar Miller	RB	Houston Texans
Team 7	Brandon Marshall	WR	New York Jets
Team 6	Le'Veon Bell	RB	Pittsburgh Steelers
Team 5	Jordy Nelson	WR	Green Bay Packers
Team 4	Allen Robinson	WR	Jacksonville Jaguars
Team 3	Thomas Rawls	RB	Seattle Seahawks
Team 2	Doug Martin	RB	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Team 1	Alshon Jeffery	WR	Chicago Bears
Team 1	Jamaal Charles	RB	Kansas City Chiefs
Team 2	LeSean McCoy	RB	Buffalo Bills
Team 3	Mark Ingram	RB	New Orleans Saints
Team 4	Cam Newton	QB	Carolina Panthers
Team 5	Amari Cooper	WR	Oakland Raiders
Team 6	Eddie Lacy	RB	Green Bay Packers
Team 7	Sammy Watkins	WR	Buffalo Bills
Team 8	Mike Evans	WR	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Team 9	Brandin Cooks	WR	New Orleans Saints
Team 10	C.J. Anderson	RB	Denver Broncos
Team 10	Aaron Rodgers	QB	Green Bay Packers
Team 9	Matt Forte	RB	New York Jets
Team 8	Demaryius Thomas	WR	Denver Broncos
Team 7	Carlos Hyde	RB	San Francisco 49ers
Team 6	Keenan Allen	WR	San Diego Chargers
Team 5	Jonathan Stewart	RB	Carolina Panthers
Team 4	Jarvis Landry	WR	Miami Dolphins
Team 3	Jordan Reed	TE	Washington Redskins
Team 2	Julian Edelman	WR	New England Patriots
Team 1	Jeremy Hill	RB	Cincinnati Bengals

Strategy for Early Rounds

Stick with Receivers You Can Trust

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

As mentioned above, running backs have been devalued in fantasy football. The separation between the top performers and an average player at the position remains huge, but there is no confidence in who will be good by season's end.

Last season, "sure things" such as Le'Veon Bell, Marshawn Lynch and Jamaal Charles dealt with injuries, while Eddie Lacy and C.J. Anderson failed to live up to expectations. In the end, Devonta Freeman surprised just about everyone while becoming the leading scorer at running back in standard leagues.

While you still want to add running backs, the top picks should go to those you can trust to perform at a high level on a consistent basis.

This year, the best option is a wide receiver in Antonio Brown.

Although Brown did struggle a bit while Ben Roethlisberger was out with an injury, he is a stud when the quarterback is healthy, as noted by Evan Silva of Rotoworld:

Silva also pointed out the success Brown has had when Bell has been out of the lineup, as he will be for the first three games of the year because of a suspension.

Julio Jones is the next best option for the same reason: He gets the ball. His touchdown totals haven't been as high as those of Odell Beckham Jr. and some others, but a receiver who gets a lot of touches is preferable because he will help your team no matter what.

When it comes time to pick running backs, the top ones should be the most consistent: Todd Gurley and Adrian Peterson.

Balance Is Key

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The smartest thing you can do throughout the early rounds of a fantasy draft, regardless of the style, is to build a balanced roster.

For one thing, this means making sure you fill the necessary positions. You don't necessarily have to get a running back in the second round if you get a receiver in the first, but don't wait too long to fill these vital positions.

If you add three running backs with the first three picks, you will almost certainly be outscored at receiver just about every week.

Additionally, balancing your roster means having as many safe picks as high-risk, high-reward selections.

Ezekiel Elliott is on just about everyone's wish list. The rookie running back is one of the most pro-ready players to come out of the draft in years and gets to run behind arguably the best offensive line in football. His upside as a potential top overall running back justifies a selection in the first round.

However, he is still a rookie who hasn't played a single down in the regular season. If you do take him with your first pick, you might want to counter with a safer option in the second or third round. In the mock draft above, this means A.J. Green, who has topped 1,000 receiving yards in every season of his five-year career.

Safe players aren't always fun in the draft, but they can be valuable. 

Only Go Off Script for Truly Dominant Players 

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

The most important positions to fill throughout the draft are receivers and running backs. You need at least two or three in every starting lineup, but you probably want at least five or six of each on your rosters at all times.

Between injuries, bad matchups, bye weeks or just disappointing performances, having options to rotate in and out of your lineup will be important.

However, you can still fill up your lineup in other ways if you are getting real value. This includes someone such as Rob Gronkowski, who should still be a first-round pick as the best tight end in football.

The New England Patriots star finished with 11 touchdowns last season, reaching double digits for the fifth time in six years. Jordan Reed and Greg Olsen are solid options as well but aren't close to the level of Gronk.

In case you were concerned about Jimmy Garoppolo taking over for Tom Brady for the first four games, Gronkowski said he has no problem playing with the young quarterback, per Henry McKenna of Boston.com:

"

The chemistry is definitely there, and we’re all on the same page of where we need to be and how we need to run things, so it’s all going smooth. I would say after a few years now being together, going into our third year, I would definitely say we have a feel for each other. I definitely know when I come out of a break, where the ball is going to be with him. He knows where I’m going to be, so we’re definitely on the same page. We’ve felt each other out now to the point that we know what to expect.

"

This same theory works for Cam Newton, who separates himself not only with his throwing ability, but also with rushing yards and touchdowns. He is by far the best quarterback option on the board and is worth picking early.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.