2017 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 4-Round Simulation with Notable Picks

We can officially say that there will be regular-season pro football this week, as the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots kick off the 2017 season on Thursday night.

Most fantasy football drafts have already taken place, but a few leagues are still scrambling to get theirs in before the season is underway.

Here's a look at the first four rounds of a mock draft conducted on Yahoo. I picked first in odd-numbered rounds and last in even-numbered rounds.

After each round, we'll take a look at the most notable selections.

4-Round Mock Draft

1st Round

1. Arizona Cardinals RB David Johnson

2. Pittsburgh Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell

3. Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown

4. Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones

5. New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr.

6. New England Patriots QB Tom Brady

7. Miami Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi

8. Buffalo Bills RB LeSean McCoy

9. Los Angeles Chargers RB Melvin Gordon

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans

11. Atlanta Falcons RB Devonta Freeman

12. Cincinnati Bengals WR A.J. Green

Notable Pick: Tom Brady at No. 6

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady went sixth overall in this mock, ahead of potential fantasy stars such as Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans and Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy.

It was a bit odd to see Brady go off the board so early. Yes, he's one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but Yahoo has him ranked as the 34th-best player overall in fantasy this season. He's the third-ranked quarterback, behind Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints.

The 40-year-old Brady should have another great season in New England, but he isn't about to carry your fantasy team like he did in 2007, when he and wide receiver Randy Moss were dominating the league en route to an 18-1 campaign.

2nd Round

13. Green Bay Packers WR Jordy Nelson

14. New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas

15. Tennessee Titans RB DeMarco Murray

16. Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott

17. Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook

18. Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant

19. Chicago Bears RB Jordan Howard

20. New England Patriots WR Brandin Cooks

21. Seattle Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin

22. Oakland Raiders WR Amari Cooper

23. Los Angeles Rams RB Todd Gurley

24. Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey

Notable Pick: Jordan Howard at No. 19

Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard got off the board too late in this mock, as he was selected 19th overall.

On paper, the Bears offense looks like it might struggle, especially with the loss of No. 1 wide receiver Cameron Meredith for the campaign after he suffered a torn ACL and slightly torn MCL in a preseason game.

However, Howard was one of the league's most efficient backs last season, averaging 5.2 yards per carry en route to accruing 1,313 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Those are impressive numbers considering he didn't play in the season opener and only carried the ball 12 times in Weeks 2 and 3.

Howard isn't a huge threat in the pass game (he only caught 29 of 50 passes thrown his way last year), but he can still accumulate a few extra points in points-per-reception leagues. It's not out of the question Howard becomes the third-best fantasy producer at running back this year.

3rd Round

25. Washington Redskins WR Terrelle Pryor

26. Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

27. Kansas City Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt

28. Jacksonville Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette

29. Cleveland Browns RB Isaiah Crowell

30. Philadelphia Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery

31. New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees

32. Indianapolis Colts WR T.Y. Hilton

33. New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski

34. Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce

35. Denver Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas

36. Kansas City Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill

Notable Pick: Leonard Fournette at No. 28

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette's fantasy stock has fallen a bit in recent weeks, in part because of a foot injury that forced him to miss three preseason games.

However, Fournette should be ready for a Week 1 tilt against the Houston Texans. Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reported that Fournette returned to practice on August 26.

Fournette also said he wanted to play in the team's final preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, per John Reid of the Florida Times-Union, but he was held out for that matchup.

The other concern is the Jaguars offense looks like it might sputter, especially after quarterback Blake Bortles struggled last year. Pro Football Focus ranked him 27th at the position last year, and ESPN's QB Rating placed him 28th. He nearly lost his job to backup Chad Henne before this season and wasn't officially named the starter for Week 1 until August 26.

Fournette has incredible talent and size and could dominate the league for years, but if the Jaguars are playing catch-up in games and are forced to throw, then he's going to be less of a factor.

4th Round

37. Oakland Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch

38. San Francisco 49ers RB Carlos Hyde

39. Houston Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins

40. Los Angeles Chargers WR Keenan Allen

41. Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams

42. Green Bay Packers RB Ty Montgomery

43. Seattle Seahawks TE Jimmy Graham

44. Houston Texans RB Lamar Miller

45. Carolina Panthers TE Greg Olsen

46. Carolina Panthers WR Kelvin Benjamin

47. Oakland Raiders WR Michael Crabtree

48. Jacksonville Jaguars WR Allen Robinson

Notable Pick: DeAndre Hopkins at No. 39

Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was going in the first or second round of fantasy drafts this time last year after an incredible 2015 season in which he caught 111 passes for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Naturally, expectations were quite high in 2016, but he never found a connection with new signal-caller Brock Osweiler, who struggled during his one year in Houston. Hopkins ended up having a down year by his standards (78 receptions, 954 yards, four touchdowns).

In fairness to Hopkins, it seems like he plays with a new quarterback every half-season, so it's remarkable he's still been able to produce as much as he has in his first few years in the league. The talent is clearly there. It's just a matter of whether Hopkins has the chemistry with his quarterback.

That might be the case this year, as Hopkins gave a Dan Graziano of ESPN.com-reported loud-and-clear endorsement to Tom Savage, who will start Week 1 for the Texans.

Fantasy players are likely down on Hopkins after last year's disappointing performance, but his upside is spectacular. Grabbing him in the third round is a steal, let alone the fourth, which was the case in this mock.