Fantasy Football 2018: 1st-Round Mock Draft, Projections and Top Team Names

As the 2018 regular season approaches, it's time to test the fantasy football mock draft waters.

For the most part, under standard point-per-reception settings, running backs and wide receivers will dominate the first round of the draft. Choose the foundation of your roster wisely—go with a tailback expected to see approximately 25-30 touches per game.

When splitting hairs at running back, who goes No. 1 and so on and so forth? Should owners automatically take last year's fantasy football star, Todd Gurley, in the top spot? How many wide receivers should you expect to see come off the board in the opening round? Is there a surprise name to watch?

The first-round mock draft below illustrates selections for a 12-team PPR league with a starting lineup that features two running back spots. All picks have 2018 projection totals in parentheses, per FantasyPros. We'll also go deeper into three picks that may stand out to readers.

Top Team Names

1. Trubiskuits and Gravy

Mitchell Trubisky goes into his second season in the NFL, with first-time head coach Matt Nagy coming over from the Kansas City Chiefs and a revamped offense featuring top-flight wideout Allen Robinson. It's all good when you have an offensive mind leading the team and a Pro Bowl receiver who can stretch the field at 14 yards per reception—almost as good as biscuits and gravy.

2. Baker's Dozen

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield may not see the field until later in the season. He could serve as a backup for the entire year if Tyrod Taylor flourishes under center. Nonetheless, that shouldn't stop anyone from hopping on the rookie's bandwagon after two impressive performances in the preseason. Baker's Dozen could also represent a 13-win season for the Browns. Sure, it's a lofty expectation for a team coming off an 0-16 season, but we're all allowed to dream.

3. Fournetteflix and Chill

When football season arrives, there's less time for Netflix, so why not replace it with a clever football team name that sounds similar such as Fournetteflix and Chill? From the outside, Leonard Fournette seems to have a laid-back personality, but his run style says something different. Yes, the team label is a bit misleading if you drafted him to steamroll defenders for touchdowns.

1st-Round Mock Draft

1. RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys (252.3)

2. RB Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers (270.2) 

3. RB Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams (276.5)

4. RB David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals (249.2)

5. RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints (218) 

6. RB Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs (212.3) 

7. WR Odell Beckham Jr. New York Giants (176.2)

8. WR Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers (207.5) 

9. WR DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans (190.1) 

10. RB Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers (213.6)

11. RB Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers (174.9)

12. WR Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers (162.5)

1st-Round Takeaways 

Why Is Ezekiel Elliott No. 1? 

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Last year, Gurley delivered the goods for Yahoo fantasy football owners, finishing with 319.30 points—62.70 more points than Pittsburgh Steelers ball-carrier Le'Veon Bell. This season, turn your attention to Dallas Cowboys tailback Ezekiel Elliott, who should undoubtedly see a lot of action as a rusher and receiver out of the backfield.

In 2017, Elliott led the league in rushing attempts per game and yards per game, with 24.2 and 98.3, respectively, per Team Rankings. The 23-year-old has led the NFL in the latter category for the last two terms. His overall fantasy numbers didn't rank among the best at his position because of a six-game suspension last year.

If Elliott avoids off-field transgressions and plays through the majority of a 16-game season, he could lead the league in rushing yards per contest for a third consecutive campaign. The Cowboys lost their two top pass-catchers in the red zone when they cut wideout Dez Bryant and tight end Jason Witten retired. Their absences will likely add on to the All-Pro running back's responsibilities in the passing attack.

Quarterback Dak Prescott targeted Elliott fewer than 40 times in each of the first two terms, but it's possible he could lean on him early in the season while building chemistry with the team's new wideouts Allen Hurns, Deonte Thompson and Michael Gallup. With the third-year veteran's prospective workload, he's a safe option as the No. 1 pick in fantasy drafts.

Why Did Todd Gurley Fall Outside the Top 2?

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Gurley single-handedly led fantasy teams to the championship round in 2017 as the leader in points at his position. However, expect his production to drop a bit this year, though not enough that he falls out of the top three. 

The Los Angeles Rams acquired wideout Brandin Cooks via trade and immediately extended his deal before he played a down in the offense. The fifth-year pass-catcher logged three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. That streak will likely continue under head coach Sean McVay, who's the offensive mind pulling the strings behind the league's top-scoring offense in 2017.

Cooks essentially replaces Sammy Watkins, who caught 39 passes for 593 yards and eight touchdowns last year. The upgrade at wide receiver could affect Gurley's production in the passing game. 

In 2017, the 24-year-old running back logged 64 receptions for 788 yards, respectively ranking first and second in those categories for the team. Assuming Cooks continues to produce at the level of a No. 1 wide receiver, the star running back doesn't have to carry a major load in the short-passing game. 

Gurley remains a safe selection early in the draft order, but he's going to come down to earth with another high-end asset demanding a high volume of targets.

Davante Adams' Rising Stock 

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

The Green Bay Packers decided to part ways with quarterback Aaron Rodgers' most reliable red-zone threat over the past several seasons in wideout Jordy Nelson. In 2016, the 33-year-old pass-catcher led the league in touchdown receptions with 14 as the Comeback Player of the Year following a lost campaign with a torn ACL. He's signed a two-year deal with the Oakland Raiders.

Randall Cobb has spent seven seasons with Rodgers but only logged 1,000-plus receiving yards and double-digit touchdown scores in one season.

Davante Adams caught 22 touchdown passes over the past two terms, which led the league in that span. He finished the 2017 campaign as the most productive receiver despite Rodgers' extended absence with a broken collarbone. The 34-year-old signal-caller's return should boost the fifth-year wideout's numbers and further cement his status as a consistent red-zone target.

He's an ideal pickup at the end of the first round for fantasy owners who want a WR1 with a high ceiling.