Fantasy Football Draft Strategy 2018: PPR League Advice and 2-Round Mock Draft

There's no preparation for the unknown, but a two-round mock draft gives NFL fantasy football owners a glimpse of how their competitors may approach the selection process. 

Previously, we looked at a first-round mock draft for 12-team leagues. Let's take projections a step further for another round with a snake-type order. In an effort to provide a different variable for readers, there are changes to the picks in the last mock.

The first round dictates the flow of a draft, but the second selection forces managers to make another huge decision. Do you grab another running back or take a lead wide receiver? Perhaps a tight end or quarterback comes into play.

Following the mock draft, we'll delve into reasons for the most intriguing selections in the order.

2-Round Mock Draft 

Round 1

Team 1: RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

Team 2: RB Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Team 3: RB Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

Team 4: RB David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals

Team 5: RB Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs

Team 6: RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

Team 7: WR Odell Beckham Jr. New York Giants

Team 8: WR Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers

Team 9: WR DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans

Team 10: RB Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

Team 11: RB Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers 

Team 12: WR Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers

Round 2

Team 12: RB Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

Team 11: RB Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars

Team 10: WR Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

Team 9: RB Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals

Team 8: RB Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons

Team 7: RB Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears 

Team 6: WR T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts 

Team 5: WR Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints 

Team 4: WR A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

Team 3: RB LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills

Team 2: WR Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Team 1: RB Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings 

*Note: Bold print indicates author's selection

PPR League Advice 

Kareem Hunt Belongs in the Top 5 Among Running Backs

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

There's no question New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara put together an impressive first season en route to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, and he's still a solid choice in the opening round. However, expect Kansas City Chiefs ball-carrier Kareem Hunt, last year's rushing champion, to reach a new level of production in the upcoming term.

Patrick Mahomes will start his first full season under center. The Chiefs promoted running backs coach Eric Bieniemy to offensive coordinator. As a result, we could see the unit lean heavily on the ground attack to aid the second-year signal-caller's development.

In addition, the coaching staff may opt to design short high-percentage throws to build the 22-year-old's confidence before he shows off his big arm. Hunt caught 53 passes for 455 yards and three touchdowns in 2017. He'd likely benefit from a conservative approach when Mahomes goes through rough patches.

We also know Hunt can produce big numbers when he handles a high volume in rush attempts. He ran the ball 20-plus times in six contests and recorded 100-plus yards in four of those outings last year.

The backup ball-carriers won't pose a threat to his carries in the upcoming campaign. Spencer Ware comes off a lost season because of a torn PCL and LCL.

According to Kansas City Star reporter Lynn Worthy, the team may cut Charcandrick West after picking up Damien Williams. 

As the lead man in the Chiefs backfield without an equal on the depth chart, Hunt should see the bulk of the work in a new offense. He'll have an opportunity to top his numbers from last season.

Christian McCaffrey Creeps into 1st-Round Territory 

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera and offensive coordinator Norv Turner have talked about increasing running back Christian McCaffrey's workload from approximately 14 touches per contest to the 25-30 range.

Despite his disappointing rookie season on the ground, averaging 3.7 yards per carry, it's hard to pass up on his projected volume. 

McCaffrey looked impressive in Week 2 of the preseason against the Miami Dolphins Friday. He ran the ball five times for 92 yards and a touchdown while contributing to the passing game with four receptions for 28 yards.

The 22-year-old will have a busy sophomore campaign, which comes as great news for fantasy owners looking for a back-end first-round option at running back with upside. 

C.J. Anderson comes off his first 1,000-yard rushing season, and his presence could put some limits on McCaffrey as a ball-carrier. However, the Stanford product led the team in receptions with 80 in 2017. His rapport with quarterback Cam Newton will pay dividends with more opportunities to touch the ball.

Running Back Joe Mixon Is the Top Fantasy Asset on the Cincinnati Bengals 

Frank Victores/Associated Press

There's a new Cincinnati Bengal to target in the early rounds. Wideout A.J. Green remains a WR1, but running back Joe Mixon will yield a bigger reward for owners. 

Green doesn't have an elite-level quarterback to boost his numbers—something wideout Davante Adams and Michael Thomas have in Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, respectively, which explains their mock draft positions compared to the Bengals' top wideout.

Mixon logged 913 yards from scrimmage in 14 games, which included seven starts last season. As the clear-cut lead ball-carrier in the backfield, expect a significant rise in his production on the ground.

He finished his rookie campaign with 178 carries for 626 yards and four touchdowns. The Oklahoma product's ability to catch out of the backfield should help him pick up yards in the short passing game as well. 

Mixon's skill set likely helps him finish the 2018 season as the team's leader in yards from scrimmage and touchdowns. In Cincinnati, he's 1A in fantasy priority to Green's 1B for two-running back fantasy rosters in PPR leagues.