Fantasy Football 2020: Early Mock Draft, Sleepers After NFL Draft

The fantasy football stock of some players rose after the 2020 NFL draft because of improvements at certain positions.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield could be one of the top beneficiaries of the selection process, as he gained better protection on the offensive line. He will not be one of the first quarterbacks chosen in fantasy football drafts, but he could carry better value than he did in 2019.

A handful of early draft selections, like the Kansas City Chiefs' Clyde Edwards-Helaire, are also worth watching in the later rounds because of how well they project to fit into their new offenses.

Early Fantasy Football Mock Draft

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina

2. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

3. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans

4. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas

5. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee

6. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans

7. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati

8. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City

9. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota

10. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay 

11. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta

12. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay

Sleepers To Watch

Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Mayfield received some much-needed support in the form of first-round pick Jedrick Wills Jr.

The former No. 1 overall pick was sacked on 40 occasions in 2019, which was an increase of 15 from his rookie campaign. With Wills and Jack Conklin flanking the offensive line, Mayfield should have more time to sit back and pick out Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry and others.

The late-round additions of tight end Harrison Bryant and wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones should give Mayfield more depth in the passing game. He threw for 3,827 yards in 2019, but he had one more touchdown than interception.

If Cleveland improves its pass protection, Mayfield's turnovers should drop, and he will likely increase his touchdown production with Beckham, Landry and Austin Hooper opening up opposing secondaries.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City

Matthew Hinton/Associated Press

The final pick of the first round could be a coveted late-round fantasy prospect.

Edwards-Helaire should be a strong complement to Damien Williams in the Kansas City backfield, and he is expected to bring another element to the aerial attack.

The No. 32 overall pick caught 55 passes from Joe Burrow at LSU while running for 1,414 yards and 16 touchdowns. Williams and LeSean McCoy combined for 58 receptions in 2019, and there is a good chance Edwards-Helaire leads Chiefs running backs in that category.

If he thrives in both aspects of the offense, Edwards-Helaire could have more fantasy value than D'Andre Swift, Jonathan Taylor and other rookie running backs. But with Williams expected to earn the bulk of the carries, the LSU product should not be targeted until the final few rounds.

Matt Breida, RB, Miami

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

The Miami Dolphins did not draft a running back, but they still improved their backfield through a trade with the San Francisco 49ers.

Matt Breida was deemed as a surplus at the position because of the emergence of Raheem Mostert alongside Tevin Coleman. With Jerick McKinnon returning from an ACL injury, the 49ers did not have room for Breida, who would have carried little to no fantasy value.

Breida has more than 1,400 rushing yards over the past two years, but he only has six touchdowns in his three-year career.

Since Jordan Howard is coming off an injury, Breida could carry value if he splits carries and receives more shots at the end zone. If he can outwork Howard or prove to be a key asset in pass-catching and red-zone situations, Breida could be a shrewd late-round pickup.

Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis

Kyusung Gong/Associated Press

The No. 2 wide receiver spot on the Indianapolis Colts depth chart is wide-open.

Second-round pick Michael Pittman Jr. could provide Philip Rivers with a reliable option behind T.Y. Hilton. The Colts' top receiver last season was Zach Pascal, who had 607 receiving yards in 16 games. Hilton had 501 over six fewer appearances.

Since Pascal, Parris Campbell and Marcus Johnson did not take advantage of their opportunities, Pittman could leap over them on the depth chart in preseason.

Pittman led USC with 1,275 receiving yards from a handful of different quarterbacks that switched in and out due to injuries. If he impresses in Frank Reich's offense, he could be a decent late-round selection who blossoms into one of the best rookie wideouts.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.