2011 Fantasy Football PPR Mock Draft Tips: 3rd Round

In the third round of our 10-team mock draft, hosted by Fantasy Football Calculator, running backs and wide receivers dominated the round as no quarterbacks were selected.

One player who caught my eye in this round was Cowboys running back Felix Jones, as it appears, his stock has flown up the board in recent weeks, and his performance against the Chargers didn’t hurt on prime-time television.

The starting job has finally been handed to Jones as he won’t have to deal with Marion Barber, and Tashard Choice has been rumored as a candidate to be released at the end of camp.

Jones is likely to get feature-back duties early in the season, and while I won’t knock fantasy owners for taking him in the third round, you must remember he’s a health risk.

Mock Results: Overall | 1st Rd. | 2nd Rd. | 3rd Rd. | 4th Rd. | 5th Rd.

21. Matt Forte (ADP 19.8): The Bears offensive line will be horrible once again, but Matt Forte is a worthy RB2 in PPR leagues. Marion Barber will likely threaten to take away some receptions and a few touchdowns, but Forte should have good numbers at the end of the season.

My main issue with Forte is that he tends to lack consistency in his overall numbers, as he will have some huge games and then play average to below average for three games in a row.

22. Mike Wallace (ADP 24.0): Don’t expect Mike Wallace to reach 75 receptions, as the Steelers have good depth at the receiver position, and Ben Roethlisberger will spread the football around.

That said, Wallace should lead all receivers in touchdowns and his big-play ability will make him a dangerous option weekly. I’m not sold that Wallace is worthy of being a top-10 receiver for PPR leagues, but he will produce.

23. Michael Turner (ADP 22.0): In the end, how far can Michael Turner fall, even in a PPR league? Well, not far enough in this writer’s mind as I would at least target Jahvid Best and possibly Frank Gore and Peyton Hillis over the Falcons star back.

Turner just doesn’t catch the football and with Jason Snelling back, the Falcons will take measures to keep Turner healthy early in the season, and at any point he gets dinged up.

Turner has had horrible starts to the season, each of the past two years, and it’s advisable that you let someone else draft him, as the Falcons are likely to throw the football more.

24. Frank Gore (ADP 18.0): Fantasy owners have two issues to be concerned with when taking Frank Gore this summer. One, Gore has health concerns as he’s coming back from a hip injury that cost him the final month of last season.

Two, Gore is throwing a fit about wanting a new contract, and while the team is saying they won’t trade him, it will be interesting to see how this situation shakes out in the coming weeks.

As long as Gore is on the field, he’s a worthy third-round selection in all fantasy scoring formats, especially PPR leagues. That said, as the season moves along, it might be a good idea to target rookie Kendall Hunter as a handcuff for insurance.

25. Dwayne Bowe (ADP 35.6): I feel like Dwayne Bowe is getting dogged for having a few slow points in his 2010 season. Bowe was a top-five producer at his position last year, and the only pass-catcher Matt Cassel is comfortable with this summer seems to be his main man.

The Chiefs may struggle on offense, but Bowe should continue to be a top ten producer at his position.

   
26. Peyton Hillis (ADP 27.3): With Montario Hardesty still hobbled from a knee injury that cost him his rookie year, and Brandon Jackson likely to miss a good portion of the season, Peyton Hillis is likely to be a feature back, once again.  

Madden curse or no, Hillis will get the football early and often, but is likely to break down as we move deeper into November.

27. Ahmad Bradshaw (ADP 31.6): If anyone has paid attention to the Giants this preseason, it’s clear that Brandon Jacobs has picked up where he left off at the end of last year. It seems the big tailback has put his ego aside and is ready to play some football, and that isn’t good news for Ahmad Bradshaw.

Yes, Bradshaw will be the starter to begin the season, but if he should struggle with fumbles, like last year, look for Jacobs to take the starting job.

28. Jahvid Best (ADP 34.4): Great value pick at this point, as it seems many fantasy owners are dogging Jahvid Best for his minor concussion a couple weeks ago. Sure, Best had a bad concussion to end his college career, but I feel his recent concussion has been way overblown in the press, and has led many to balk on targeting him in the first two rounds on draft day.

With Mikel Leshoure gone, and only Jerome Harrison as a comparable backup, Best will be a feature back when on the field and should have some huge games.

29. Felix Jones (ADP 33.3): If Felix Jones falls on his face once again, he’s going to make a lot of fantasy owners look foolish, that believed in him this summer. While injury is always a concern, I look to Jones in the same light as Jahvid Best, and that means he could be, at times, a dominant player in fantasy leagues.

Jones looks stronger than ever this year, and it seems like he’s physically ready to take on the feature role in the Cowboys offense. Look for Jones to have a career year, and he’s worthy of probably a fourth-round pick in PPR leagues.

30. Reggie Wayne (ADP 26.6): Maybe fantasy owners and experts are making too much of Peyton Manning’s recent optimism on the sidelines of the team’s Week 3 preseason game, but it was nice to see Manning with a smile on his face.

It’s likely that we won’t know if Manning will play Week 1, until a few days or even minutes up to game time, but if he’s close to returning, it’s great news for Reggie Wayne.

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