2013 Fantasy Football Draft Kit: RotoWire Magazine PPR Mock Draft

MOCK DRAFT Q&A

Jonathan Bales RotoWire

Having the first overall selection in a 14-team league, I was able to draft three of the top 29 players. I was thrilled to grab Arian Foster, Drew Brees and Rob Gronkowski, all of whom have a legitimate chance to lead their positions in fantasy points. I knew drafting a quarterback and tight end in the second and third rounds, respectively, would leave me bare at other spots, and I made a mistake in forgoing a wide receiver in the subsequent two rounds in order to secure Lamar Miller and Ryan Mathews. I miscalculated who might be left, and now I'm painfully weak at wide receiver.

Steal of the Draft (SOD): I thought John Hansen got incredible value on all of his running backs: Doug Martin, Darren McFadden, Eddie Lacy, Giovani Bernard and Isaiah Pead. The rookies in particular fell too far because owners naturally fear uncertainty. I also liked Wes Welker in the fourth, who will be money in a PPR with Peyton Manning, and Josh Gordon in the back of the sixth.

Reach of the Draft (ROD): I'll say Calvin Johnson at No. 3 overall. He's obviously the best wide receiver in football, but I don't think you can pass up one of the few truly elite running backs if you have a chance to take one. Doug Martin would have been my guy there. I also don't like rookie wide receivers, who almost always fail to produce fantasy-relevant numbers.

Sean Raposa Temple of Sports

I like that four of my first five picks are proven veterans who have a chance to lead their positions in fantasy points. Aaron Hernandez is probably a stretch in that regard, but with Welker no longer around and the uncertainty surrounding Gronkowski, Hernandez should be heavily involved. I'm bullish on Rashard Mendenhall's opportunity in Arizona, but if I could do it over again I'd like to have a stronger second option at running back. Waiting on a quarterback would be the solution there, but it's hard to be upset with owning Tom Brady.

SOD: Josh Gordon was a great selection at pick 12 of Round 6. Norv Turner's desire to throw downfield is a perfect match for his skills.

ROD: I like Giovani Bernard's and Johnathan Franklin's skill sets, but they won't return seventh-round value. The Bengals and Packers like to grind it out when they run the ball.

Kevin Payne RotoWire

Overall I'm happy but not ecstatic about my team. I realize now how much depth there is at quarterback - a lot of value in the seventh and eighth rounds. Had I thought that would have been the case, I would have passed on Peyton Manning and gone with a second running back instead. The strength of my team lies in my wide receivers, and taking Calvin Johnson with the third pick was a no-brainer in PPR for me. I'll take a chance with Maurice Jones-Drew who came off his knee injury two years ago to lead the league in rushing. Bryce Brown is a gamble, but showed home-run ability last season and should thrive under Chip Kelly as a complement to LeSean McCoy.

SOD: Rob Gronkowski at 3.1 (29th overall) is an outstanding value. I think he'll be healthy to start the season, and he's easily the best tight end in fantasy. Robert Griffin in the eighth round has considerable value considering the upside.

ROD: I love C.J. Spiller and realize he has immense upside, but as long as Fred Jackson (who will probably have the goal-line work) is around, I can't see Spiller returning fourth overall value.

John Hansen Fantasy Guru

I like the upside potential of my team a lot, but I probably could have maximized things a little more by using another early pick on a RB or WR, but that's what happens when you take a QB early.

SOD: I thought my pick of Aaron Rodgers 25 picks into the draft could qualify for thievery. I also liked Dennis Pitta with the 14th pick of Round 7. Michael Vick taken late in the 13th round of a 14-team draft has to be considered a value. Earlier, Andrew Luck (pick three of the eighth round) and Matthew Stafford (pick 13 of round 8).

ROD: I like David Wilson a lot, but taking him with the 11th pick of Round 3 was a bit high. I don't think Chris Ivory will be worth the 13th pick of the fifth round in a PPR.

Justin Sablich New York Times

I'm excited about this team's upside. I am enthralled with C.J. Spiller in 2013 and was happy to snag him with the fifth pick. The sixth best running back in PPR last season could easily become Buffalo's featured back, given Fred Jackson's age. Even if Spiller doesn't, he's proven his value regardless. Elsewhere, Dwayne Bowe, after an upgrade at quarterback, should bounce back big in the Chiefs' new pass-happy offense, rookie Tavon Austin has great No. 1 WR potential and Johnathan Franklin, given his three-down skill set, could end up the featured back in Green Bay over Eddie Lacy.

SOD: Rashard Mendenhall offers nice value given what was left. The 25-year old has the inside track to the starting job under former OC Bruce Arians.

ROD: Given the PPR format, Torrey Smith went a little too early as he has averaged just 49 receptions the last two seasons.

Scott Pianowski Yahoo! Sports

I was able to get depth in the backfield, and that always feels good. Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger are QBs with fleas - if you're the last team to take the first QB, a quick backup makes sense. But there's a glaring downside with all five of my wide receivers.

SOD: I love Larry Fitzgerald at 3.02 now that he has a semi-competent quarterback throwing him the ball. Other nice snags: James Jones 5.03, Danario Alexander 6.02 and all of the eighth-round quarterbacks (Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, Robert Griffin).

ROD: I can see Danny Woodhead (9.03) as a bench option, but he shouldn't be drafted as a starting running back, even in PPR. He's not built for a prominent workload, nor is he electric enough to make something special happen on limited touches. Justin Blackmon (7.01) is another pan, for obvious reasons.

Mark Stopa RotoWire

Quarterback feels like a deep position. Scott Pianowski and I were the last two to draft QBs, and we have Griffin/Joe Flacco and Rivers/Roethlisberger. If you can deal with that at QB, why not fill up on stud RBs and WRs, especially in a PPR league? I was surprised at how deep the receiver pool was - even after getting four early, there were others taken after that whom I liked - whereas all the running backs after Round 1 have problems. Do you invest heavily in RBs because there aren't many studs, or do you stockpile star receivers and trust your ability to find sleeper RBs in the middle rounds or over the course of the year? For me, that's the dilemma when drafting in 2013.

SOD: David Wilson reminds me of C.J. Spiller, whom I love. Given the depth at WR and the lack of it at RB, I wish I went with Wilson at 3.7 instead of Vincent Jackson. Riskier, but mad upside.

ROD: I don't see the logic of taking Tom Brady at 2.13 in this format, especially with Drew Brees on the board and Rob Gronkowski's health in question. Similar QBs were taken much later. James Jones has major bust potential - 14 TDs on just 64 catches won't ever happen again.

Tom Kessenich NFFC

I'm happy with my team. I didn't expect to get Jamaal Charles at No. 8 since he's been top five in most NFFC drafts. I was hoping to get Julio Jones, Dez Bryant or Demaryius Thomas as my top WR on the way back, but Percy Harvin should remain a PPR stud in Seattle. I love my foundation of Tony Romo, Charles, Steven Jackson, Harvin and Reggie Wayne. In retrospect, I should've laid off TE and not taken Vernon Davis. That's the one foundation pick I'm not thrilled about.

SOD: Chris Johnson going late third screams major potential value with all the improvements Tennessee has made to its offensive line. Andrew Luck in the eighth round is insane. To get a potentially elite QB that late is mammoth value. Like Miles Austin in the sixth round a lot too.

ROD: Being a Badger alum, I love Montee Ball and think he can excel in Denver, but he went too early. He isn't my No. 1 ranked rookie RB (Le'Veon Bell is), and I'm not taking him ahead of Frank Gore and probably not ahead of Stevan Ridley either.

Jeff Erickson RotoWire

I like that I took value where I found it. Cam Newton at 3.9 (37th overall) in particular seemed to be a good price. I might not have taken Jimmy Graham where I did only because of what it led me to do later, but even then, in a PPR league and with Sean Payton back, I'll take getting him at No. 20 overall.

SOD: Michael Vick 11.13, Andrew Luck 8.12, Philip Rivers 10.5. Plenty of good QB's available late - changed my strategy for the non-PPR draft.

ROD: Alfred Morris, 2.5. I get that we underrate non-receiving RBs in PPR leagues, but Morris is a zero in that department, and if Robert Griffin isn't all the way back, Morris' running lanes won't be as wide.

Greg Ambrosius NFFC

I like my team, even though I drafted old-school, going RB-RB with my first two picks. Alfred Morris was too good to pass up in the second round, and then I felt Colin Kaepernick was too good to pass up in the third. My WRs aren't dominant, but I believe Jordy Nelson will come back strong, and Steve Smith, Mike Williams, DeSean Jackson and Aaron Dobson will be solid complements.

SOD: I thought the owners who waited until the eighth round for QBs were rewarded: Andrew Luck, Eli Manning and Robert Griffin are great values there.

ROD: Rob Gronkowski at 3.1 with all of his forearm issues is a reach, and as much as I love Montee Ball, going 4.2 is too high for my blood.

Mike Doria RotoWire

I don't mind my team, though picks like Shane Vereen, Ahmad Bradshaw and, of course, the rookie wideouts could go either way, but in late April they make sense. I like that I was able to grab David Wilson in the third round, and I regret missing out on Giovani Bernard and Andrew Luck, both of whom I would have taken had they fallen to me in their respective rounds. As always, mocks are a good way to get a read on how aggressive you need to be in order to get the players you covet.

SOD: A couple of the rookie backs look like nice bargains, Le'Veon Bell in Round 5 and Bernard in Round 7, while I think Darren McFadden, Andrew Luck, Cecil Shorts and Miles Austin should be nice scoops based on where they went.

ROD: It's early and a tougher question to answer than usual in this draft. For example, Chris Ivory might be a reach, but really, he has just as much of a chance to be a steal. I'm not sold on Rashard Mendenhall, and Michael Floyd probably could have been had later too.

Chris Liss RotoWire

This draft fell into place perfectly, something that rarely happens in a 14-team format. A.J. Green and Demaryius Thomas are rare wideouts that get both red-zone and downfield targets, and I was still able to get Chris Johnson and Stevan Ridley, two credible starting backs. While Jason Witten isn't that valuable in a standard league, he's a monster in PPR, and I was thrilled to get Andrew Luck in Round 8.

SOD: I like Jamaal Charles at No. 8 overall in a PPR with Andy Reid and Alex Smith now in Kansas City. This should be a much improved offense, and I expect Charles to catch 50-plus passes. I also like Josh Gordon in Round 6 - if I could do it over again, I'd have taken him ahead of Jeremy Maclin.

ROD: I don't like Marshawn Lynch at 1.7, ahead of Charles and Trent Richardson in a PPR. I also thought Percy Harvin went too early at 2.7.

Dalton Del Don Yahoo! Sports

Not sure if I've ever not taken an RB within the first three rounds, but Dez Bryant/Julio Jones/Danny Amendola offer a ton of upside in a PPR format. In hindsight, I might've reached on Montee Ball, and Chris Ivory is yet another member of this team who has a shaky injury history to go with some nice potential if he were to stay healthy. As usual, I waited on QBs and was happy with the result. There's simply no need to draft a quarterback in the first six rounds.

SOD: Le'Veon Bell. He has as much, if not more, upside than my Ball pick, and he went 20-plus picks later.

ROD: I didn't love Matt Ryan at the beginning of fourth round. Andrew Luck was available 58 picks later.

Andy Richardson Fantasy IndeX

I'd be very comfortable going into a season with this team. I came out of the draft with a top-five or six player or two at quarterback, wide receiver and tight end, and a pair of top-20 or so running backs at good values. Given a do-over, I'd probably have waited on quarterback, since solid options (Andrew Luck, Eli Manning) went four rounds after Matt Ryan.

SOD: On my own team, I was surprised DeMarco Murray (42nd) and Vick Ballard (71st) went so late, saving my roster. I thought there was great value in Frank Gore (fourth round) and Kyle Rudolph (eighth round), too.

ROD: A whole lot of backup running backs (Bryce Brown, Ben Tate, Shane Vereen) went in the seventh round. The position isn't that thin, is it? Ahmad Bradshaw didn't even have a team when we drafted, so the ninth round seems high, too.