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Last Updated: May 16, 2025
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Fact Checked By:
Anthony Cervino
What is a mock draft in fantasy football? It is a way for fantasy managers to practice their drafting skills before participating in their live fantasy drafts. These mock drafts are a great way for fantasy managers to familiarize themselves with fantasy football rankings and be ready to make optimal snap decisions when the draft clock is beeping as it closes in on zero.
You can do your own mock draft by walking through which players you think fantasy managers in your league will select in each spot, but using the mock draft tools available with the RotoWire NFL fantasy football draft kit is a much easier, faster and more effective method than a do your own NFL mock draft approach.
The easiest way to explain what are mock drafts is via a quick walkthrough. You join the draft and build your team while either picking against other fantasy managers or versus a computer program that automatically selects rosters (usually based on the latest fantasy football ADP).
Fantasy managers do this to figure out what is the mock draft process they want to use during the real draft. It is a great way to test draft strategies and know your fantasy football cheat sheet options inside and out. It's also a perfect testing ground to figure out what is the mock draft approach you want to use if the draft trends go in an unexpected direction.
The best mock drafts are ones done via an NFL mock draft simulator like the one that is available at RotoWire. To use this, all you need to do is sign up for a new RotoWire account and navigate to the Mock Draft Simulator page. Doing this will let you see what is mock draft simulation up close.
Once there, you then choose the settings you want to use. This can vary from standard, half, or PPR scoring as well as various league sizes, such as 8-, 10- or 12-team leagues. You can even practice using fantasy football auction values in an auction draft, or go with a snake draft format.
A question some fantasy managers might have is what is mock draft via the live draft mode versus a simulated mock draft mode. The pros of a live draft are that you are going up against fantasy managers who can go against the ADP grain and test your abilities to adjust on the fly.
The cons of a live draft are that some fantasy managers don't stick around for the full draft or only take the first few rounds seriously. Those downsides don't happen when using simulated mock drafts, as you can go to the last round with the same competition level throughout.
There are free mock draft simulators out there. In general, these offer a beginner level of functionality and don't offer salary cup options, advanced pick logic, or the ability to input fantasy football custom rankings. This is why fantasy managers who are serious about winning their leagues stick with the pro-level caliber of mock draft simulator available with a RotoWire subscription.
Mock drafts are essential to fantasy success because it's tough to be good at anything without practice. Using mock drafts allows you to practice various draft strategies, such as picking a QB or TE early, stocking up on skill position players before taking a QB or going with a zero running back approach.
Doing mock drafts also allows you to get a firm understanding of the ADP in your league. ADP values often drive player selections and knowing where your favorite fantasy picks are valued on this chart can give you a huge edge over those who aren't as familiar with those values.
That familiarity will additionally provide you with a quick response time if someone snakes one of your preferred picks right before you are due to draft. Having that counter move ready at a moment's notice can make all the difference between a dud or stud pick. This is also the case if you don't see the latest fantasy football news on a prospect until right before your pick.
Many fantasy managers go into mock drafts just trying to figure out their first few selections. That is a low-percentage move and a waste of time. You should treat each mock draft like it is the real thing.
This means don't auto-pick your selections. Stay focused on mastering your various draft strategies. It's also a perfect time to try different team-building types. A good way to do this is to vary your mock draft slot position. This will help you figure out how to get the most out of early, mid, or late draft slots.
You should also take a bit of time to go over your mock draft results. This will help you learn from mistakes such as the following.
- Waiting too long to take a starting quarterback.
- Forgetting to select handcuff running backs when appropriate.
- Taking a player from your favorite team too early.
- Overbidding on a preferred auction selection.
- Unintentionally stacking bye weeks.
There are free mock draft tools such as the ones found at ESPN or Yahoo. These sites have built-in draft league settings such as various league sizes, salary cap versus snake, and difficulty levels such as beginner, expert, and pro. Those are solid options for those looking to do quick mock drafts on that particular platform.
Fantasy managers looking to take their mock draft game to the next level will stick with customizable mock draft platforms like the one available at RotoWire. This mock draft option allows you customization levels not available on the free platforms. You can set this up for dynasty, keeper, and superflex leagues. It's also customizable for those fantasy managers who play in leagues with extremely creative scoring levels (something that is becoming more popular each season).
Any fantasy football manager who is serious about winning a fantasy league will make mock drafts a big part of the preseason draft prep process. Signing up for RotoWire is the best way to do this. You will get access to customizable mock drafts as well as an online fantasy football draft assistant that will help you apply those mock drafting skills on draft day.
Add this to the nearly two dozen other must-have fantasy football features that you get with a RotoWire subscription, and you can see why you should subscribe to RotoWire today!
What is the Point of Doing a Mock Draft?
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A mock draft is like doing a test drive for a car. It's a way to ensure that you are familiar with the draft process in your league. When you do your own mock draft, you also get an idea of who to draft if the selections go differently than expected.
Are Mock Drafts Accurate for Real Drafts?
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Most real drafts tend to follow pick patterns based on the rankings for the draft management site in question. Since mock drafts are programmed to mimic those patterns, they are more than reasonably accurate in preparing fantasy managers for the real thing.
How Many Mock Drafts Should I do Before the Season?
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What is a mock draft number that best prepares you for your draft? That can vary depending on how tough your league is. It's usually a good idea to do at least 2-3 mock drafts beforehand, even if they are only partial mock drafts.
Can I do a Mock Draft with Friends?
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You can do your own fantasy football mock draft with friends. It's a great way to enjoy time with your buddies, but be wary of mock drafting with managers from one of your own leagues. Their mock draft strategy could be a red herring designed to throw you off.
What's the Difference Between a Mock Draft and a Real Draft?
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What are mock drafts versus real drafts? Mock drafts are practice runs akin to a test drive on a car. A real draft is one where you are selecting players for a team that will be active during the 2025 fantasy football season.
Do Mock Drafts Use Real Player Data?
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Mock drafts do use real player data. This is either used by fantasy managers on other teams when you are going that mock draft route, or by the computer's pick logic if you are selecting in a simulated mock draft.
What's the Best Website for Fantasy Football Mock Drafts?
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RotoWire is the best website for fantasy football mock drafts. A RotoWire subscription gives you access to a mock draft simulator where you can test an unlimited number of draft strategies via myriad customization options.
Contributor since June 2022
Anthony is an NFL Writer and Betting Analyst for The Game Day. He is also a lifelong NFL savant and self-proclaimed league historian. In the industry, Anthony has excelled in both the fantasy football and sports betting space, including a top-three finish in an FFPC BestBall tournament (2021). Anthony has made appearances on SiriusXM, amongst other publications. He is also the co-creator of the FF Faceoff (Faceoff Sports Network) and the FF Faceoff Mental Health Podathon partnered with the Hayden Hurst Foundation. Industry Clout: Top-15 ranker in the FantasyPros ECR (2019, 2021), including second at quarterback and third at tight end (2021) . Eighth most accurate ranker in the FantasyPros ECR for sleepers (2020) -- 13th most accurate ranker in the FantasyPros ECR.
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