2TAC154 Texas running back Jonathon Brooks (24) carries the ball during an NCAA college football game against TCU, Saturday Nov. 11, 2023, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Matt Patterson via AP)
• This is not your typical mock draft: With no defensive players and a bunch of non-realistic picks, the goal here is only to highlight the ideal fantasy scenarios using the first round as a template.
• Sometimes the only way to create the most fantasy-friendly pick is with trades: Five PFF Mock Draft Simulator-approved trades take place to create some fantasy goodness.
• Try PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator: You can trade picks and players and draft for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
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Looking for a different take on the endless NFL mock drafts that have come out over the past few months? Want to know what the best fantasy scenario is for each team to spend some draft capital on? Well, then this mock draft is for you!
The qualification here is that this is the most fantasy-friendly mock draft. It’s certainly not the most realistic mock draft — not even close. We’re taking the template of draft order in the first round while throwing defensive players and typical NFL logic out the window to highlight what positions/players would be the ideal picks for each team at some point in the draft to deliver the best fantasy outcomes possible. No fantasy managers want to see the Seattle Seahawks draft another running back on Day 2 or have the Los Angeles Chargers pass on adding a top wide receiver for Justin Herbert. This mock draft takes all of that into account to try and appease the appetite of all fantasy managers with each pick.
Again, one more time, this is not a realistic mock draft by any means. It is a pie-in-the-sky vision created from the dreams of fantasy managers hoping to come away from this draft with as much fantasy potential as we can handle. Here we go.
Even an unrealistic fantasy dreamland mock draft isn’t stopping Williams from going No. 1 overall to the Bears. He is the ideal choice to get the ball in DJ Moore and Keenan Allen‘s hands for maximized fantasy potential out of this year’s rookie class.
Based on draft odds and movement prior to this week, Maye’s status as the potential second-overall pick is in real jeopardy, but he’s still a great upgrade at the position for Washington. He also has the best chance to come in and hit the ground running in order to get Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson back on track after down years in 2023.
The Vikings offer the best quarterback landing spot heading into this year’s draft, and Jayden Daniels offers the highest potential for fantasy upside of the class. Pairing him with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, while also being able to create with his legs, gives the Vikings a whole new element to their offense, making this a dream fantasy landing spot for everyone involved.
Harrison is the best wide receiver in this year’s class and would immediately step in as the team’s No. 1 alpha target-earner for Kyler Murray. Trey McBride will act as a great secondary option in the passing game, and this addition would hurt no other high-value Cardinals fantasy assets, slotting everyone into more preferred roles in the offense.
Justin Herbert lost his two top wide receivers this offseason but gains an elite replacement in Nabers, who some have even claimed to be the best receiver in this class. Nabers would be the immediate top target for one of the best young quarterbacks in the league while last year’s first-round pick Quentin Johnston can continue to develop as the second option in the offense at best.
The wide receiver run continues with the Giants in desperate need of a true No. 1 option after the offense has been littered with secondary receiving threats over the past few years. Odunze brings the potential to be a true top target on a consistent basis, finally giving fantasy managers a reliable wide receiver to trust out of New York for years to come.
The first non-fantasy fantasy pick gives the Titans a much-needed upgrade at offensive tackle after being among the worst in the league in that regard last season. The team seems set at building around Will Levis after adding Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard to go with DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks, so there isn’t much to add in terms of skill positions. Protecting the quarterback becomes the primary need here for fantasy potential.
The Patriots trading up and down has a lot to do with this team not quite primed to be an ideal fantasy-friendly offense, but with some help, they could get there. That helps comes in the form of McCarthy, who will hope to have even a fraction of the success that another former Michigan quarterback had with the Patriots.
Thomas isn’t my personal WR4, but this landing spot should allow him to potentially develop into that for dynasty purposes. He can be used as the deep threat that he was at LSU as Moore and Allen work underneath. This also gives Williams another weapon to get the ball to and thrive in Year 1.
This Jets team is ready to compete as long as Aaron Rodgers stays healthy and the defense continues to be among one of the best in the league. The Mike Williams addition is a big help, but adding a generational tight end to the mix leaves no holes in the Jets offense with plenty of fantasy potential to go around.
Again, not necessarily the order in which I’d be drafting these wide receivers based on my pre-draft rankings, but a good fit nonetheless. Mitchell offers a deep-threat ability that isn’t currently present on the Bills offense due to the Gabe Davis loss, but he would also get the playing time necessary for him to emerge as the fantasy asset most are hoping him to be due to the Bills overall need at the position.
Nix isn’t likely to go this high in the NFL draft, but neither is anyone once we get outside of the top 10 in this dreamland scenario. The Broncos are in desperate need of a quarterback, so the best one available should be good enough for everyone. Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims managers can take a tiny sigh of relief as a rookie quarterback provides more hope than the team’s current depth chart.
With no running back realistically likely to go in the first round, it took some time to find an ideal landing spot even in this fantasy-friendly scenario. Brooks is the odds-on favorite to be the first back taken, and he’d be an immediate upgrade to the Raiders’ running back depth chart (sorry Zamir White managers).
The Saints could use a complimentary target-earner opposite Chris Olave, with their designated deep threat (Rashid Shaheed) unlikely to sustain that role. Bringing in McConkey as a reliable slot could work for everyone involved. McConkey isn’t likely to step in and be a WR1 for any team as a rookie but fits this offense’s needs and should create consistent fantasy production as well.
With Michael Pittman coming off his best season and Josh Downs having a strong rookie season, the biggest question mark is going to be at quarterback with Anthony Richardson coming off season-ending shoulder surgery. Helping to mitigate those questions, Franklin comes in as a legitimate outside threat at receiver who can be a target in the intermediate and deep areas of the field while benefitting from Richardson’s arm strength on high-value fantasy targets.
Seattle doesn’t need any real upgrades at the offensive skill positions after adding Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round last year and running backs on Day 2 in back-to-back seasons as well. Instead, helping protect Geno Smith will be key in making sure these skill position options can thrive in this offense. Fuaga is the second-ranked offensive lineman on the PFF big board and will help ensure a fantasy-friend environment for Seattle’s receiving and rushing weapons.
The Jaguars were a tough one after they added Gabe Davis in free agency, as it gives them three solid receiving options already to go along with Christian Kirk and Evan Engram. The team also brought in 32-year-old Mitch Morse this offseason, who has been a fine NFL center over the years but not the long-term answer there, where Powers-Johnson can come in as a future-building piece while filling in as needed throughout the interior of the offensive line until he becomes a full-time starter.
Apologies to Zack Moss and Chase Brown fantasy managers, but the Bengals spending decent draft capital (not this high, obviously) is for the greater good. Wright is the No. 2 ranked back on the PFF big board and has more experience while performing better in gap-scheme run concepts, which the Bengals did at an above-average rate in 2023. It wouldn’t take too long for him to become the starter in Cincinnati, delivering weekly fantasy production on a high-end offense.
Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp and Kyren Williams make for a great fantasy trio when combined with Matthew Stafford at quarterback. However, there can also be room for a tight end like Sanders to come in as an additional receiving threat while also helping open things up a bit for everyone else on the team. As the No. 2-ranked tight end in this class, Sanders isn’t a guarantee to hit for fantasy, but a prime landing spot that could help get him to the top of a depth chart is certainly going to help.
After trading away Diontae Johnson, George Pickens stands as the one reliable fantasy wide receiver on the Steelers offense. However, the addition of a productive slot like Roman Wilson, who can also see some time wide, can help change that and also provide another much-needed weapon for Russell Wilson/Justin Fields. Wilson offers great speed and separation ability to contribute at multiple levels in the Pittsburgh offense.
Miami has no shortage of fantasy weapons on offense, so helping build some security for those weapons becomes more crucial here. Fautanu is the best offensive tackle available in this spot and “would be a big plus in a zone-blocking scheme,” according to the PFF big board. Miami ran the third-highest rate of outside zone plays in the league last year, helping suit Fautanu’s skillset.
Jason Kelce‘s retirement left the Eagles with an irreplaceable hole at center — a position that has become crucial to their success in recent years, specifically on QB sneaks. Frazier is the top center available here with one of his strengths in the PFF Draft Guide highlighted as “can get low enough for QB sneaks.” Say no more. Welcome to Philadelphia, Zach Frazier.
The Patriots’ second pick in the first round adds a potential receiving weapon for new quarterback (according to this mock) J.J. McCarthy. Pearsall has strong route-running ability and can serve as a reliable and consistent target for a rookie quarterback. Also, his player comp in the PFF Draft Guide is Julian Edelman, so I couldn’t help myself.
This pick in this particular mock draft format is always going to be running back considering the current state of the Cowboys’ running back depth chart. Landing my personal RB1 in this year’s rookie class is as ideal of a fantasy scenario as we can get and would likely lock Benson in as a lot of rookie dynasty drafter’s RB1.
The young Green Bay receiving corps that was built on during last year’s draft has earned themselves some reprieve from added competition after performing well as rookies. As a result, protecting Jordan Love becomes the top priority after his excellent debut season as a fantasy starter in 2023. Adding Barton, who is likely to play on the interior in the NFL, solidifies the offensive line a bit more to support Love and new starting running back Josh Jacobs.
Burton is one of the top on-field talents at the wide receiver position in this year’s draft, and he’ll get to work alongside two constant professionals in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to start his NFL career. Burton has great long-term upside as long as he can move away from the off-field concerns. He has the potential to emerge as a fantasy starter here down the road as Godwin enters the final year of his contract and Evans is just on a two-year extension.
There is room for one more weapon for Kyler Murray in Arizona after selecing Marvin Harrison Jr. at fourth overall (in this mock). Coleman was a late breakout at Florida State but offers potential in this offense, specifically, to become a WR2 and third option in targets behind Harrison and McBride, which is likely the best natural fit for the eighth-ranked wide receiver on the PFF big board to start his NFL career.
It had to be done. The Falcons don’t need any fantasy help and the temptation to reunite Corum with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was too great to ignore. Corum will compete for touches with Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins in Year 1, but there should be enough opportunities to go around, combined with his familiarity in the scheme, to make Corum a relevant fantasy asset.
If it wasn’t clear to you by now that this mock is entirely fantasy-based and unrealistic, then back-to-back trade-ups in the first round to select running backs should be the final clue. The Panthers are currently on pace to start the season with Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders in the backfield, which may seem intimidating for a rookie running back, but Hubbard is in the final year of his contract and Sanders lost his starting job due to disappointing play last year. Irving brings an exciting and elusive running style that could help win him a starting job in no time.
The Ravens don’t have a real need to add fantasy-relevant weapons to the roster, so the focus will be on keeping the quarterback protected and providing time to get the ball into the hands of those skill-position players. With Lamar Jackson at quarterback and Derrick Henry in the backfield, there might not be more passes to go around to support anyone else outside of Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews, hence Jordan Morgan — the eighth-ranked offensive lineman on the PFF big board.
Depending on if Brandon Aiyuk gets traded or not, this is a similar situation to Baltimore where Christian McCaffrey is going to dominate backfield touches and between Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, there just isn’t a fantasy-friendly way to add to this offense outside of the offensive line. Alabama’s Latham is just 21 years old and can take a season or two to develop behind Colton McKivitz or Trent Williams before it’s his time for him to start.
Rashee Rice may be in some trouble and set for a suspension, so it was necessary to add some insurance for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. This offense operates largely off of YAC production, and Worthy has been one of the best receivers in this class at delivering after the catch for his college career. He can also be used as a deep threat with his elite speed once Rice is back in the lineup, making this one of his best potential outcomes come draft time.
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