The Kutty Katt's Thoughts

Doing a fantasy football mock draft from all draft positions.

Mock drafts are one of my favorite things to do to kill ten minutes. They are great for trying different strategies. In these mock drafts, I did full ppr, with 12 teams, set the bench depth to 5, and removed the kicker and defense. This will give us 12 total rounds for a clean draft.

Use this guide to help you draft from your position, pick your draft pick, or see how different strategies pay off. Your draft should allow for a larger bench so you can add any deep sleepers that you have in addition to the plans I have made for each pick.

Players in green text were selected in at least 5 of the 12 drafts I did. This should help you see any biases I may have in my drafting. At this point in the year I have a mindset of who I think will do well this year and who I am avoiding.

Pick 1 – Running back heavy

1.01 – Jahmyr Gibbs
2.12 – Kenneth Walker
3.01 – George Pickens
4.12 – D’Andre Swift
5.01 – Jalen Hurts
6.12 – Christian Watson
7.01 – Parker Washington
8.12 – Michael Pittman Jr.
9.01 – Travis Kelce
10.12 – Kyler Murray
11.01 – Isiah Pacheco
12.12 – Makai Lemon

I was happy to start with Gibbs, who feels like one of the safest bets to finish as a top fantasy player. From there, I wanted to see how the board developed before deciding on my running back strategy. Walker being available in the second made the decision easy, giving me a strong RB duo right away.

I typically like to leave the first three rounds with two running backs and a receiver, so Pickens gave the WR room some much-needed upside. Swift then rounded out a deep running back group and gives me a strong option at Flex.

With the top tight ends gone and the available receivers not jumping out at me, I grabbed Hurts earlier than I normally would. His rushing upside gives him elite fantasy potential, and I followed that up by attacking receiver depth with Watson and Washington. Both bring plenty of upside, while Pittman gives the group a more reliable option to balance out some of the boom-or-bust potential.

Tight end was the biggest question mark, but I eventually took a shot on Kelce. He isn’t the player he once was, but he should still have plenty of red-zone opportunities.

I used the final rounds to chase upside with Murray, Pacheco, and Lemon. Overall, I am happy with the strength of the running backs and quarterbacks on this team. The wide receivers all have great upside, but could also be the downfall of this team.

Overall Grade – B-tier
Best Case Scenario – S-tier
Worst Case Scenario – C-tier

Pick 2 – Pseudo No Wide Receiver.

1.02 – Jahmyr Gibbs
2.11 – Omarion Hampton
3.02 – Josh Allen
4.11 – D’Andre Swift
5.02 – Ladd McConkey
6.11 – Jaylen Warren
7.02 – Rome Odunze
8.11 – Michael Pittman Jr.
9.02 – Rachaad White
10.11 – Dallas Goedert
11.02 -Josh Downs
12.11 – Khalil Shakir

Getting Gibbs at second was a great start, as ideally I’m landing either him or Bijan there. With Hampton still available in the second, I decided to lean into a near no-WR strategy. Unfortunately, a run on running backs ruined my plan of starting with three straight, so I pivoted and reached a little for Allen. I normally don’t take quarterbacks that early, but it felt right for this build.

Swift rounded out my starting backs, while McConkey falling gave me a WR1 I was comfortable building around. From there, I added Warren as a high-upside backup and Odunze, who has a real chance to emerge as Chicago’s WR1. Pittman gives the receiver room some consistency, while White was too good of a PPR value to pass up. I think he could thrive in the role Ekeler had in Washington last year.

Waiting at tight end landed me Goedert, who should provide a solid weekly floor with plenty of red-zone opportunities.

With my final picks, I went back to chasing receiver upside. Downs could emerge as the top option in Indianapolis, while Shakir’s role should change without DJ Moore. I actually think that could benefit him in PPR by allowing him to work underneath more often as Allen’s safety valve.

Overall, this ended up being an RB-heavy build with an elite quarterback and a receiver room built around one strong starter and several upside bets. For a draft where I intentionally waited on receiver, I’m pretty happy with how the room turned out.

Overall Grade – B-tier
Best Case Scenario – A-tier
Worst Case Scenario – D-tier

Pick 3 – Hero Running Back

1.03 – Bijan Robinson
2.10 – Chris Olave
3.03 – George Pickens
4.10 – Jaylen Waddle
5.03 – Jayden Daniels
6.10 – Kyle Pitts
7.03 – Parker Washington
8.10 – Rachaad White
9.03 – Tyler Allgeier
10.10 – Quentin Johnston
11.03 – MarShawn Lloyd
12.10 – Matthew Golden

Going into the third pick, my plan was to use a Hero RB strategy if Gibbs or Robinson fell to me. That’s the strategy I’ve had the most success with from the third pick in ESPN mocks, where I’ve consistently been able to pair my elite running back with receivers like Brown, Collins, and Olave.

This draft showed the danger of locking yourself into that plan. Receivers went much earlier than I expected, but I stuck with the strategy to see how the roster would turn out. I still landed Olave, but had to settle for Pickens as my second receiver. I like Pickens, but I have him just outside the tier of receivers I’d ideally want for this build.

Waddle falling helped recover some of that lost value, and I paired him with Daniels, who I expect to have a solid rebound year. Pitts became my tight end—because this is definitely his breakout year, just like every year is—and Washington added some upside to the receiver room.

After waiting so long on RB2, I attacked the position late. White brings strong PPR upside, while Allgeier has touchdown potential if he can carve out a similar role to the one he had in Atlanta. I finished by chasing upside with Johnston, Lloyd, and Golden.

Overall, this was probably my least favorite build so far, but that’s what makes it useful. It shows why you shouldn’t force a specific draft strategy when the board isn’t cooperating. In a six-bench league, I’d use my final spot on another upside running back. With only five bench spots, I’d probably replace Johnston with that RB instead.

Overall Grade – C-tier
Best Case Scenario – A-tier
Worst Case Scenario – F-tier

Pick 4 – High Risk-High Reward

1.04 – Puka Nacua
2.09 – Saquon Barkley
3.04 – Josh Allen
4.09 – D’Andre Swift
5.04 – Jadarian Price
6.09 – Christian Watson
7.04 – Travis Kelce
8.09 – Kenny Gainwell
9.04 – Brian Thomas Jr.
10.09 – Dallas Goedert
11.04 – Tank Bigsby
12.09 – Tre Tucker

With the fourth pick, I decided to embrace a High Risk–High Reward strategy. You could easily build a safer roster from this spot, but the board kept giving me opportunities to chase upside.

It started with Puka, who I think is a top-three receiver if he plays the entire season and gets his off-field situation cleared up. Barkley sliding made him worth the risk in the second. If we get anything close to his old form, he’s a steal at that price, even if there’s a real chance he’s only a middle-of-the-pack fantasy back. I continued swinging for upside with Allen, giving this roster a shot at having the overall QB1 and someone capable of putting up monster weeks.

At running back, Swift and Price both have paths to big seasons. Swift should get opportunities both rushing and receiving, while Price has a chance to take advantage of Seattle’s backfield while Charbonnet is out. Later, Gainwell added another boom-or-bust option who could massively outperform his draft position if he earns the majority of the work.

The same philosophy carried over to receiver and tight end. Watson and Kelce bring plenty of touchdown upside but also significant risk, while BTJ is a bet on him returning to his rookie-year form. Goedert gives me another potential touchdown threat behind Kelce.

I finished with Bigsby as insurance for Barkley and Tre Tucker as another upside swing if he emerges as the top option in Las Vegas.

There are plenty of ways this roster could go wrong, but that’s the point. Rather than building for a safe weekly floor, almost every part of this team has a path to significantly outperforming where I drafted them.

Overall Grade – B-tier
Best Case Scenario – S-tier
Worst Case Scenario – D-tier

Pick 5 – A normal Draft

1.05 – Jaxon Smith-Njigba
2.08 – Kenneth Walker
3.05 – Chris Olave
4.08 – D’Andre Swift
5.05 – David Montgomery
6.08 – Rome Odunze
7.05 – Parker Washington
8.08 – J.K. Dobbins
9.05 – Dallas Goedert
10.08 – Jonah Coleman
11.05 – Kyler Murray
12.08 – Matthew Golden

With the fifth pick, I went with one of my more traditional draft strategies: build a balanced core at running back and receiver before worrying about quarterback or tight end. Through my first eight picks, I took an even number of RBs and WRs, giving this roster a strong foundation without relying too heavily on one position.

JSN and Olave anchor the receiver room, while Walker, Swift, and Montgomery give me three reliable options to fill the running back and Flex spots. The goal with this build is consistency. It might not have the ridiculous ceiling of the High Risk–High Reward roster, but it should limit those weeks where multiple starters completely disappear.

Waiting on quarterback and tight end still landed me Murray and Goedert, who both have plenty of upside for where they were drafted.

The bench is where I took some bigger swings. Odunze, Washington, and Golden all have the potential for big seasons, while Dobbins gives me another proven option at running back when healthy. His injury history is a concern, so I also grabbed Coleman, who could have a significant role in Denver and gives me another high-upside option if Dobbins can’t stay on the field.

Overall, this isn’t the flashiest roster I’ve drafted, but it might be one of the most balanced. There aren’t many glaring weaknesses, and the bench still gives me several chances to hit on a breakout player.

Overall Grade – A-tier
Best Case Scenario – S-tier
Worst Case Scenario – B-tier

Pick 6 – Small Zero Running Back

1.06 – Jaxon Smith-Njigba
2.07 – Chris Olave
3.06 – Lamar Jackson
4.07 – Ladd McConkey
5.06 – D’Andre Swift
6.07 – Bhayshul Tuten
7.06 – Parker Washington
8.07 – Blake Corum
9.06 – Michael Pittman Jr.
10.07 – Dalton Kincaid
11.06 – Makai Lemon
12.07 – Tank Bigsby

I went into the sixth pick expecting to use the same balanced strategy as the fifth, but an early run on running backs completely changed my approach. With the value shifting toward receiver, I decided to try a modified Zero RB strategy.

I avoided running backs with my first four picks, instead building around three strong receivers and Lamar Jackson. That gives the roster a reliable foundation at WR and an elite quarterback before taking some swings at running back.

Swift and Tuten aren’t the typical starting duo I’d target, but both have enough upside to make this strategy work. Rather than needing them to carry the roster every week, I’m looking for solid production with the occasional explosive game while my receivers and Lamar provide the consistent scoring.

The bench follows a similar philosophy, mixing upside swings with players who should provide a usable floor when needed. Tight end is probably the biggest wildcard with Kincaid. He has the talent to put up six-plus catches one week and disappear the next.

Overall, this draft is a good example of letting the board dictate your strategy. I didn’t plan on going Zero RB, but the early run at the position created value elsewhere. Now the success of the roster comes down to whether I can get enough production out of those later-round running backs.

Overall Grade – A-tier
Best Case Scenario – S-tier
Worst Case Scenario – B-tier

Pick 7 – Mix and Match

1.07 – James Cook
2.06 – Omarion Hampton
3.07 – George Pickens
4.06 – Ladd McConkey
5.07 – David Montgomery
6.06 – Harold Fannin
7.07 – Rico Dowdle
8.06 – Carnell Tate
9.07 – Marvin Harrison Jr.
10.06 – Michael Pittman Jr.
11.07 – Isiah Pacheco
12.06 – Jared Goff

Drafting in the middle can be frustrating when you’re waiting to see if your guy makes it back, but I actually tend to prefer it. I usually group players into tiers of four or five, so there’s a good chance someone I want will still be available when I’m on the clock.

For the seventh pick, I went in without a specific strategy and simply took players I liked. I started with Cook and Hampton. Cook might be considered a reach, but I value having star running backs, so I’m perfectly comfortable taking him there. Pickens and McConkey then fell a bit, giving me two receivers with high floors, while Montgomery added another reliable option to an already strong backfield.

I went off-script in the sixth with Harold Fannin. I normally wait on tight end, but wanted to remove that bias and see how the roster looked after taking one early. Fannin has plenty of upside, although another dog-water Browns offense could make that pick hurt.

From there, I focused on upside and depth. Dowdle and Pacheco give me potential breakout options behind an already strong RB room, while Carnell Tate and Marvin Harrison Jr. have the chance to be the top receivers in their offenses. Pittman adds some reliability to balance out those swings.

I waited until the final round for quarterback, which is becoming a theme for me in one-QB leagues, and still landed Goff. He’s a magical fantasy quarterback who I’m more than happy to take that late.

Overall, this draft was less about executing a strategy and more about trusting my rankings. I got the players I wanted, built a strong running back room, and still found enough value at receiver and quarterback to put together a roster I really like.

Overall Grade – S-tier
Best Case Scenario – S-tier
Worst Case Scenario – B-tier

Pick 8 – Top Ranked

1.08 – Amon-Ra St. Brown
2.05 – Drake London
3.08 – Lamar Jackson
4.05 – Colston Loveland
5.08 – Terry McLaurin
6.05 – Jaylen Warren
7.08 – Tony Pollard
8.05 – Chuba Hubbard
9.08 – Aaron Jones
10.05 – Michael Pittman Jr.
11.08 – Zach Charbonnet
12.05 – Travis Kelce

Sometimes it’s worth seeing what happens if you simply take the best player available. From the eighth pick, I decided to take that idea a step further and blindly follow the “expert” recommendation from the mock draft site for every pick.

Apparently, the experts really wanted me to go Zero RB. I have no problem starting with Amon-Ra, and Lamar in the third is perfect for this type of build. It’s everything in between that made me question the strategy. London is a good player, but Atlanta’s quarterback situation makes him tough for me to justify in the second. I’m indifferent on Loveland in the fourth, but if tight end was going to be a priority, I would have rather taken an elite one in the second and grabbed another receiver later. I do love getting Scary Terry in the fifth, even if his age adds some risk.

With every starting position besides running back filled, the experts finally attacked the position with four straight picks. Warren, Pollard, Hubbard, and Jones all have value, but I don’t love any of them as the foundation of my backfield. Warren isn’t an ideal RB1, Pollard’s role could be inconsistent, Hubbard could lose work to Brooks, and Jones has struggled to stay healthy as he’s gotten older.

The experts also recommended Charbonnet, presumably with the idea of stashing him on IR and immediately grabbing another running back. I understand the logic, but I’m skeptical he’ll return early enough to make a real fantasy impact this year.

Pittman and Kelce rounded out the bench and are both great depth pieces, but overall, this experiment reinforced why I don’t like blindly following rankings. The individual picks aren’t necessarily bad, but I don’t love the roster they created. Rankings are a useful tool, but roster construction and your own evaluation of players still need to matter.

Overall Grade – C-tier
Best Case Scenario – B-tier
Worst Case Scenario – F-tier

Pick 9 – A Good Mix

1.09 – Jaxon Smith-Njigba
2.04 – Chase Brown
3.09 – Ladd McConkey
4.04 – Travis Etienne Jr.
5.09 – David Montgomery
6.04 – Jadarian Price
7.09 – Kyle Pitts
8.04 – Trevor Lawrence
9.09 – Michael Pittman Jr.
10.04 – Woody Marks
11.09 – Makai Lemon
12.04 – Isiah Pacheco

The later half of the first round might be my favorite place to draft. Everything seems to line up nicely, and you have enough flexibility to simply take value as it falls rather than committing to one strategy.

JSN falling made him an easy start, followed by Chase Brown. His stock has dropped a bit since last year, but I still think there’s plenty of upside at that price. McConkey then gave me a strong second receiver before I attacked running back with Etienne, Montgomery, and Price.

Apparently, this is finally Kyle Pitts’ breakout year, so getting him in the seventh felt like a worthwhile gamble. Hopefully, this time we actually mean it. Trevor Lawrence in the eighth was another good value. I think he has a legitimate shot at an MVP-caliber season, and while that doesn’t necessarily guarantee elite fantasy numbers, he should at least give me a solid weekly option.

Pittman and Lemon have become two of my favorite late-round receiver targets, while Marks and Pacheco added even more depth at running back. Neither needs to start immediately, but both could become valuable options as the season develops.

My biggest concern is Chase Brown. We’ve seen how good he can be, but we’ve also seen some rough stretches. That’s why I intentionally built a deeper running back room instead of loading up on receivers. If Brown struggles, I have several potential outs without needing to immediately turn to waivers.

Overall, the ninth pick gives you a lot of freedom. I don’t think you need to force Zero RB, Hero RB, or any other specific strategy from this spot. Mixing and matching running backs and receivers based on how the board falls worked really well here, and this ended up being one of the more balanced rosters I’ve drafted.

Overall Grade – A-tier
Best Case Scenario – S-tier
Worst Case Scenario – B-tier

Pick 10 – Wide Receiver Aces

1.10 – Justin Jefferson
2.03 – CeeDee Lamb
3.10 – Travis Etienne Jr.
4.03 – D’Andre Swift
5.10 – Bhayshul Tuten
6.03 – Parker Washington
7.10 – Tucker Kraft
8.03- Marvin Harrison Jr.
9.10 – Chris Godwin
10.03 – MarShawn Lloyd
11.10 – Kyler Murray
12.03 – Makai Lemon

With the way the board fell, I felt great starting with back-to-back receivers. Jefferson has a legitimate shot at finishing as the WR1, while Lamb gives me another consistent elite option. Starting with those two immediately gives this roster one of the strongest receiving foundations possible.

With receiver locked down, I attacked running back over the next few rounds. None are necessarily players I want to build my entire team around, but they all have enough upside that I feel comfortable betting on the group rather than one specific player.

At tight end, I took a shot on Tucker Kraft returning to his pre-ACL form. I then went receiver-heavy on the bench with Harrison, Godwin, Washington, and Lemon. With this roster construction, I’m expecting to start a receiver at Flex most weeks unless multiple running backs hit.

Murray was an easy quarterback target because of the stack with Jefferson. If both have the seasons I think they’re capable of, that combination could be a league winner.

Finally, I grabbed MarShawn Lloyd as another upside swing. If Jacobs’ legal situation turns into something significant, Lloyd could suddenly find himself with a path to the RB1 role in Green Bay.

Overall, this roster is built around an elite receiving room and several bets at running back. I don’t need every RB to hit—if I can find one or two reliable starters from the group, the strength at receiver should carry the rest.

Overall Grade – B-tier
Best Case Scenario – A-tier
Worst Case Scenario – C-tier

Pick 11 – A Good Mix

1.11 – Justin Jefferson
2.02 – Chase Brown
3.11 – Travis Etienne Jr.
4.02 – Ladd McConkey
5.11 – Jadarian Price
6.02 – Terry McLaurin
7.11 – Kenny Gainwell
8.02 – Sam LaPorta
9.11 – Josh Downs
10.02 – Michael Pittman Jr.
11.11 – Kyler Murray
12.02 – Matthew Golden

Any mock where I can grab Jefferson is off to a good start. From there, I focused on balance, taking three receivers and three running backs with my first six picks. That gives me a dependable core at both positions while also creating some potential trade flexibility later in the season.

Jefferson, McConkey, and McLaurin give me three receivers I feel comfortable starting every week, while Brown, Etienne, and Price create a strong running back trio.

At tight end, I took LaPorta, although his health will be important to monitor. If he’s ready for Week 1, I love the pick. If there are still concerns closer to the season, I’d probably wait another round or two and target someone else. Murray was my quarterback choice, once again giving me the Jefferson stack and some huge upside if that offense takes off.

On the bench, Downs, Pittman, and Golden give me plenty of receiver depth, while Gainwell was my only additional running back. That leaves me with four RBs, which is a little lighter than I prefer. Ideally, I carry five, but most of my actual leagues have another bench spot that I could use on one more upside back.

Overall, this is one of those rosters without many glaring weaknesses. It’s balanced, gives me flexibility if I need to make a trade, and still has plenty of upside through the Jefferson-Murray stack.

Overall Grade – B-tier
Best Case Scenario – B-tier
Worst Case Scenario – D-tier

Pick 12 – Running Back Bananza

1.12 – De’Von Achane
2.01 – Chase Brown
3.12 – Travis Etienne Jr.
4.01 – D’Andre Swift
5.12 – Jaylen Warren
6.01 – Rome Odunze
7.12 – Christian Watson
8.01 – Carnell Tate
9.12 – Dallas Goedert
10.01 – Michael Pittman Jr.
11.12 – Jared Goff
12.01 – Makai Lemon

This is one of my favorite draft strategies, but it’s definitely risky. When it works, you can build an incredible roster. When it doesn’t, you spend the entire season desperately searching for receivers. You need the board to fall correctly and, more importantly, you need to hit on your later WR picks.

For this mock, I went all-in by taking running backs with each of my first five picks. Achane, Brown, Etienne, Swift, and Warren give me an incredibly deep backfield with plenty of upside. That depth also gives me potential trade chips if another team becomes desperate for running back help during the season.

The obvious weakness is receiver. Odunze and Watson would be my initial starters, and I think both have legitimate WR1 upside in their respective offenses. On the bench, Tate and Lemon give me two more upside swings, while Pittman provides some much-needed consistency.

I waited at the other positions and still landed Goedert at tight end and Goff at quarterback. Goedert should provide a relatively safe weekly floor, while I’m perfectly comfortable waiting on quarterback when someone like Goff is available late.

Overall, this roster will live or die by the receivers. The running back room is loaded enough to carry the team and potentially create trade opportunities, but I need at least a couple of those receiver bets to hit. It’s not the safest way to draft, but when everything falls into place, it’s one of my favorite builds.

Overall Grade – C-tier
Best Case Scenario – S-tier
Worst Case Scenario – F-tier

Wrap up

So what is the best pick? No matter where you are picking at the back-end of your draft can look however you want. I have some clear players I like to target for this year, and I was able to grab them from multiple different positions in the draft. Really your draft position helps determine your first few picks, those can influence your draft strategy in later rounds. As long as you draft enough required positions for your starting lineup, you can load up at other positions. The takeaway from this experiment should be that no matter where you are picking, don’t be afraid to grab who you want. You may have to reach a bit, but if you believe in a guy then do it.

One more small note – I did these drafts before Josh Jacobs was officially charged. With that knowledge it may be a really good idea to grab MarShawn Lloyd in more drafts. He will more than likely be the number one back in Green Bay now.

Best of luck in your fantasy endeavors!