Fantasy football mock draft review: 12-team, PPR, 6th pick

The 2022 fantasy football season is right around the corner, so that means it’s time to do as many mock drafts as possible! Getting some real-time practice is always helpful for when the main event hits and if you know your draft slot, you can narrow things down and practice from that slot.

For this exercise we’re drafting from the 6 hole in a fairly normal 1 pt. PPR mock using the FantasyPros Mock Draft Simulator. There are others out there, so check them out, but I have had luck with FantasyPros providing good “competition” in their simulator.

Strategy going in

With the No. 6 pick, a lot depends on who is available to start, but with running backs that touch the ball 20+ times a game in high demand, I lean that way when I can. I have no problem grabbing a top wide receiver in the first round, but I usually like my options for WR in the second round.

I like to tie my quarterback to a wide receiver or tight end, but that doesn’t always pan out, especially if you pick a QB that gets a bunch of his fantasy points by running the ball.

I will grab Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews in the second round, but for the most part I’ll wait and grab two tight ends late.

I usually want to balance out my bench running backs and wide receivers with slight weight toward running back, as the top guys are more likely to bust or get injured.

I also never take a defense or kicker unless transactions in your league are limited. I like to have a couple extra players on my team that I can

Best picks

I love CeeDee Lamb this season and would reach for him late in the first round, so anytime I can grab him in the second round I’m happy. No Amari Cooper and usage out of the slot and outside make him a real candidate for the No. 1 receiver this season.

Trey Lance is someone I’m ready to go out on a limb for this year, so I’m of the belief that taking him in the 9th round will be a great pick, but there’s no doubt that there is risk involved here. And I also like pairing him with Elijah Mitchell, as Lance’s ability on the ground should help Mitchell find more room to roam this season.

Worst picks

I don’t really hate my No. 1 pick, but Najee Harris isn’t a player I think has a ton of room to exceed expectations this season. That’s okay, as I picked him for his guaranteed workload and the safety that comes from that, but I’m not doing a dance of joy for the pick.

I don’t like Zach Ertz all that much, but I loved the targets he saw last year and with DeAndre Hopkins out the first six weeks, his targets should remain high, but in turn it pushed me to take a couple tight end fliers from good offense in Tonyan and Everett. That is too many tight ends to be sure, but since I didn’t take a kicker or defense, I’d drop one or two of them before Week 1 to fill out my roster.

I like Breece Hall and expect him to get plenty of work, but the Jets aren’t a team I usually want to get on the bus with. Not loving my first two RB picks pushed me to grab some backs I like as backups in Elijah Mitchell and Ken Walker, both players I am happy to have as insurance.

My team

QB Trey Lance SF
RB Najee Harris PIT
RB Breece Hall NYJ
WR CeeDee Lamb DAL
WR A.J. Brown PHI
WR Terry McLaurin WAS
TE Zach Ertz ARI
BN JuJu Smith-Schuster KC
BN Elijah Mitchell SF
BN Ken Walker III SEA
BN Tyler Boyd CIN
BN Tim Patrick DEN
BN J.D. McKissic WAS
BN Joshua Palmer LAC
BN Robert Tonyan GB
BN Gerald Everett LAC
BN Parris Campbell IND

Full mock draft results