Alright, so today I decided to get my feet wet with a National Football League fantasy football mock draft. I’ve heard a lot about it, and it seemed like a fun way to prepare for the actual fantasy season. So I jumped right in!
Finding a Mock Draft
First things first, I needed to find a place to actually do a mock draft. I did a quick search and found that many major sports websites offered free mock draft lobbies. I ended up going with one of the more popular sports sites, just because it seemed the easiest to use.
Setting up the League
Once I picked the website, I had to set up the basics. I went with a standard 12-team league, with a “snake” draft format. I always hear guys on a video website talk about “PPR” scoring, so I chose that – it stands for “Points Per Reception,” and it means players get a point for every catch they make. I also picked pretty common roster settings: 1 Quarterback, 2 Running Backs, 2 Wide Receivers, 1 Tight End, 1 Flex (which can be a RB, WR, or TE), 1 Kicker, and 1 Defense/Special Teams.
The Draft Begins!
With the settings locked in, the draft started. Man, this was fast-paced! It felt like I barely had time to look at my rankings before my pick was up. The website had a built-in list of players and their average draft positions (ADP), which helped a little, but it was still nerve-wracking.
- Round 1: I had the 5th pick, and I grabbed a top running back. I figured that’s a safe bet to start.
- Round 2: Came back around, and I snagged a solid wide receiver. I always liked the guy.
- Rounds 3-6: This is where I tried to build some depth. Grabbed another running back, another receiver, and my quarterback. I waited a bit on quarterback because I know there are usually some good ones available later.
- Rounds 7-10:Started to think about my tight end and filled out my Flex spot. Also grabbed my kicker here because I did not want to forget.
- Rounds 11-15:Filled out my bench with some players who could potentially break out. Grabbed my defense with a later pick.
Post-Draft Thoughts
After the draft was done, I felt pretty good! I didn’t get every player I wanted, but I ended up with a team that seemed balanced. The website gave me a draft grade, and it was decent – not amazing, but not terrible either. I’m still not sure that I am a great player, but I’m learning!
The whole mock draft took maybe 30 minutes, and it was a rush. It definitely gave me a better feel for how quickly the picks come at you and how important it is to have a strategy, but also be ready to adjust on the fly. Now I just need to do a few more of these before the real fantasy season starts!