Six Footballguys staff completed a 6-man Week 2 mock draft using the DRAFT scoring format below. Each participant must fill a roster with exactly these five positions: QB-RB-RB-WR/TE-WR/TE using a serpentine draft style.
OFFICIAL DRAFT SCORING FORMAT
Passing Yard 0.04
Passing TD 4
Interception Thrown -1
Reception 0.5
Rushing Yard 0.1
Rushing TD 6
Receiving Yard 0.1
Receiving TD 6
Return TD 6
2-Point Conversion 2
Fumble Lost -2
THE PARTICIPANTS FOR THE WEEK 2 DRAFT:
1.01 Sean Settle
1.02 James Brimacombe
1.03 Will Grant
1.04 Dan Hindery
1.05 Justin Howe
1.06 Keith Roberts
DRAFT RESULTS
DRAFT EVALUATION
sean settle - SLOT 1
Overview - Sean was the top projected team this week thanks to strong players across the board. The top pick this week is either Todd Gurley or Alvin Kamara. Both are excellent choices. Sean elected to choose Gurley and followed him up with two strong receivers in Odell Beckham Jr and Michael Thomas. Both are capable of carrying a team on their own and have positive matchups, at Dallas and vs Cleveland respectively. Sean was able to secure his second running back Jordan Howard, as the 12th running back off the board and last back selected in this draft. Howard is projected to finish 9th this week, which is a great value. Sean selected Cam Newton as the 4th quarterback off the board. He's projected to finish 5th this week.
sean ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS DRAFT
1. What was your draft strategy with this week's slate of games and how did it turn out for you?
The draft strategy this week was to just take the best available players each round. I normally try and stack a QB/WR combo but that can sometimes leave a more favorable matchup or better player on the board. Picking from the top spot let me go right after Todd Gurley and then after patiently waiting, go back to back with elite receivers in OBJ and Michael Thomas. The normal QB/QR stack was in play with Brees until he was taken one pick ahead of me. I closed out with the top remaining RB option in Jordan Howard and took the dual-threat QB in Newton with a favorable matchup.
2. Which player on your roster do you think will make or break you?
Cam Newton has the ability to make or break a team every single week. There will be games that he throws for and runs for multiple touchdowns and then others where he cannot hit the broad side of a barn. The Falcons’ defense lost one of its best linebackers in their opener and this should open things up underneath for Newton and give him ample opportunity to run it in around the goal line. There is a chance for a big game here, but it depends on which Cam Newton shows up.
3. Which player do you believe you received the best value?
Michael Thomas was an absolute steal in the third round. After his monster game last week and the Browns stout rush defense, he should receive a high total of targets again this week. The Saints look to rebound from their disappointing loss to Tampa Bay and found a lot of success going through Thomas in the offense. He should finish among the top 5 in receivers this week and fell all the way to the third round.
4. If you could choose one more player at RB, WR or TE who would it be and why?
If there was one other player I would have taken it would be Stefon Diggs. Most people are high on Thielen due to the number of targets he gets, but it is Diggs who sees the ball in the red zone and will finish the season with more touchdowns. He always seems to make at least one big play and has shown an early rapport with Cousins. Both Thielen and Treadwell had a drop in the first game, while Diggs remained sure-handed and continued his high rate of contested catches.
james brimacombe - SLOT 2
Overview: James started his draft with Alvin Kamara and followed up with a second running back, Saquon Barkley, in the second round. This gave him the edge at running back, with three rounds to find two quality receivers and a quarterback. This is a common approach, especially with the 2, 3 or 4 slot. He had Keenan Allen, Tyreek Hill, Adam Thielen and JuJu Smith-Schuster at his disposal in the third round. He decided on Allen as the 6th receiver off the board despite Hill having a 4th ranked projection according to Footballguys Lineup Optimizer. Allen is not a bad alternative at Buffalo, so the scrutiny on this pick might be negligible. James decided on Drew Brees with his next pick and finished with Mike Evans. The Buccaneers, including Evans, had a strong offensive performance in Week 1 at New Orleans. This week they face a tough Philadelphia defense for their home opener. Evans should see plenty of looks but could struggle to put up big numbers against a strong Eagles team. If Brees unleashes another strong passing attack against Cleveland, James has the chance to compete for the top score.
james ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS DRAFT
1. What was your draft strategy with this week's slate of games and how did it turn out for you?
This week I want to get a top 2 pick and get either Gurley or Kamara. I feel like they are in a tier of their own so getting the number two pick and Kamara put me in good shape right from the start. I wanted my second running back quickly as well and went with Barkley the next round if I can start with two stud RBs I am happy this week.
2. Which player on your roster do you think will make or break you?
Mike Evans as he was my last pick and the reason for it was totally based on projected volume that he should see against the Eagles. I think there are several WR2 choices this week and I was on the fence with Evans, Diggs, or Landry at this spot.
3. Which player do you believe you received the best value?
Getting Drew Brees as the third quarterback off the board felt like some value. If the Browns can put up some points against the Saints, Brees will also be putting up points on the other side of this game.
4. If you could choose one more player at RB, WR or TE who would it be and why?
Stefon Diggs as I was between him and Evans as my last pick. I believe Diggs is in line for a huge season and it continues once again this week.
Will Grant - SLOT 3
Overview - Will was the only team to not select a running back in the first round, which put him behind the 8-ball for the second and third picks. In passing a running back, he selected Antonio Brown, which is an excellent receiver pick, but it comes with some risk if he can't secure two legit running backs. Will was able to grab Melvin Gordon in the second round as the 7th back off the the board. Gordon projects 5th this week. Will followed up with a questionable, but capable pick in Adrian Peterson, who will clearly be the hinge player on this team. Washington hosts the Colts in the home opener, but Peterson is always a bit of an uncertainty. He could rush for 100+ yards and 2 touchdowns or fail to surpass 60 yards with no scores. The performance of Peterson will tall the story for this team. To conclude his draft, Will selected Ben Roethlisberger as the second quarterback off the board, but the stack with Brown could come in handy. He finished his draft with Rob Gronkowski who was passed by several - perhaps due to the tough matchup against Jacksonville? Gronkowski is the best receiver on the team and should have a big role regardless of the opponent.
Will ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS DRAFT
1. What was your draft strategy with this week's slate of games and how did it turn out for you?
Drafting third, I assumed that Gurley and Kamara would be gone by the time I picked. So assuming that was the case, I was looking at Melvin Gordon or David Johnson for running back. The Rams are on a short week, but their defense looked solid and I want no part of David Johnson this week. Gordon at Buffalo was very very tempting, but I decided to buck the trend and go with Antonio Brown at home. Brown is money in the bank, especially after the Steelers tied Cleveland. They need to put some points on Kansas City this week and Brown should see plenty of action. I was absolutely shocked to see Melvin Gordon fall to me in the second round. So shocked that I nearly screwed it up.
In a 6-Team, 5-round draft, I think ‘QB in the 4th’ is my general approach unless something crazy happens or someone is projected to be significantly better than the pack. That left me with RB/(WR/TE) in the 3rd and 5th rounds. When I was back on the clock, none of the receivers that were available really screamed ‘Pick ME!’. I considered Hill but after last week’s performance, it seems unlikely that the Steelers will let him run wild. I reached a bit to take Peterson because I just think he had the best matchup (at home against Indy) compared to other running backs that I had projected at this spot.
I was happy to Stack Ben Roethlisberger with Brown with my pick in the 4th and I planned on taking Mike Evans as my last pick but got snipped so I went with Gronk again because he’s healthy and the Patriots need him to perform well.
2. Which player on your roster do you think will make or break you?
I called it last week with Kareem Hunt. His poor performance and lack of involvement in the passing game crushed my chances of winning. This week it falls on Rob Gronkowski to make or break my squad. Gronk had a great game last week, which made me consider fading him this week. However, Julian Edelman is still out and the Patriots are traveling to Jacksonville for an AFC Championship rematch that should be a knock-down-drag-out fight. Tom Brady’s going to need every tool he has and Gronk will be a guy he looks to again this week. If he comes up big, I should have a really good week.
3. Which player do you believe you received the best value?
Melvin Gordon. No question about it. After Gurley and Kamara, the next five best running backs are Johnson, Conner, Gordon, Elliot and Barkley. But I love the matchup of Gordon against a weak Buffalo team a lot better than the rest of those, and I considered taking Gordon at #3 overall. When he fell to me in the second round, I was super surprised. He is a big value at that spot.
4. If you could choose one more player at RB, WR or TE who would it be and why?
I’d probably take a shot with Jarvis Landry on the road against the Saints this week if I had another pick to make. Landry was a big part of the Cleveland offense, and he makes for an interesting possibility against a Saints team that had serious trouble with Tampa Bay last week. With Josh Gordon causing trouble on the other side of the field, I think Landry is going to have another decent game this week and might even have a chance to blow up if the Saints continue to have trouble against the pass.
dan hindery - SLOT 4
Overview - Dan sandwiched a receiver in with two running backs in the first three rounds, taking David Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins and Dalvin Cook to begin the draft.. Johnson is the 4th ranked running back this week and Dalvin Cook is 9th. This roughly falls in line with where each player was drafted. Hopkins was the third receiver taken and ranks 6th this week, but Dan followed up with Deshaun Watson in the fifth round to give him a QB-WR stack against the Titans. Stacks can make or break your team, but they can be a tremendous boost when they hit multiple times. Dan's last pick was Colts wide receiver, T.Y. Hilton. Andrew Luck had 53 pass attempts last week, which bodes well for increased production for his favorite target, Hilton. This team will probably win or lose by the Texans stack coupled with sound players across the board.
dan ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS DRAFT
1. What was your draft strategy with this week's slate of games and how did it turn out for you?
I didn’t love the way this draft played out. In every round, my top target went one pick before me. At 1.04, I was hoping for Antonio Brown but settled for David Johnson. The next few rounds I was sniped on James Conner, Tyreek Hill, and Rob Gronkowski.
I did go in hoping to target the Deshaun Watson-DeAndre Hopkins stack and was happy to land both. A tough Week 1 for the duo in New England will deter many. However, this is a different offense with Will Fuller in the lineup. His deep speed makes it much harder for teams to double-team Hopkins and gives Watson the chance to unleash some deep balls.
2. Which player on your roster do you think will make or break you?
I’ll cheat a bit and say the two parts of the Watson-Hopkins stack will make or break me this week. The duo combined for just 18 fantasy points last week but put up over 50 points the last time they faced the Titans and over 60 points the last time the two had Will Fuller in the game. The risk/reward of pairing the two in the 2nd and 4th round makes sense given the immense upside we saw from them last season.
3. Which player do you believe you received the best value?
When I took DeAndre Hopkins in the second round instead of locking up a second running back, it was in large part because I thought Dalvin Cook would be available later. I was excited to grab him late in the 3rd round. Cook is a great value this week. While he didn’t put up big numbers in the home opener against San Francisco, his usage pointed to big things to come. Cook was on the field for over 80% of the snaps and had 22 touches. He caught 6-of-7 passes and his heavy pass-game involvement is especially encouraging, especially considering his Week 2 opponent, the Packers, gave up 9 receptions to running backs last week.
4. If you could choose one more player at RB, WR or TE who would it be and why?
When I took T.Y. Hilton late, the other player I was strongly considering was Jarvis Landry. He is a strong option playing in New Orleans. The Saints allowed a whopping 60.1 DRAFT points to the Buccaneers wideouts in the opener last week. Cleveland is likely to be playing from behind and will have to throw the ball often. When they do, Landry is clearly the top target. He saw 15 targets in Week 1 against Pittsburgh and looks likely to again be a target hog, just as he was in Miami.
justin howe - SLOT 5
Overview - Justin was one of two teams who selected two running backs to begin the draft. He chose Ezekiel Elliott and last week's darling, James Conner. Elliott struggled to be a force at Carolina in Week 1 and some think the holes in the Cowboys offensive line will result in lower numbers for him this season. It's early, so there is no clarity on this topic yet. If he struggles at home against the Giants, that theory may hold water. Elliott was the 4th back selected and he ranks 7th this week. James Conner ranks third and was the 6th back off the board. Justin received excellent value with this pick, but there are still some uncertainties about his ability to keep up the strong production. Justin took Tyreek Hill in the third round as the 7th receiver off the board. Hill ranks 4th among receivers this week, which is also good value for Justin's team. He finished the draft taking a stack in Adam Thielen and Kirk Cousins against the Packers. Justin compiled a strong team and if the Vikings stack clicks, it could put him at the top at week's end.
justin ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS DRAFT
1. What was your draft strategy with this week's slate of games and how did it turn out for you?
As usual, I wanted a one-two punch at running back that will definitively lock down I'm especially excited about James Conner; I'd kicked myself after drafting Elliott because I was certain Keith would take him. In him and Zeke, I have two usage monsters who will likely carry their offenses. And, of course, that's the shrewdest way to approach this format. Wild receiving lines are tempting to chase, but they can be had with appropriate stabs later on. Bell cow running back usage is where it's at.
2. Which player on your roster do you think will make or break you?
My week will hinge on whether the Patrick Mahomes-Hill connection remains both voluminous and dynamic. If the young quarterback again only has eyes for Hill, there will be plenty of opportunity for more splash plays. But I'm nervous about that. It seems likely he'll look to incorporate the team's other explosive weapons; Travis Kelce, Sammy Watkins, and Kareem Hunt combined to draw just 12 targets. Mahomes is a tiger, but it's yet to be seen whether his passing volume would squeeze in 2-3 strong plays.
3. Which player do you believe you received the best value?
Nothing against McCaffrey, whom Keith took over Conner at 1.06. But Conner seems to me like a top-three play this week. I'd take him over David Johnson, frankly, the more I think about it. Kansas City's run defense isn't just bad - it's consistently bad. Lead backs have little trouble churning out 4-5 yards a carry against them, so a positive game script would put Conner back up around his huge-touch, huge-production line.
4. If you could choose one more player at RB, WR or TE who would it be and why?
I'd love to add Josh Gordon to this roster. Supposedly semi-benched for Week 1, he was in on 80% of the Browns' snaps and got numerous jump-ball and downfield opportunities. After watching the Saints flail desperately at the Buccaneers' receivers last week, I'd be all over a huge playmaker against them. Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley are aggressive gamblers, and when they're wrong, they're dead wrong. Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, and Chris Godwin took turns beating them last week, and Gordon's outlook is bright.
keith roberts - SLOT 6
Overview: The last slot in the draft can sometimes be a blessing or a curse, depending on who's available and where the strengths are. Keith passed on James Conner for Christian McCaffrey with his first pick and followed him up with Julio Jones. One thing is for sure, weather won't play a factor with his first two picks with this game being played in the dome in Atlanta. McCaffrey can be a quiet player this week going up against a Falcons defense without their top linebacker, Deion Jones. Julio Jones has owned the Panthers secondary in the past, and the home advantage adds an extra benefit to starting him this week. Keith selected Kareem Hunt in round three followed by JuJu Smith-Schuster and Alex Smith. Hunt was the 11th back taken and ranks 13th this week. Not the best value, but he's shown that he can take over games, especially if the game script dictates plenty of usage. JuJu Smith-Schuster was the 8th receiver off the board and coincidentally, he ranks 8th this week. Alex Smith the last pick in the draft and the 6th quarterback off the board. He ranks as a tie for first this week, along with Patrick Mahomes, who interestingly was not taken in this draft.
keith ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS DRAFT
1. What was your draft strategy with this week's slate of games and how did it turn out for you?
I wanted to take a balanced approach this week while waiting until the last round on quarterback--a strategy that played out well as I selected a running back and wide receiver at each turn before saving my last pick in the draft for a quarterback. Christian McCaffrey was a target of mine, but I was not thrilled to see I was drafting sixth as I hoped to get him closer to the middle of the second round as my RB2. Nevertheless, I grabbed him at the turn to pair with Julio Jones in a game stack that I like a lot. Jones was used heavily in his season debut and has one of the best individual matchups of the week against Donte Jackson.
2. Which player on your roster do you think will make or break you?
Christian McCaffrey as my RB1 will be critical for me this week. I admittedly reached to take him there, but my bet is on the situation he finds himself in this week. The Panthers find themselves as near-touchdown underdogs on the road in Atlanta. The Falcons lost a critical piece of their run defense in Deion Jones last week last week and they lack depth behind him to make up for that talent lost. The Panthers lost tight end Greg Olsen for the season, meaning more targets to spread around in this offense. While McCaffrey was not extremely effective running between the tackles last week, I expect him to be on the field in passing situations this week with a ton of volume coming his way through the air, especially if the Panthers fall behind as Vegas predicts.
3. Which player do you believe you received the best value?
I am happy with the value on Alex Smith as the last pick of the draft. Smith enters a great matchup against a weak Colts defense that simply lacks talent in their secondary. They allowed AJ Green to get open at will while giving up a slew of yards to Joe Mixon out of the backfield. Smith used his running backs through the air very heavily in Week 1, and he can easily rely on these safe targets again this week to rack up easy yardage as the Colts really struggle to cover short routes.
4. If you could choose one more player at RB, WR or TE who would it be and why?
I had Emmanuel Sanders queued up as my next pick at wide receiver. Sanders would be a slightly dark horse option with Demaryius Thomas still on the board, but Sanders clearly appears to be the favorite target of Case Keenum. They meshed very well in the preseason and Sanders was a huge part of their offense last week with 11 targets, hauling in 10 of them for 135 yards and a touchdown. Coming out of the slot, Sanders also sees a favorable matchup against Leon Hall who had a tough 2017 season and struggled against Cooper Kupp last week.
PROJECTIONS PREDICT THE WINNER
Questions, suggestions and comments are always welcome to haseley@footballguys.com
