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Footballguys Mock Draft #15 PPR, 14 Teams

Footballguy's Staff's Footballguys Mock Draft #15 PPR, 14 Teams
By Footballguy's Staff , September 10, 2015

Footballguys Mock Draft #15 PPR, 14 Teams
Photo: USA Today Sports

On August 29th, the Footballguys staff completed a 14-team PPR mock draft. Below are the league's scoring format and bylaws. 

League Parameters

  • 14 teams
  • 20 roster spots
  • Starting Lineup
    • 1 quarterback
    • 2 running backs
    • 2 wide receivers
    • 1 tight end
    • 1 flex (RB, WR or TE)
    • 1 place kicker
    • 1 team defense

League Scoring

  • Offensive Players
    • 4 points - passing touchdown
    • 6 points - rushing/receiving touchdown
    • 0.04 points - passing yard
    • 0.1 points - rushing/receiving yard
  • Place Kickers
    • 3 points - field goal from 0 to 39 yards
    • 4 points - field goal from 40 to 49 yards
    • 5 points - field goal from 50 to 99 yards
  • Team Defense
    • 6 points - return or special teams touchdown
    • 2 points - turnover forced
    • 2 points - safety
    • 1 point - sack
  • Points allowed
    • 10 points: 0 points allowed
    • 7 points: 1-6 points allowed
    • 3 points: 7-14 points allowed
    • 0 points: 15-99 points allowed

The Draft Order

The draft order was randomly generated. After the first round, the draft continues in a regular serpentine manner. Click here for the Full Draft, pick by pick

1. Ryan Hester
2. Jeff Tefertiller
3. John Mamula
4. Dan Hindery
5. Mark Wimer
6. Ari Ingel
7. BJ Vanderwoude
8. Jene Bramel
9. Jeff Haseley
10. Alex Miglio
11. Matt Harmon
12. Andy Hicks
13. Matt Bitonti
14. Steve Holloway 

Starting with Ryan Hester from the 1.01 spot, we will go over each person's selections in the mock draft.

Ryan Hester - Draft Position 1

Pick Overall Selection
1.01 1. Brown, Antonio PIT WR
2.14 28. Ingram, Mark NOS RB
3.01 29. Matthews, Jordan PHI WR
4.14 56. Robinson, Allen JAC WR
5.01 57. Vereen, Shane NYG RB
6.14 84. Boldin, Anquan SFO WR
7.01 85. White, Roddy ATL WR
8.14 112. Bradford, Sam PHI QB
9.01 113. McFadden, Darren DAL RB
10.14 140. Rodgers, Richard GBP TE
11.01 141. Riddick, Theo DET RB
12.14 168. Williams, DeAngelo PIT RB
13.01 169. Fleener, Coby IND TE
14.14 196. Beasley, Cole DAL WR
15.01 197. Woods, Robert BUF WR
16.14 224. Fitzpatrick, Ryan NYJ QB
17.01 225. Colts, Indianapolis IND Def
18.14 252. Matthews, Chris SEA WR
19.01 253. Taliaferro, Lorenzo BAL RB
20.14 280. Hartley, Garrett PIT PK

Overall Strategy:

Receiver Heavy, Mid-Round Running Backs

Best Pick:

Mark Ingram (RB15, 2nd Round)

Ingram fell more than he should have because of the PPR format. Hester got lucky to grab Ingram as the 15th runner off the board, a value he should easily surpass with a healthy season.

Worst Pick:

Richard Rodgers (TE18, 10th Round)

I’m fine with waiting on tight end, but Ryan took the strategy too far and reached for Rodgers in the 10th round. Rodgers is “just another guy” and while he may have some decent weeks by sheer volume, he’s way down the totem pole in terms of Aaron Rodgers’ likely targets in most game scripts.

Evaluation:

I’m struggling with this team and fear it’s going to have a hard time contending. The receiving corps is an obvious strength, but in a 14-team league you have to pay attention to position runs and tier breaks, and Ryan failed to do that by drafting receivers with four of his first six picks. His running back stable beyond Ingram is ROUGH (McFadden, Riddick, DeAngelo Williams, Lorenzo Taliaferro), his tight ends are bottom tier, and yet he somehow didn’t roster an elite quarterback, either.

Jeff Tefertiller - Draft Position 2

Pick Overall Selection
1.02 2. Gronkowski, Rob NEP TE
2.13 27. Gurley, Todd STL RB
3.02 30. Hopkins, DeAndre HOU WR
4.13 55. Rodgers, Aaron GBP QB
5.02 58. Hyde, Carlos SFO RB
6.13 83. Woodhead, Danny SDC RB
7.02 86. Smith, Steve BAL WR
8.13 111. LaFell, Brandon NEP WR
9.02 114. Jones, Matt WAS RB
10.13 139. Dorsett, Phillip IND WR
11.02 142. Funchess, Devin CAR WR
12.13 167. Wayne, Reggie FA* WR
13.02 170. Vinatieri, Adam IND PK
14.13 195. Jets, New York NYJ Def
15.02 198. Bowe, Dwayne CLE WR
16.13 223. Mariota, Marcus TEN QB
17.02 226. McKinnon, Jerick MIN RB
18.13 251. Michael, Christine DAL RB
19.02 254. Turbin, Robert FA RB
20.13 279. Jennings, Greg MIA WR

Overall Strategy:

GRONK Smash + Balance

Best Pick:

Danny Woodhead (RB38, 6th Round)

Woodhead is a perfect RB3 in PPR formats, and Jeff’s selection of Woodhead in the 6th round helped bail out less impressive choices of Gurley and Hyde as his RB1/RB2, respectively. Woodhead was a Top 20 PPR back in 2013, and returns healthy and set to spell Melvin Gordon occasionally while playing the majority of passing downs.

Worst Pick:

Adam Vinatieri (PK1, 13th Round)

I have no issue with Vinatieri as a player, but drafting a kicker in the 13th round of a 14-team league is highly suspect. You need every lottery ticket you can find in a deep league, and kickers shouldn’t come off the board until the last two rounds. Rare is the case where taking a kicker this early optimizes your roster.

Evaluation:

I like Jeff’s team and think he can contend. He opted for Gronkowski in the 1st round, which is a strategy I would employ, too. I think drafting a quarterback and a tight end in the first four rounds is a hard strategy to pull off in a 14-teamer, but Jeff made it work. Aaron Rodgers in the 4th is justifiable in any format and Jeff managed to load up on high upside receivers and running backs throughout the draft.

John Mamula - Draft Position 3

Pick Overall Selection
1.03 3. Peterson, Adrian MIN RB
2.12 26. Hilton, T.Y. IND WR
3.03 31. Randle, Joseph DAL RB
4.12 54. Maclin, Jeremy KCC WR
5.03 59. Freeman, Devonta ATL RB
6.12 82. Sproles, Darren PHI RB
7.03 87. Floyd, Michael ARI WR
8.12 110. Rudolph, Kyle MIN TE
9.03 115. Newton, Cam CAR QB
10.12 138. Hurns, Allen JAC WR
11.03 143. Palmer, Carson ARI QB
12.12 166. Allen, Javorius BAL RB
13.03 171. Reed, Jordan WAS TE
14.12 194. Broncos, Denver DEN Def
15.03 199. Floyd, Malcom SDC WR
16.12 222. Gostkowski, Stephen NEP PK
17.03 227. Sanu, Mohamed CIN WR
18.12 250. Hawkins, Andrew CLE WR
19.03 255. Austin, Tavon STL WR
20.12 278. Bailey, Stedman STL WR

Overall Strategy:

Receiver Overload

Best Pick:

Jordan Reed (TE23, 13th Round)

Reed has injury concerns, but he’s also got zero competition for touches due to injuries to Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen. Reed will push for Top 12 honors when he’s in the lineup, and John got him after several less compelling tight ends came off the board.

Worst Pick:

Jeremy Maclin (WR22, 4th Round)

Drafting Maclin as WR22 essentially puts him at his best-case value given the Chiefs conservative system. I think he could be a fringe Top 20 receiver, but Mamula didn’t give himself any value arbitrage by selecting Maclin in the 4th round.

Evaluation:

John drafted way too many receivers (9), it makes absolutely no sense to roster that many given the starting lineup requirements. If you’re going to load up on a position, at least draft high upside players. Floyd, Sanu, Hawkins, Austin and Bailey are all low ceiling players that have almost no path to breakouts. In spite of the WR heavy focus, I like John’s overall balance. He let the quarterback position come to him and has solid peripheral players at kicker and defense.

Dan Hindery - Draft Position 4

Pick Overall Selection
1.04 4. Bell, Le'Veon PIT RB
2.11 25. Luck, Andrew IND QB
3.04 32. Adams, Davante GBP WR
4.11 53. Foster, Arian HOU RB
5.04 60. Ivory, Chris NYJ RB
6.11 81. Jackson, DeSean WAS WR
7.04 88. Wright, Kendall TEN WR
8.11 109. Ertz, Zach PHI TE
9.04 116. Johnson, Stevie SDC WR
10.11 137. Blue, Alfred HOU RB
11.04 144. Seahawks, Seattle SEA Def
12.11 165. Coleman, Brandon NOS WR
13.04 172. Randle, Rueben NYG WR
14.11 193. Davis, Vernon SFO TE
15.04 200. Flacco, Joe BAL QB
16.11 221. White, James NEP RB
17.04 228. Ridley, Stevan NYJ RB
18.11 249. Ravens, Baltimore BAL Def
19.04 256. Parkey, Cody PHI PK
20.11 277. Smith, Devin NYJ WR

Overall Strategy:

Luck + Classic RB Strength

Best Pick:

Andrew Luck (QB1, 2nd Round)

Andrew Luck’s relative value should justify a high first round pick in nearly any scoring format. While ‘expert’ drafts usually let quarterbacks fall, Dan was savvy to grab Luck at the end of the 2nd round. He’s nearly guaranteed a significant value arbitrage, and Luck is even more valuable in a 14-team league given the increases scarcity of replacements on the waiver wire.

Worst Pick:

Seahawks Defense (DST1, 11th Round)

The Seahawks may be the consensus #1 at the position, but DSTs are notoriously hard to project from year-to-year. They also have tighter scoring variance in this system, meaning that you can get away with a middling option at the DST position far easier than others. Taking a defense in the middle of the draft is hard to justify given the need to build depth in a 14-team league.

Evaluation:

I appreciate Dan’s approach, although I don’t really love the specific players on his roster. The Foster/Blue handcuff was smart, in particular because he didn’t reach for Blue early. Chris Ivory is excellent insurance should Foster not pan out. While Dan’s receivers aren’t all that impressive, he did the right thing by drafting a lot of high upside options versus high floor, low breakout veterans. He can contend, particularly if Foster only misses a few games.

Mark Wimer - Draft Position 5

Pick Overall Selection
1.05 5. Jones, Julio ATL WR
2.10 24. McCoy, LeSean BUF RB
3.05 33. Murray, Latavius OAK RB
4.10 52. Bennett, Martellus CHI TE
5.05 61. Cameron, Jordan MIA TE
6.10 80. Stafford, Matthew DET QB
7.05 89. Smith, Torrey SFO WR
8.10 108. Williams, Andre NYG RB
9.05 117. Wheaton, Markus PIT WR
10.10 136. Jones, Marvin CIN WR
11.05 145. Kearse, Jermaine SEA WR
12.10 164. Carr, Derek OAK QB
13.05 173. Hillman, Ronnie DEN RB
14.10 192. Cardinals, Arizona ARI Def
15.05 201. Baldwin, Doug SEA WR
16.10 220. Richardson, Trent FA* RB
17.05 229. Hardy, Justin ATL WR
18.10 248. Panthers, Carolina CAR Def
19.05 257. Prater, Matt DET PK
20.10 276. Carter, Duron FA WR

Overall Strategy:

Contrarian

Best Pick:

Julio Jones (WR2, 1st Round)

Mark was true to his draft board and selected Jones 2nd among receivers. I respect that move because there was no chance Jones would get back to him in the 2nd round. It’s a good reminder that fantasy owners need to draft the players they believe in and not become slaves to ADP.

Worst Pick:

Jordan Cameron (TE6, 5th Round)

I think Cameron can have a solid year, but drafting two tight ends in the first five rounds of a 14-team draft is almost impossible to fathom. It would be one thing if this was a 1.5 point-per-reception for TE league (a la the Footballguys Players Championship), but in a conventional 1 poiner-per-reception format, Cameron was a luxury Mark couldn’t afford.

Evaluation:

Mark’s an excellent analyst and I respect his process, but I think this draft got away from him. Objective, Mark isn’t above average at any position. He doesn’t have a Top 10 fantasy quarterback, doesn’t have a viable WR2, doesn’t have a proven RB2, has one of the weakest RB1s, and even though he took two tight ends early, neither is an elite player. Barring a lot of waiver wire wizardry, this team would be hard pressed to compete for a title.

Ari Ingel - Draft Position 6

Pick Overall Selection
1.06 6. Charles, Jamaal KCC RB
2.09 23. Jeffery, Alshon CHI WR
3.06 34. Spiller, C.J. NOS RB
4.09 51. Yeldon, T.J. JAC RB
5.06 62. Marshall, Brandon NYJ WR
6.09 79. Wallace, Mike MIN WR
7.06 90. Witten, Jason DAL TE
8.09 107. Tannehill, Ryan MIA QB
9.06 118. Colston, Marques NOS WR
10.09 135. Sims, Charles TBB RB
11.06 146. Davis, Knile KCC RB
12.09 163. Ebron, Eric DET TE
13.06 174. Hankerson, Leonard ATL WR
14.09 191. Williams, Damien MIA RB
15.06 202. Eagles, Philadelphia PHI Def
16.09 219. Wilson, Albert KCC WR
17.06 230. Foles, Nick STL QB
18.09 247. Packers, Green Bay GBP Def
19.06 258. Green, Virgil DEN TE
20.09 275. Novak, Nick FA* PK

Overall Strategy:

Balanced and Disciplined

Best Pick:

Ryan Tannehill (QB13, 8th Round)

Tannehill was the 9th ranked quarterback last year and is an ascendant player. There’s every reason to think year two of Bill Lazor’s program will be better than the first, and the supporting cast is markedly improved. Tannehill could be a Top 5 quarterback this year, yet Ari got him as the 13th quarterback off the board. That’s fantasy highway robbery.

Worst Pick:

Charles Sims (RB49, 10th Round)

I can’t beat up Ari too badly here as Sims was the 49th running back taken. However, the 10th round was a bit high particularly because Sims is a low ceiling guy. The Buccaneers offensive line is suspect and if Doug Martin struggles, I don’t see Sims as being more than a plodder. It’s better to use a backup running back pick on a player who, if given the shot, will become part of a high octane offense.

Evaluation:

Ari did a great job for the most part; I see his team as a contender. He needs C.J. Spiller to produce, but he let the draft come to him and found value throughout. My one nitpick would be the selection of three tight ends. Every pick matters in a 14-team draft.

BJ Vanderwoude - Draft Position 7

Pick Overall Selection
1.07 7. Lacy, Eddie GBP RB
2.08 22. Cooks, Brandin NOS WR
3.07 35. Ellington, Andre ARI RB
4.08 50. Landry, Jarvis MIA WR
5.07 63. Edelman, Julian NEP WR
6.08 78. Ryan, Matt ATL QB
7.07 91. Sankey, Bishop TEN RB
8.08 106. Williams, Terrance DAL WR
9.07 119. Walker, Delanie TEN TE
10.08 134. Garcon, Pierre WAS WR
11.07 147. Cobb, David TEN RB
12.08 162. Robinson, Khiry NOS RB
13.07 175. Britt, Kenny STL WR
14.08 190. Cook, Jared STL TE
15.07 203. Smith, Alex KCC QB
16.08 218. Aiken, Kamar BAL WR
17.07 231. Robinson, Josh IND RB
18.08 246. Bengals, Cincinnati CIN Def
19.07 259. Williams, Maxx BAL TE
20.08 274. Walsh, Blair MIN PK

Overall Strategy:

Fundamentally Sound, From Start to Finish

Best Pick:

Julian Edelman (WR25, 5th Round)

I’m going to assume Edelman is 100% healthy (there were no real concerns about his availability when this draft took place), and say he’s the perfect WR3 in a PPR league. This is a guy that’s as good a bet for 100 catches as anyone in the league, and B.J. rostered him as his 3rd receiver.

Worst Pick:

Matt Ryan (QB4, 6th Round)

I don’t mind Ryan as a QB1, but taking him 4th at the position and in the 6th round was suboptimal, and really the only choice in this entire draft I question. Based on the way the quarterback position unfolded, B.J. could have waited a few rounds and come away with an equivalent option.

Evaluation:

B.J.’s draft is a textbook example of sound, fundamental drafting. His first five picks were running backs and receivers, he focused on high upside lottery tickets for his backups, and he waited until the very end of the draft to take his kicker and defense. He’s given himself the best chance to optimize his roster. Textbook.

Jene Bramel - Draft Position 8

Pick Overall Selection
1.08 8. Beckham, Odell NYG WR
2.07 21. Gore, Frank IND RB
3.08 36. Abdullah, Ameer DET RB
4.07 49. Kelce, Travis KCC TE
5.08 64. Brown, John ARI WR
6.07 77. Johnson, Duke CLE RB
7.08 92. Coleman, Tevin ATL RB
8.07 105. Rivers, Philip SDC QB
9.08 120. Royal, Eddie CHI WR
10.07 133. Miller, Heath PIT TE
11.08 148. Moncrief, Donte IND WR
12.07 161. Winston, Jameis TBB QB
13.08 176. Texans, Houston HOU Def
14.07 189. Huff, Josh PHI WR
15.08 204. Artis-Payne, Cameron CAR RB
16.07 217. Brown, Corey CAR WR
17.08 232. Hauschka, Steven SEA PK
18.07 245. Gillmore, Crockett BAL TE
19.08 260. Ball, Montee FA* RB
20.07 273. Conley, Chris KCC WR

Overall Strategy:

Win or Go Home

Best Pick:

John Brown (WR26, 5th Round)

It was hard to choose a Best Pick simply because I love so much about this team. Jene made smart decisions throughout the draft. I’m giving the nod to John Brown because Jene was able to roster a guy many of us think can break out into a Top 20 position; yet he got him in the 5th round. The ability to draft Brown in the 5th made the choice of Travis Kelce in the 4th a justified luxury.

Worst Pick:

Crockett Gillmore (TE31, 18th Round)

When the 31st tight end off the board, in the 18th round, is your worst pick – you had a great draft. With Kelce an anchor of Jene’s team, and Heath Miller on the roster, I see no way a plodder like Gillmore is going to stay on this roster beyond Week One.

Evaluation:

Jene drafted with confidence, he clearly took players he liked regardless of whether ADP argued against the choice. Admittedly, many of those players (e.g., Frank Gore, Ameer Abdullah, John Brown) are also guys I think will dominate. Jene understood that you draft to win the league, not finish in the middle. Awesome job.

Jeff Haseley - Draft Position 9

Pick Overall Selection
1.09 9. Anderson, C.J. DEN RB
2.06 20. Forte, Matt CHI RB
3.09 37. Cobb, Randall GBP WR
4.06 48. Johnson, Andre IND WR
5.09 65. Watkins, Sammy BUF WR
6.06 76. Blount, LeGarrette NEP RB
7.09 93. Roethlisberger, Ben PIT QB
8.06 104. Parker, DeVante MIA WR
9.09 121. Allen, Dwayne IND TE
10.06 132. Bridgewater, Teddy MIN QB
11.09 149. Gray, Jonas FA* RB
12.06 160. Janis, Jeff GBP WR
13.09 177. Dolphins, Miami MIA Def
14.06 188. Donnell, Larry NYG TE
15.09 Photos provided by USA TODAY Sports
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