Surprises abound in latest 2015 fantasy mock draft
Draft fever is spreading throughout the NFL Media offices. And the only cure, was to hold a mock draft. Even though the final rosters and depth charts are far from set, we saw fit to have a little fun and conduct a post-free agency mock draft. We allowed drafters to select incoming rookies, so you'll see several of the top prospects from the 2015 listed below. Even though their fantasy stock could rise or fall depending on where they land in the NFL, it's still a good barometer to see how we're feeling about certain guys based on raw talent.The standard scoring league consisted of NFL LIVE member, producers and writers, as indicated below. Each team needed to a semble a starting lineup of one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one flex (RB/WR), one tight end, one kicker and one defense/special teams unit. Marcas Grant and I provided a little commentray and analysis in between each round, and Michael Fabiano went pick-by-pick on his draft strategy which you can read.Editor's Note: This mock draft was conducted prior to 's three-game suspension being announced by the league.Draft Order:1. Dylan Milner, NFL LIVE senior producer2. Heather Pink, NFL LIVE producer3. Alex Wilk, NFL LIVE producer4. Michael Fabiano, NFL Media Senior analyst5. Matt Franciscovich, NFL writer/editor6. Adam Rank, NFL LIVE member7. Alex Gelhar, NFL writer/editor8. Hytham Kilani, NFL LIVE producer9. Marcas Grant, NFL editor10. James Koh, NFL LIVE hostRound 1ANALYSIS:Marcas Grant:So...where to begin? Am I the only one surprised that fell all the way to sixth?Alex Gelhar:I feel like I should have been surprised, but actually wasn't. Shady's move to Buffalo should mean good things, and everyone taken ahead of Lynch is either younger or has suffered way le s punishment in recent years. More surprising to Dewayne Dedmon Jerseyme was still getting an invite to Round 1.M.G.:That's fair. Normally I wouldn't consider at No. 9 a steal, but I'd take Brown over (who I really like) every day of the week. And twice on Sundays.A.G.:"Twice on Sundays" sounds like a great name for an indie rock band.Round 2ANALYSIS:A.G.:I have a question: What did do to the members of this draft to fall to the fifth wide receiver (and sixth pa s-catcher) drafted?M.G.:Apparently you CAN lose your job to injury in fantasy land. But in the bottom of the second round was an even bigger eye-opener.A.G.:Absolutely. Does Pink know something we don't? I'd take any of the four wide receivers selected in the third round over Sanders, but then again I am a guy who willingly watches "Nashville" on a weekly basis.Round 3ANALYSIS:M.G.:The Sanders pick is even more glaring when you see at the top of the third round. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised that a fan pa sed on a receiver.A.G.:Fan blood runs thicker than fantasy blood, some people say (probably). As someone who waited on running backs, I kind of like the options available in the third round, although I doubt Foster will fall that far come August.M.G.:That definitely feels like a big oversight on our part. In other news ... to definitely toot my own horn, I was feeling pretty good about myself after the first three rounds.A.G.:Marcas Grant: Self-proclaimed fantasy horn-tooter.Round 4ANALYSIS:A.G.:Moving into the fourth round, we saw a healthy mix of old faithfuls and new fads. Who made the best move of the round in your opinion?M.G.:It was either James Koh going with at the top of the round. Or Heather Pink with later on -- especially if Mason doesn't get 'd this season.A.G.:No fantasy owner wants their player to get " 'd" -- some would say it's a fate worse than death. Personally, I liked Fabiano grabbing Nuk Hopkins, one of my favorite sleepers from last season. His combo of and Hopkins could easily net him 2,400 yards and 20 touchdowns.Round 5ANALYSIS:M.G.:Moving to the fifth round, Fabs gets even better when he backed up Cobb and Hopkins with . That's not a bad flex option at all. Especially because so many of the other picks in this round felt speculative.A.G.:Bringing back my naming rounds trend from last time, I'm going to dub Round 5 the " ," as I wonder wonder what's in store for these picks. I didn't feel good about taking Dre Johnson as my No. 1 WR, for instance.M.G.:You mean, the same way I feel about having as my No. 1 running back? Yeah ... I get it.Round 6ANALYSIS:A.G.:Round 6 offered some interesting pairs: two aging but effective QBs, two rookie RBs and two talented TEs. Which pair makes the most sense at this point in the draft?M.G.:It feels a little early for the rookies. I'd rather take a chance on someone with an actual track record. Similarly, if you're waiting on QBs, you could sit this round out and still get value. I gue s that leaves the tight ends by default.A.G.:frustrates me, because I really think he's in line for a breakout, but know I'm going to have to reach too high to get him. Any players you feel similarly about?M.G.:If Todd Gurley ends up being drafted by the , I feel like he'll be that guy. Then again, I kinda thought that about Franchise taking in the seventh round. Sure, he's a big play threat, but the found 2,764 ways to get the ball last year and I don't see that changing much.Round 7ANALYSIS:M.G.:Looking at the rest of Round 7, who is the biggest risk-reward option -- , or ?A.G.:It feels wrong, but I have to say . His fall from grace last year was terrifying. And with the arrival of in town I fear for Allen's targets.M.G.:I want to believe in him, but after he burned me last season I'm still squeamish. It was like watching a horror movie in weekly installments.A.G.:Except you couldn't leave the theater and they charged your credit card every time, too.Round 8ANALYSIS:A.G.:Everything appears to be normal in Round 8 except OH MY GOD WHO DRAFTED JAMEIS WINSTON?!?M.G.:While we weren't looking, Alex Wilk was po se sed by the ghost of Jimbo Fisher. But it diverted attention away from my admittedly questionable selection. Still ... Jameis?A.G.:I think this round featured a lot of owners firing from the hip. Jameis, Larry, Torrey ... Shoelace? I say we move on.Round 9ANALYSIS:M.G.:Bill Belichick voice. I will say that Wilk redeemed himself with the pick. Or is that my fantasy man crush talking? Anything else stand out here?A.G.:No, Allen is a fantasy catch, for sure. I also liked the and picks. Cruz had a serious injury, but could come back strong in that revitalized offense with OBJ getting all the attention. And isn't Spiller e sentially a bigger, younger version of for ? I love his potential as an RB3 or 4.M.G.:Agreed. And the good news is that we won't have any illusions of Spiller being a workhorse back in New Orleans. my a--!Round 10ANALYSIS:A.G.:Aside from one or two picks (coughSankeycough), I love what we did in Round 10. Lots of high-upside picks, which is what I think you have to target at this point.M.G.:To Kilani's credit, he agonized over the Sankey pick. There were some quality selections in this round. The pick could be HUUGE if the move .A.G.:To be fair, any one selecting Sankey is going to agonize over it. That being said ... guy could still have a big year and surprise us all (or me at least).Round 11ANALYSIS:M.G.:Moving ahead to Round 11, I really like Rank's Jaelen Strong pick. I think he could have -like potential in the right offense. Does Kilani know something we don't about ?A.G.:Perhaps. Or perhaps he's just stock-piling all the top candidates for Comeback Player of the Year in the late rounds and hoping one hits big. I know my Bailey pick raised eyebrows, but from Week 12 on I'd say he was the best receiver on the team. Consider me the conductor of the Bailey hype train.M.G.:Choo-choo!Round 12ANALYSIS:A.G.:I gue s I'm pulling double duty on my hype trains, because I'm getting in early on here in Round 12. He's one of my favorite incoming rookies we've scouted in our " " sTony Snell Jersey
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