Welcome to my 12-part mock draft series, where I’ll be drafting from every position — 1 through 12 — in a standard 12-team Yahoo fantasy football league to uncover the optimal strategies and roster constructions at each spot.
Using the Yahoo Fantasy Plus Instant Mock Draft tool, I went solo through each draft, making every pick. This series aims to provide a comprehensive breakdown of how draft strategy shifts depending on where you pick, with detailed insight into my thought process round by round.
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The scoring format is half-PPR, and the roster setup includes: QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, TE, FLEX, K, D/ST and six bench spots.
Here’s my squad from the No. 1 spot!
Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Pick No. 1
Full Roster
QB: Kyler Murray (ARI)
RB: Kenneth Walker (SEA)
RB: Aaron Jones Sr. (MIN)
WR: Ja’Marr Chase (CIN)
WR: Malik Nabers (NYG)
TE: Brendan Strange (JAX)
FLEX: Drake London (ATL)
Kicker: Brandon Aubrey (DAL)
D/ST: Eagles (PHI)
Bench: Zay Flowers (BAL)
Bench: Jordan Mason (MIN)
Bench: Brian Robinson Jr. (WAS)
Bench: Emeka Egbuka (TB)
Bench: Tua Tagovailoa (MIA)
Bench: Nick Chubb (HOU)
Rounds 1–3: WR Anchor Build
1.01 – Ja’Marr Chase (WR – CIN)
2.12 – Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)
3.01 – Drake London (WR – ATL)
Roster Assessment After Round 3
Holding the 1.01 pick in a 12-team half-PPR league is usually more of a curse than a gift. The pressure of hitting on that No. 1 pick, enduring the long waits and having to decide on picking value or reaching at the turn can be maddening.
In this draft, I leaned into a WR-heavy approach early. Chase was a no-brainer at No. 1 overall, but I should be doing FED time after getting Nabers at 24. Consensus rankings have Nabers ADP at 10th overall, so that was the heist of the draft. Following up that pick with Drake London, I have three players with upside to finish inside the top-10 at the WR position.
The downside: I have to prioritize getting an RB in the fourth round. I have a feeling there’s going to be a run, so it’s also important to assess what QBs and TEs are available for the turn.
Rounds 4–6: Filling the RB & QB Voids
4.12 – Kenneth Walker III (RB – SEA)
5.01 – Kyler Murray (QB – ARI)
6.12 – Aaron Jones Sr. (RB – MIN)
Roster Assessment After Round 6
The early WR depth allowed me to pivot to need-based picks without sacrificing upside. Murray gives me a solid floor as a dual-threat option at QB, but I was also able to address my RB concerns. I’m pro “don’t leave your draft without a rushing QB.”
Back to the running backs. Walker’s talent and big-play ability are enticing; however, I couldn’t help but feel like I settled with Jones as my RB2, even though I got him three spots after his current 6.09 ADP. I’m still lacking a TE and have no depth behind my RB starters — something I plan to fix in Rounds 7–10.
Rounds 7–10: Depth Building & Missed TE Window
7.01 – Zay Flowers (WR – BAL)
8.12 – Jordan Mason (RB – MIN)
9.01 – Brian Robinson Jr. (RB – WAS)
10.12 – Emeka Egbuka (WR – TB)
Roster Assessment After Round 10
I missed out on my target TE tier — specifically, Tucker Kraft in Round 8 — and it hurt. That TE drop-off forced me into punting the position entirely. On the flip side, I was pleased with my expanded RB depth: adding Robinson and Mason gives me viable flex options and upside. I usually don’t shore up an entire backfield, but given Jones’ age and Mason’s success last year with the Niners, I think he has good value relative to his ADP. I’m also expecting the Vikings to run more with sophomore QB J.J. McCarthy under center.
At WR, I now had five playable assets. Flowers saw a career-best 116 targets last season and Egbuka could pop early if Chris Godwin (ankle) isn’t ready by Week 1. Through Round 10, the roster is shaping up nicely minus the glaring hole at TE.
Rounds 11–15: Filling Out The Unit
11.01 – Philadelphia Eagles D/ST
12.12 – Brenton Strange (TE – JAX)
13.01 – Brandon Aubrey (K – DAL)
14.12 – Tua Tagovailoa (QB – MIA)
15.01 – Nick Chubb (RB – HOU)
Roster Assessment After Round 15
Usually, I wait on defense, but with the way my squad’s looking, I took the plunge on a Philly defense that should generate plenty of sacks and turnovers. I’ll stream if needed, but I like locking in one of the best D/STs here. Speaking of streaming, that’s probably my future at TE with Strange ending up as my choice for TE. Yikes.
Getting Aubrey, the highest-ranked kicker last year, ensures that I have a top asset at K. I was somewhat surprised at the QB options in Round 14, so Tua ended up being my backup selection. Chubb is a mere flier with Joe Mixon out with a foot injury during training camp.
Key Takeaways
Watch out for the RB runs from Round 1-4
Running backs were heavily targeted early relative to the other skill positions, especially in Round 1 (7 of 12 picks) and again in Round 4 (6 of 12). This confirms that by Round 4, the high-floor/high-volume RB2 options were vanishing.
Don’t wait as long as I did for a TE
Unless you intend to stream the position, target a TE by the middle of Round 8. Six TEs went in Rounds 7 and 8, and I was left hanging, so that’s one area where I would pivot my strategy from adding to depth and addressing a position of need.
Take what the board gives you
Nabbing Chase, Nabers and London was a cheat code. Yes, it’s a mock draft, but it’s a reminder that sometimes you have to take what the board gives you. It’s not uncommon for value to fall into your lap, so act on it whenever you get the opportunity. My strategy tends to lean WR-heavy; it was a good thing I got London to sure up my core as seven WRs went in Round 3.
Sometimes it’s value; other times you set the tone — the beauty of drafting from 1.01.
