Last week, I posted the analysis of the first three rounds of an expert mock draft I participated in. Bang it here for those results and the format of the league.
Now we move on to Rounds 3-6, where we really make our money. This is where guys with question marks become superstars as we try to get ahead of the curve.
ROUND 3
3.1 A.J. Green
3.2 Greg Jennings
3.3 Ahmad Bradshaw
3.4 Julio Jones
3.5 Adrian Peterson
3.6 Roddy White
3.7 Hakeem Nicks
3.8 Mike Wallace
3.9 Jordy Nelson
3.10 Steve Smith
3.11 Dez Bryant
3.12 Miles Austin
I love both A.J. Green and Julio Jones, but I prefer Jones as the more explosive player playing in a dome with the better quarterback. I would not take Ahmad Bradshaw this high, considering David Wilson’s upside and Bradshaw’s gimpy wheels. I also would never take Adrian Peterson this high — running backs almost always fail in their first season after an ACL tear. I took Mike Wallace in this spot. Without Rashard Mendenhall, the Steelers figure to throw even more this season.
ROUND 4
4.1 Brandon Marshall
4.2 Ben Roethlisberger
4.3 Peyton Manning
4.4 Roy Helu
4.5 Aaron Hernandez
4.6 Doug Martin
4.7 Beanie Wells
4.8 Percy Harvin
4.9 Dwayne Bowe
4.10 Victor Cruz
4.11 Michael Turner
4.12 Demaryius Thomas
I wouldn’t reach for quarterbacks here. As we’ll see later, you can get a solid one 5-6 rounds later. I took Aaron Hernandez as a wideout in a tight end’s body. He’s a freak. My favorite pick of the round is Demaryius Thomas. With Peyton Manning in town and Tim Tebow out, it’s time for Demaryius to go off.
ROUND 5
5.1 Eli Manning
5.2 Jermichael Finley
5.3 Jeremy Maclin
5.4 Darren Sproles
5.5 Brandon Lloyd
5.6 Antonio Gates
5.7 Tony Romo
5.8 Kenny Britt
5.9 Stevie Johnson
5.10 Vincent Jackson
5.11 Torrey Smith
5.12 Philip Rivers
I just don’t get the need to take a quarterback here. In one-QB formats, it’s not a position of need. Running back and wide receiver are, and there’s plenty of good ones left here. The biggest steal is Brandon Lloyd, who projects as Tom Brady’s No. 1 outside receiver this season. I also like Jermichael Finley to bounce back in a big way. Torrey Smith might look like a reach, but he posted solid numbers last year while running one route: The go. I took Kenny Britt even though he’s coming off a torn ACL. Just too much upside to pass on.
ROUND 6
6.1 Vernon Davis
6.2 Wes Welker
6.3 Fred Davis
6.4 Frank Gore
6.5 Fred Jackson
6.6 Jonathan Stewart
6.7 Marques Colston
6.8 DeSean Jackson
6.9 Jason Witten
6.10 Reggie Bush
6.11 Antonio Brown
6.12 Robert Meachem
Wes Welker went really late here because it’s a non-PPR format and he’s entering his age-31 season. Still, I think it’s way too late. I took Fred Jackson because I needed a running back and because he’s still starting ahead of C.J. Spiller. There’s enough room for both of them thanks to their versatility. I like the Antonio Brown pick — that kid is for real. Note how late Frank Gore goes. He’s just about out of gas and the Niners know it as they’ve brought in a ton of competition for him.
