SI Fantasy analyst Michael Fabiano mocks the first five rounds of a fantasy draft to see what's changed after free agency
It’s fantasy football mock draft season!
Everywhere you look, there’s a new mock attempting to predict the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. I even put out my own fantasy version of a first-round mock, including only offensive skill position players and offensive linemen. The fantasy football world is doing way-too-early mock drafts too, especially now that many top free agents have either re-signed with their previous teams or signed on to play for new organizations. Those moves also had collateral damage in some cases, as the players who left or joined teams will impact both teams for 2021.
This one-man, five-round mock includes 12 teams and is based on PPR scoring. These teams used different "strategies" with their first three overall picks, so you can see how the roster is built at the top. Notice, no team took a quarterback in the first three rounds.
- Teams 1, 9: Running back, running back, wide receiver
- Teams 2: Running back, tight end, wide receiver
- Teams 3: Running back, wide receiver, wide receiver
- Team 4: Running back, running back, wide receiver
- Teams 5, 8, 10: Running back, wide receiver, running back
- Teams 6, 11: Wide receiver, wide receiver, running back
- Team 7: Running back, running back, tight end
- Team 12: Tight end, wide receiver, running back
I’ll be running longer mocks after the NFL draft, so keep checking back for updates!
READ MORE: Five-Round Fantasy Mock Draft 1.0
ROUND 1
- 1.1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers
- 1.2. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings
- 1.3. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
- 1.4. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
- 1.5. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
- 1.6. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers
- 1.7. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
- 1.8. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys
- 1.9. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
- 1.10. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
- 1.11. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
- 1.12. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
A total of nine running backs came off the board, with McCaffrey leading the charge. While he missed most of last season due to injuries, he still averaged over 30 fantasy points in his three games. Kamara remains my No. 3 overall player with Jameis Winston now the favorite the start at quarterback in New Orleans. Adams was the first wideout chosen at No. 6 overall, and Hill was the second player selected at the position. I moved Elliott ahead of Taylor with Dak Prescott now under contract in Dallas, and Jones moved into the first round after re-signing with the Packers. He’s been a top-five back two straight seasons. Kelce is also a first-rounder after his massive 2020 totals.
READ MORE: How NFL Free Agency Impacts Everyone Else - The Winners
ROUND 2
- 2.13. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals
- 2.14. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills
- 2.15. D.K. Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
- 2.16. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
- 2.17. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons
- 2.18. Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams
- 2.19. A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans
- 2.20. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
- 2.21. James Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
- 2.22. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
- 2.23. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
- 2.24. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Seven of the 12 selections in this round were wideouts, led by Hopkins, Diggs, and Metcalf. Since then, Brown moved up a few spots after the Titans lost Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith as free agents. That could mean more targets from Ryan Tannehill. The biggest movers in this round are Akers and Edwards-Helaire. Akers looked great down the stretch as a rookie, and the Rams lost Malcolm Brown to Miami. That will open up touches. The Chiefs released Damien Williams, who signed with the Bears, so the Glyde looked more like the team's top running back next season. Kittle is my second-ranked tight end and comes off the board within the top-25 overall picks.
ROUND 3
- 3.25. Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears
- 3.26. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons
- 3.27. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints
- 3.28. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 3.29. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks
- 3.30. D’Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions
- 3.31. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
- 3.32. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
- 3.33. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Football Team
- 3.34. J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens
- 3.35. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team
- 3.36. Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Robinson could be a second-rounder in some drafts, but he won’t fall out of the top 30 with Andy Dalton under center. Thomas remains a third-rounder, with Winston as the Saints' top quarterback. Carson moved up among running backs after re-signing with the Seahawks, but Swift fell a few spots after the Lions signed Jamaal Williams. Both remain firmly in the RB2 conversation. Waller is the third tight end off the board. Mixon could be a steal, but he comes with risk. This round also includes several backs with plenty of statistical upside, including Swift, Dobbins, Gibson, and Sanders. I like McLaurin in this round with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center for the Football Team.
ROUND 4
- 4.37. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 4.38. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
- 4.39. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings
- 4.40. D.J. Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers
- 4.41. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
- 4.42. Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys
- 4.43. David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears
- 4.44. Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams
- 4.45. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
- 4.46. Melvin Gordon, RB, Denver Broncos
- 4.47. Chase Edmonds, RB, Arizona Cardinals
- 4.48. Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
This was a wide receiver heavy round, with a total of seven coming off the board, including Evans, Thielen, and Moore. Cooper went just a few spots ahead of Lamb, who could be a big-time breakout wideout. Maybe I'm a bit too harsh with Jacobs, but for now, he's an early fourth-round selection. The Raiders adding Kenyan Drake has me extremely concerned about Jacob's touch share, especially as it pertains to his role as a pass-catcher. Gordon moved up with the Broncos letting Phillip Lindsay walk as a free agent, and Edmonds has seen his stock soar with Drake in Las Vegas. Of course, I can see the Cardinals adding a high-impact running back in the draft. Mahomes was the first quarterback to be selected, but he’ll go a bit higher in home leagues.
ROUND 5
- 5.49. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
- 5.50. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
- 5.51. Ronald Jones, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 5.52. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
- 5.53. Brandin Cooks, WR, Houston Texans
- 5.54. Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 5.55. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
- 5.56. Kenny Golladay, WR, New York Giants
- 5.57. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 5.58. Mike Davis, RB, Atlanta Falcons
- 5.59. Raheem Mostert, RB, San Francisco 49ers
- 5.60. Myles Gaskin, RB, Miami Dolphins
This round is filled without potential bargains and those like Higgins and Aiyuk who’ll be considered breakout candidates. The loss of A.J. Green should mean more targets for Higgins, and Kendrick Bourne’s departure in San Francisco will mean the same for Aiyuk. With Will Fuller now in Miami, Cooks becomes the No. 1 wideout in Houston. I’m not sure who his quarterback will be at this point, but I have him ranked as if it will be Deshaun Watson. I’ve got Claypool a few spots ahead of Smith-Schuster, who returned to the Steel City. Golladay fell out of my top 50 players after joining the Giants, who have many mouths to feed with a quarterback in Daniel Jones who still has a lot to prove. Davis looks like the top back in Atlanta, but I see them adding another runner in the draft. The same goes for Gaskin, who is the best back in Miami at this point but could be usurped by an upstart rookie later this summer.
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Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for all of the latest breaking fantasy football news and the best analysis in the business!
