Fantasy football mock draft version 2.0

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That’s straight NASH remix homey!

After a never before conceived, sleep deprived NFL free agency blitzkrieg, roster signings have slowed to a pace where Ricky Williams inking a deal with the Ravens only musters an Eeyore-esque … “Oh, hey Ricky. That’s right, you needed a team. Please sign here.”

On the flip side, the chips falling where they may has left fantasy owners in a state of euphoria. FOX Sports mock draft season has commenced with a new and improved fantasy football draft app.

Because it’s been a few months since the FOX fantasy department participated in mock draft 1.0, we wanted to slap a new coat of paint on the final product. So, fantasy contributors Michael Harmon, John Halpin, Ryan Fowler and Joel Beall invited eight guys from Whatifsports.com, the team behind the new FOX Sports Fantasy Football game, to run through mock draft version 2.0.

The following draft took place on Tuesday August 9th between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. (EST). The results are real … in a fake way.

Round 1
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Mitch (WIS)	Adrian Peterson	Min	RB
2	Fowler	Jamaal Charles	KC	RB
3	Patrick (WIS)	Aaron Rodgers	GB	QB
4	Brad (WIS)	Chris Johnson	Ten	RB
5	Beall	Arian Foster	Hou	RB
6	Mike (WIS)	Maurice Jones-Drew	Jac	RB
7	Jake (WIS)	LeSean McCoy	Phi	RB
8	Kevin (WIS)	Michael Vick	Phi	QB
9	Logan (WIS)	Ray Rice	Bal	RB
10	Halpin	Andre Johnson	Hou	WR
11	Brett (WIS)	Michael Turner	Atl	RB
12	Harmon	Frank Gore	SF	RB

JOHN HALPIN DRAFT SYNOPSIS

I probably reached on rookie running backs Daniel Thomas and Roy Helu, but they're secondary cogs in my fantasy machine. The Darren McFadden/Ryan Mathews tandem should be very strong, and Andre Johnson is still the best bet you can make at wide receiver.

This team's success will depend on its Cowboys. Dez Bryant was the fifth-round pick, and I was happy to get him there. He's an elite talent, and if they're smart they'll try every way possible to get the ball in his hands. Bryant is explosive, and the sky is the limit.

That brings us to Tony Romo, who was always a terrific fantasy contributor until he got hurt last season. Before the injury, he was averaging 313 yards and two touchdowns per game in 2010. Romo is still a top-five fantasy QB, and you're probably going to get him at a value slot in your draft.

Backup wideouts Lance Moore and A.J. Green should be solid enough to fill in at the flex spot often, and TE Rob Gronkowski showed results - not just potential - as a red zone threat last season (10 TDs). Let's give this mock draft effort a solid B.

Round 2
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Harmon	Roddy White	Atl	WR
2	Brett	Rashard Mendenhall	Pit	RB
3	Halpin	Darren McFadden	Oak	RB
4	Logan	Steven Jackson	StL	RB
5	Kevin	Peyton Hillis	Cle	RB
6	Jake	Drew Brees	NO	QB
7	Mike	Peyton Manning	Ind	QB
8	Beall	LeGarrette Blount	TB	RB
9	Brad	Tom Brady	NE	QB
10	Patrick	Matt Forte	Chi	RB
11	Fowler	Philip Rivers	SD	QB
12	Mitch	Calvin Johnson	Det	WR

Round 3
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Mitch	Larry Fitzgerald	Ari	WR
2	Fowler	Dwayne Bowe	KC	WR
3	Patrick	Ahmad Bradshaw	NYG	RB
4	Brad	Greg Jennings	GB	WR
5	Beall	Mike Wallace	Pit	WR
6	Mike	Hakeem Nicks	NYG	WR
7	Jake	Knowshon Moreno	Den	RB
8	Kevin	Cedric Benson	Cin	RB
9	Logan	Miles Austin	Dal	WR
10	Halpin	Ryan Mathews	SD	RB
11	Brett	Reggie Wayne	Ind	WR
12	Harmon	Shonn Greene	NYJ	RB

RYAN FOWLER DRAFT SYNOPSIS

Should I be concerned that my first three picks are on byes in week six (Charles – 6 – Rivers 6 – Bowe – 6)?

Historically, my draft strategy has focused on picking up running backs in rounds one and two. The plethora of RBBC around the league has forced me to adapt and adopt a new philosophy.

To put that in perspective, the reason I took Rivers and Bowe in rounds two and three is because the next two running backs taken were Ahmad Bradshaw and Knowshon Moreno. I believe that you shouldn’t force the funny and shouldn’t force running backs onto your roster.

My favorite pick is Mike Williams, sleeper pick is Reggie Bush and because he will go into my fantasy football Hall of Fame, Derrick Mason is my Lifetime Achievement pick of the draft.

I grade out to a B/B-minus.

Round 4
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Harmon	Antonio Gates	SD	TE
2	Brett	Matt Schaub	Hou	QB
3	Halpin	Tony Romo	Dal	QB
4	Logan	Matt Ryan	Atl	QB
5	Kevin	DeSean Jackson	Phi	WR
6	Jake	Vincent Jackson	SD	WR
7	Mike	Jonathan Stewart	Car	RB
8	Beall	Ben Roethlisberger	Pit	QB
9	Brad	Ryan Grant	GB	RB
10	Patrick	Brandon Lloyd	Den	WR
11	Fowler	Mike Williams	TB	WR
12	Mitch	Dallas Clark	Ind	TE

Round 5
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Mitch	DeAngelo Williams	Car	RB
2	Fowler	Felix Jones	Dal	RB
3	Patrick	Chad Ochocinco	NE	WR
4	Brad	Jeremy Maclin	Phi	WR
5	Beall	Jason Witten	Dal	TE
6	Mike	Marques Colston	NO	WR
7	Jake	Stevie Johnson	Buf	WR
8	Kevin	Santonio Holmes	NYJ	WR
9	Logan	Jahvid Best	Det	RB
10	Halpin	Dez Bryant	Dal	WR
11	Brett	Anquan Boldin	Bal	WR
12	Harmon	Brandon Marshall	Mia	WR

Round 6
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Harmon	Eli Manning	NYG	QB
2	Brett	Mario Manningham	NYG	WR
3	Halpin	Daniel Thomas	Mia	RB
4	Logan	Wes Welker	NE	WR
5	Kevin	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	NE	RB
6	Jake	Vernon Davis	SF	TE
7	Mike	Jermichael Finley	GB	TE
8	Beall	Mark Ingram	NO	RB
9	Brad	Joseph Addai	Ind	RB
10	Patrick	Kenny Britt	Ten	WR
11	Fowler	Mike Tolbert	SD	RB
12	Mitch	Kevin Kolb	Ari	QB

MIKE HARMON DRAFT SYNOPSIS

"No guts. No glory."


FANTASY COUNTDOWNS
Ks 24-1
DEFs 32-1
TEs 30-1
WRs 45-1
WRs 90-46
QBs 32-17
QBs 16-1
RBs 75-26
RBs 25-1
Free-agent frenzy
Mock draft 2.0
It’s a nice, simple philosophy that led to my selection of Frank Gore in Round 1 (pick 12). His pre-injury numbers were huge, and the hip injury is reportedly in the rearview mirror. I had momentary buyer’s remorse.

Roddy White (my top receiver) was there in the second round and allowed me to get back on track. I then selected my first or second-ranked player at four positions overall, including Antonio Gates (the first pick of Round 4), the Pittsburgh defense (Round 11) and Nate Kaeding (Round 14).

The availability of Shonn Greene at the end of the third round was a welcome surprise, and I was similarly surprised to see Brandon Marshall there in the fifth round (Chad Henne DID pass for 3,500 yards last year). The rest of my running backs were “upside” picks. Beanie Wells will get his shot at the lead role in Arizona, Starks (Round 10) is a nice potential fill-in and possible trade chip. McGahee (Round 12) has a shot to take on a big role with goal line love in Denver.

I was happy to add Santana Moss in the eighth round (we start two receivers). My immediate reaction at seeing Garcon available in Round 13 was to search for injury information.

Finally, there’s the quarterback position. Eli Manning will NOT fire up interception after interception in 2011 and he’ll stand tall under center (his streak is second to brother Peyton). Manning’s topped 4,000 yards in back-to-back years. Then, I dipped my toe into the Denver situation with Kyle Orton. I like the choice at the time, but I remain fearful that No. 15 becomes a thorn in my side.

Give me a B … with upside.

Round 7
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Mitch	Percy Harvin	Min	WR
2	Fowler	Malcom Floyd	SD	WR
3	Patrick	Marcedes Lewis	Jac	TE
4	Brad	Chris Cooley	Was	TE
5	Beall	Braylon Edwards	SF	WR
6	Mike	Sidney Rice	Sea	WR
7	Jake	Fred Jackson	Buf	RB
8	Kevin	Joe Flacco	Bal	QB
9	Logan	Brandon Pettigrew	Det	TE
10	Halpin	A.J. Green	Cin	WR
11	Brett	Marshawn Lynch	Sea	RB
12	Harmon	Beanie Wells	Ari	RB

Round 8
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Harmon	Santana Moss	Was	WR
2	Brett	Tony Gonzalez	Atl	TE
3	Halpin	C.J. Spiller	Buf	RB
4	Logan	Johnny Knox	Chi	WR
5	Kevin	Pierre Thomas	NO	RB
6	Jake	Steve Smith	NYG	WR
7	Mike	Ryan Torain	Was	RB
8	Beall	Sam Bradford	StL	QB
9	Brad	Brandon Jacobs	NYG	RB
10	Patrick	Austin Collie	Ind	WR
11	Fowler	Reggie Bush	Mia	RB
12	Mitch	LaDainian Tomlinson	NYJ	RB

Round 9
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Mitch	Jay Cutler	Chi	QB
2	Fowler	Steve Smith	Car	WR
3	Patrick	Matthew Stafford	Det	QB
4	Brad	Mike Thomas	Jac	WR
5	Beall	Julio Jones	Atl	WR
6	Mike	Josh Freeman	TB	QB
7	Jake	Ronnie Brown	Phi	RB
8	Kevin	Jermaine Gresham	Cin	TE
9	Logan	Danny Woodhead	NE	RB
10	Halpin	Rob Gronkowski	NE	TE
11	Brett	Tim Hightower	Was	RB
12	Harmon	Kyle Orton	Den	QB

JOEL BEALL DRAFT SYNOPSIS

I’m a major proponent of using running backs as your fantasy foundation, so I was extremely pleased to have Arian Foster and LeGarrette Blount fall into my lap in the first two rounds. Some may doubt Foster’s ability to replicate last season’s success, but selecting him with the fifth pick was highway robbery. Blount, meanwhile, posted 1,007 yards on a meager 201 carries last season. With no viable backups in Tampa, Blount has the capability to be a top-7 back in 2011. Although I remain skeptical of the impact of rookies, getting Mark Ingram in the sixth and Ryan Williams in the 11th offers high rewards with a minimal amount of risk.

I’m loaded at the quarterback position with Ben Roethlisberger, who quietly had a terrific fantasy campaign in his abbreviated 2010 season, and Sam Bradford, a possible breakout star in Josh McDaniels’ pass-happy attack. Employing the league’s best tight end in Jason Witten should also aid my fantasy team’s aerial assault.

With a full season of Roethlisberger under center, Mike Wallace should improve on his performance of 1,257 yards and 10 touchdowns. (Last season, without Big Ben, Wallace averaged 52.75 yards a game; with Roethlisberger, 87.17 ypg.) Braylon Edwards was possibly a leap in the seventh round, although someone in San Fran outside of Vernon Davis will be receiving targets. But as insurance, I picked up Julio Jones in the ninth, Mike Sims-Walker in the 10th and Jerome Simpson in the 12th. All have enormous upside and could submit 1,000-yard seasons.

Overall, I would have to give my draft a B+ due to the lack of a sure-thing at the no. 2 WR position. Yet as long as Edwards or one of the three backup receivers comes to fruition, my fantasy team should be fine.

Round 10
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Harmon	James Starks	GB	RB
2	Brett	Thomas Jones	KC	RB
3	Halpin	Lance Moore	NO	WR
4	Logan	Michael Bush	Oak	RB
5	Kevin	Hines Ward	Pit	WR
6	Jake	Mike Williams	Sea	WR
7	Mike	Jordy Nelson	GB	WR
8	Beall	Mike Sims-Walker	StL	WR
9	Brad	Donovan McNabb	Min	QB
10	Patrick	Ricky Williams	Bal	RB
11	Fowler	Jimmy Graham	NO	TE
12	Mitch	Donald Brown	Ind	RB

Round 11
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Mitch	Brent Celek	Phi	TE
2	Fowler	Derrick Mason	NYJ	WR
3	Patrick	Dustin Keller	NYJ	TE
4	Brad	Steve Breaston	KC	WR
5	Beall	Ryan Williams	Ari	RB
6	Mike	Zach Miller	Sea	TE
7	Jake	Mikel LeShoure	Det	RB
8	Kevin	Davone Bess	Mia	WR
9	Logan	James Jones	GB	WR
10	Halpin	Roy Helu	Was	RB
11	Brett	Roy Williams	Chi	WR
12	Harmon	Pittsburgh	Pit	D/ST

Round 12
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Harmon	Willis McGahee	Den	RB
2	Brett	Matt Cassel	KC	QB
3	Halpin	Owen Daniels	Hou	TE
4	Logan	David Garrard	Jac	QB
5	Kevin	Green Bay	GB	D/ST
6	Jake	Kellen Winslow	TB	TE
7	Mike	New York	NYJ	D/ST
8	Beall	Jerome Simpson	Cin	WR
9	Brad	Robert Meachem	NO	WR
10	Patrick	Philadelphia	Phi	D/ST
11	Fowler	Lee Evans	Buf	WR
12	Mitch	Randy Moss	Ten	WR

Round 13
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Mitch	Justin Forsett	Sea	RB
2	Fowler	Carnell Williams	StL	RB
3	Patrick	Deion Branch	NE	WR
4	Brad	Chicago	Chi	D/ST
5	Beall	Javon Ringer	Ten	RB
6	Mike	Mike Goodson	Car	RB
7	Jake	Baltimore	Bal	D/ST
8	Kevin	Donald Driver	GB	WR
9	Logan	DeMarco Murray	Dal	RB
10	Halpin	Tarvaris Jackson	Sea	QB
11	Brett	Michael Crabtree	SF	WR
12	Harmon	Pierre Garcon	Ind	WR

Round 14
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Harmon	Nate Kaeding	SD	K
2	Brett	Mason Crosby	GB	K
3	Halpin	New York	NYG	D/ST
4	Logan	New England	NE	D/ST
5	Kevin	Neil Rackers	Hou	K
6	Jake	Mark Sanchez	NYJ	QB
7	Mike	Rob Bironas	Ten	K
8	Beall	San Diego	SD	D/ST
9	Brad	Rashad Jennings	Jac	RB
10	Patrick	Christopher Ivory	NO	RB
11	Fowler	Dallas	Dal	D/ST
12	Mitch	Atlanta	Atl	D/ST

Round 15
Pick	Owner	Player	Team	Pos
1	Mitch	Tim Tebow	Den	QB
2	Fowler	Sebastian Janikowski	Oak	K
3	Patrick	Adam Vinatieri	Ind	K
4	Brad	David Akers	SF	K
5	Beall	Ben Tate	Hou	RB
6	Mike	Nate Burleson	Det	WR
7	Jake	Matt Bryant	Atl	K
8	Kevin	Todd Heap	Ari	TE
9	Logan	Josh Brown	StL	K
10	Halpin	Nick Folk	NYJ	K
11	Brett	Oakland	Oak	D/ST
12	Harmon	Jacoby Jones	Hou	WR

Make sure to check out and sign up for a new and improved FOX fantasy football mock draft session. Get ready for Fantasy Football 2011 with the FOX Fantasy Draft Guide. It's chock full of in-depth fantasy info for your upcoming draft.