This mock draft is always bittersweet. Bitter because the 2022 draft season is at it’s end after a long summer of fun with drafting. Sweet because we have meaningful football games to dive into for the next six months of the year. I get chills just writing that.
If you’re reading this, perhaps your league waits until the day before, or the day of, the first game of the season to draft. I love that. You have the most information possible to base your picks off of. You may also use this mock draft as a reflection piece halfway or even at the end of the season to see how end of the year rankings relate to the draft process. I love that, too. It means you’re a fantasy football addict, like myself, and looking to improve for next year.
Whatever the reason, I hope you’ve enjoyed this and every mock draft this summer as much as I have. Drafting is one of my favorite things about fantasy football. Mock drafts are a great way to get my fix. So, check out how my final mock draft of 2022 went and you can bet I’ll be back it in 2023. Good luck this season and be sure to follow me @Colin_McT on Twitter for plenty of in-season analysis.
Picking Tenth Overall in the Tenth Mock Draft
The following mock draft was completed, simulating my strategy and results for a 10-team, 1 quarterback, Points Per Reception league. The hypothetical roster consists of 3 wide receivers, 2 running backs, 1 tight end, and 1 RB/WR/TE Flex position. I drafted from the tenth overall pick in this mock draft after drafting from the first nine in the nine mock drafts prior. For this mock draft, I will break down 14 of 16 rounds. With the season kicking off this weekend, it’s crucial to analyze as many players as possible. As always, I spend my final two picks on a Defense/Special Teams and Kicker so they won’t be included as we focus on individual player analysis.
ROUND ONE
1.01- Christian McCaffrey (CAR RB)
1.02- Jonathan Taylor (IND RB)
1.03- Austin Ekeler (LAC RB)
1.04- Derrick Henry (TEN RB)
1.05- Cooper Kupp (LAR WR)
1.06- Justin Jefferson (MIN WR)
1.07- Dalvin Cook (MIN RB)
1.08- Najee Harris (PIT RB)
1.09- D’Andre Swift (DET RB)
1.10- Ja’Marr Chase (CIN WR)
MY PICK: Ja’Marr Chase
As we get going here in the first round, I want to make it known that I’ll be completing this mock draft with the intention of highlighting a “Zero RB” strategy. This strategy is a point of contention in the world of fantasy football. I’m not here to tell you it’s the right or wrong way to draft a championship team. Rather, this mock draft team is an example of what a Zero RB team may look like in 2022 if you’re debating giving it a try.
My final mock draft team gets off to a great start with Ja’Marr Chase. Wide receivers continue to come off of the board in the first round far more than prior years. Given the wrath of injuries to the top running backs last year, I understand the pivot to drafting a wide receiver first. If you can’t get your hands on Jefferson, Kupp, or Chase, then grab a rock solid running back for the foundation of your team.
ROUND TWO
2.01 – Stefon Diggs (BUF WR)
2.02- Travis Kelce (KC TE)
2.03- Alvin Kamara (NO RB)
2.04- Joe Mixon (CIN RB)
2.05- Davante Adams (LV WR)
2.06- Deebo Samuel (SF WR)
2.07- Saquon Barkley (NYG RB)
2.08- Aaron Jones (GB RB)
2.09- Nick Chubb (CLE RB)
2.10- Javonte Williams (DEN RB)
MY PICK: Stefon Diggs
With the Zero RB strategy in mind, Stefon Diggs joins Ja’Marr Chase at my first wraparound pick of the mock draft. Diggs is a lock for over 100 receptions this season. He’s averaging 115 per season in two years with the Buffalo Bills. Sure, the rise of Gabe Davis is exciting, but the rise, and additions, of Davis and others are just eating into the targets and opportunities of players who are moving on from the Bills, like Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley. No need to overthink this. Stefon Diggs is the top target in Buffalo. Period.
ROUND THREE
3.01- Kyle Pitts (ATL TE)
3.02- Tyreek Hill (MIA WR)
3.03- Ceedee Lamb (DAL WR)
3.04- Keenan Allen (LAC WR)
3.05- Josh Allen (BUF QB)
3.06- Mark Andrews (BAL TE)
3.07- Mike Evans (TB WR)
3.08- Leonard Fournette (TB RB)
3.09- Tee Higgins (CIN WR)
3.10- A.J. Brown (PHI WR)
MY PICK: A.J. Brown
I need to come clean. Drafting with a Zero RB strategy is not something I am used to. I love me some running backs. It’s my favorite position in football. For fantasy football, it’s comforting when you have a projected stud in your lineup each week. So, at this point in my Zero RB build of this mock draft team, I’m starting to get antsy, but powering through.
A.J. Brown completes my trio of starting wide receivers. Brown is now a Philadelphia Eagle and will slide in as the top option in their passing game. Though he comes from the run-heavy Tennessee Titans, Brown still manages to boast an average of four 100+ yard games per season over the last three.
The only team that ran as much as the Titans did last year was the Philadelphia Eagles. However, you don’t trade a first round pick for and then pay A.J. Brown $100-million to continue running the ball at one of the highest rates in the league. Brown is going to have a monster first season with the Eagles and could play like a WR1 as my WR3 on this mock draft team.
ROUND FOUR
4.01- Courtland Sutton (DEN WR)
4.02- Michael Pittman, Jr. (IND WR)
4.03- D.J. Moore (CAR WR)
4.04- Mike Williams (LAC WR)
4.05- Ezekiel Elliott (DAL RB)
4.06- David Montgomery (CHI RB)
4.07- Jaylen Waddle (MIA WR)
4.08- Dionte Johnson (PIT WR)
4.09- Terry McLaurin (WSH WR)
4.10- James Conner (ARI RB)
MY PICK: Courtland Sutton
Is it hot in here or is it just me? It’s probably just me as I’m starting to feel the heat that I won’t have a running back on my roster until the 50th pick of this mock draft. In full Zero RB fashion, I add Courtland Sutton to my mock draft roster as, get this, my flex!
I now have Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, and Russell Wilson’s top receivers. When I put it like that, it sounds pretty great, right? The key to a Zero RB strategy, though, is not just to compile four to five rounds of top-tier talent at wide receiver, tight end, and/or quarterback up front, but more importantly to compile a large lot of running backs who have weekly top-20, or higher, upside. I’ll probably grab six or seven before this mock draft is through.
ROUND FIVE
5.01- D.K. Metcalf (SEA WR)
5.02- Cam Akers (LAR RB)
5.03- Brandin Cooks (HOU WR)
5.04- George Kittle (SF TE)
5.05- Darren Waller (LV TE)
5.06- Patrick Mahomes (KC QB)
5.07- Gabriel Davis (BUF WR)
5.08- Darnell Mooney (CHI WR)
5.09- Elijah Mitchell (SF RB)
5.10- Travis Etienne (JAC RB)
MY PICK: Travis Etienne
Travis Etienne is this mock draft team’s RB1. While some of you may be uneasy about the idea, quickly remind yourselves who my three wide receivers and flex are.
Etienne, though he didn’t play last season, should be a great lead back for my mock draft team especially early on this season. James Robinson, following a torn Achilles from December, is reportedly available this weekend for the Jaguars in Week 1. While that’s wonderful to hear, give me Etienne, whose been running with the first team for the majority of training camp. Additionally, a bolstered offensive line, improved coaching, and Etienne’s collegiate rapport with quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, all point the arrow up for his fantasy football outlook.
ROUND SIX
6.01- Breece Hall (NYJ RB)
6.02- Allen Robinson (LAR WR)
6.03- Justin Herbert (LAC QB)
6.04- Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET WR)
6.05- Josh Jacobs (LV RB)
6.06- A.J. Dillon (GB RB)
6.07- Chris Godwin (TB WR)
6.08- Kyler Murray (ARI QB)
6.09- Lamar Jackson (BAL QB)
6.10- Marquise Brown (ARI WR)
MY PICK: Breece Hall
Breece Hall in the sixth round is a bit of a dip in value. His preseason stat lines are underwhelming, but so were the second and third-string offensive linemen he was running behind most of the time, as well. On this mock draft team, Hall doesn’t have to carry me week-to-week. Especially in Week 1, against a stout Baltimore Ravens defense, I’m feeling pretty low about Hall’s start to his rookie campaign. That’s fine given the strength of my wide receivers in this PPR mock draft league.
Hall is a great mid-round running back for a Zero RB build looking beyond a challenging Week 1 matchup. His 800 touches at Iowa State over three seasons suggest he will continue to see a heavy workload for this young Jets team. With a softer schedule as the season rolls on, Hall should break out in a big way which will be huge to pair with this mock draft team’s group of wide receivers.
ROUND SEVEN
7.01- Elijah Moore (NYJ WR)
7.02- Daulton Schultz (DAL TE)
7.03- Amari Cooper (CLE WR)
7.04- Jerry Jeudy (DEN WR)
7.05- DeAndre Hopkins (ARI WR)
7.06- Brandon Aiyuk (SF WR)
7.07- T.J. Hockenson (DET TE)
7.08- Dallas Goedert (PHI TE)
7.09- Michael Thomas (NO WR)
7.10- Jalen Hurts (PHI QB)
MY PICK: Jalen Hurts
It’s important to me during this mock draft that I emphasize selecting a quarterback with an elite rushing ability given my Zero RB strategy. Having the extra boost in rushing from the quarterback position should help make up for a weekly possibility of underwhelming performances from my running backs.
I could have waited for Trey Lance a few rounds later, but Hurts gives me a bit more confidence this season. Lance has just 389 pass attempts combined between his time at North Dakota State and as a San Francisco 49er. While he presents a similar rushing upside to Hurts, we have a larger sample size of what Hurts can do as a pro, and for fantasy football. He led all quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns last season with 10.
I also love adding Hurts to this roster to stack with A.J. Brown. Stacking is often achieved by drafting top wide receivers first then targeting a quarterback that throws to one of them later. With my receivers in mind, Josh Allen is already gone, so, if I want to stack, I have the choice between Hurts, Burrow, or Wilson. Again, Hurts’ rushing upside is worth targeting at this point rather than wait for the others. I should log a huge chunk of the Eagles’ offensive production in fantasy football from the Hurts/AJB stack.
ROUND EIGHT
8.01- Rashod Bateman (BAL WR)
8.02- Tom Brady (TB QB)
8.03- Christian Kirk (JAC WR)
8.04- Dameon Pierce (HOU RB)
8.05- Adam Theilen (MIN WR)
8.06- J.K. Dobbins (BAL RB)
8.07- Joe Burrow (CIN QB)
8.08- Juju Smith-Schuster (KC WR)
8.09- Hunter Renfrow (LV WR)
8.10- Russell Wilson (DEN QB)
MY PICK: Rashod Bateman
Rashod Bateman is a staple in my summer-long mock draft series. He is one of the players I am the highest on for the 2022 season. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown leaves behind a 25% target share from last season for this Baltimore Ravens passing game. Given the uncertainty at running back and lack of wide receiver talent or depth, Bateman should dominate the target share on this offense. He is a great wide receiver off of the bench for this mock draft team.
ROUND NINE
9.01- Tyler Lockett (SEA WR)
9.02- DeVonta Smith (PHI WR)
9.03- Chase Edmonds (ARI RB)
9.04- Tony Pollard (DAL RB)
9.05- Antonio Gibson (WSH RB)
9.06- Clyde Edwards-Helaire (KC RB)
9.07- Rashaad Penny (SEA RB)
9.08- Robert Woods (TEN WR)
9.09- Devin Singletary (BUF RB)
9.10- Kareem Hunt (CLE RB)
MY PICK: Kareem Hunt
Kareem Hunt begins the spree of running back picks for this mock draft team. My goal with this lot of picks is to draft running backs with high upside. The idea in doing so is that by adding a large group of high-upside players at this position of need, hopefully one or two of them will pop, even with some luck, and produce startable performances on a week-to-week basis for this or any Zero RB team.
Kareem Hunt continues to be a value this fantasy football season. His role on the Cleveland Browns offense is clear. He has pass-catching upside, especially when the Browns are playing from behind. With Jacoby Brissett under center for the first 11 games, one would figure Cleveland should be looking to make quite a few comebacks this season. Furthermore, if Nick Chubb were to miss time, Hunt enters the weekly RB1 conversation immediately, as he has in the past.
ROUND 10
10.01- Damien Harris (NE RB)
10.02- Melvin Gordon (DEN RB)
10.03- Jakobi Meyers (NE WR)
10.04- Allen Lazard (GB WR)
10.05- Miles Sanders (PHI RB)
10.06- Kadarius Toney (NYG WR)
10.07- Cordarelle Patterson (ATL RB)
10.08- Drake London (ATL WR)
10.09- Chris Olave (NO WR)
10.10- Chase Claypool (PIT WR)
MY PICK: Damien Harris
Damien Harris doesn’t offer much upside as a receiving back, but his 15 rushing touchdowns from last season are hard to ignore. That total ties James Conner for second-most amongst all players in 2021. As far as 2022 goes, the New England backfield should look similar to last season, as well.
Behind Harris are Rhamondre Stevenson, Ty Montgomery, and fourth-round rookie, Pierre Strong Jr. I do love Stevenson as a 2022 breakout candidate with his expected receiving role, but Harris should still see close to, if not more than, 200 carries in this offense. Harris’ upside is mostly touchdown-dependent, but there’s no reason he shouldn’t act as the team’s goal line back again.
ROUND 11
11.01- Michael Carter (NYJ RB)
11.02- Rhamondre Stevenson (NE RB)
11.03- Tyler Boyd (CIN WR)
11.04- Russell Gage (TB WR)
11.05- Skyy Moore (KC WR)
11.06- Ken Walker III (SEA RB)
11.07- Dak Prescott (DAL QB)
11.08- Darrell Henderson (LAR RB)
11.09- Michael Gallup (DAL WR)
11.10- Nyheim Hines (IND RB)
MY PICK: Nyheim Hines
Hines isn’t just the second running back behind last season’s fantasy football RB1, Jonathan Taylor, on the Colts roster. He also offers pass-catching upside. Hines’ 77 targets just two seasons ago were second-most on the team. Ahead of this season, Indianapolis head coach, Frank Reich is even urging fantasy football managers to draft Hines this year. That’s good enough for me to prioritize him at this point in the mock draft for my running back needy team.
ROUND 12
12.01- James Cook (BUF RB)
12.02- J.D. McKissic (WAS RB)
12.03- Treylon Burks (TEN WR)
12.04- Aaron Rodgers (GB QB)
12.05- Garrett Wilson (NYJ WR)
12.06- James Robinson (JAX RB)
12.07- Trey Lance (SF QB)
12.08- Rondale Moore (ARI WR)
12.09- Zach Ertz (ARI TE)
12.10- Devante Parker (NE WR)
MY PICK: James Cook
Using a 12th-round pick on Cook seems like a worthwhile dart throw. What Cook does have working for him is the Bills’ obvious interest in adding a pass-catching running back this offseason. Before spending a second-round pick on Cook in April’s NFL Draft, the Bills tried adding J.D. McKissic in free agency a month prior before he decided to return to the Washington Commanders.
I still think Devin Singletary is the Buffalo back to have on rosters for 2022 specifically. Cook figures to score most of his fantasy points as a receiver. How many points, though, could be difficult as he’s competing for targets against the Bills’ group of wide receivers. Over the last two seasons, the Bills have targeted their running backs at the second-lowest rate in the league. Adding Cook should change that, but I’m not sure it will be enough to plug Cook into my lineup each week.
ROUND 13
13.01- Josh Palmer (LAC WR)
13.02- Romeo Doubs (GB WR)
13.03- Cole Kmet (CHI TE)
13.04- D.J Chark (DET WR)
13.05- George Pickens (PIT WR)
13.06- Los Angeles Rams D/ST
13.07- Dawson Knox (BUF TE)
13.08- Mike Gesicki (MIA TE)
13.09- Matthew Stafford (LAR QB)
13.10- Pat Freiermuth (PIT TE)
MY PICK: Pat Freiermuth
Adding Freiermuth here is simply a pick to round out the roster. I really wanted Kmet for this mock draft team, but Muth fits into that same tier of potential breakout tight ends for this season. It’s hard to imagine confident weekly TE1 numbers from the second-year tight end while trying to carve out a significant target share amongst Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, George Pickens, and Najee Harris.
It’s more likely that Freiermuth is a top tight end streamer in 2022. As far as playing the matchup goes with streamers, Week 1 is a good start for Freiermuth. The Cincinnati Bengals allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to tight ends in 2021. Like most tight ends in fantasy football, you’re hoping for a touchdown to make their start worth it.
ROUND 14
14.01- Alexander Mattison (MIN RB)
14.02- Kenneth Gainwell (PHI RB)
14.03- Julio Jones (TB WR)
14.04- Jarvis Landry (NO WR)
14.05- Khalil Herbert (CHI RB)
14.06- Rachaad White (TB RB)
14.07- Sony Michel (LAC RB)
14.08- Zamir White (LV RB)
14.09- K.J. Osborn (MIN WR)
14.10- Isaiah McKenzie (BUF WR)
MY PICK: Alexander Mattison
Alexander Mattison remains one of the best running back handcuffs in fantasy football. He’s now in a contract year with the Vikings after evading recent trade rumors. In four games without Dalvin Cook last season, Mattison averaged 89 rushing yards on 21.5 carries with nearly five receptions per game while finding the end zone in three of them. New head coach, Kevin O’Connell, should introduce a pass-heavier offense, specifically to wide receivers, but Mattison’s successful history backing up Dalvin Cook is too good to pass up on in the 14th round.
STARTING LINEUP
QB – Jalen Hurts
RB – Travis Etienne, Breece Hall
WR – Ja’Marr Chase, Stefon Diggs, A.J. Brown
TE – Pat Freiermuth
FLEX – Courtland Sutton
Bench: Rashod Bateman, Kareem Hunt, Damien Harris, James Cook, Nyheim Hines, Alexander Mattison
Mock Draft 10.0 CONCLUSION
As far as Zero RB rosters go, I have few complaints with this one. If I could tweak one position, it would be tight end. Targeting Travis Kelce in the second round instead of Diggs would move Sutton into my starting wide receivers and Bateman to my flex all the while having my top-ranked tight end on my roster. Given the depth at wide receiver and lack thereof at tight end, that’s a move I’m comfortable with in hindsight.
I think it’s really important to focus on drafting a rushing quarterback if you choose to go with this strategy. The added points from mobile quarterbacks are that much more sacred when you have a hard time trusting your running backs to get it done.
Stacking is a fun element to the game of fantasy football but isn’t necessary to win. Don’t go out of your way to make it happen, but it’s a nice idea to keep in your back pocket. I expect quite a few Hurts to A.J. Brown touchdowns this upcoming season. It will undoubtedly be fun for this mock draft team, and any others who stacked the two, when that happens.
Hopefully this mock draft series has been helpful. After a crazy NFL offseason, it’s been worthwhile for me to get plenty of drafting reps in. We’ve done all we can do as far as establishing our rankings and opinions on just about every player for this upcoming season. It’s time to put that all to the test on the long road toward a fantasy football championship. Good luck and remember to have fun. That’s what it’s all about.