Rant Sports 2013 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Team 10 Analysis
Analysis For Team 10 Of The Rant Sports 2013 Fantasy Football Mock Draft
The second Rant Sports Fantasy Football mock draft for the 2013 season took place on Saturday night. It was a 10-team mock draft with standard non-PPR scoring.
With the NFL becoming more and more of a passing league by the season, the quarterback position is becoming extremely deep for fantasy football. In most drafts that I do, I want to be one of the last teams to draft a quarterback. The drop-off between the top quarterback and the 10th-ranked quarterback simply is not that steep and you can really gain some depth at other positions if you decide to wait.
With the expanded passing game in the league, the running back position is becoming scarce. The guys that rush the ball 25-30 times a game are becoming far and few between but they do still exist. Because of this, it is more important than ever to draft a running back early. In most drafts, I will try to take a running backs in both of the first two rounds. The position is very shallow and you need to address it very early.
This Rant Sports mock draft is a 10-team draft. Because of this, I figured that there would still be running backs in the third and fourth round that I would be happy with. So unless something crazy happened in the first round, taking a running back in the first two rounds did not seem necessary. I drew the 10th pick in the draft, so I wanted to draft one running back and one wide receiver in the first two rounds. I was hoping that C.J. Spiller, Trent Richardson or Calvin Johnson would fall in the draft and become available. None of them did, but I am still happy how my draft came together.
Daniel is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @D_Schmelzer and add him to your network on Google.
1.10: LeSean McCoy, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
I strongly believe that you must take at least one running back in the first two rounds this season. LeSean McCoy was the obvious pick for me. With new head coach Chip Kelly in town, nobody really knows what the Philadelphia Eagles' offense will look like. With his speed, agility and pure athleticism, McCoy seems to be a perfect fit for Kelly's system. I expect big things out of McCoy this season.
2.01: Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys
If this was a 12-team league, I would probably have selected a running back here. Because it is a 10-team league, I thought that there would be enough running back depth later in the draft that I could afford to take a wide receiver here. I am huge on Dez Bryant this season. He really started to come on late last year and I think that will continue. All reports this offseason have been positive on Bryant and I think he is in for a huge season.
3.10: David Wilson, RB, New York Giants
Passing on a running back in the second round, I felt like I had to address the position here. David Wilson is a boom-or-bust kind of pick. He has unlimited potential that he showed at times last season. There seems to be some sort of a timeshare with Andre Brown evolving, but Wilson will see enough carries to be a potential fantasy stud.
4.01: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami Dolphins
Lamar Miller is a guy that I am liking more day by day. He may be considered a bit of a reach here by some, but I knew he would not make it back around to me at the end of the fifth. Miller is not very powerful, but he has fantastic speed and agility. With Reggie Bush moving on in free agency, Miller appears to be the first in line to replace his carries. Some may consider Miller a reach here, but I personally think he is a steal.
5.10: Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Dwayne Bowe finally has a legitimate quarterback throwing him the ball. Alex Smith may not be Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers, but he will be the best quarterback that Bowe has played with in his career. New head coach Andy Reid is known to throw the ball a ton, and Bowe is the most talented pass receiver that the Kansas City Chiefs have. I expect big things out of Bowe this season and I am more than happy with him as my WR2.
6.01: Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Le'Veon Bell in the 2nd round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Pittsburgh struggled in the running game last season and I think the powerful Bell will be the guy for them this season. Rookie running backs are always risky but I love the upside that Bell brings this season.
7.10: Hakeem Nicks, WR, New York Giants
I was shocked to see Hakeem Nicks fall to me at the end of the seventh round. The injuries are always a concern with Nicks but as my WR3, the upside is huge. This was simply a great value pick.
8.01: Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks
I was the last team to select a quarterback, and Russell Wilson in the eighth round is a great deal in my eyes. Wilson finished the 2012 season as the 11th-ranked fantasy quarterback, only four points away from being in the top 10. Wilson was severely held back early in the season as he was mostly a game-manager for the Seattle Seahawks. In the second half, Wilson was fantastic and I am more than happy with him as my starting quarterback.
9.10: Isaiah Pead, RB, St. Louis Rams
The starting running back position appears to be a wide-open race for the St. Louis Rams. I think that St. Louis is looking to run an up-tempo offense and involve the passing game more. Isaiah Pead is a very fast player that is an elite receiver out of the back field. I think Pead fits what the Rams are trying to accomplish very well and will surely get a lot of work.
10.01: Danario Alexander, WR, San Diego Chargers
Danario Alexander has always been a very athletic wide receiver. He has a nice size and speed combination that teams covet. Alexander finally seemed to put his talent together last season and I think that he is a nice sleeper for 2013. Alexander will probably be the no. 1 target for Phillip Rivers once again.
11.10: Chris Givens, WR, St. Louis Rams
As I said earlier, I think the Rams are going to throw the ball more this season. Chris Givens was quarterback Sam Bradford's favorite target most of the time last season. Givens has great speed and should continue to get a lot of opportunity in St. Louis.
12.01: Ben Tate, RB, Houston Texans
I continued to stock up on running backs when I took Ben Tate in the 12th round. Tate is one Arian Foster injury away from being a potential RB1. Even with Foster in the lineup, I think that Tate is a decent fill-in option as he gets as much work as any backup running back in the league.
13.10: Zac Stacy, RB, St. Louis Rams
At this point in the draft, I just wanted to keep stocking up on running back options. Zac Stacy is a very talented back that should get some opportunity in the Rams' offense. With Pead and Daryl Richardson also in the picture, carries may be tough to come by; but at this point in the draft, Stacy is well worth the risk.
14.01: St. Louis Rams Defense
Normally, I would never take a defense until the second-to-last pick. But at this point in the draft, I had three picks left and I still needed a tight end, defense and kicker. There were still plenty of tight end options that I felt comfortable taking so I decided to take one of my top defenses. I am a huge proponent of streaming defenses. That basically means targeting defenses with favorable match-ups and playing them each week. The Rams play the Arizona Cardinals week 1. I love that matchup for a very young and talented defense.
15.10: Dustin Keller, TE, Miami Dolphins
Similar to defenses, I also tend to stream my tight ends. This season, Jimmy Graham is a fantastic tight end option. After that, the options are all pretty much the same to me. Dustin Keller is a guy that I like as a late-round flyer. The Miami Dolphins do not have many options in the red zone, and I think that Keller could become that guy for them. He has gotten rave reviews early in camp and I expect big things out of him this season. If it does not work out, I will just find someone else on the waiver wire.
16.01: Greg Zuerlein, K, St. Louis Rams
The kicker position is almost impossible to predict. Greg Zuerlein probably has the strongest leg in the NFL, and I like the Rams' offense to score a lot of points this season. You never know what will happen with kickers but Zuerlein is my no. 1 guy right now.
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