Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Half-PPR, Early Pick (2024)

As preseason games begin, so do fantasy drafts. Now is the time to get an idea of what to expect from your draft.

We’ll walk you through a half-PPR fantasy football mock draft from third place. The roster format for this mock is 1QB/2RB/3WR/1TE/1Flex/1K/1DST. Don’t forget to prepare for your fantasy football draft with our FREE mock draft simulator.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Half-PPR, Early Pick

1.03: Bijan Robinson (RB – ATL)

Bijan Robinson didn’t have the rookie season everyone expected. Last year he was drafted early and fantasy players expected him to be a key player in the Falcons’ offense, but that didn’t happen.

Robinson needs a new coaching staff and quarterback to form the heart of his offense. New Falcons head coach Raheem Morris knows how good his second-year running back is:

“The simplest form you can imagine is to get the ball to Bijan as often as possible and in as many ideal situations as possible.”

Let him lead your team.

2.10: Mike Evans (WR – TB)

Mike Evans is comfortable and reliable. No one in NFL history has started their career with 10 consecutive 1,000 receiving yard seasons.

He’s done that with several quarterbacks, even in his first season with Baker Mayfield. His size and reliable hands make him a top-notch receiver and target. He had 11 games with eight or more targets last season and should match those numbers again.

3.03: Deebo Samuel (WR – SF)

Deebo Samuel can line up anywhere on the field and use his dynamic skills to gain those extra yards.

He was plagued by injuries, but last year we saw the old Samuel finish as WR7.

What makes him so great is that he’s hard to bring down even when you get your hands on him. He was second among qualified receivers with 2.9 yards after contact per reception.

4.10: Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)

The Giants haven’t had a true top-tier wide receiver since Plaxico Burress. They’re hoping to finally give Daniel Jones someone he can rely on, especially one who can stay healthy, which has been a problem for this team.

In his senior year at LSU, Malik Nabers finished third in yards per route run and fourth in forced missed tackles. He is a talented player. Since New York’s wide receiver roster isn’t very deep, he will be a target eater.

5.03: Zamir White (RB – LV)

I selected a wide receiver with the last pick because I knew Zamir White would still be available at that spot. When you look at the Raiders offense, White is someone who could get the ball often.

Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell are not a quarterback duo like Joe Montana/Steve Young. The Raiders could lead the league in run play percentage and White could have 250 touches. When he finally took the reins late last year, he was the RB8 from Weeks 15 to 18, averaging 14.1 points.

6.10: Calvin Ridley (WR – TEN)

Will Levis goes into the season knowing he’s the starter, which is a huge advantage for him as he gets all the first-team action. With DeAndre Hopkins out for some time early in the season, Ridley has an even bigger advantage.

7.03: Jordan Love (QB – GB)

The 2023 season was a breakthrough for Jordan Love. In his first year as a starter, he finished the season as QB5. As the season went on, he got even better. From weeks 11 to 18, he was the QB2.

Although his receivers had the ninth most drops, he still finished with 4,159 passing yards and now he has a top-class pass-catching running back on board in Josh Jacobs.

8.10: Hollywood Brown (WR – KC)

Do you know who had the most dropped passes last season? The Chiefs.

Despite a group of unreliable and frustrating wide receivers, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs held on and won another Super Bowl. They wanted to bring in a more experienced player that Mahomes could rely on. Hollywood Brown is a fantastic route runner who keeps breaking away. While nothing is official yet, it is believed that Rashee Rice could be suspended for up to half the season, so Brown could be the best wide receiver in this offense.

9.03: George Kittle (TE – SF)

Tight end is the last position we don’t have a starter at, and we have a good one. It was a big year for George Kittle, who finished as TE2. The 49ers offense remains largely intact.

10.10: Rashid Shaheed (WR – NO)

The Saints offense has been very disappointing, with Derek Carr battling injuries all season. However, if he stays healthy and new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is on board, there is a lot of optimism to be had.

Rashid Shaheed will have the opportunity to receive more passes with Michael Thomas gone. He is extremely fast and can be used to create distance – last year he averaged 15.6 yards per pass.

Derek Carr enjoys throwing the ball and was sixth in attempts to throw the ball far.

11.3: Josh Downs (WR – IND)

In any PPR format, you always want to have slot receivers as they tend to reach targets on short routes.

Anthony Richardson is more of a mobile quarterback. When he comes out of the pocket, he can look for a quick pass.

Editor’s note: Prior to the publication of this article, Josh Downs suffered an ankle sprain that could keep him out for a month.

12.10: Khalil Herbert (RB – CHI)

Khalil Herbert will be D’Andre Swift’s backup, but if Swift is out, Herbert will move right into the starting lineup. If he plays, he would be a high-RB2 due to his ability to break tackles; he was ninth in forced missed tackles in 2023.

1:03 p.m.: New York Jets D/ST

If the Jets want to be a contender, it will largely depend on their defense. They have one of the better defensive fronts and secondaries. As long as they stay healthy, they will finish in the top five.

14.10: Jason Sanders (K – MIA)

When you select a kicker, you want him to come from a team whose offense can penetrate the opposing zone, and Miami can do that. Miami was third in yards per game last year. With all of the big-name players still on the team, they should be able to move the ball like that again.

15.03: Tank Bigsby (RB – JAX)

Last year we were told that Tank Bigsby would have a special role opposite Travis Etienne as a rookie, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. Doug Pederson again said publicly that Bigsby had to go. Let’s see if we can hit the jackpot with the last pick.

Final results

The Draft Wizard has given this draft a B- grade with the eighth highest projected total score.