Fantasy Football Half-PPR Mock Draft

Who doesn’t love a good mock draft? If you’re one of the few souls still waiting to draft your favorite players, then consider this mock draft as a guide for your upcoming journey. After all, football season is rapidly approaching. And with one fewer preseason game now, the opening kickoff will be here before you know it. 

Let’s take a look at the first two rounds of a 12-team, half-PPR mock draft, including analysis with each first-round pick. You can also compare each player’s selection to his ADP, provided by FantasyPros. Make sure you follow @TDNFantasy on Twitter for more updates and fantasy advice, too!

First Round

1. Christian McCaffrey (RB - CAR)

FantasyPros ADP: RB1

This is a no-brainer. If you have injury concerns about McCaffrey, half of the running backs in this mock have missed games over the last two seasons. Next!

2. Dalvin Cook (RB - MIN)

FantasyPros ADP: RB2

The next slew of players have few holes in their fantasy outlooks, so take any criticism with a grain of salt. With Cook, injuries are the only imaginable way he doesn’t finish as a top-five back. And even then, Cook only missed two games last season. He’s essentially a lock to see 20-plus carries a game and a handful of targets. No need to overthink this one, either.

3. Derrick Henry (RB - TEN)

FantasyPros ADP: RB3

With top running backs, you should look for someone who, quite simply, is his team’s offense. The Titans’ offense literally runs through Henry. Julio Jones shouldn’t convert Tennessee to a pass-heavy team. After all, there’s a reason Henry led the NFL in carries in each of the last two seasons. His stock takes a slight hit in full-PPR leagues, but he’s still a top running back in every other format.

4. Alvin Kamara (RB - NO)

FantasyPros ADP: RB4

Kamara could be swapped with Henry in full-PPR leagues. Either way, he’ll still see enough involvement to warrant a top-five selection. Could Kamara have a harder time with defenses no longer zoning in on Drew Brees and—for a few weeks—Michael Thomas? It’s certainly possible, but three of Kamara’s worst four games in 2020 came with Thomas in the lineup. Kamara is still a safe pick in all formats.

5. Ezekiel Elliott (RB - DAL)

FantasyPros ADP: RB5

There are certainly good cases to be made for Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, or Travis Kelce in PPR, but again, this is a half-PPR format. It’s understandable if you’re scared off by Elliott’s lackluster finish to last season—he was RB25 from Week 6 and on. Now imagine what he can do with Dak Prescott back in the lineup. Before the Cowboys’ passer went down with an injury in Week 6, Elliott was still his old, productive self. Everything from his snap count to his touchdown rate was noticeably higher with Prescott under center. If the team can stay healthy, then Elliott should reap the benefits. It would be nice if he fixed his fumbling issues, though. He led all running backs with six fumbles last season. 

6. Davante Adams (WR - GB)

FantasyPros ADP: WR1

It’s hard to overlook Adams as the WR1 again. He was the only wideout to hit 300 points in half-PPR leagues, and nothing has changed heading into this season. Just to reiterate Adams’ dominance, his worst performance from 2020 was seven receptions on 10 targets for 42 yards. He’s just a vacuum for passes. While a player’s past production isn’t the end-all, be-all in fantasy, it’s mostly a good forecaster for future fantasy success. That’s especially true for Adams, who will get another season with an agitated Aaron Rodgers. Adams can easily repeat his status as a top-five fantasy player.

7. Travis Kelce (TE - KC)

FantasyPros ADP: TE1

Tight ends are one of the more irritating positions in fantasy because there are only so many good ones to go around. While this year’s pool may be a bit deeper than in previous years, Kelce still reigns above the rest. He had the ninth-highest points per game total among all non-quarterback positions last season, and not much has changed in Kansas City’s offense. There’s no reason to think Kelce can’t be the TE1 for the sixth—yes, sixth—consecutive season. Not only is Kelce a bonafide first-rounder, but you should seriously consider him within the first five picks.

8. Tyreek Hill (WR - KC)

FantasyPros ADP: WR2

Hill’s rank may vary for some, whether it’s behind Kelce and/or Stefon Diggs. Hill gets the slight nod over Diggs due to less reliance on receptions (more on Diggs shortly). The Chiefs have shown they can sustain two top-flight fantasy players in Hill and Kelce. While Hill probably won’t score 15 touchdowns again, he should still be a weekly stud due to his usage and playmaking ability. Adams is the clear WR1, though Hill and Diggs are just beneath him. As a sweetener, expect at least one 40-point explosion.

9. Stefon Diggs (WR - BUF)

FantasyPros ADP: WR3

Diggs is an interesting case because he led the NFL last year with 127 catches. Only Antonio Brown and Michael Thomas have caught more than 120 balls in back-to-back years. While there’s just a slim chance Diggs becomes the third player to do so, it’s encouraging that he has room to grow in the touchdown department. He only caught eight touchdowns last year, tied for eighth-most with seven other receivers. As the clear-cut WR1 in Buffalo, you should expect Diggs to continue balling, even if Emmanuel Sanders steals a few extra targets.

10. Nick Chubb (RB - CLE)

FantasyPros ADP: RB6

Despite missing 5.5 games, Chubb still finished as RB9 last season. In other words, Chubb’s floor is extremely high. His value dips a bit due to his lack of targets, though. Chubb’s 1.5 targets per game were 11th-most on the team. By drafting Chubb, you should hope to complement him with a reliable pass-catcher. Don’t pair Kareem Hunt with him, either. Hunt’s upside is only unleashed if Chubb misses time, which you wouldn’t want.

11. Saquon Barkley (RB - NYG)

FantasyPros ADP: RB7

Barkley has a chance to be the top running back in fantasy. As for injury concerns, let’s not blow them out of proportion. McCaffrey missed a lot of time last year and he’s going No. 1 in almost every draft. While Barkley is no McCaffrey, he’s still a very talented running back. An improved offensive line should help, too. For what it’s worth, I don’t expect the addition of Kenny Golladay to impact Barkley as much unless Daniel Jones takes a massive leap in year three. 

12. DeAndre Hopkins (WR - ARI)

FantasyPros ADP: WR4

If Adams, Hill, and Diggs are the first three receivers off the board, then Hopkins and Calvin Ridley should be WR4 and WR5. It’s really up to you whether you choose Hopkins or Ridley, both are clear WR1s in their respective offensives. Hopkins gets the small nod here because we may see positive touchdown regression. Six receiving touchdowns for the second-most targeted player seems strange. Only one other receiver saw more than 140 targets and scored six or fewer touchdowns: Allen Robinson. Like with most players in the first round, Hopkins’ situation remains relatively unchanged. Don’t fret too much about 33-year-old A.J. Green’s arrival, by the way. Hopkins is Kyler Murray’s guy.

Second Round

13. Jonathan Taylor (RB - IND)

FantasyPros ADP: RB10

First selection: DeAndre Hopkins

14. Calvin Ridley (WR - ATL)

FantasyPros ADP: WR5

First selection: Saquon Barkley

15. Aaron Jones (RB - GB)

FantasyPros ADP: RB9

First selection: Nick Chubb

16. Austin Ekeler (RB - LAC)

FantasyPros ADP: RB8

First selection: Stefon Diggs

17. Antonio Gibson (RB - WSH)

FantasyPros ADP: RB12

First selection: Tyreek Hill

18. Joe Mixon (RB - CIN)

FantasyPros ADP: RB13

First selection: Travis Kelce

19. Najee Harris (RB - PIT)

FantasyPros ADP: RB11

First selection: Davante Adams

20. Justin Jefferson (WR - MIN)

FantasyPros ADP: WR7

First selection: Ezekiel Elliott

21. DK Metcalf (WR - SEA)

FantasyPros ADP: WR6

First selection: Alvin Kamara

22. David Montgomery (RB - CHI)

FantasyPros ADP: RB16

First selection: Derrick Henry

23. Keenan Allen (WR - LAC)

FantasyPros ADP: WR9

First selection: Dalvin Cook

24. A.J. Brown (WR - TEN)

FantasyPros ADP: WR8

First selection: Christian McCaffrey