Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Young Running Backs Rising
Round 3
| Pick | Team | Selection | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Blair Ames | Adam Thielen | WR13 |
| 26 | Abe Schwadron | Allen Robinson | WR14 |
| 27 | Akash Bhatia | LeSean McCoy | RB13 |
| 28 | Joseph Redemann | Amari Cooper | WR15 |
| 29 | Dale Redman | Larry Fitzgerald | WR16 |
| 30 | Brandon Gdula | Jerick McKinnon | RB14 |
| 31 | JJ Zacchariason | Joe Mixon | RB15 |
| 32 | Austan Kas | Jordan Howard | RB16 |
| 33 | Anthony Amico | Rob Gronkowski | TE1 |
| 34 | Drew Crawford | Travis Kelce | TE2 |
| 35 | Jim Sannes | T.Y. Hilton | WR17 |
| 36 | Justin Freeman | Derrius Guice | RB17 |
Best Pick: Jerick McKinnon
Despite Adam Gase's annual praise for DeVante Parker, it's Jerick McKinnon who is the front-runner for the offseason's "Most-Hyped Player Award". McKinnon's fantasy draft stock soared after signing a four-year, $30 million contract to play for the San Francisco 49ers and offensive guru Kyle Shanahan.
As Anthony Amico points out, 49ers' running backs accumulated over 30 touch opportunities per game in Jimmy Garoppolo's 5 starts with the team. While Matt Breida is sure to push for 8 to 10 touches -- and, by all accounts, he has looked sharp in early practice sessions -- this is McKinnon's backfield to lose.
A SPARQ-community favorite coming out of Georgia Southern, McKinnon produced in limited chances when he was on the field for the Vikings, especially in the passing game, where he amassed 94 receptions over the last 2 seasons. With a usage spike on the way, the home run threat could outperform his RB14 draft slot.
