Fantasy Football Mock Draft Recap: Who Needs Quarterbacks?
Round 2
| Pick | Overall | Drafter | First Name | Last Name | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.01 | 13 | Billy Hepfinger | Le'Veon | Bell | PIT | RB |
| 2.02 | 14 | Tyler Buecher | Montee | Ball | DEN | RB |
| 2.03 | 15 | Sam Hauss | Brandon | Marshall | CHI | WR |
| 2.04 | 16 | Jack Delaney | Julio | Jones | ATL | WR |
| 2.05 | 17 | Ari Ross | Arian | Foster | HOU | RB |
| 2.06 | 18 | Matt Grasso | Antonio | Brown | PIT | WR |
| 2.07 | 19 | Jim Sannes | Doug | Martin | TBB | RB |
| 2.08 | 20 | Greg Bucki | Giovani | Bernard | CIN | RB |
| 2.09 | 21 | Jordan Hoover | Jordy | Nelson | GBP | WR |
| 2.10 | 22 | Leo Howell | Alshon | Jeffery | CHI | WR |
| 2.11 | 23 | Mike Comerford | Randall | Cobb | GBP | WR |
| 2.12 | 24 | Sean Wirth | Zac | Stacy | STL | RB |
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the second round is the position that wasn't selected. No quarterbacks went off the board in the first 24 selections, as is usually the case in leagues including numberFire staff. Call it the JJ Zachariason effect, if you will.
And as for the picks that were made, one showed a classic example of an avoidable fantasy football pitfall. Billy selected Le'Veon Bell literally minutes after he was arrested for DUI and possession of marijuana. Combine that with his status as the seventh-worst running back with over 200 carries last year according to our Rushing Net Expected Points (NEP) metric, and it doesn't seem like the best value at the top of the second round.
Jim Sannes went with Doug Martin with his second-round choice, ignoring the many skeptics who don't believe Martin can return value on such a premium pick. The Buccaneers' running back was one of the best in the NFL during his rookie season (he finished seventh among backs with 200 carries or more in Rushing NEP, and first in Reception NEP in 2012), and faced a brutal schedule with an incompetent coach in 2013. Jim is banking hard on a bounce back for the Muscle Hamster.
My pick: Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears, WR - Jeffery arrived as a fantasy football superstar last year (He finished eighth in Reception NEP, higher than Jordy Nelson, DeSean Jackson and others), using his size and athleticism to stretch the field and showing his agility and body control to find two feet in the end zone more often than not. Marc Trestman is the most fantasy-friendly coach in the NFL, and I expect big things from Forte, Brandon Marshall and Jeffery this season.
