2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 7
- Mock start date: Saturday, May 14th- Mock end date: Saturday, May 28th
Scoring: This mock draft is based on standard-scoring formats and is for the 2016 season only (i.e., not keeper or dynasty leagues). Passing touchdowns are worth four points while rushing and receiving touchdowns are worth six points. In addition, one point is earned per 25 passing yards, 10 rushing or 10 receiving yards.
In this mock draft, four of our contributors -- Kevin Hanson, Brendan Donahue, Sean Beazley and Dan Yanotchko -- will each draft for three (of 12) teams.
Note: This is a "slow" mock, but picks will be added once they are made with commentary from Kevin Hanson.
View Round: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 | By Teams
Here is Round 7 of our post-draft 2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft:
7.01 - Dan Yanotchko (Team 1): Tim Hightower, RB, New Orleans Saints
If we were assigning mock draft superlatives, this would certainly earn the title of Most Surprising Pick. Based on early ADP data from Fantasy Football Calculator, Hightower has an average draft position of 180 (14th round).
I have to admit I have no idea what Dan was thinking when he made this pick, as he could have waited until the last round of this mock (Round 12) for Hightower. My guess is Dan worries about Mark Ingram's durability and is basing this pick on what Hightower did last season as Ingram's injury replacement — and could do in that role again this year. In the final four games of the season (with Ingram sidelined), Hightower finished as a top-seven fantasy running back three times and averaged 24.0 touches and 17.4 fantasy points per game over that stretch.
And even though Ingram has missed at least three games in four of his five NFL seasons, Hightower will have little weekly value when Ingram is healthy. With only LeSean McCoy (2.12) and Jeremy Langford (4.12) as starting running backs on Dan's team, I'd prefer a running back in this spot that could provide more weekly production, such as Giovani Bernard or Chris Ivory.
7.02 - Brendan Donahue (Team 1): Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
Kelce's 2015 numbers (875 yards and five touchdowns) were very similar to his 2014 numbers (862 yards and five touchdowns). Among tight ends, only Rob Gronkowski (2,300), Greg Olsen (2,112) and Delanie Walker (1,978) have more receiving yards than Kelce (1,737) over the past two seasons.
7.03 - Kevin Hanson (Team 1): Giovani Bernard, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Part of a platoon with Jeremy Hill, Bernard still finished as a top-21 fantasy running back in standard-scoring formats (RB16 in PPR) last season despite scoring just two touchdowns. In fact, RB21 was the worst finish of his young three-year career.
In his three seasons, Bernard has averaged 213.33 touches (including 49.33 receptions) and 1,146.67 YFS per season. Another season with 200 touches, 50 receptions and 1,000-plus YFS is likely for Bernard, who should easily reach value at his current ADP (RB30) even if his ceiling is limited by Hill's presence.
7.04 - Kevin Hanson (Team 2): Chris Ivory, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
One year after finishing as a top-20 fantasy running back, Ivory finished 2015 as a top-10 fantasy back while recording his first-ever 1,000-yard season (1,070 yards on 247 carries). Signing a free-agent deal with the Jaguars, however, Ivory will be part of a 1-2 punch with second-year back T.J. Yeldon in 2016. Only the Lions ran the ball on a lower percentage of their plays than the Jaguars last season, but the team should run the ball more often in 2016 with an improved outlook.
7.05 - Sean Beazley (Team 1): Ameer Abdullah, RB, Detroit Lions
Atop the team's depth chart, Abdullah has some breakout potential in 2016. No team ran the ball on a lower percentage of their plays last season, but the retirement of Calvin Johnson should lead to more play-calling balance. Abdullah rushed for 597 yards on 143 carries, added 25 catches for 183 yards and scored three total touchdowns as a rookie.
7.06 - Sean Beazley (Team 2): Donte Moncrief, WR, Indianapolis Colts
In his sophomore campaign, Moncrief doubled his reception total from 32 to 64 catches for 733 yards and six touchdowns. Moncrief had turf toe surgery earlier this offseason, but he should be ready for training camp. With an ideal combination of great size (6-2, 222) and athleticism (4.40 forty, 39.5-inch vertical), the 22-year-old (turns 23 in August) Moncrief has plenty of breakout appeal heading into his third season.
7.07 - Brendan Donahue (Team 2): Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Dangerous as a returner, Lockett became more involved in the team's offense in the second half of his rookie season. While he had a couple of return scores early in the season, all six of his receiving scores occurred in the final 10 games of the season. Lockett should improve upon his rookie receiving numbers (51/664/6) in 2016.
7.08 - Brendan Donahue (Team 3): Kevin White, WR, Chicago Bears
White missed all of his rookie season due to a stress fracture in his shin. Recovered from last year's injury, White has all of the physical tools to develop into a dominant receiver in the league and should finish second on the team in targets behind Alshon Jeffery in 2016.
7.09 - Dan Yanotchko (Team 2): LeGarrette Blount, RB, New England Patriots
In his 38 games (regular season and playoffs) as a Patriot, Blount has a total of 24 touchdowns. The biggest challenge with owning Blount — or any Patriots running back — is that he could go from 30 carries and three touchdowns one week to two carries the next week.
7.10 - Dan Yanotchko (Team 3): Steve Smith, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Postponing his retirement by one year, the obvious concerns with Smith is that he is now 37 years old and coming off a torn Achilles injury. That said, Smith had 46 catches for 670 yards and three scores in his seven games played last season. His 95.7 YPG average was the third-highest of his career and his most in nearly a decade (2008).
7.11 - Kevin Hanson (Team 3): Duke Johnson, RB, Cleveland Browns
Only four running backs had more receptions than Johnson (61) had as a rookie last season. Better in PPR formats (RB23 in 2015), Johnson still managed to finish as a top-35 fantasy running back in standard-scoring formats as well. Coincidentally, Johnson is the 35th running back off the board in this mock.
7.12 - Sean Beazley (Team 3): Justin Forsett, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Forsett broke his arm in the team's 10th game and he missed the final six games of the season. In the first nine games, however, he averaged 16.33 touches per game in the first nine games of the season. Forsett will open camp atop the team's depth chart, but he turns 31 this year and Buck Allen and rookie Kenneth Dixon will push him for snaps early on.
> Continue to Round 8 of our Fantasy Football Mock Draft
> Go back to Round 6 of our Fantasy Football Mock Draft
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