Fantasy: 12-team mock draft with analysis

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2018 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.

Mock Drafts

• 10-team
• 12-team

theScore staff took part in a 12-team, 12-round mock to help provide a glimpse at what your drafts might look like and give some insight on what to watch for in each round.

This is a standard (non-PPR) scoring league with the following roster spots: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, BN, BN, BN, BN. We left off defenses and kickers since they normally get selected in the final two rounds.

Draft Participants: Alex Chippin, Dan Wilkins, Jack Browne, David P. Woods, Caitlyn Holroyd, Gino Bottero, Mitch Sanderson, Justin Boone, Esten McLaren, Mike Alessandrini, Sean Tomlinson, Dan Levine.

Round 1

Round 1: A big surprise off the top as Elliott is selected before Gurley and Bell, who are normally the first two picks. Gurley, Bell, and even Johnson play major roles in their team's passing attacks, giving them higher ceilings and floors. It's possible Elliott will have a career year in 2018, but he'll need to nearly double his volume as a receiver to eclipse the other elite backs ... With my top-six rushers off the board, I went with Hopkins - a dominant wideout coming off a 96-catch, 1,378-yard, 13-touchdown campaign. Hopkins also gets Deshaun Watson back under center after the duo showed impressive chemistry early last year.

Round 2

Round 2: Even in a 12-team league, there's a plethora of talent deep into the second round. Gordon, Thomas, and Allen could easily be worthy of first-round consideration ... McCoy has delivered monster fantasy campaigns in the past, but entering his age-30 season, he'll face a higher degree of difficulty playing in an offense that lacks talent at every position. Downgrades to his blockers could be most problematic as the Bills lost the entire left side of their offensive line. Volume is his only hope of countering a likely drop in efficiency ... Mixon sneaks into the second round, in part thanks to the arrival of McCoy's former left tackle, Cordy Glenn. The Bengals invested in their offensive line in hopes of kickstarting the offense after a down year. The upside is there for a breakout season from Mixon.

Round 3

Round 3: Being able to identify the talent in the third round will give fantasy owners a massive advantage this season. Gronk is an easy choice here, but there are plenty of landmines to navigate in the rest of the round ... Henry became one of those high-risk options when the Titans handed a significant contract to free agent Dion Lewis, a more dynamic weapon capable of handling lead back duties. At worst, Tennessee will be a committee, making Henry a tough sell in the third round ... Deciding between the Vikings' receivers might be a waste of time, since both are set up for strong fantasy campaigns with Kirk Cousins joining the team. Thielen gets a slight edge, but Diggs also carries low-end WR1 potential.

Round 4

Round 4: Ingram, like most players facing a suspension, will be tricky to assess on draft day. He proved he can still be an RB1 even with Kamara breaking out in the same backfield last year, and once Ingram's in the lineup again, he should be a top-15 back. However, there's always the risk that he could lose his job or might not return as the same player. Saints fans remember what happened to Willie Snead in 2017. If you're looking to land Ingram, this is the range where you're going to have to take him, accepting all the possible outcomes ... Instead of Ingram, you're better off rolling the dice on one of the promising rookie backs like Michel, Penny, or Guice. Each will be counted on early and often for their new franchises and they offer league-winning potential if they hit.

Round 5

Round 5: If a timeshare does happen in Tennessee, taking Lewis at a two-round discount to Henry is the smarter play ... While there's upside in a wide-open Tampa Bay backfield, Jones is one rookie to shy away from. He doesn't profile as a sustaining rusher and the Bucs have already discussed keeping Peyton Barber involved ... If you feel like Hogan as the WR22 is a reach, take a closer look at his stats prior to his injury in 2017 ... Watson's historic on-pace stats prior to his torn ACL were enough to make him the QB2 in this draft, going ahead of Russell Wilson. I'd still lean toward Russ, who's proven himself as a top-five fantasy passer multiple times.

Round 6

Round 6: Quarterback is extremely deep, but getting Wilson in the sixth round is nice value ... Graham has the ability to win leagues if he makes an immediate red-zone connection with Rodgers. The only worry will be the 31-year-old's declining yardage totals. He's worth the gamble in the sixth or seventh round ... Mack, Freeman, and Chubb all have the opportunity to be lead backs this season if they can emerge from their respective backfield competitions. Of that trio, Freeman has the best chance to be the clear starter in Week 1.

Round 7

Round 7: At this point in the draft you should be swinging for the fences on players with immense upside ... It's nice to see Stills selected where he belongs, but based on his current ADP, you might be able to wait a round or two before pulling the trigger ... Cohen should get more work under offensive-minded new head coach Matt Nagy, though he's a better target in PPR leagues ... With Cooks joining the Rams' receiving corps, Kupp could have a hard time repeating his strong debut season. Even at the end of the seventh round, this seems like a reach.

Round 8

Round 8: If the Jets' offense can surprise us with another competent campaign, Crowell could be a steal in the eighth ... Team Sanderson's strategy to go zero-WR before the sixth round has yielded him a starting group of Crabtree, Woods, and Cobb. Regardless of what you think about his early RB selections, this is proof that waiting on receivers is a viable plan, and he still has opportunities to add some late-round lottery-tickets.

Round 9

Round 9: The season-ending injury to Hunter Henry means the drop-off at tight end occurs even earlier. Burton is a former backup who will get the chance to break out as the Bears' coaching staff plans to feature him. With the top-eight tight ends gone, and a realistic fear of being left empty-handed at the position, Burton was a necessary pick. Of the unproven commodities at tight end, he's the best bet to crack the top eight.

Round 10

Round 10: Cousins isn't an elite talent, but his consistency's tough to match as a top-seven fantasy QB in three straight seasons. In Minnesota, he'll get the best supporting cast of his career ... Team Sanderson snags Bryant as he continues to look for late-round upside at receiver. Bryant isn't the player he once was, but his value could increase significantly depending on his landing spot ... If Williams can stay on the field and carve out his role in the Chargers' offense, he'll rise up draft boards over the next few months.

Round 11

Round 11: This is more proof for why you should wait on quarterback. It's much wiser to spend your 11th-round pick on perennial fantasy starters like Stafford or Rivers rather than investing in long shots at other positions ... Kittle and Njoku have breakout potential, but come with no guarantees. Drafting either as your TE1 will leave you exposed. If you're forced into that situation, make sure to pair them with another option to minimize the risk.

Round 12

Round 12: Luck and Mahomes might be the two most volatile fantasy quarterbacks this season, with their potential finishes ranging from top-five to outright cut from your team. They're best suited as high-upside backups for fantasy owners willing to carry two QBs ... Matthews, Meredith, and Williams could start the season as the No. 2 receiving options in prolific offenses. Keep an eye out for them in final rounds.

Mock Drafts

• 10-team
• 12-team