Fantasy football mock draft: Predicting first-rounder’s fantasy potential
By Ryan McCloy
No. 29 – Green Bay Packers
North Carolina State DT Alim McNeill
- Help for Aaron Rodgers? Nah, this is the Packers. They’ve drafted more QBs in the first round than WRs since Rodgers took over for Brett Favre. Their biggest question mark from 2020 was their defensive line, so McNeill can help shore that up.
Fantasy Spin: While we’d all love to see another fantasy WR option catching passes from Aaron Rodgers, settling for another plug and play defense is okay too. McNeill helps plug one of the Packers’ Defense’s holes, shoring up their run defense. He’s not going to be racking up any sacks, so IDP managers need not invest, but the Packers could figure prominently in the D/ST market in standard leagues with a player like McNeill.
No. 30 – Buffalo Bills
North Carolina RB Javonte Williams
- Williams over Najee Harris or Travis Etienne? Don’t write it off just yet. Williams’ pre-draft hype reminds me of last year’s top RB taken, Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He’s skyrocketing up draft boards after a stellar year in Chapel Hill, forcing more broken tackles per rush than attempt than any RB in years.
Fantasy Spin: Finally, a running back! Any NFL RB with a pulse has an opportunity for fantasy success, so keep Williams on your radar, especially in the Bills’ backfield. This pick likely spells doom for Devin Singletary, as he’d already been losing carries to the bigger, stronger Zack Moss. There’s no guarantee which way this backfield would shake out, but look out for Williams to make some noise between NFL draft season and fantasy draft season.
No. 31 – Kansas City Chiefs
Stanford OT Walker Little
- Not getting a lot of pre-draft buzz this year because he opted out of the 2020 season after being injured for nearly all of 2019, Little is one of the best technical prospects in the draft, who would get buzz in the top 10 had he been able to play more recently.
Fantasy Spin: In reality, the Chiefs’ offense can’t get much better – from a fantasy perspective – than it already was. That being said, an addition like Little gives you hope for KC’s potential longevity. Both of their offensive tackles have just been released, and is now a huge need in an evident cap crunching sequence. Little may now have direct fantasy impact, and can inspire confidence in the Chiefs offense moving forward, as he is a massive prospect with the people moving skills and impressive anchor that will leave NFL teams drooling. Look for a continuation of the Chiefs running game, despite the loss of both 2020 tackles, a rarity in the NFL.
No. 32 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tulsa LB Zaven Collins
- The Bucs had few holes in their 2020 roster, as evidenced by their championship run. However, they have multiple impact free agents and will unlikely be able to retain them all, namely both LBs Lavonte David and Shaq Barrett. Collins can help fill one of those new gaps.
Fantasy Spin: The Bucs Defense was among the league’s best in terms of fantasy points in standard leagues in 2020, but the impeding free agency of two of its best linebackers would put that into question for the 2021 season. An addition like Collins could put that worry to rest, as he can slide into a vacant linebacker spot, should Tampa fail to re-sign one of its stars. Barrett and David both had IDP value in 2019 and 2020, so Collins could find some himself in 2021, if presented with the opportunity.