Fantasy Football Mock Draft 2022, 12-team PPR: Najee Harris over Dalvin Cook?

Running through a new Fantasy Football Mock Draft for a 12-team PPR league with the No. 4 pick. A big running back decision looms in Round 1.

Whether you’re the most experienced fantasy football manager in the world that’s been doing research since the final whistle of the Super Bowl or a newbie trying to cut their teeth in the wild world, going into a fantasy football draft can feel like an extremely daunting task.

Who do I draft in this spot? I’m worried about this player, but is there too much value with this pick to pass him up? WHY IS EVERYONE YELLING?!

See, it’s stressful. But one of the best things you can do to prepare for your draft is to try and get a feel for how things might play out and a fantasy football mock draft is a great way to go about that. You can see how fellow managers are drafting and what players might be available at your pick.

So we’re going to give you that with a bit of insight as well. This fantasy football mock draft was actually completed with other managers trying to prepare and I made my picks in the 12-team PPR format for this league for which I’ll provide my reasoning with the fourth overall pick in a snake draft. Let’s dive in, starting with an internal debate in the first round.

Note: This mock draft was compiled using FantasyPros’ Draft Wizard mock draft lobby and was completed with 11 other users and me to best simulate a real-life fantasy football draft.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft for 12-team PPR league: Pick No. 4 snake draft

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 1

• Team 1 (1.01): Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts
• Team 2 (1.02): Christian McCaffrey, RB, Panthers
• Team 3 (1.03): Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers
• Team 4 (1.04): Najee Harris, RB, Steelers
• Team 5 (1.05): Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
• Team 6 (1.06): Dalvin Cook, RB, Vikings
• Team 7 (1.07): Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams
• Team 8 (1.08): Derrick Henry, RB, Titans
• Team 9 (1.09): Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
• Team 10 (1.10): Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals
• Team 11 (1.11): Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs
• Team 12 (1.12): D’Andre Swift, RB, Lions

Going into this pick fully aware of the arguments against taking Najee Harris, I trusted my gut and went with the Steelers running back over either Viking, Justin Jefferson or Dalvin Cook.

Jefferson, to me, has more of an argument to be the pick here than Cook. For starters, there’s the volume that the wide receiver should get in Kevin O’Connell’s offense and we’re talking PPR. More importantly, though, Cook has already been nicked up in training camp, which has been an annoying trend for fantasy managers in recent years.

I understand the downside of Najee Harris. He averaged only 3.9 yards per carry last season and the offensive line isn’t improved all that much. At the same time, he still had 1,200 rushing yards and 74 receptions for 467 yards to finish with 10 total touchdowns.

I expect him to be a check-down option just as often given the relative hodgepodge at quarterback and to still get the volume to easily be a 1,200-yard rusher again, so I’m banking on that as the cornerstone of this roster.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 2

• Team 12 (2.01): Stefon Diggs, WR, Bills
• Team 11 (2.02): Davante Adams, WR, Raiders
• Team 10 (2.03): Aaron Jones, RB, Packers
• Team 9 (2.04): Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants
• Team 8 (2.05): CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
• Team 7 (2.06): Javonte Williams, RB, Broncos
• Team 6 (2.07): Leonard Fournette, RB, Buccaneers
• Team 5 (2.08): Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints
• Team 4 (2.09): Tyreek Hill, WR, Dolphins
• Team 3 (2.10): Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens
• Team 2 (2.11): Nick Chubb, RB, Browns
• Team 1 (2.12): Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers

Though it was always unlikely, I was hoping that one of Aaron Jones or CeeDee Lamb would drop to the ninth pick in the second round. That obviously didn’t happen but I’m more than happy to take Tyreek Hill as a consolation prize.

Do I worry about the overall explosiveness of the Dolphins offense with Tua Tagovailoa at the helm? Certainly — it’s hard to imagine the same magic that Hill and Mahomes had. At the same time, with what Miami gave up for him, he’s going to be Option A (and maybe Option B, too) in this offense. When you’re talking PPR league, that means a boatload of targets and his game-breaking ability is still there. For those reasons, I’m comfortable with him being my top receiver.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 3

• Team 1 (3.01): Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers
• Team 2 (3.02): Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers
• Team 3 (3.03): Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals
• Team 4 (3.04): Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts
• Team 5 (3.05): Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons
• Team 6 (3.06): A.J. Brown, WR, Eagles
• Team 7 (3.07): Josh Allen, QB, Bills
• Team 8 (3.08): James Conner, RB, Cardinals
• Team 9 (3.09): DJ Moore, WR, Panthers
• Team 10 (3.10): Diontae Johnson, WR, Steelers
• Team 11 (3.11): Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys
• Team 12 (3.12): David Montgomery, RB, Bears

Speaking of guys who I’m comfortable having as my top receiver, I think getting Michael Pittman Jr. early in the third round could be looked back as one of the steals of the draft if you’re able to do it as I was in this mock.

It’s hard to overstate the impact that going from Carson Wentz to Matt Ryan is going to have on the Colts pass-catchers and Pittman emerged even last season as a bonafide WR1 in this offense. Moreover, with the attention that must be paid to Jonathan Taylor, the opportunities for him to make big plays are going to be abundant. I think he has Top 5 upside at the position this year and love pairing him with Hill to start this fantasy football receiving corps.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 4

• Team 12 (4.01): Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins
• Team 11 (4.02): Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jaguars
• Team 10 (4.03): Mike Williams, WR, Chargers
• Team 9 (4.04): Terry McLaurin, WR, Commanders
• Team 8 (4.05): Breece Hall, RB, Jets
• Team 7 (4.06): Cam Akers, RB, Rams
• Team 6 (4.07): Brandin Cooks, WR, Texans
• Team 5 (4.08): Antonio Gibson, RB, Commanders
• Team 4 (4.09): Allen Robinson, WR, Rams
• Team 3 (4.10): Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers
• Team 2 (4.11): DK Metcalf, WR, Seahawks
• Team 1 (4.12): George Kittle, TE, 49ers

In the simplest terms, I’m all aboard the Allen Robinson hype train. While understanding the concerns arising around the health of Matthew Stafford and his elbow, even Stafford at 85% is better than any quarterback he’s played with in his NFL career.

Robinson is the WR2 in the Rams offense but there are plenty of touches to go around behind Cooper Kupp and Robinson could be the direct beneficiary of defenses playing more attention to Kupp this season than they did a year ago. My belief is that Robinson is in line for perhaps the best season of his career and I love being able to nab that kind of upside in the fourth round.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 5

• Team 1 (5.01): Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders
• Team 2 (5.02): AJ Dillon, RB, Packers
• Team 3 (5.03): Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos
• Team 4 (5.04): Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles
• Team 5 (5.05): Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
• Team 6 (5.06): Darren Waller, TE, Raiders
• Team 7 (5.07): Marquise Brown, WR, Cardinals
• Team 8 (5.08): Jerry Jeudy, WR, Broncos
• Team 9 (5.09): J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ravens
• Team 10 (5.10): Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
• Team 11 (5.11): Amari Cooper, WR, Browns
• Team 12 (5.12): Darnell Mooney, WR, Bears

The only thing that makes me worried about this pick, frankly, is Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. Philadelphia had one of the most efficient rushing attacks last season and Miles Sanders was the heart of it when he was able to go. He’s behind one of the league’s best O-lines with a rushing quarterback, which is even more of an advantage.

With the addition of A.J. Brown in combination with taking DeVonta Smith in the first round of the 2021 draft, there could be pressure to emphasize the passing game. But if they wisely rely less on Jalen Hurts as a passer and keep running the ball, Sanders could be a steal as a fifth-round pick. With the ability to take some swings and gambles late in this draft, I’m comfortable with the Harris-Sanders RB1/RB2 combo.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 6

• Team 12 (6.01): Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals
• Team 11 (6.02): Rashod Bateman, WR, Ravens
• Team 10 (6.03): Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions
• Team 9 (6.04): Elijah Mitchell, RB, 49ers
• Team 8 (6.05): Michael Thomas, WR, Saints
• Team 7 (6.06): Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers
• Team 6 (6.07): JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Chiefs
• Team 5 (6.08): Elijah Moore, WR, Jets
• Team 4 (6.09): Dalton Schultz, TE, Cowboys
• Team 3 (6.10): Chase Edmonds, RB, Dolphins
• Team 2 (6.11): Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings
• Team 1 (6.12): Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles

With the top tier of tight ends already off of the board, I wasn’t about to get stuck with someone who I wouldn’t be happy with. That led me to Dalton Schultz, a player who I’m high on making a big jump but who is going slightly under the radar.

The Cowboys traded away Amari Cooper, lost Cedrick Wilson in free agency and won’t have Michael Gallup to start the year due to injury. CeeDee Lamb, of course, is going to gobble up a ton of those available targets but Schultz, who performed well last year in his role, is the only player come Week 1 with any kind of rapport with Dak Prescott. I think his target share increases more than people realize and he pays off being a sixth-round selection in this draft.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 7

• Team 1 (7.01): Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs
• Team 2 (7.02): Devin Singletary, RB, Bills
• Team 3 (7.03): Gabriel Davis, WR, Bills
• Team 4 (7.04): Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
• Team 5 (7.05): Tony Pollard, RB, Cowboys
• Team 6 (7.06): Tom Brady, QB, Buccaneers
• Team 7 (7.07): DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles
• Team 8 (7.08): Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 49ers
• Team 9 (7.09): Kareem Hunt, RB, Browns
• Team 10 (7.10): T.J. Hockenson, TE, Lions
• Team 11 (7.11): Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys
• Team 12 (7.12): Hunter Renfrow, WR, Raiders

My plan was to wait a bit longer on quarterback but I wasn’t enamored with the players on the board, so I was more than comfortable taking Joe Burrow off of the board with this pick. Given the improvements the Bengals made to the offensive line and the success that we saw Cincinnati have with a prolific passing game down the stretch and into the playoffs, I think we see Burrow really let loose this season and potentially finish as a Top 3 quarterback in fantasy football.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 8

• Team 12 (8.01): Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks
• Team 11 (8.02): Damien Harris, RB, Patriots
• Team 10 (8.03): Rashaad Penny, RB, Seahawks
• Team 9 (8.04): Allen Lazard, WR, Packers
• Team 8 (8.05): Zach Ertz, TE, Cardinals
• Team 7 (8.06): Drake London, WR, Falcons
• Team 6 (8.07): Cordarrelle Patterson, RB, Falcons
• Team 5 (8.08): Robert Woods, WR, Titans
• Team 4 (8.09): Christian Kirk, WR, Jaguars
• Team 3 (8.10): Melvin Gordon III, RB, Broncos
• Team 2 (8.11): Dallas Goedert, TE, Eagles
• Team 1 (8.12): DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Cardinals

Make no mistake, the memes and jokes you’ve seen about the Christian Kirk contract that the Jaguars gave the receiver this offseason are warranted. The former Cardinal is being overpaid.

That, however, does not mean that Kirk is bad at football and that he’s not going to be a major part of the offense in Jacksonville. Trevor Lawrence should make a jump in year two and, most importantly, they have an adult leading the team now in Doug Pederson. I think the Jags offense makes a big jump forward and Kirk is the clear-cut top target in the passing game. Getting him in Round 8 with that type of upside is wild to me.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 9

• Team 1 (9.01): Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots
• Team 2 (9.02): James Cook, RB, Bills
• Team 3 (9.03): Kadarius Toney, WR, Giants
• Team 4 (9.04): Ken Walker III, RB, Seahawks
• Team 5 (9.05): Treylon Burks, WR, Titans
• Team 6 (9.06): Chase Claypool, WR, Steelers
• Team 7 (9.07): Russell Gage, WR, Buccaneers
• Team 8 (9.08): Russell Wilson, QB, Broncos
• Team 9 (9.09): Trey Lance, QB, 49ers
• Team 10 (9.10): Jakobi Meyers, WR, Patriots
• Team 11 (9.11): Michael Carter, RB, Jets
• Team 12 (9.12): Garrett Wilson, WR, Jets

My target on the turn into the ninth round was James Cook given the buzz coming out of Bills training camp about the rookie (and brother of Dalvin), but he went off of the board two picks before I went on the clock. That forced me to pivot but I still like the upside of Ken Walker III.

An explosive and talented runner in an offense that is going to have to pound the rock, Rashaad Penny is the RB1 for the Seahawks but has struggled to stay healthy. That opens the door for Walker either to A. take over for an injured Penny or B. split carries with Penny. In any case, he figures to have a role in his first season and I like the talent that he brings as a flier.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 10

• Team 12 (10.01): Chris Olave, WR, Saints
• Team 11 (10.02): Tyler Boyd, WR, Bengals
• Team 10 (10.03): Nyheim Hines, RB, Colts
• Team 9 (10.04): Cole Kmet, TE, Bears
• Team 8 (10.05): Skyy Moore, WR, Chiefs
• Team 7 (10.06): Alexander Mattison, RB, Vikings
• Team 6 (10.07): Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Rams
• Team 5 (10.08): James Robinson, RB, Jaguars
• Team 4 (10.09): Dameon Pierce, RB, Texans
• Team 3 (10.10): J.D. McKissic, RB, Commanders
• Team 2 (10.11): Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams
• Team 1 (10.12): Jarvis Landry, WR, Saints

Another flier at running back, which is very much my strategy after loading up on four wide receivers I’m extremely confident in. But Dameon Pierce is going extremely under the radar.

Unless you believe that Marlon Mack returning from injury is going to run away with the job, Pierce has a legitimate shot to be the No. 1 back in Houston this season. He has plenty of miles left on the tires after not getting that much work in college at Florida and he’s behind a decent line with the Texans. There’s value here and a ton of potential upside if he gets a full workload.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 11

• Team 1 (11.01): Ronald Jones II, RB, Chiefs
• Team 2 (11.02): Michael Gallup, WR, Cowboys
• Team 3 (11.03): Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Eagles
• Team 4 (11.04): Tyler Allgeier, RB, Falcons
• Team 5 (11.05): Isaiah Spiller, RB, Chargers
• Team 6 (11.06): DeVante Parker, WR, Patriots
• Team 7 (11.07): Pat Freiermuth, TE, Steelers
• Team 8 (11.08): Rondale Moore, WR, Cardinals
• Team 9 (11.09): Rachaad White, RB, Buccaneers
• Team 10 (11.10): Dawson Knox, TE, Bills
• Team 11 (11.11): Jamaal Williams, RB, Lions
• Team 12 (11.12): Kenny Golladay, WR, Giants

Sensing a theme with these last three picks? We have another rookie running back but Tyler Allgeier is in a different situation. The Falcons have Cordarrelle Patterson on the roster still, but the belief is that he’ll remain more of a gadget player and the newcomer out of BYU could get the more traditional carries for Atlanta. An effective one-cut runner who should be a short-yardage option too, he could be a sneaky late-round pickup that produces well in his first season.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 12

• Team 12 (12.01): Mike Gesicki, TE, Dolphins
• Team 11 (12.02): Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
• Team 10 (12.03): Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Chiefs
• Team 9 (12.04): Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings
• Team 8 (12.05): Parris Campbell, WR, Colts
• Team 7 (12.06): Raheem Mostert, RB, Dolphins
• Team 6 (12.07): Derek Carr, QB, Raiders
• Team 5 (12.08): Jahan Dotson, WR, Commanders
• Team 4 (12.09): Mecole Hardman, WR, Chiefs
• Team 3 (12.10): DJ Chark Jr., WR, Lions
• Team 2 (12.11): Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots
• Team 1 (12.12): Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins

We’re going back to the wide receiver well here and taking a flier on Mecole Hardman with the Chiefs offense trying to figure out the hierarchy of the passing attack behind Travis Kelce now that Tyreek Hill is in Miami.

Hardman has been drawing rave reviews in training camp thus far and, while he might not be a target hog, he has already shown his big-play ability at this level. Now he’ll be relied on to take that step up in consistently showing that ability and I like for him to make that leap, which makes him a great value in Round 12.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 13

• Team 1 (13.01): Julio Jones, WR, Buccaneers
• Team 2 (13.02): Buffalo Bills DST
• Team 3 (13.03): Khalil Herbert, RB, Bears
• Team 4 (13.04): Romeo Doubs, WR, Packers
• Team 5 (13.05): Matt Ryan, QB, Colts
• Team 6 (13.06): Darrel Williams, RB, Cardinals
• Team 7 (13.07): Gus Edwards, RB, Ravens
• Team 8 (13.08): New Orleans Saints DST
• Team 9 (13.09): Tampa Bay Buccaneers DST
• Team 10 (13.10): Marlon Mack, RB, Texans
• Team 11 (13.11): Corey Davis, WR, Jets
• Team 12 (13.12): Sony Michel, RB, Dolphins

I thought about making my last lottery ticket flier George Pickens on the Steelers but I’m too worried about the quarterback situation to be all-in on any of the pass-catchers in Pittsburgh — no matter how much I believe in the rookie receiver’s potential.

So instead, I’m looking at Romeo Doubs, a player who is already earning praise from Aaron Rodgers as a rookie in Packers camp and who is joining a receiving corps that has basically all targets available from last season. It’s a longshot but I think Doubs has plenty of talent and opportunity to be a sleeper that could pay huge dividends this season.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 14

• Team 12 (14.01): San Francisco 49ers DST
• Team 11 (14.02): Indianapolis Colts DST
• Team 10 (14.03): Justin Tucker, K, Ravens
• Team 9 (14.04): Noah Fant, TE, Seahawks
• Team 8 (14.05): Tyler Bass, K, Bills
• Team 7 (14.06): New England Patriots DST
• Team 6 (14.07): Denver Broncos DST
• Team 5 (14.08): Evan McPherson, K, Bengals
• Team 4 (14.09): Los Angeles Chargers DST
• Team 3 (14.10): Los Angeles Rams DST
• Team 2 (14.11): Robbie Anderson, WR, Panthers
• Team 1 (14.12): Matt Gay, K, Rams

If I’ve said it before, I’ve said it 1,000 times: Wait until the last two rounds to take your defense and kicker. And preferably, take a defense and then grab your kicker.

So that’s what I did here and I think the Chargers could be a great asset for a fantasy roster this season. The addition of Khalil Mack is huge for the front and the secondary could be a monster with JC Jackson in the fold. I think we see a huge uptick from this unit in LA that puts them among the better defenses in the NFL for the 2022 season.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft Round 15

• Team 1 (15.01): Dallas Cowboys DST
• Team 2 (15.02): Daniel Carlson, K, Raiders
• Team 3 (15.03): Ryan Succop, K, Buccaneers
• Team 4 (15.04): Harrison Butker, K, Chiefs
• Team 5 (15.05): Pittsburgh Steelers DST
• Team 6 (15.06): Matt Prater, K, Cardinals
• Team 7 (15.07): Younghoe Koo, K, Falcons
• Team 8 (15.08): Jalen Tolbert, WR, Cowboys
• Team 9 (15.09): Jason Sanders, K, Dolphins
• Team 10 (15.10): Miami Dolphins DST
• Team 11 (15.11): Rodrigo Blankenship, K, Colts
• Team 12 (15.12): Nick Folk, K, Patriots

We round out the draft with a kicker, Harrison Butker to be exact. There’s not a whole lot of strategy with kickers other than “pick a reliable one that will have chances to kick a lot.” Butker might have a boost in his value, though, because the Chiefs offense might not be as explosive or reliable as it was to stay on the field now that Hill is gone. That could mean more kicks for Butker and more fantasy points for your team should you draft him.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft results: Team roster and breakdown

• QB: Joe Burrow, Bengals (7.04)
• RB: Najee Harris, Steelers (1.04)
• RB: Miles Sanders, Eagles (5.04)
• WR: Tyreek Hill, Dolphins (2.09)
• WR: Michael Pittman Jr., Colts (3.04)
• TE: Dalton Schultz, Cowboys (6.09)
• FLEX: Allen Robinson, Rams (4.09)
• D/ST: Los Angeles Chargers (14.09)
• K: Harrison Butker, Chiefs (15.04)
• Bench: Christian Kirk, WR, Jaguars (8.09)
• Bench: Ken Walker III, RB, Seahawks (9.04)
• Bench: Dameon Pierce, RB, Texans (10.09)
• Bench: Tyler Allgeier, RB, Falcons (11.04)
• Bench: Mecole Hardman, WR, Chiefs (12.09)
• Bench: Romeo Doubs, WR, Packers (13.04)

Between the depth at wide receiver, the reliability at quarterback and a top-tier RB1 combined with high-upside fliers at running back otherwise, this is an ideal roster for the strategy I’m looking at in PPR leagues, especially when talking about 12-team leagues.

The combo of Hill, Pittman and Robinson is a group in which every player has a chance to be Top 10 at the position this year. Throw in the value and upside on Kirk, Hardman and Doubs and there’s a ton to like about this group. The one worry would be relying on Sanders in a somewhat uncertain role, but I’m banking on his ability and the success of the Eagles rushing offense last year to carry us through that with this mock roster.