Welcome to the 10th installment of my 12-part mock draft series, where I’m drafting from every spot — 1 through 12 — in a standard 12-team Yahoo league to break down how draft strategies evolve based on pick position. As always, I used the Yahoo Fantasy Plus Instant Mock Draft tool and drafted solo. The format is half-PPR, with the following roster construction: QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, TE, FLEX, K, D/ST and six bench spots.
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We’re onto the 10th pick, where I went with a more balanced approach with my roster development. Landing a pick at the backend of your draft will have plenty of strategic crossroads — you can zig while others zag or double down on value as positional runs unfold. Let’s see how it unfolded here:
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Full Roster
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QB: Patrick Mahomes (KC)
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RB: James Cook (BUF)
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RB: Alvin Kamara (NO)
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WR: Nico Collins (HOU),
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WR: Brian Thomas Jr. (JAC)
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TE: Mark Andrews (BAL)
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FLEX: Isiah Pacheco (KC)
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D/ST: Minnesota Vikings (MIN)
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K: Jake Elliott (PHI)
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Bench: Jakobi Meyers (LV)
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Bench: Keon Coleman (BUF)
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Bench: Braelon Allen (NYJ)
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Bench: Jayden Higgins (HOU)
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Bench: Tyler Warren (IND)
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Bench: Marvin Mims Jr. (DEN)
Rounds 1–3: Locking in top WRs with a high-floor RB
1.10 – Nico Collins (HOU – WR)
2.03 – Brian Thomas Jr. (JAC – WR)
3.10 – James Cook (BUF – RB)
Roster Assessment after Round 3
Starting WR-WR-RB emphasized my strategy in selecting dynamic pass-catchers early, leaving flexibility to focus on RBs later. Nico Collins has his share of injury concerns, and it doesn’t help that the Texans’ offensive line is trash. However, he’s the alpha of Houston’s offense with limited competition for targets. Collins has the upside to be a top-three wideout this season.
The Jags offense should be far more productive under new HC Liam Coen — another member of the Sean McVay coaching tree. Brian Thomas Jr. showed out in his rookie campaign with 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 TDs. It’s up in Year 2.
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In the third round, I went with James Cook, a three-down back who is tethered to one of the best offenses (and QBs) in the NFL. Building through WR first set the tone for a more balanced roster that could pivot to value when the board flipped, without forcing positional needs. This trio gave me both youth and breakout potential — a good sign in a mock with lots of early RB grabs.
Rounds 4–6: RB stable with bounce-back QB
4.03 – Alvin Kamara (NO – RB)
5.10 – Isiah Pacheco (KC – RB)
6.03 – Patrick Mahomes (KC – QB)
Roster Assessment after Round 6
By loading up on backfield talent, I ensured my RB room stayed versatile. The Saints offense looks putrid, but when has that ever stopped Alvin Kamara in fantasy? His PPR upside continues to deliver despite age and durability concerns. I selected Pacheco a round earlier than his late sixth-round ADP, because there was a brief run on RBs towards the end of that round. Pacheco is in store for a strong bounce-back campaign after a broken leg messed up a promising start to the 2024 season.
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Speaking of bounce-backs, I went with Mahomes as my QB1. I got him at a slight value relative to ADP and I’m confident he’ll perform better than his QB12 in 2025.
After six rounds, I’ve covered the vast majority of my skill positions, with TE being the only gap.
Rounds 7–10: Finalize skill positions with a mix of bench depth
7.10 – Mark Andrews (BAL – TE)
8.03 – Jakobi Meyers (LV – WR)
9.10 – Keon Coleman (BUF – WR)
10.03 – Braelon Allen (NYJ – RB)
Roster Assessment after Round 10
Adding Andrews shored up my TE spot. Getting a vet and Lamar Jackson’s security blanket provides peace of mind without having to stress about streaming the position. Jakobi Meyers is an underrated asset in PPR formats. Playing with one of the most accurate QBs in Geno Smith only helps his floor — hopefully, more TDs are in store as well. I was on the fence about selecting Keon Coleman, but with his size, I expect he’ll be a frequent target for Josh Allen near the red zone in his second season.
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Braelon Allen is the upside pick of these rounds. He’s one of the most popular sleepers this offseason as he continues gaining steam on forcing a committee backfield with Breece Hall. The offseason drumbeat’s been loud and through two preseason contests, Allen’s racked up 67 rushing yards on 15 carries compared to just 35 yards on 10 carries with Hall. Allen is the better value relative to cost.
Rounds 11–15: Upside swings
11.10 – Jayden Higgins (HOU – WR)
12.03 – Tyler Warren (IND – TE)
13.10 – Marvin Mims Jr. (DEN – WR)
14.03 – Vikings (MIN – D/ST)
15.10 – Jake Elliott (PHI – K)
Roster Assessment after Round 15
The final stretch of picks added important stash options. Higgins and Mims Jr. are dart throws with real vertical potential in evolving offenses, while Warren offers insurance at TE should Andrews get dinged up. Grabbing the Vikings’ defense, which ranks in the top-five in Week 1 of consensus rankings, with Jake Elliott allowed me to complete the roster without reaching, both with solid projections and consistency.
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Positional runs and key takeaways
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RBs: I had to jump on an RB run late in the fifth round because four RBs were selected consecutively right before my pick. I had to go with an RB there, or I would have sacrificed another tier drop at the position. Pacheco ended up being the fifth RB selected in that round.
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WRs: 21 WRs were drafted between Rounds 4-6. Since I selected WRs in Rounds 1 and 2, I was able to pivot off of those runs and target RBs who were steadily being plucked through the first five rounds.
Number of positions selected in each round of the mock draft.
(Dan Titus)
Knowing when to buck or participate in positional runs is all about your strategy and placement in the draft. After doing a couple of mock drafts from the back-end of the draft order, I’m more than comfortable taking the best two WRs on the board in Rounds 1 and 2, then hammering RB. I’d also consider taking an RB/WR combo or WR/RB, depending on who’s available. Another pivot I considered was not selecting Mahomes and going with a late-round QB build, and spending that seventh-round pick on a WR.
Overall, my team build is a well-balanced mix of vets, youth, upside and high-floor guys with built-in contingencies to weather early variance while setting up for mid-to-late season arrivals.
This news was originally published on this post .
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