2016 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: 12-team standard mock draft review

After his performance in Thursday's third preseason game, Dallas rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott has solidified himself as a first-round pick in the majority of leagues. And rightfully so.

Elliott looked great against the Seahawks with seven carries for 48 yards, and he should be drafted in the Top 10 in standard formats, which happened in this 12-team mock draft when he was selected at No. 9. Some Fantasy owners might be scared of drafting a rookie in the first round, but Elliott comes packaged with that Dallas offensive line, which makes him potentially elite.

DeAndre Hopkins should be considered elite also, but his stock could be dropping a little. The Texans loaded up on offense this offseason with the additions of Brock Osweiler at quarterback, Lamar Miller at running back and Will Fuller and Braxton Miller at receiver. Hopkins probably welcomes the help, but he should see a decline in his 192 targets from last year.

With the potential decline in production, some Fantasy owners don't view him as a top-five receiver, and in this draft he went after Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham, Julio Jones, A.J. Green and Dez Bryant, which pushed him to No. 13 overall in the second round. I don't mind him in that range, but he could be a steal at that spot.

It worked out for Will Brinson in this draft, and he started his team with a WR-WR approach with Bryant and Hopkins. He then took the best player available in Round 3 with Cam Newton, and his first running back was Carlos Hyde in Round 4. I like the way his team turned out.

His lineup is Newton at quarterback, Hyde and Jonathan Stewart at running back, Bryant and Hopkins at receiver, Jimmy Graham at tight end and Ameer Abdullah at flex. His bench consists of Tony Romo, Derrick Henry, Christine Michael, Markus Wheaton, Travis Benjamin and Devin Funchess.

I don't love Graham as a starter, and he didn't need to draft Romo. But his collection of running backs and receivers, along with Newton, makes this team potentially dangerous. He benefited with Bryant and Hopkins landing in his lap at No. 12 overall.

I picked at No. 5 overall, and I took a more balanced approach with my roster. In fact, this was one of the rare drafts where I filled out my starting lineup before focusing on depth at running back and receiver, and I have mixed feelings on the results.

My lineup is Andrew Luck at quarterback, David Johnson and LeSean McCoy at running back, Mike Evans and Eric Decker at receiver, Coby Fleener at tight end and Chris Ivory at flex. I drafted T.J. Yeldon to pair with Ivory, and the rest of my bench is Alfred Morris, Kenny Stills, Michael Crabtree, Tyler Boyd and Torrey Smith.

I'm buying Stills is better than DeVante Parker after he played ahead of him for two preseason games, and Still has now become a sleeper in the majority of leagues. I also like Morris as a sleeper just in case Elliott goes down.

But Elliott showed Thursday night he is worth drafting in the first round. And Hopkins has slipped to the point where he could be a steal toward the end of Round 1 or beginning of Round 2.

The rest of the third week of preseason action concludes this weekend, and Fantasy drafts are in full swing. Hopefully this 12-team standard mock draft is a good guide to get you ready for your Draft Day.

In this league, all touchdowns are worth six points, and we award one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving and one point for every 25 yards passing. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, TE, K, DST and a FLEX (RB/WR/TE). There will also be six reserve spots for a 15-round draft.

Our draft order is as follows:

1. Matthew Coca, College Football Analyst
2. Heath Cummings, Senior Fantasy Writer
3. Jeff Tobin, Director of Editorial
4. Chris Towers, Fantasy Writer
5. Jamey Eisenberg, Senior Fantasy Writer
6. George Maselli,Editor
7. Dave Richard, Senior Fantasy Writer
8. Nick Kostos, Video Host
9. Luke Rodgers, 247Sports NFL Analyst
10. Peter Madden, Managing Editor
11. Meron Berkson, Video Producer
12. Will Brinson, NFL Writer