Mock Talk: FanHouse's Fantasy Football Mock Draft for 12-Team Leagues

This offseason, FanHouse and the Fantasy Football Cafe are getting together to do some mocking. We're bringing you a series of mock drafts to help you prepare for your fantasy football season. Because when it comes to your fantasy football draft, there's no such thing as being too prepared.

A few weeks ago, we came at you with a 10-team mock draft. Today, we'll check out the results of a recent 12-team mock draft completed by FanHouse writers and Cafe veterans on August 10. For our mock league, you must start one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one K, and one DEF, with six bench slots available for your discretion. The scoring rules: 20 passing yards per point, 4 points per passing TD, -2 points per interception, 10 rushing/receiving yards per point, 6 points per rushing/receiving TD, standard kicking and defensive points.

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The Mockers

Knox Bardeen, FanHouse
R.J. White, FanHouse
bungle613, FFC
Kareighuis, FFC
Ryan Dembinsky, FanHouse
dmacblue, FFC
Hank_Scorpio, FFC
Tom Herrera, FanHouse
mattb47, FFC
Matt Snyder, FanHouse
Sean Lalley, FanHouse
stomperrob, FFC

Round 1

1. Bardeen - Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN
2. White - Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, JAC
3. bungle - LaDanian Tomlinson, RB, SD
4. Kare - Matt Forte, RB, CHI
5. Dembinsky - Michael Turner, RB, ATL
6. dmac - Steven Jackson, RB, STL
7. Hank - Frank Gore, RB, SF
8. Herrera - DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR
9. mattb - Clinton Portis, RB, WAS
10. Snyder - Andre Johnson, WR, HOU
11. Lalley - Steve Slaton, RB, HOU
12. stomp - Chris Johnson, RB, TEN

Wow, 11 running backs in the first 12 picks. I like that bungle threw caution to the wind to take Tomlinson at third overall; people think LdT comes with risk, but in what was his worst year by far, he was still a top-eight back. For me, if I'm 7th through 12th here, I look at one of the four elite WRs. Ironically, the one back I might target ahead of those receivers ended up going 12th: Chris Johnson. Considering stomperrob picked up the receiver many rank No. 1 at the position with his next pick, he looks like the clear winner here.

Round 2

13. stomp - Larry Fitzgerald, WR, ARI
14. Lalley - Calvin Johnson, WR, DET
15. Snyder - Brian Westbrook, RB, PHI
16. mattb - Marion Barber, RB, DAL
17. Herrera - Randy Moss, WR, NE
18. Hank - Reggie Wayne, WR, IND
19. dmac - Greg Jennings, WR, GB
20. Dembinsky - Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG
21. Kare - Pierre Thomas, RB, NO
22. bungle - Tom Brady, QB, NE
23. White - Drew Brees, QB, NO
24. Bardeen - Steve Smith, WR, CAR

Seven of the 12 participants hold one RB and one WR after two rounds. Westbrook settles at No. 15 this time, but any news of his recovery, whether it's good or bad, will cause his stock to move in some direction. Moss at 17 is an absolute steal by Herrera; I start considering the veteran WR as high as eighth or ninth overall. The Pierre Thomas hype train is in full swing -- he went from being a solid fourth-rounder with upside to being selected in the second round, ahead of any QB. At that price, I'm passing. The Steve Smith pick obviously occurred before his injury.

Round 3

25. Bardeen - Peyton Manning, QB, IND
26. White - Roddy White, WR, ATL
27. bungle - Ronnie Brown, RB, MIA
28. Kare - Anquan Boldin, WR, ARI
29. Dembinsky - Dwayne Bowe, WR, KC
30. dmac - Marques Colston, WR, NO
31. Hank - Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB
32. Herrera - Darren McFadden, RB, OAK
33. mattb - T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, SEA
34. Snyder - Ryan Grant, RB, GB
35. Lalley - Kevin Smith, RB, DET
36. stomp - Chris Wells, RB, ARI

Two players selected in the 50s in our previous mock (Rodgers and Wells) jump into the 30s today. With Rodgers, I feel he's a legitimate third-round pick. All his offensive pieces return, and he actually might add a better TE to the mix. With Wells, I feel this is far too early. He could wind up in a 50-50 split with Tim Hightower this season. I'd take all the fourth-round RBs and most of the fifth-round RBs over the Arizona rookie. Brown is a great third-round pick; if you can land yourself a top-five RB, a top-eight WR and Brown, you're heading in the right direction. Lalley made an excellent pick with Smith; with Slaton, C.Johnson and K.Smith, he's the leader after three.

Round 4

37. stomp - Terrell Owens, WR, BUF
38. Lalley - Roy Williams, WR, DAL
39. Snyder - Phillip Rivers, QB, SD
40. mattb - Marshawn Lynch, RB, BUF
41. Herrera - Donovan McNabb, QB, PHI
42. Hank - Knowshon Moreno, RB, DEN
43. dmac - Jonathan Stewart, RB, CAR
44. Dembinsky - Kurt Warner, QB, ARI
45. Kare - Wes Welker, WR, NE
46. bungle - Reggie Bush, RB, NO
47. White - Brandon Marshall, WR, DEN
48. Bardeen - Willie Parker, RB, PIT

McNabb was taken pretty high in this draft, but I don't think it's a bad pick, as I see the Philadelphia QB having a very good season. I'd also have taken him over Warner. Welker was a great pick at the end of the fourth; I start looking for him at the end of the third. I still like Bush here, but at this point, I think bungle should have taken a WR. He's drafted one QB and three RBs so far, meaning his WR corps will likely be weak, especially in a league where you start three WRs. That being said, I probably would have taken Bush with the next pick.

Round 5

49. Bardeen - Tony Gonzalez, TE, ATL
50. White - Joseph Addai, RB, IND
51. bungle - Larry Johnson, RB, KC
52. Kare - Vincent Jackson, WR, SD
53. Dembinsky - Thomas Jones, RB, NYJ
54. dmac - Antonio Gates, TE, SD
55. Hank - Jason Witten, TE, DAL
56. Herrera - DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI
57. mattb - Braylon Edwards, WR, CLE
58. Snyder - Chad Ochocinco, WR, CIN
59. Lalley - Derrick Ward, RB, TB
60. stomp - Eddie Royal, WR, DEN

I was surprised that no TEs were selected in the first four rounds, and equally surprised that Gonzalez was the first one off the board. I very much wanted to take Witten with the 50th-overall pick, but in sticking to my Game Plan, I couldn't afford going another round without my RB2. In a real draft, I think I'd give in to temptation and take the TE, then pick up four RBs in the next five rounds, hoping to hit on one. Both Witten and Gates were excellent value picks here. Herrera bypassed some prominent WRs to secure the other end of a McNabb-to-Jackson combo. I really think Royal was the best WR taken in this round.

Round 6

61. stomp - Cedric Benson, RB, CIN
62. Lalley - Tony Romo, QB, DAL
63. Snyder - LenDale White, RB, TEN
64. mattb - Dallas Clark, TE, IND
65. Herrera - Jerricho Cotchery, WR, NYJ
66. Hank - Donald Brown, RB, IND
67. dmac - Santonio Holmes, WR, PIT
68. Dembinsky - Anthony Gonzalez, WR, IND
69. Kare - Matt Ryan, QB, ATL
70. bungle - Lee Evans, WR, BUF
71. White - Antonio Bryant, WR, TB
72. Bardeen - Santana Moss, WR, WAS

The last elite TE goes off the board early in the sixth. Cotchery seems like a bit of a reach here, though I personally have him higher than his Average Draft Position. Evans is the pick of this round, and I expected him to go at least a full round earlier. Cursing myself for barely missing out, I selected another WR that was falling, Antonio Bryant, although this pick happened before his injury. Check out our soon to be released Fantasy Rankings 3.0 to see how his injury (and the injuries of others) affects their fantasy stock. Today, I'd definitely select Moss ahead of Bryant.

Round 7

73. Bardeen - Bernard Berrian, WR, MIN
74. White - Ray Rice, RB, BAL
75. bungle - Lance Moore, WR, NO
76. Kare - Devin Hester, WR, CHI
77. Dembinsky - Ted Ginn, WR, MIA
78. dmac - Carson Palmer, QB, CIN
79. Hank - Laveranues Coles, WR, CIN
80. Herrera - Julius Jones, RB, SEA
81. mattb - Felix Jones, RB, DAL
82. Snyder - Matt Schaub, QB, HOU
83. Lalley - Derrick Mason, WR, BAL
84. stomp - Jay Cutler, QB, CHI

I love Rice and Felix Jones as RB3s; since I had a Week 6-bye RB already (Jones-Drew), I opted for Rice. By all accounts, he's looking like the lead back in Baltimore, a run-first team. Jones was selected soon after, a great pick by mattb. Hester came off the board a bit early, much to Bears fan Synder's dismay. I think it was all for the best, as Snyder wound up with a very good QB1 at this stage of the game when he took Schaub. Mason leaps to 83rd overall after his un-retirement, and although he doesn't have a lot of upside, his consistently-solid output makes him very valuable as an every-week starter.

Round 8

85. stomp - Greg Olsen, TE, CHI
86. Lalley - LeSean McCoy, RB, PHI
87. Snyder - Chris Cooley, TE, WAS
88. mattb - Hines Ward, WR, PIT
89. Herrera - Owen Daniels, TE, HOU
90. Hank - Percy Harvin, WR, MIN
91. dmac - Torry Holt, WR, JAC
92. Dembinsky - Jamal Lewis, RB, CLE
93. Kare - Steve Smith, WR, NYG
94. bungle - Donald Driver, WR, GB
95. White - Donnie Avery, WR, STL
96. Bardeen - Baltimore Ravens, TM

The second tier of TEs finally start to get drafted. TEs in general lasted much longer than usual in our mock. Love the Olsen and Cooley picks, though I'm not too sure about Daniels. He seems to be a forgotten man when Andre Johnson is on the field. The other Steve Smith comes off the board too early for my tastes, as I'd much rather have Driver or Avery. I like Avery as a WR4, even with the injury. Sure, you'll be without him for the first part of the season, but you'll get a WR3-type for the stretch run. By the time he returns, Bulger will be so tired of throwing to no-name WRs that Avery might get 10 targets per game.

Round 9

97. Bardeen - Earnest Graham, RB, TB
98. White - Tim Hightower, RB, ARI
99. bungle - Kevin Walter, WR, HOU
100. Kare - Rashard Mendenhall, RB, PIT
101. Dembinsky - Kellen Winslow, TE, TB
102. dmac - Willis McGahee, RB, BAL
103. Hank - Leon Washington, RB, NYJ
104. Herrera - Mark Clayton, WR, BAL
105. mattb - Trent Edwards, QB, BUF
106. Snyder - Steve Breaston, WR, ARI
107. Lalley - Fred Jackson, RB, BUF
108. stomp - Hakeem Nicks, WR, NYG

Three excellent platoon backs (Graham, Hightower, Washington) get picked up in Round 9. At this point in the preseason, I think Hightower will have a much bigger role in the offense than most people realize. I had another back ranked ahead of him, but I was confident I'd land him later (and I did). Mendenhall is the back of the future in Pittsburgh and well worth a ninth-round pick. Edwards was taken a little high, but if the Bills can successfully pull off the no-huddle offense, he's likely to see his attempts (and his numbers) rise.

Round 10

109. stomp - Michael Bush, RB, OAK
110. Lalley - Zach Miller, TE, OAK
111. Snyder - Jeremy Maclin, WR, PHI
112. matb - Domenik Hixon, WR, NYG
113. Herrera - Fred Taylor, RB, NE
114. Hank - Ben Roethlisberger, QB, PIT
115. dmac - Matt Cassel, QB, KC
116. Dembinsky - Michael Crabtree, WR, SF
117. Kare - Tashard Choice, RB, DAL
118. bungle - Chris Chambers, WR, SD
119. White - Matt Hasselbeck, QB, SEA
120. Bardeen - Patrick Crayton, WR, DAL

My favorite late-round TE gets selected with the 110th-overall pick, higher than I would have expected. Zach Miller is clearly the top pass-catcher in Oakland, and he's a great target with 8-10 TEs off the board if you haven't rostered one at that point. Three very solid QB2 are drafted in the 10th round. If Hasselbeck can stay healthy, there's a great bet he outperforms his draft slot and becomes a valuable trading chip. If he can't stave off injury, he's an easy cut at this price.

Round 11

121. Bardeen - Eli Manning, QB, NYG
122. White - Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, NYG
123. bungle - David Garrard, QB, JAC
124. Kare - Shonn Greene, RB, NYJ
125. Dembinsky - Shaun Hill, QB, SF
126. dmac - Pittsburgh Steelers, TM
127. Hank - New York Giants, TM
128. Herrera - Josh Morgan, WR, SF
129. mattb - Jerious Norwood, RB, ATL
130. Snyder - Darren Sproles, RB, SD
131. Lalley - Bobby Engram, WR, KC
132. stomp - Glen Coffee, RB, SF

Ahmad Bradshaw has the talent and opportunity to break out this year, and I was very happy to see him available to me in the 11th round. A couple more defenses come off the board, including the Steelers, a defense that most fantasy players feel is the best unit to have in 2009. I see them drafted in mocks as soon as the seventh or eighth rounds; here, they make for a much better value. Sproles lasted quite a long time, and it's obvious that none of our mockers see him carving out a significant role in the SD offense. This fortifies the idea of using a top pick on Tomlinson.

Round 12

133. stomp - Joe Flacco, QB, BAL
134. Lalley - Jamaal Charles, RB, KC
135. Snyder - Davone Bess, WR, MIA
136. mattb - Kyle Orton, QB, DEN
137. Herrera - Jason Campbell, QB, WAS
138. Hank - Nate Washington, WR, TEN
139. dmac - Deion Branch, WR, SEA
140. Dembinsky - Minnesota Vikings, TM
141. Kare - Dustin Keller, TE, NYJ
142. bungle - John Carlson, TE, SEA
143. White - Earl Bennett, WR, CHI
144. Bardeen - Le'Ron McClain, RB, BAL

Charles is a nice little wild-card selection, although a case of fumble-itis is threatening his playing time. Orton gets taken for the upside that comes with being the QB in a high-powered offense, although his schedule could make success tough to come by. I see Nate Washington playing a prominent role in Tennessee's offense, so I definitely approve of selecting him as a bench WR here. The Vikings defense is one of the few elite units left, so Dembinsky snatched them up. Tight ends Keller and Carlson followed the TE pattern of falling further than usual. My pick of Bennett caused Snyder to bemoan the lack of Bears on his squad.

Round 13

145. Bardeen - Brian Robiskie, WR, CLE
146. White - San Diego Chargers, TM
147. bungle - Kevin Curtis, WR, PHI
148. Kare - New York Jets, TM
149. Dembinsky - Kevin Boss, TE, NYG
150. dmac - Rob Bironas, PK, TEN
151. Hank - Sammy Morris, RB, NE
152. Herrera - Chicago Bears, TM
153. mattb - Chris Henry, WR, CIN
154. Snyder - Brandon Jackson, RB, GB
155. Lalley - Chester Taylor, RB, MIN
156. stomp - Miles Austin, WR, DAL

I draft what I feel is the last of the elite defenses available, taking the Chargers here in the 13th. The cardinal sin of fantasy football is broken, as dmac selects a kicker two rounds too early. Bironas sits atop my kicker ratings, so I feel if you must reach for one, he's the one to target. I found it perplexing that Chester Taylor lasted this long in this mock; he gets much of the passing-game work in the Minnesota offense, and should something happen to Adrian Peterson, Taylor could perform like a top-10 back. I expected him to be off the board by the ninth or tenth round.

Round 14

157. stomp - Tennessee Titans, TM
158. Lalley - Robbie Gould, PK, CHI
159. Snyder - Philadelphia Eagles, TM
160. mattb - Seattle Seahawks, TM
161. Herrera - Jerome Harrison, RB, CLE
162. Hank - Brent Celek, TE, PHI
163. dmac - Brett Favre, QB, Retired
164. Dembinsky - Chris Brown, RB, HOU
165. Kare - Laurence Maroney, RB, NE
166. bungle - Stephen Gostkowski, PK, NE
167. White - Nate Kaeding, PK, SD
168. Bardeen - Visanthe Shiancoe, TE, MIN

Not having a TE yet, I was content waiting till the final rounds and taking Celek. Unfortuantely for me, Hank nabbed him a few spots higher than my pick. The retired Favre went off the board in the next pick, clearly an autopick at this stage of the game. With my targeted TE gone, I made the mistake of passing on the best TE available to take one of my favorite kickers a round early. Bardeen made me pay, taking Shiancoe as a backup TE even though he already had Gonzalez, the first TE off the board. Such is fantasy football.

Round 15

169. Bardeen - David Akers, PK, PHI
170. White - Martellus Bennett, TE, DAL
171. bungle - New England Patriots, TM
172. Kare - Kris Brown, PK, HOU
173. Dembinsky - Mason Crosby, PK, GB
174. dmac - Isaac Bruce, WR, SF
175. Hank - Correll Buckhalter, RB, DEN
176. Herrera - Neil Rackers, PK, ARI
177. mattb - Garrett Hartley, PK, NO
178. Snyder - Jason Elam, PK, ATL
179. Lalley - Miami Dolphins, TM
180. stomp - Nick Folk, PK, DAL

With the TE ranks thoroughly ransacked, I decide to gamble on Bennett, who looks to be in line for major playing time in a two-TE Dallas offense. The Patriots make for a great late-round defensive target after the Derrick Burgess acquisition. I should have taken my TE in the 13th and targeted the Patriots later. Of the kickers selected, I like Rackers and Hartley, two guys that get the benefit of kicking indoors and playing on teams with great offenses.

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