Fantasy Football Mock Draft, No. 5 Pick: Full list of picks, analysis and key takeaways

Welcome to the fifth 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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In this edition, I drafted from the No. 5 overall slot. I set out to fully commit to a Zero-RB strategy of drafting players, taking some guidance from Ray Garvin, who detailed how to execute Zero RB effectively this season.

Full Roster

RB: Tyrone Tracy Jr. (NYG)
WR: Justin Jefferson (MIN)
FLEX: Jameson Williams (DET)
D/ST: San Francisco 49ers (SF)
Bench: Jordan Mason (MIN)
Bench: J.K. Dobbins (DEN)
Bench: Matthew Golden (GB)
Bench: DeMario Douglas (NE)
Bench: Dont’e Thornton Jr. (LV)

Rounds 1–3: Building an elite WR/QB/TE core early

1.05 – Justin Jefferson (MIN – WR)
2.08 – Brock Bowers (LV – TE)
3.05 – Lamar Jackson (BAL – QB)

Roster assessment after Round 3

I came out swinging for positional advantages. Jefferson locks in a top-three WR who, if JJ McCarthy is the worst-case scenario of Sam Darnold, can push for the WR1 this year. Taking sophomore TE Brock Bowers in Round 2 was bold, but with such a significant tier break after Bowers, McBride and Kittle are off the board, getting the top TE in the game is worth it here.

Selecting Lamar Jackson at 3.05 is the perfect QB fit for Zero-RB: a dynamic Konami code QB who offers weekly top-five upside leading an explosive Ravens offense.

Rounds 4–6: Stockpiling wideouts and delaying RB

4.08 – Mike Evans (TB – WR)
5.05 – Jameson Williams (DET – WR)
6.08 – Tony Pollard (TEN – RB)

Roster assessment after Round 6

Evans adds veteran consistency at my WR2 spot. He’s amassed 1,000 receiving yards in 11 straight seasons and he’s gunning for his 12th this season, which would be an NFL record. Getting Jameson Williams as my flex/WR3 is an upside pick as he’s poised to take another leap in Year 4. Don’t be surprised when he gets well over 100 targets and eats into Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta’s opportunity share.

At 6.08, I finally dipped into the RB pool with Tony Pollard. He’s a dicey selection as my RB1, but that’s what was left on the board after filling out all of the other skill positions in my starting unit. I picked up Pollard before Tyjae Spears’ injury, and it appears Spears will miss at least a few weeks with an ankle sprain. Pollard’s ADP is surely going to rise above the sixth round.

Through six rounds: Three strong WRs, elite QB/TE, and a single RB.

Rounds 7–10: RB depth hunt begins

7.05 – Tyrone Tracy Jr. (NYG – RB)
8.08 – Jordan Mason (MIN – RB)
9.05 – J.K. Dobbins (DEN – RB)
10.08 – Matthew Golden (GB – WR)

Roster assessment after Round 10

This stretch was my aggressive attempt to reclaim some depth at RB. I have more faith in Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Jordan Mason (whom I’ve drafted in almost all of my previous mocks) than J.K. Dobbins. Still, it’s necessary to have a stable of options.

Matthew Golden adds one more young WR lottery ticket in Green Bay. Jayden Reed was seen in a walking boot during and after the Packers’ first preseason game, so Golden’s stock should rise in the coming weeks.

Rounds 11–15: Late-round darts & special teams

11.05 – Trey Benson (ARI – RB)
12.08 – DeMario Douglas (NE – WR)
13.05 – Dont’e Thornton Jr. (LV – WR)
14.08 – Brandon Aubrey (DAL – K)
15.05 – San Francisco 49ers (D/ST)

Roster assessment after Round 15

My first regret of this draft was selecting Trey Benson. Even with James Conner turning 30, Benson might have more competition with Emari Demercado off to a hot start in the preseason. Then again, Kyler Murray did call out Benson to have a breakout season…DeMario Douglas and Dont’e Thornton are deep WR stashes who could emerge as darkhorse WR1s for both of their teams. They’re two of my top late-round fliers at WR.

I try to target Brandon Aubrey in the 14th round because I’d rather have a reliable kicker and stream a D/ST. The 49ers’ defense enters the season with the best strength of schedule, so you’ll see me pick them a bunch in mocks.

Key Takeaways

The number of positions selected in each round of the mock draft.

(Dan Titus)

By bypassing running backs entirely until the sixth round, I was able to side-step the early RB runs to lock up positional advantages at WR, TE and QB early. Opening with Justin Jefferson gives me a weekly WR1 anchor, followed by Brock Bowers at TE for a rare edge in a shallow position and an elite dual-threat QB in Lamar Jackson.

Adding Mike Evans’ high floor with Jameson Williams’ upside solidified my WR core. My RB floor is low with Tony Pollard and Tyrone Tracy Jr. but that was the known sacrifice in going Zero RB. Benson and Dobbins aside, my bench depth is comprised of players who are trending up in the preseason — which is what you want as you’re getting closer to opening day.

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