12-Team Mock Draft: Trey Benson Should be a Double-Digit Round Target - Bleacher Nation (2024)

It’s never too early to get prepared to win your fantasy football league, and that’s exactly what we’ll be aiming to do today. Through theDraftHero mock draft simulatorapp on 4for4, I’ve run a 12-team mock draft to get a broad idea of player values and what types of macro-level strategies we can see forming ahead of the NFL season.

Today we’ll be using Yahoo!-specific scoring settings, with a single quarterback and half-PPR scoring. The full 2024 fantasy football 12-team mock draft board will be inserted at the end of the article, showcasing the likes of Atlanta Falcons RBBijan Robinson, Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp, and Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb helping control the beginning of this 0.5 PPR draft.

We will begin incorporating both PK and D/ST in this mock to give a good idea of what a full-fledged team will look like in 12-team Mock Drafts.

Fantasy Football Rankings

Roster Settings: 1QB, 2RB, 2WR, 1 TE, 1 FLEX, 1 D/ST, 1K, and 6 Bench Spots

*Check out the fullYahoo! ADP at 4for4!

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12-Team Mock Draft: Rounds 1-4

Biggest Reach:Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts (Round 1, Pick 8)

Taylor missed the first few games due to an ankle injury (and subsequent surgery) from the 2022 season and didn’t play 50%+ of the snaps until Week 7.

From that point on, he had the third-highest per-game average (16.8) at his position, even though he missed three games due to a thumb injury later in the season. He missed six games in 2022, but played 15 and 17 games in his first two seasons. In 2021, he was the overall RB1, outscoring the RB2 (Austin Ekeler) by 60 points.

Taylor should have a productive 2024, though there are a couple of areas of concern. Anthony Richardson only targeted his running backs on 10 of his 72 pass attempts (13.9%) and in the two full games that Richardson played, he saw three carries inside the opponents’ five-yard line while Indy running backs saw five carries. It’s obviously a small sample size, and Taylor’s availability may change the ratio, but Richardson’s 38% goal-line carry rate is pretty high. (For reference, Jalen Hurts had a 47% goal-line carry rate last season.) Taylor is a fantasy RB1, but perhaps lacks the receiving and touchdown upside of the backs being drafted ahead of him.

Biggest Fall:Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions (Round 3, Pick 9)

Sam LaPorta finished as the fantasy TE1 as a rookie, which is an incredible accomplishment given the history of rookies at the position. It’s unusual for rookie tight ends to find immediate success, but LaPorta posted 86 catches for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Those were the most catches, the second-most yards (to Kyle Pitts), and the most touchdowns (tied with Rob Gronkowski) among rookie tight ends since 2003. LaPorta’s position-leading 196.3 half-PPR fantasy points were just the 19th-most by a tight end since 2010. He’s a good bet to repeat as the TE1 since he should only get better in his second season, and his excellent environment in the Detroit offense is unchanged.

12-Team Mock Draft: Rounds 5-8

Takeaways

The quarterback position has been pushed way up boards compared to in years past. In Standard and Half-PPR fantasy football leagues, a majority of the top 12 options go in this range, and are practically done with by the double-digit rounds. A huge departure from recent history. Josh Allen kicks things off all the way back in Round 3, and the 12 teams typically have all of their QBs by the time we get out of these middle rounds.

The 2024 NFL season will have to be incredibly top-heavy for all of these options to hit. Once we’re talking in the range of 1-2 fantasy points per game separating whole tiers of players, we may want to zig into the RBs and WRs while other fantasy managers fight during a run of QBs.

12-TeamMock Draft: Rounds 9-11

Biggest Reach:Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals (Round 9, Pick 4)

College running backs who demand a high target share are few and far between, but Benson only accrued 32 receptions over his two years with Florida State, while his YPC dropped nearly a full yard from ’22-to-’23.

While this should be more of a split backfield than we’ve grown accustomed to since Conner came to Arizona, it’s worth mentioning that he had the 13th-highest percentage of his team’s backfield touches last season. If Conner is healthy, the rookie could be limited to ~ 25-30% of the RB touches.

12-TeamMock Draft: Rounds 12-14

Takeaways

Depending on your particular league settings, you are either forced to leave your draft with a kicker and a defense, or you are not. I decided to enforce that rule in this draft to have a better idea of what a full team in a half-PR mock draft is going to look like. If your league forces you to leave the draft with both, I would prefer to select my D/ST and kicker in the final two rounds. Some of my favorite D/ST picks at cost so far have been the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Biggest Fall: Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots (Round 13, Pick 4)

In the first four weeks of the 2023 season, Hunter Henry cleared 50 yards three times and scored two touchdowns, though he didn’t catch another touchdown until Week 9 and didn’t clear 50 yards again until Week 15.

He finished as the TE15, catching 42 passes for 419 yards and six scores in 14 games. Re-signing with the Patriots probably wasn’t a best-case scenario for his fantasy value, though he should remain the team’s starter and could work his way into TE2 territory if the Patriots are able to get better quarterback play out of Drake Maye and/or Jacoby Brissett.

*Check out the full set of 4for4’s award-winning Rankings, customized for yourYahoo! league here.

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This is one of many Half PPR Mock Drafts for 2024, and we will be doing even more now that preseason action is well underway! We will have full-PPR mock drafts, 10-team mocks, and everything in between throughout the fantasy draft season.

Fantasy Football 12-Team Mock Draft FAQs

Half PPR stands for half point per reception, which means that for every catch a player makes in a game, they will be awarded half of a point in addition to standard scoring points.

This scoring system is increasingly popular in fantasy football leagues, as it allows for a more balanced approach to drafting players. Mock drafts are a great way to practice drafting strategies and optimize your team before the real draft. The Fantasy Football Half PPR Mock Draft FAQs provides answers to commonly asked questions to guide fantasy football enthusiasts in their mock drafts and overall gameplay.

What is a fantasy football mock draft?

A fantasy football mock draft is a simulation of an actual fantasy football draft, allowing participants to practice mock drafts in preparation for the real thing.

What is a half PPR scoring format?

In a Half PPR scoring format, players receive half a point per reception in addition to their normal scoring points.

What are the most important things to consider before participating in a fantasy football draft?

Before participating in a fantasy football draft, it is important to research the draft rankings, understand your league’s scoring system and rules, and monitor updates on NFL players and positional players.

What is the difference between a 12-team and 14-team fantasy football mock draft?

The difference between a 12-team and 14-team fantasy football mock draft is the number of teams participating in the draft. A 12-team draft will require draft participants to select players from a pool of 144, while a 14-team draft will consist of 168 players.

What is the process for selecting players in a fantasy football draft?

In a fantasy football draft, each participant will take turns selecting players in each round. The draft order is typically randomized before the start of the draft with each participant selecting their preferred position for their draft slot.

What are some tips for drafting a successful fantasy football lineup?

Some tips for drafting a successful fantasy football lineup include monitoring updates on player performance and injuries, diversifying your lineup with a mix of players from different teams, and selecting players with favorable matchups.

What is the difference between a rookie and a veteran football player in fantasy football?

In fantasy football, a rookie is a player who has just entered the NFL and has not played any professional games while a veteran is an experienced player who has already participated in several seasons.

How often are fantasy football rankings updated?

Fantasy football rankings are typically updated daily by fantasy staff and analysts based on player performance and changes in the NFL landscape.