It is never too early to prepare for your fantasy football drafts. One of the most effective methods in gaining the edge is conducting mock drafts. You can obtain invaluable knowledge by conducting mock drafts, including different strategies and how to draft with tiered cheat sheets. Find out when is the best time to take a quarterback or a tight end. Learn where the value drops off at each position. The advantages are endless.

I conducted a 12-team mock draft using point per reception (PPR) scoring with one Quarterback to assist fantasy football managers in preparing for their upcoming drafts. I was assigned the fourth pick and used our Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator to draft a team and provide analysis through 17 selections.

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Redraft PPR Mock Draft: 12-Team 1-QB (2023 Fantasy Football)

This mock draft is for a league with weekly lineups consisting of one quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, one tight end, and two flex spots.

Pick 1.04: Ja’Marr Chase (WR – CIN)

Fantasy managers should be ecstatic if Ja’Marr Chase falls to them at their fourth pick. Chase and Justin Jefferson will be dueling it as the top fantasy wideouts for the next three to five seasons. With Jefferson off the board, Chase was an easy pick and an excellent start to your three-wide receiver lineup. Chase finished as the 12th-best overall WR last season and had a career-high 87 receptions for 1,046 yards and nine touchdowns. The former LSU Tiger was able to accomplish those numbers in just 13 games as he missed time throughout the season due to a hip injury. Chase plays in an explosive offense that includes a top-20 wideout (Tee Higgins), a top-15 RB (Joe Mixon), and his best friend and top-4 quarterback (Joe Burrow) at the helm. Just imagine what numbers Chase will produce in an entire 17 game season! This is a no-brainer selection.

Alternative Selection: N/A

Pick 2.09: Stefon Diggs (WR – BUF)

It is hard to argue with picking the WR5 from last season. Diggs has produced three consecutive top-10 finishes since he arrived in Buffalo. He has averaged 113 receptions and ten scores across the past three seasons. He continues to produce at an elite level without a considerable threat to help him in Buffalo’s passing offense. The Bills drafted TE Dalton Kincaid in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to provide another offensive weapon and open things up for quarterback Josh Allen. Diggs provides elite-level fantasy numbers and is an outstanding choice as a WR2 in my weekly lineup.

Alternative Selection: Garrett Wilson. Probably the most hyped player in fantasy football. Don’t fall for the immense hype.

Pick 3.04: Jaylen Waddle (WR – MIA)

Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill formed an explosive duo of wideouts in Miami and helped many fantasy managers to their playoffs. Waddle led the NFL with 11.1 yards per target and 18.1 yards per catch. His ceiling and floor dropped significantly when Tua was not behind center last season. The uncertainty of Tua’s health is a minor concern, however the Dolphins added an insurance policy in former New York Jets quarterback Mike White, who flashed last season. Having the opportunity to select Waddle as the third WR in a weekly lineup is a winning combination.

Alternative Selection: Chris Olave, another young stud WR who could build significantly on his impressive rookie season.

Pick 4.05: Miles Sanders (RB – CAR)

Theis zero RB roster is coming along nicely with the three elite wideouts. Here in the fourth round, it was tempting to select another wideout with DK Metcalf, but I opted to go running back instead and get Carolina Panthers RB Miles Sanders. He produced a career-season last year rushing for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. Sanders bolted from the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles and signed a contract to be the featured back with the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers will have plenty of new faces in Carolina, with new head coach Frank Reich and number one overall pick quarterback Bryce Young already earning the starting nod in Week 1. Reich has predominantly centered his running attack around one featured back, which bodes extremely well for the fantasy projections for Sanders.

Alternative Selection: JK Dobbins. sniped one pick before 4.05, and DK Metcalf.

Pick 5.04: D’Andre Swift (RB – PHI)

The Philadelphia Eagles replaced Miles Sanders in their backfield during the 2023 NFL Draft by acquiring D’Andre Swift from the Detroit Lions. There always seemed to be something off in the relationship between Swift and the Lions and he never was given the featured role, but he also never played entire season without missing games. Swift is explosive and has averaged over 4.0 yards per carry in his career. His potential in the Eagles’ offense, along with Jalen Hurts‘ rushing ability, warrants a selection here as the RB2 in this lineup.

Alternative Selection: Adding a WR in DJ Moore or DeAndre Hopkins. Adding an explosive RB here made more sense.

Pick 6.09: Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF)

I was tempted to draft a quarterback here with Lamar Jackson still on the board, but there are a few potential breakout players available, including San Francisco 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk. Aiyuk had a career year in 2022 across the board, with 78 catches, 1,015 yards, and eight scores. The Niners struggled with quaterback injuries throughout the season, but that didn’t stop Aiyuk, who stepped up to be the team’s best wideout. He finished as the WR15 last season and is still underrated, lurking in the shadows behind Deebo Samuel. Wise up and grab Aiyuk in all of your drafts.

Alternative Selection: Lamar Jackson, but skipped the QB position for now.

Pick 7.04: Treylon Burks (WR – TEN)

While scrolling the available wideouts to fill the second FLEX spot in my lineup, one name stuck out. Tennessee Titans’ wide receiver Treylon Burks is one of my favorite breakout players this season. Burks struggled mightily in his rookie season, with 33 catches for 444 yards and one score. He battled conditioning issues at the beginning of the season, then missed six games due to turf toe and a concussion. The Titans didn’t do much to upgrade their wide receiver room, so we should see Burks plays a pivotal role in their offense. The Titans passing offense provides concerns with Ryan Tannehill playing like Father Time has already reared his ugly head, however, injury concerns are now behind Tannehill and he looks to rebound this season. The Titans did add insurance by drafting Will Levis in April after Malik Willis scuffled in his rookie season.

Alternative selection: I could have gone with the next tier at quarterback with Joe Burrow and Justin Fields still on the board.

Pick 8.09: Kadarius Toney (WR – KC)

The Kansas City Chiefs surprised many last season when they acquired WR Kadarius Toney from the New York Giants at the trade deadline. Toney didn’t produce much during the season, but he played well postseason and made some splash plays in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs enter this year looking for someone to step up at wide receive and there is plenty of opportunity for that to be Toney. Patrick Mahomes seems to be a massive fan of Toney and that’s good enough for me to stash him on my bench and wait for his considerable playmaking ability to shine in Kansas City.

Alternative Selection: There was a path to go the safe route with Brandin Cooks and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Pick 9.04: David Njoku (TE – CLE)

David Njoku finished last season with a career-high 58 receptions and four touchdowns. The former Hurricane produced TE13 numbers despite missing three games and playing with a new quarterback in Deshaun Watson. Another season to develop chemistry with Watson should result in a top-ten finish for Njoku this year and an easy selection as the TE1 in my lineup.

Alternative Selection: Njoku was the final TE in the tier, so it seemed logical here. Otherwise, the sneaky selection would be Samaje Perine.

Pick 10.09: Deshaun Watson (QB – CLE)

Last season, Deshaun Watson looked like a player who hadn’t played in almost two years. His stats were underwhelming, and the rust was visibly evident. However, Watson should be able to play like type of quarterback that the Cleveland Browns traded all of those first-rounders and then some to acquire. I am willing to bet on his bounce-back this season. The offense should be better, and if Watson can convince his buddy D’Andre Hopkins to join him in Cleveland, we could see a top-five season from Watson.

Alternative Selection: With the oft-injured Tua and Geno Smith as the only other options, I opted for the upside of Watson.

Pick 11.04: Jerick McKinnon (RB – KC)

Fantasy managers should always look to target players in high-powered offenses. Grabbing a piece of the fantasy pie with any Chiefs player is never a bad idea, so I went with running back Jerick McKinnon, who caught a career-high 56 of his 71 targets and a had team-high nine touchdown receptions. The challenging aspect of the Chiefs’ offense is their crowded backfield, but McKinnon continues to be the primary pass-catching option for Patrick Mahomes, and that is never a bad thing.

Alternative Selection: Picking Tua for insurance on Watson or another wideout such as DJ Chark or Michael Thomas.

Pick 12.09: Raheem Mostert (RB – MIA)

Raheem Mostert might seem like a waste of a pick, and I must admit that it is one I would like to take back. Mostert is a good running back who averaged 5.0 yards per carry last season. However, he is in a timeshare with Jeff Wilson and scintillating rookie Devon Achane. Not to mention the buzz about the Dolphins being interested in Dalvin Cook. This pick should have been better utilized.

Alternative Selection: Any quarterback to backup your roster, such as Geno Smith or Daniel Jones.

Pick 13.04: Devin Singletary (RB – HOU)

This was a value pick with Devin Singletary now with the Houston Texans. Singletary proved that he could be fantasy-worthy in Buffalo, but to what extent will that be the case in Houston? Dameon Pierce is the RB1 and is a workhorse back who will be in a new offense similar to the San Fransisco 49ers’ backfield rotation. Singletary is not a league-winner by any means, but he could surprise in a dual role alongside Pierce in Houston. If Pierce happens to miss any time, Singletary will see his value skyrocket and could be a bye-week fill-in or trade bait.

Alternative Selection: Young RB with upside like Tank Bigsby or Jaylen Warren.

Pick 14.09: Isaiah Hodgins (WR – NYG)

Isaiah Hodgins came out of nowhere last season to become waiver-wire gold and he quickly developed chemistry with quarterback Daniel Jones. Hodgins produced 33 catches for 351 yards and four touchdowns across eight games. He also produced a 78.6 % catch rate while not dropping a single pass last season. The Giants feel like they have been searching for dependable receivers forever and it looks like they finally found one in Hodgins. There will be plenty of competition in the Giants’ wide receiver room. However, the trust and chemistry already established with Jones should go a long way to ensure another fantasy-relevant season from Hodgins.

Alternative Selection: Another RB like Clyde Edwards-Helaire or Kareem Hunt.

Pick 15.04: Jerome Ford (RB – CLE)

Speaking of Kareem Hunt, there doesn’t seem to be any buzz about the Cleveland Browns bringing Hunt back this season. Hunt is still on the open market, and word is that he has lost a step. However, Jerome Ford is an effective option in the pass-catching role of the Browns’ backfield alongside Nick Chubb as the featured back. Ford is an obvious stash candidate and potential lottery winner if something happens to Chubb.

Alternative Selection: Grabbing a young wideout in John Metchie, Jonathan Mingo, or Josh Downs.

Pick 16.09: Derek Carr (QB – NOS)

Fantasy managers realize what Derek Carr is. He is the ideal QB2. He is not a league-winner, but he won’t kill your team. There is little upside here, but Carr joins the New Orleans Saints who needed a steady option behind center. The Saints offense has sophomore wideout Chris Olave, who is hoping to keep momentum after an impressive rookie season. He will pair up with the ghost of Michael Thomas (maybe?) and sneaky sleeper option Rashid Shaheed to make a formidable receiver corps. Add in Alvin Kamara, whose playing status is still up in the air, and tight Juwan Johnson, who scored seven touchdowns last season. Carr possesses weapons, so that we will see some splash weeks and hopefully one of those is during Watson’s bye week!

Alternative Selection: Another backup QB option in either Matthew Stafford or Kenny Pickett

Pick 17.04: Juwan Johnson (TE – NOS)

Despite quarterback issues in New Orleans, Juwan Johnson broke out last season with 42 receptions for 508 yards and seven touchdowns. Johnson finished as the TE11, making him an excellent option in deeper formats and an ideal TE2 on your roster.

Alternative Selection: Too early for a pick on Defense.

My Roster

• Quarterback: Deshaun Watson, Derek Carr
• Running Back: Miles Sanders, D’Andre Swift, Jerick McKinnon, Raheem Mostert, Devin Singletary. Jerome Ford
• Wide Receiver: Ja’Marr Chase, Stefon Diggs, Jaylen Waddle, Brandon Aiyuk, Treylon Burks, Kadarius Toney, Isaiah Hodgins
• Tight End: David Njoku, Juwan Johnson

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Dennis Sosic is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Dennis, check out his archive and follow him @CALL_ME_SOS.