3 Mid-Round Fantasy Football Draft Picks to Target

One of the most common pieces of fantasy football advice on the internet is “know your league settings.” This is for good reason, as even seemingly small changes can make a huge impact in how you should approach a given league’s draft. Today, I’m focusing on one of those changes in particular: League size. The default size around the industry is 12 teams, but plenty of fantasy players play in 10- or even eight-team formats. And, although just adding two teams may not sound like much, a 14-team league is a wildly different beast. Drafting in 14-team (or larger) leagues requires a different approach. If you’re in a 14-team league for the first time this year (or even if you’re a large-league veteran), my number one recommendation is to test out a few different strategies in mock drafts. Of course, 14-team mock drafts against competent opponents can be hard to come by. That’s where the FantasyPros’ fantasy football mock draft simulator, the Draft Wizard, comes into play. Let’s dive into a few of my favorite fantasy football draft picks from a recent mock draft.

Fantasy Football Draft Picks to Target

DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI)

I heavily debated grabbing DeVonta Smith over Xavier Worthy at the previous pick, so I was ecstatic to see him still on the board here. Barring injury, I don’t see how drafting Smith as the WR29 can fail.

Smith was the WR17 in PPR points per game last season, and that was while the Eagles posted absurdly low pass rates. Between some losses on the defensive side, the toughest schedule in the league, and just good old-fashioned regression, it’s essentially guaranteed that Philadelphia’s offense will pass more this season. That can only be a good thing for the former Heisman winner.

Jauan Jennings (WR – SF)

I’m not worried about Jauan Jennings’ recent calf injury. Kyle Shanahan’s comments seemed to imply that Jennings sitting out was more to do with his desire for a new contract than a serious injury.

Jennings deserves that new contract, having finished 2024 12th among qualified receivers in yards per route run and 15th in Pro Football Focus (PFF) receiving grade. With Deebo Samuel out of town and Brandon Aiyuk not expected to be back in time for Week 1, the path is clear for him to run it back as the 49ers’ top receiver.

Brock Purdy (QB – SF)

I came into this draft planning to essentially punt the quarterback position. In a 14-team league, the opportunity cost of drafting an elite quarterback is much higher. And the position is deep this year with tons of high-upside options going outside even the top 20 in ADP. With that in mind, I expected to grab Drake Maye in one of the last few rounds and be happy about it.

However, with both McCaffrey and Jennings already on my team, I couldn’t ignore it when Brock Purdy was at the top of my board in round seven. Mr. Irrelevant finished his sophomore season as the QB6, and I think he played better in 2024. If the 49ers’ offense can stay a bit healthier this season, I love his chances to finish solidly inside the top 10 of fantasy quarterbacks.

Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasyPros.com. Find him on Twitter and Bluesky @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.