FFin60 | The Most Fantasy-Friendly Mock Draft

The NFL Draft kicks off tonight and for those looking for offensive tackle takes, you’ve unfortunately opened up the wrong newsletter. But if you’re already thinking about fantasy, where the top rookies land and what impact they’ll make, you’ve come to the right place.

That’s exactly what’s been on my mind so I ran an exercise. I went through every potential Round 1 pick and asked one question. What's the most fantasy-fun landing spot for this guy? Not most likely. Not what makes the most sense for the team. Just the spot that gives us the best possible fantasy outcome.

Round 1 only (no trades, technically). Offensive skill positions only. Everything below is reasonable enough to actually happen.

#1 LV - Fernando Mendoza (QB, Indiana)

The only real lock on this list. Mendoza to the Raiders has been baked in for weeks so there's really nothing else to consider.

The fit is fine. Klint Kubiak's scheme is QB-friendly and Mendoza doesn't need to start Week 1, Cousins is there to absorb the early growing pains. The real reason to like this is what comes after. Mendoza and Brock Bowers locked in together for a decade could become a dynasty cheat code. Once he actually takes over the offense, expect a solid fantasy QB2 with some weekly upside.

#7 WAS - Jeremiah Love (RB, Notre Dame)

This is where the fun starts.

Explosive offense. Minimal backfield competition. And one of the single most underrated fantasy RB ingredient, which is defenses that already have to sell out to stop Jayden Daniels on the ground, opens up running lanes like nothing else.

Love's efficiency in this offense could look cartoonish. We know his per play numbers will be impressive but with this landing spot, he also could get substantial volume. Would be an early 2nd round pick with top 3 RB upside.

#8 NO - Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State)

Drop Tate in next to Chris Olave and the two Ohio State guys are combining for 50%+ of the Saints' targets by midseason.

They play indoors. The defense is bad enough to give us a shootout most weeks (not to mention playing in the NFC South). Tyler Shough is in Year 2 with a real pair of alphas to grow with. This is exactly the environment that turns rookie WRs into fantasy gold, and Tate may be the best all-around WR in the class. Great for him, great for Shough, great for us.

#9 KC - Makai Lemon (WR, USC)

Picture Patrick Mahomes with a prime Amon-Ra St. Brown. That's the upside case for Makai Lemon.

Elite route runner. Creates separation. Real YAC. Durable. The Chiefs have been looking for a true alpha at receiver since they traded Tyreek and we know they can’t count on Rashee Rice long-term. It wouldn’t shock me if Lemon finishes the year projecting as a back-end WR1.

#15 TB - Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon)

The Bucs have been looking for a real TE playmaker since the Gronk Super Bowl run. Cade Otton would still play but you don’t take an explosive TE #15 overall to not unleash him.

And with Mike Evans officially gone, there are a lot of available targets in that offense that Jalen McMillan isn’t picking up alone.

#17 DET - Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State)

Tyson slides a few picks because of the injury concerns. Detroit doesn't care.

The first half of his rookie season might be quiet. Amon-Ra is Amon-Ra. Jameson Williams isn't going to disappear overnight. By November though, Tyson has passed Jameson as the true outside alpha in what could end up the #1 offense in the NFL. Goff throwing to ARSB, Tyson, LaPorta, and Gibbs is a nightmare for the rest of the NFC.

Dynasty price on Tyson would look like Allbirds stock the past week.

#23 PHI - Omar Cooper Jr. (WR, Indiana)

This one assumes the rumored trade of AJ Brown to the Patriots is true, leaving a major offensive gap in the offense. DeVonta Smith is a playmaker but the Eagles cannot rely on just him and Dontayvion Wicks to lead this WR room.

Cooper's scouting profile isn't great but combined with draft capital, what saves this landing spot is the infrastructure around him. Elite pass pro O-line. Highly concentrated target tree. Cooper just needs to be the WR2 opposite Smith to have fantasy value, and the Eagles' WR2 has been startable for basically a decade straight. His best ball ADP would likely rise 4-5 rounds.

#26 BUF - Denzel Boston (WR, Washington)

The Bills run it back. Keon Coleman experiment, round two.

The difference is that Boston is the guy Keon was supposed to be. Boston has his flaws but he’s a legit contested catch winner. Big body. End zone threat. Exactly the kind of receiver Josh Allen has been begging for, someone he can throw into tight windows in the red zone without thinking twice.

Who’s to say he can’t go for 1500 yards and 10 TDs?

#28 LAR - KC Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M)

It’s been 13 years since the Rams selected a WR in the first round (Tavon Austin ar #8) but they can’t pass up the opportunity to grab a playmaker in KC Concepcion. Someone some analysts think the Rams might even be considering at pick 13.

With Davante Adams in the last year of his contract, not to mention has been the talks of trade rumors, Concepcion will benefit from the WR kingmaker at QB.

He can play both inside and out, keep the defense on its heels with the versatility of both Puka Nacua and Concepcion, and by all accounts a high-character guy that could perhaps even become a role model for the WR room.

From a fantasy perspective, this becomes the absolute steal of Round 1.

#32 SEA - Jadarian Price (RB, Notre Dame)

This is a reach. Every draft analyst is going to write 4,000 words about why this is a reach and they're right.

Seattle doesn't care. They see Price as a true 3-down back with real pass protection chops and real receiving chops, the kind of back you can trust on every snap. They also believe they're one piece away from repeating. Charbonnet unlikely to be back until the second half of the season and even that may be optimistic.

Price walks in and gets 16+ touches a game from Day 1. Rookie RB1 upside on a Super Bowl contender. Sign me up.

Honorable Mention, Ty Simpson (QB, Alabama)

Tried to find Simpson a fantasy-fun landing spot inside the rules of this exercise and I couldn't do it.

The Browns at 24 is the opposite of fun. Bad offensive environment, no weapons, the kind of spot that kills rookie QB development before it starts. The Dolphins don't have the pass catchers to make it interesting either. After that there's nothing reasonable left in the back half of the first round.

So I'm breaking my own no-trades rule. The Cardinals move up from pick 34 and take Simpson (maybe pick 31 from the Patriots?). Arizona already has Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Trey McBride in place. Simpson could sit for a bit or who knows, with Jacoby Brissett holding out, maybe Simpson starts sooner than expected and has the offensive weapons around him to be fun for fantasy.

We’re hearing it shouldn’t be surprising if Ty Simpson goes in the first round; it’s just a question of who is pulling the trigger.

What a draft night we’d have if even half of these happen tonight. Enjoy and see you all soon with more FFin60 newsletters.

Tag me on X (@justinherzig) and let me know your favorite picks and what landing spots you think would be even better!

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