It's August, and that means two things. It's probably ungodly hot where you are right now, and if you clicked to read this article you are starting to think about fantasy football.
With many drafts not slated to start until the end of the month, or in early September, it's still a very smart idea to start gauging where players might go in your draft. Staring endlessly at rankings is one thing, but seeing how an actual draft shakes out can really help you mentally prepare.
It also can help you decide which draft slot you want for 2022, which is something a lot of leagues are figuring out right now, and allowing team owners (or luck of the draw) determine where you pick.
We've done a lot of the work for you here, as we have compiled mock 12-team drafts with full PPR or .5 PPR from Fansided, Bleacher Report, Pro Football Network and The Athletic. We also included an ESPN.com non PPR.
After each of the first four rounds, we've listed a few of our observations and some tips for your own draft strategy. .
Take a look:
ROUND 1
| Pick | Fansided | ESPN | BR | PFN | Athletic |
| 1.01 | Jonathan Taylor | Taylor | Taylor | Taylor | Harris |
| 1.02 | Christian McCaffrey | Kupp | McCaffrey | McCaffrey | Taylor |
| 1.03 | Austin Ekeler | Henry | Ekeler | Ekeler | McCaffrey |
| 1.04 | Najee Harris | Cook | Cook | Kupp | Chubb |
| 1.05 | Justin Jefferson | Ekeler | Mixon | Henry | Kupp |
| 1.06 | Dalvin Cook | Harris | Kupp | Jefferson | Henry |
| 1.07 | Cooper Kupp | McCaffrey | Jefferson | Harris | Jefferson |
| 1.08 | Derrick Henry | Mixon | Henry | Chase | Chase |
| 1.09 | J'Marr Chase | Williams | Chase | Cook | Adams |
| 1.10 | Joe Mixon | Conner | Harris | Diggs | Mixon |
| 1.11 | Travis Kelce | Jefferson | Kelce | Mixon | Cook |
| 1.12 | D'Andre Swift | Chubb | Jones | Adams | Ekeler |
• So, let's start by acknowledging that The Athletic's draft was kind of bonkers, with Ekeler dropping to 12th.
• Are you a Najee Harris believer? It went from first overall (The Athletic) to 10th overall (Bleacher Report). Is he going to get a ridiculous amount of touches again with the Steelers not expected to be very good? Will the team be playing from behind so much that he becomes a passing only back in the fourth quarter? He's an interesting first round player.
• There is no consensus as to the top receiver, but it's likely going to be either Cooper Kupp or Justin Jefferson in your league. Kupp went second in ESPN and seventh in Fansided, but he doesn't drop further than that.
ROUND 2
| Pick | Fansided | ESPN | BR | PFN | Athletic |
| 2.01 | Stefon Diggs | Chase | Diggs | Swift | Kelce |
| 2.02 | Devante Adams | Diggs | Herbert | Jones | Diggs |
| 2.03 | Aaron Jones | Fournette | Swift | Lamb | Lamb |
| 2.04 | Saquon Barkley | Kamara | Adams | Kelce | Lamar Jackson |
| 2.05 | CeeDee Lamb | Adams | Chubb | Fournette | Swift |
| 2.06 | Javonte Williams | Samuel | Barkley | Samuel | Kamara |
| 2.07 | Leonard Fournette | Swift | Lamb | Kamara | Barkley |
| 2.08 | Alvin Kamara | Lamb | Fournette | Barkley | Samuel |
| 2.09 | Tyreek Hill | Hill | Andrews | Chubb | Evans |
| 2.10 | Mark Andrews | Jones | J. Williams | Andrews | Andrews |
| 2.11 | Nick Chubb | Akers | Samuel | Hill | Hill |
| 2.12 | Mike Evans | Evans | Hill | Evans | Pitts |
• The Athletic draft saw Lamar Jackson go in the second round so, yeah, interpret that as you will.
• There is some extremely good value here. Nick Chubb at 2.11 is a steal.
• At least two drafters valued Javonte Williams as a second rounder. Is that an overpay for a player who has just one half good season under his belt?
• CeeDee Lamb could dominate targets in a depleted Cowboys offense. He might be a reasonable second round choice. Getting Ja'Marr Chase in the second round is also kind of a steal.
ROUND 3
| Pick | Fansided | ESPN | BR | PFN | Athletic |
| 3.01 | Keenan Allen | Kelce | Evans | K. Allen | J. Allen |
| 3.02 | Deebo Samuel | Higgins | Kamara | J. Williams | Brown |
| 3.03 | Tee Higgins | J. Allen | J. Allen | Elliott | Jones |
| 3.04 | Michael Pittman | Andrews | K. Allen | Higgins | Fournette |
| 3.05 | Kyle Pitts | Barkley | Jacobs | Moore | K. Allen |
| 3.06 | AJ Brown | Moore | Akers | Sutton | Higgins |
| 3.07 | Josh Allen | Elliott | Higgin | Montgomery | Kittle |
| 3.08 | James Conner | Josh Jacobs | Conner | Pittman | Conner |
| 3.09 | DJ Moore | JK Dobbins | Pittman | Hall | Montgomery |
| 3.10 | Diontae Johnson | Brown | Brown | Conner | J. Williams |
| 3.11 | Ezekiel Elliott | Pitts | Hunt | Johnson | Elliott |
| 3.12 | David Montgomery | Hall | Elliott | Pitts | M. Williams |
• Is Josh Allen really a third round pick? Will Dobbins be healthy, and worth of a third round choice as he returns from his torn ACL?
• It looks like AJ Brown and his crazy high target share (we expect) will land him in the third round.
ROUND 4
| Pick | Fansided | ESPN | BR | PFN | Athletic |
| 4.01 | Jaylen Waddle | McLaurin | Kyler Murray | Brown | Hall |
| 4.02 | Travis Etienne | Metcalf | Hall | J. Allen | Waddle |
| 4.03 | Mike Williams | Etienne | McLaurin | Akers | Moore |
| 4.04 | Terry McLaurin | Darnell Mooney | Courtland Sutton | Mahomes | Dobbins |
| 4.05 | Breece Hall | Chris Godwin | Pitts | McLaurin | Akers |
| 4.06 | Cam Akers | Elijah Moore | Moore | Robinson | Murray |
| 4.07 | Brandin Cooks | Gabriel Davis | Johnson | Etienne | Johnson |
| 4.08 | Antonio Gibson | Jerry Jeudy | Waller | Mooney | Waller |
| 4.09 | Allen Robinson | Patrick Mahomes | Waddle | Metcalf | Mahomes |
| 4.10 | Justin Herbert | Herbert | M. Williams | Jacobs | Jacobs |
| 4.11 | DK Metcalf | Kareem Hunt | Montgomery | Cooks | Pittman |
| 4.12 | George Kittle | Sanders | Etienne | AJ Dillon | Mitchell |
• Depending on how your league values quarterbacks, Mahomes and Herbert look like they'll go in the fourth. They are the MVP candidates (along with Allen) and there is a bit of a drop-off in QBs after that trio.
• There are a few scattered stretches here. Darnell Mooney with an unproven QB in Chicago? Will Courtland Sutton or Jerry Jeudy emerge as Russell Wilson's top target? AJ Dillon, the second running back in Green Bay, as a fourth rounder?
Notable drafted players
| Player | Fansided | ESPN | BR | PFN | Athletic |
| Miles Sanders | 5.04 | 4.12 | 6.04 | 7.7 | 6.09 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | 6.03 | 6.11 | 7.04 | 6.10 | 7.01 |
| Jalen Hurts | 6.12 | 8.06 | 8.03 | 7.3 | 5.05 |
| DeVonta Smith | 7.07 | 7.12 | 9.02 | 8.10 | 7.03 |
| Allen Lazard | 8.04 | 8.03 | 7.09 | 8.6 | 7.12 |
| Dallas Goedert | 8.11 | 8.08 | 14.04 | 9.2 | 6.11 |
| Aaron Rodgers | 12.02 | 11.06 | 5.11 | 14.6 | — |
| Kenny Gainwell | — | 11.11 | 12.06 | 11.7 | — |
• We included some Eagles players here for our Philly-centric readership. Sanders has a fairly large range, going everywhere from the fourth to seventh round. Goedert too, is all over the board.
• After proclaiming he would be a Hall of Ffamer and the second coming of Davante Adams, we were curious how drafters saw Allen Lazard. It looks like he's coveted in the seventh or eighth rounds.
• Amon-Ra St. Brown is another skill player who was relatively anonymous this time last year, but had a great second half and looks like he'll be off the board pretty quickly despite the lack of a track record.
• Rodgers, without a stud wideout, is pretty far down in most leagues, but there is no consensus whatsoever. In Bleacher Report he went in the fifth. In The Athletic, he was not chosen in their nine rounds.
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