Voxer Rookie Mock Draft Re-Do: Round One

Ken Kelly

As you likely know by now, the DLF Team uses an app called Voxer for quick chats, opinion gathering and general discussion. It’s a quick way for us to get information for articles and put together opinions of many in short order. This week, I asked the team to complete a three round rookie mock draft since we now find ourselves at the quarter pole of the NFL season. In full Voxer beauty, the draft was done in about 30 minutes, allowing me to share it with you quickly. Here were the rules:

1.) You could not draft back-to-back
2.) You could not pick three times in a single round
3.) Only rookies could be drafted
4.) The format was PPR
5.) Anyone can be on the clock once they see the draft was in progress

We had tons of team members join in and that allowed us to get the draft done so rapidly. We’ll bring you the results round-by-round and start with round one today. It’s certainly interesting as some things have changed and others have simply been solidified.

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1.01 = Leonard Fournette, RB JAX

Fournette retains the top spot, despite averaging just 3.5 yards per carry so far this season. On the plus side, he does have 12 catches for 175 yards and has scored four touchdowns already. Fresh off his first 100-yard game, Fournette will look to continue to build on what looks to be a very solid NFL career. Anyone can clearly see Fournette belongs in the NFL as a true workhorse back and as long as he can shake the injury bug with those ankles, he looks like a player you can build a dynasty team around.

1.02 = Kareem Hunt, RB KC

Hunt has been unbelievable so far this year, rushing for 502 yards on 7.4 yards per carry. He’s also caught 13 passes for another 157 yards and has scored a ridiculous six touchdowns in just four games. Hunt looks elusive, explosive and, at times, unstoppable. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him be the consensus 1.01 from this class at the halfway mark of the year if his hot streak continues.

1.03 = Dalvin Cook, RB MIN

A torn ACL has derailed a rookie season that looked to be a great one for Cook. He was well on his way to a 1,500 yard campaign and looked to be a player the Vikings could lean on game after game. Unfortunately, the knee injury will keep him on the sidelines until next season. Our own Doug Green took the plunge with Cook in the mock draft and simply stated, “This is a dynasty league. I don’t care if he’s hurt.” Owners certainly don’t need to panic with Cook. While this injury throws cold water on his short-term value, he still looks like a great long-term asset in dynasty leagues as a dynamic running back.

1.04 = Corey Davis, WR TEN

A bothersome hamstring has left owners wondering just what they’re going to get from Davis this year. He missed the entire preseason, then showed a glimpse of what was to come with six catches for 69 yards on ten targets on opening day. Unfortunately, he aggravated the injury the following week and hasn’t been seen since. It’s likely the Titans keep him out past their bye week but it’s fair to wonder if this is going to be a bit of a lost season for the talented wideout. Still, this isn’t an injury that is going to affect him in the long run and Davis has extraordinary talent. If a draft was held today and he was taken in this area, it could prove to be a steal.

1.05 = Joe Mixon, RB CIN

Mixon is finally starting to assert himself as the primary ball carrier for the Bengals as he’s been given 35 carries over the past two games after getting just 17 in the first two. The results haven’t been great thus far as Mixon is averaging just 2.6 yards per carry and has yet to score his first NFL touchdown, though. Still, it’s early and it looks like he’s going to get his chance starting now. If he can cash in on the opportunity, we know what kind of talent he has.

1.06 = Christian McCaffrey, RB CAR

Yet another rookie off to a slow start, McCaffrey has just 89 rushing yards on the season and, just like Mixon, is averaging under three yards per carry at an anemic 2.9. The presence of Jonathan Stewart has been a big problem for McCaffrey thus far as he’s only been given 31 carries on the year. On the plus side, he does have 22 catches and has averaged just under ten yards per reception. McCaffrey will likely never be a primary running back but his pass catching ability will always make him a threat in fantasy and reality. There are better days to come with him and even with the slow start, he’s on pace for 88 catches.

1.07 = Evan Engram, TE NYG

This was billed as one of the best rookie tight end classes in years and Engram hasn’t disappointed. As the season has progressed, he’s become a bigger part of the Giants offense, highlighted by his six-catch, 62-yard performance last week that came as a result of a monstrous 11 targets. It usually takes tight ends a while to acclimate to the NFL but Engram is on pace for 76 catches, 800 yards and four touchdowns. If Engram even comes close to those numbers, he’s going to be coveted in dynasty leagues for a long time.

1.08 = Mike Williams, WR LAC

A troublesome back injury has kept Williams on the shelf since training camp and injury concerns with him have dropped him into the bottom third of round one as of now. It looks as if he’ll return as soon as next week and that would be a welcome sight for his owners. At this point, Williams just needs to put together a healthy stretch to regain or even maintain his value in dynasty leagues. If he can prove to be healthy, he looks like a possible WR1 in the future. Still, that’s a big “if” at the moment.

1.09 = John Ross, WR CIN

Ross has been a disaster so far but it only takes one person to believe in him and that happened here at 1.09. At this point, Ross has yet to catch a single pass and has just one rush for 12 yards that ended in a lost fumble to start his career. The coaching staff has been on him from the start and he has a ways to go before climbing out of the doghouse. He’s still battling a minor knee issue but should get back into the mix here in the next couple of weeks. There’s no doubting his talent but this has been an awful start.

1.10 = Cooper Kupp, WR LAR

Kupp has seen one of the biggest gains in value so far this year as he’s proven to be a great weapon for the improving Jared Goff. So far, Kupp has 14 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns early this season. He has a keen knack for getting open and has proven his small school status (Eastern Washington) means little in terms of his ability. Kupp looks like a great PPR asset moving forward and is quickly establishing himself as a legitimate threat in Los Angeles.

1.11 = OJ Howard, TE TB

Howard has just four catches so far this year as Cameron Brate continues to hold down the fort as Tampa Bay’s primary pass catcher at the position.  Still, we’ve seen just how explosive Howard can be when he caught a 58-yard touchdown pass against the Giants a couple of weeks ago. Howard’s upside is enormous and owners are just going to need to exhibit some patience and let things play out with Brate, who is a restricted free agent at the end of the year. The ceiling of Howard remains as high (or higher) than any tight end in this class.

1.12 = Alvin Kamara, RB NO

There were lots of questions about Kamara going into the season. After all, the Saints still have Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson in the backfield and there are only so many touches to go around. Not so fast, my Lee Corso friend! Kamara’s role has grown early in the season and he’s seemingly gaining more and more confidence as a result. Last week, Kamara posted a robust ten catches and has proven to be a fantasy weapon already in his young career. As his role grows, he could find himself creeping up this list even more. He has great upside in an offense that seems suited to his talents.

There you have it. We have some changes happening and some other thoughts being cemented in terms of rookie values. We’ll post the rest of the draft later this week.

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ken kelly