You feel the excitement in the air? That’s right! Football is back! While I’ll be rooting on the Seahawks and Huskies this fall, I will also be keeping a close eye on my fantasy football teams. If I’m being honest, 2015 was a down year for me. I finished last or 2^nd to last in 3 out of 4 leagues. Let’s just say I hope to improve upon those dreadful performances. Which is why I decided to jump on the ESPN app and complete a few mock drafts before my real drafts. Maybe I’ll pick up on some trends, get a feel for where certain players will go or find some value in the later rounds. For this mock I decided to pick from the tenth slot.

Round 1 (10^th pick)-Devonta Freeman (RB, Atlanta Falcons)

Last season, I made an unfortunate selection and chose Tevin Coleman with one of my top 3 picks. He won the starting gig over Freeman out of training camp and looked poised for a great rookie season. Boy was I wrong. He started out strong in Week 1 but after a poor performance in Week 2, Freeman was then awarded the starting job and blew up. His Week 3 performance against the Dallas Cowboys, when he rushed for 141 yards and 3 TD’s, was his breakout game. He never looked back and finished the season 7^th in rushing yards with 1056 and tied for 1^st in rushing TD’s with 11. I don’t see him slowing down in 2016; in fact, I believe he can improve upon his sophomore numbers. With opposing defenses keyed in towards slowing down one of the premier WR’s, Julio Jones, Freeman will be given the autonomy to find gaps in the front-7.

Round 2 (11^th pick)-A.J. Green (WR, Cincinnati Bengals)

With a pick this high I’m looking for a consistent weekly performance and a player who is guaranteed to touch the ball multiple times a game. A.J. Green certainly fits these qualifications. Over his 5 year career, he has never caught less than 65 passes or dipped below 1000 yards. That’s some production I can get behind. He’s also been a guy with a great injury record and missed very few game during his career.

Round 3 (30^th pick)-Demaryius Thomas (WR, Denver Broncos)

Peyton Manning’s retirement puts a bit of a damper on this selection, only because the Broncos are likely going to start Mark Sanchez at QB. I mention this because before Manning’s arrival in the Mile-High City Thomas put up relatively average to below-average numbers. In 2011, the year before Manning arrival, Thomas only had 32 receptions culminating in 551 yards and 4 TD’s. Compare that to 2012, when Thomas’s production nearly tripled (94 recs, 1,434 yards & 10 TD’s) with Manning under center. I’m a little nervous Thomas’s numbers could dip with Sanchez under-center but that is a risk I’m willing to take.

Round 4 (31^st pick)-Jonathan Stewart (RB, Carolina Panthers)

I botched this pick. The player I really wanted, Carlos Hyde, went a pick before I selected and I panicked. I wasn’t flexible and just went with the highest ranked player. Always have a backup plan and a backup to the backup. I did not follow this advice and became frustrated. I don’t like this pick at all. Even though, on paper, Stewart is the RB1 for the Panthers and puts up decent numbers, but Cam Newton is the tip of the spear for Carolina’s ground attack.

Round 5 (50^th pick)-Russell Wilson (QB, Seattle Seahawks)

I’m banking on Wilson to start 2016 like he performed in Week’s 11-17, when he lit up the league with a TD-INT ration of 24-1. The key will be keeping him clean & upright. In Weeks 1-8, he was sacked 31 times but, in Week 10-17, he was sacked only 14 times. Once considered a weakness the WR group has blossomed into a strength. Doug Baldwin tied for the league lead in TD’s, Jermaine Kearse has a knack for making the big play and Tyler Lockett is coming off a strong rookie campaign. If Jimmy Graham can come back and be a force, his addition only adds another dimension to an already potent receiving corps.

Round 6 (51^st pick)-Latavius Murray (RB, Oakland Raiders)

Murray burst onto the scene in 2015 after incumbent RB, Darren McFadden, signed with the Cowboys. This is the classic big name player leaves and virtually unknown player comes in to fill the void. Look for these situations when drafting in the mid-to-later rounds. Players like this can make or break a fantasy season.

Round 7 (70^th pick)-DeAngelo Williams (RB, Pittsburgh Steelers)

Le’Veon Bell will miss the 1^st 4 games of the Steelers campaign, making Williams a mid-round steal. In 2015, he proved to be more than an adequate backup tying for the league lead in rushing TD’s at 11. Although he is a 33 year old RB and might see limited action once Bell comes back, I still project him to have early season value.

Round 8 (71^st pick)-Allen Hurns (WR, Jacksonville Jaguars)

Over the past few seasons, I would not have recommended taking any player on the Jaguars but with the emergence of QB Blake Bortles that has changed. The other Allen, Allen Robinson, gets all the publicity and hype because of his monstrous 2015 (80 recs, 1400 yards & 14 TD’s) but Hurns is a very solid and capable WR2.

Round 9 (90^th pick)-Marvin Jones (WR, Detroit Lions)

Matt Stafford and the Lions love to throw the ball. With Calvin Johnson now retired there are tons of receptions, yards and TD’s to be had. Jones has put up some good number over the past couple of seasons and is primed for a breakout. I see him breaking the 1000+ yards marker for the 1^st time in his young career.

Round 10 (91^st pick)-Jimmy Graham (TE, Seattle Seahawks)

This was the biggest risk I took. I was too tantalized by the potential Wilson-Graham combination to pass up this opportunity. His knee injury was a serious one and could potentially rob him of some athleticism but it was a risk I was willing to take. I think back to the connection he and Russell displayed against the Panthers. Graham ended that particular contest with 8 receptions and 140 yards. If it doesn’t work out, oh well. The waiver wire has plenty of starting caliber TE’s.

Round 11 (110^th pick)-Tevin Coleman (RB, Atlanta Falcons)

Once again, I drafted Coleman but this time he serves as the handcuff to my top pick Devonta Freeman.

Round 12 (111^th pick)-Michael Thomas (WR, New Orleans Saints)

Last season Brandin Cook bust onto the NFL scene as a rookie. I’m hoping Michael Thomas can replicate that kind of success. Drew Brees does a good job incorporating young receivers into the Saints high flying passing attack. If he has a strong showing in training camp and pre-season I could see Thomas starting Week 1.

Round 13 (130^th pick)-Seahawks D/ST

This pick is me being sentimental and selecting my favorite teams’ defense. I usually just find a good match-up on the waiver wire and roll with that.

Round 14 (131^st pick)-Jordan Howard (RB, Chicago Bears)

With longtime, all-purpose Bears RB Matt Forte signing with the J-E-T-S, the backfield competition is wide open. Jeremy Langford is the presumed starter but a strong preseason from any of the other RB’s could shake things up. Last season, I watched an unknown Central Michigan RB named Thomas Rawls take the NFL by storm. Late round picks are all about potential. Look for teams with question marks at skill positions and roll the dice with one of the players.

Round 15 (150^th pick)-Steven Hauschka (K, Seattle Seahawks)

No explanation needed, Hausch Money.

Round 16 (151^st pick)-Dwayne Allen (TE, Indianapolis Colts)

This is another late round boom-or-bust pick. Allen has talent, but injuries have derailed his promising career. In 2016, he figures to be a huge part of the offense because the Colts opted to let TE Colby Fleener walk.

Overall, I wish this was one of my actual teams. I really feel good about my choices at WR. A.J. Green and Demaryius Thomas are the focal points for their respective teams passing attack. Allen Hurns is a solid WR2/flex option, who should receive a fair amount of targets. Marvin Jones should see his numbers increase with the Lions but with a guy moving to a new team you just never know. Michael Thomas is the biggest wildcard of the bunch, just because he is a rookie and sometimes they take a while to acclimatize to the speed and physicality of the pro game. I also feel good about my QB selection. Russell Wilson is a player I have watched develop and mature right in front of my eyes. I trust what I have seen and believe he is ready to put up some crazy passing stats. I’m not so high on my RB group though. I like Devonta Freeman as my RB1 because of the amount of carries he will receive. I’m happy I ended up with Tevin Coleman just in case Freeman misses a week or two. I’m a big advocate of taking an RB high and picking his backup in a later round as insurance. Latavius Murray should be an excellent RB2/flex because of his high snap count and usage rate for the Raiders. I have a feeling Le’Veon Bell is going to tear up the NFL when he comes back from suspension but for the 1^st 4 weeks DeAngelo Williams has a chance to put up some flex-worth numbers, maybe even low RB2 potential. I don’t like my Jonathan Stewart pick in the slightest. I was rattled and just picked who topped the board. He may have some value as a flex but Cam Newton is the main man behind the Panthers vaunted running attack. Jordan Howard is my high potential RB selection. There is no reason why he couldn’t be the opening day starter, but he could just as easily be 3^rd or 4^th on the Bears depth chart. TE is the most shaky positional group. On one hand, Jimmy Graham and Dwayne Allen both could end up in the top-10 of fantasy TE’s. On the other hand, they could have uneven seasons or worse; have their season come to an end prematurely due to injury. It is a gamble I’m willing to take.