Ok, so it isn’t even 2008 yet, but a ton of you are already looking to next year. Well, we never shut it down here at FFX, so we decided to throw together a FOUR-Round FFX 2008 Fantasy Football Mock Draft.
This fantasy mock draft is based off of a non-PPR format, standard scoring, with a line-up formation of 1QB, 2RB, 2WR, 1FLEX (RB/WR) 1TE, 1K, 1DEF. This Mock was only FOUR rounds in length, so we weren’t too concerned with making each pick make sense for each draft slot, and obviously we won’t get into any kickers or defenses, etc… We basically wanted to paint an early picture of what one can expect in those early few rounds in 2008.
We’re clearly assuming some things with some of these picks, like Randy Moss staying in New England next year and Michael Turner landing a starting gig this coming off-season. Also, Week 17 is still to come, so many of these player rankings could change and change rather quickly as the weeks move along. Either way, this is how we see the 2008 fantasy football season as of right now. Enjoy.
To talk about this mock, visit its official thread on the FFX Forums.
Round One |
# |
Player |
TM |
Pos. # |
Comments |
1.01 |
LaDainian Tomlinson |
SD |
RB1 |
It is an extremely tough call between A.P. and L.T., but those two are the only two to consider here. Given that Tomlinson is so durable, and still so insanely good, he gets the nod… but not by much! |
1.02 |
Adrian Peterson |
MIN |
RB2 |
Peterson is a fine #1 pick, he just appears to come with a bit more injury-risk than Tomlinson. Still, he might just have a bit more upside than Tomlinson heading into 2008 and beyond. |
1.03 |
Joseph Addai |
IND |
RB3 |
Addai isn’t the third-best runner in the league, but his situation is. Don’t expect that to change in 2008. |
1.04 |
Steven Jackson |
STL |
RB4 |
Tough choice between Westy and Jackson, but Jackson should be a beast in 2008 if he can kickoff the ‘08 season fully healthy. The runner could reach 15+ TDs on a full season. |
1.05 |
Brian Westbrook |
PHI |
RB5 |
Westy has stayed healthy for 2 straight seasons now, and while he always seems to end up on the team’s weekly injury report, he is starting to become quite reliable. Westy should have no problem racking up 1,600+ total yards and 12-15 scores in 2008. |
1.06 |
Tom Brady |
NE |
QB1 |
If for some reason Moss leaves New England, Brady could drop well into the 2nd round, but he is still second-round material. If Moss stays, we see no reason Brady can’t reach 38-40TDs again in 2008 (if not more). |
1.07 |
Frank Gore |
SF |
RB6 |
Gore had a disappointing year in 2007 and he wasn’t very consistent. The thing that worries us about Gore is his QB situation, but given Gore’s upside, he remains a top 5-10 talent in all leagues and formats heading into 2008. |
1.08 |
Larry Johnson |
KC |
RB7 |
L.J. could very well be the steal of 2008 drafts. He had an awful start to the 2007 season, but many people won’t remember that Johnson did bounce-back to his top 5 form in his final 3 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. In those three final games, Johnson was averaging 123.6 total yards and 1.33 TDs per game. The only thing fantasy owners will remember is that Johnson started off slow and missed Weeks 10-16. They won’t remember that he had a brutal schedule early on and that he was back to his elite-form before going down. Take Advantage in 2008, as L.J. could very well bounce-back and once again regain his top 3 overall status. |
1.09 |
Randy Moss |
NE |
WR1 |
Believe it or not, Randy Moss will only be 31 once the 2008 NFL season begins. He still has at least 2 or so years left at that elite level. If he remains in New England in 2008, we have no reason to believe that Moss will drop off from his current first-round status. Given how happy Moss is in New England, we have no reason to believe that Moss and the Patriots will go their separate ways in ‘08. |
1.10 |
Ryan Grant |
GB |
RB8 |
A lot still needs to happen for this ranking to stick, but all indications are that Grant is the Packers’ future rusher. If the team lands a big-time free agent, or addresses the running back position via the 2008 NFL Draft, we will obviously drop Grant out of our top 10, but for now he stays put. He reminds us a lot of Rudi Johnson when he first emerged in the NFL. If the keys to the GB starting line-up are handed to Grant in ‘08, he could very easily rush for 1,300 yards and 12+ scores. |
1.11 |
Marshawn Lynch |
BUF |
RB9 |
If Lynch enters the 2008 season fully healthy, he may emerge as a top 8RB. He was a top 10 talent through Week 10 in most leagues last year, but an ankle injury slowed the rookie down. If you watch this kid run, you realize he is a stud-in-the-making. |
1.12 |
Michael Turner |
UFA |
RB10 |
Bold? Yea, well, notice the "Xtreme" in our domain name! Look… we predicted Carson Palmer’s breakout campaign on live Radio back in 2005 and told all of you FFX subscribers to draft Adrian "All Day" Peterson in the 2nd round in drafts back in August of this past year. Breakout candidates and sleepers are our bread and butter, and if Turner ends up landing a starting gig in ‘08 (one that he so obviously deserves), he will likely be a top 10RB this coming season. If something happens to Turner health-wise before he lands with a team this off-season, obviously we will adjust our expectations, but until then get ready for the premiere season of the Michael The Burner Turner show… they are scheduling 16 episodes in 2008 and the pilot episode should get you hooked. |
Round Two |
# |
Player |
TM |
Pos. # |
Comments |
2.01 |
Willie Parker |
PIT |
RB11 |
Willie Parker is definitely a player to watch this off-season, as he suffered a broken leg on his first carry in Week 16. Word is that the runner will make a full recovery and be ready to rumble in training camp this summer, but one has to wonder if he will lose some touches along the way. Parker finished with a very respectable 1,316 rushing yards in 2007, but he scored just two rushing touchdowns. We have a feeling that Parker will be all over the board in early mocks and his ADP will change quite frequently. Many will believe in him and many will doubt him, that is the nature of this game and the injuries that come along with it. |
2.02 |
Marion Barber |
DAL |
RB12 |
Barber will be a free agent this off-season, but we predict that he will stay in Dallas in 2008. Julius Jones is also a free agent, but he will most likely be elsewhere in ‘08, which means Barber could be in for a HUGE season next year. Now, some question his ability to take on a full load year after year, but his upside as a starter would be far too great to pass up. Barber, like FWP, will be taken at a different spot in almost ever early mock draft you look at. |
2.03 |
Clinton Portis |
WAS |
RB13 |
Portis might end up going a lot higher than this in later mocks, as he really had a nice season in 2007, but for now it is just too hard to rank him above the other runners we have listed up above. If for some reason Michael Turner doesn’t land a starting gig this off-season, or if Randy Moss doesn’t remain in NE, well, then Portis will get lifted into the late-first round, but for now this is where we rank him! |
2.04 |
Willis McGahee |
BAL |
RB14 |
McGahee had an impressive season in 2007, as he finished with 1,207 rushing yards and 7TDs through Week 16. His stats could have actually been a bit better, but he only had 10 yards rushing in Week 16, as he left the game early with broken ribs. We expect more of the same from McGahee in 2008… a solid 1,200-yard season with 7-10TDs sounds about right. |
2.05 |
Reggie Bush |
NO |
RB15 |
It’s very tough to rank Reggie Bush right now, as he didn’t play in Weeks 14-16 due to a knee injury (PCL) and he really didn’t have a solid fantasy year in 2007. Many fantasy owners thought Bush would explode once Deuce McAllister went down early in the year, but he never did. As you’re noticing, the RBs likely to go in the 2nd-round in 2008 all have a lot of question marks. Bush is no different. |
2.06 |
Ronnie Brown |
MIA |
RB16 |
Brown was the best running back in fantasy football without question before tearing his ACL in Week 7 of the 2007 fantasy season. In his six full starts before the injury, Brown was averaging 147 total yards per game and was on pace for 13+ total touchdowns. The good news for Brown is that he had his ACL surgery in the beginning of November, which will give him 8 full months of rehab before August 1st, 2008 hits. While it usually isn’t until year two that a runner fully recovers from a torn ACL, Brown should be able to take on a full load right from the start. However, don’t be surprised if Brown loses a step in ‘08, something that will make him a bit less effective. The stud rusher could see increased value as the off-season moves along. |
2.07 |
Tony Romo |
DAL |
QB2 |
Tony Romo and Peyton Manning have very similar values heading into 2008, so honestly we would take either one right here. The only runner worth taking ahead of either QB, at this point, would be Brandon Jacobs, or maybe an up-and-coming rookie like Darren McFadden or other. Jacobs’ injury history is the only thing holding him back from this spot, but come Draft Day, he may seem worth the risk. As we said, things will change quickly this off-season and these players will be bouncing all over the place in the coming weeks and months. |
2.08 |
Peyton Manning |
IND |
QB3 |
Manning, like Romo, is a much safer pick than any of the runners left on the board at this point (but maybe Brandon Jacobs). A top QB like Brady, Manning or Romo can easily carry your team on a weekly basis, so at this point in the draft, Manning is one of the safest picks one can make. |
2.09 |
Brandon Jacobs |
NYG |
RB17 |
If Jacobs could stay healthy he would absolutely be a first-round pick in 2008. The problem is that he won’t, not at his size and weight. Jacobs won’t likely play many full seasons and he probably won’t have a very long career as an NFL starter. That said, he is easily worth a late-second round pick in early 2008 drafts and he has the talent to really outperform that type of draft slot. Handcuffing Jacobs may be crucial in ‘08. |
2.10 |
Earnest Graham |
TB |
RB18 |
If it weren’t for the presence of Cadillac Williams, Earnest Graham would be a top 12-15 overall pick heading into 2008 fantasy football drafts. Even with Caddy coming back from a torn ACL, Graham will likely be worth a second-round pick in 2008. If the Tampa Bay coaching staff indicates that Caddy will get his job back in ‘08, or that he will at least get half of the workload, well… then Graham’s value would take a major hit. For now, the kid deserves this draft slot and if the Bucs coaching staff makes the right call, Graham will be the team’s opening day starter. |
2.11 |
Reggie Wayne |
IND |
WR2 |
The wide receivers after Randy Moss are really tough to rank heading into the off-season, so much so that you can almost land a top 3WR all the way through the entire second-round and into the beginning of the third. What does this mean? Well, we wouldn’t advise taking a WR not named Randy Moss any earlier than this. If rookie RB Darren McFadden lands in a solid situation, we wouldn’t take even a single WR, other than Randy Moss, until the third-round. |
2.12 |
Darren McFadden |
FA |
RB19 |
Fantasy owners just witnessed a rookie rusher (Adrian Peterson) produce top 3 fantasy numbers on a 16-game season. That is extremely rare! Actually, if Marshawn Lynch didn’t miss three games due to an ankle injury, he would have finished right around #10 or so for fantasy rushers in ‘07. Darren McFadden easily has the talent to produce Lynch-type numbers in 2008, and he could quite possibly have the upside for a lot more. Where he lands in the 2008 NFL Draft will likely move him up or down from this draft slot. |
Round Three |
# |
Player |
TM |
Pos. # |
Comments |
3.01 |
Terrell Owens |
DAL |
WR3 |
Terrell Owens just turned 34 in the beginning of December, which means a decline in production is clearly on its way. Will the decline strike in 2008? What about 2009? Well, Marvin Harrison was still elite at the age of 34, but when he turned 35 right before this 2007 season, he fell off the face of the earth. Of course a knee injury had a lot to do with Harrison’s decline, but he was playing mediocre well before he got hurt. Our guess is that Owens will mirror Harrison’s decline, so that means that Owens likely has another top 5WR season left in his system. That said, 2009 might be a "buyer beware" year for fantasy owners, as Owens will be 35 at the start of that year. Owens did suffer a high ankle sprain in Week 16, so keep an eye on his ankle in the playoffs. X-rays were negative and he should be able to play in the Cowboys first playoff game, but you never know how these things can linger, or lead to another injury. |
3.02 |
Steve Smith |
CAR |
WR4 |
I know we’re going to get a lot of comments on this one, as Steve Smith was a huge bust in 2007, but the thing is when Jake Delhomme is healthy, Smith is a beast. Delhomme only played three games in 2007, as he suffered an elbow injury in Week 3. Before going down, Delhomme threw 8 touchdown passes in those three starts. In those three games, Steve Smith was averaging 93.6 yards receiving and 1.33 touchdowns per start. Delhomme has a laser-lock on Smith and the two should kickoff the 2008 season with a bang. If Delhomme can stay healthy, Steve Smith could easily catch 90 balls for 1,400 yards and 12+ scores. |
3.03 |
Braylon Edwards |
CLE |
WR5 |
Edwards caught 77 passes for 1,222 yards and 15TDs in 2007. That is insane! Edwards is clearly a top 5-7WR heading into 2008 and has the upside to be a top 3WR given that he has one of the best up-and-coming QBs (Derek Anderson) tossing him the rock. Expect more of the same out of Edwards in ‘08. While he may not be a lock to duplicate his 15 scores, he should at least reach 10-12 with maybe even more yardage. |
3.04 |
Andre Johnson |
HOU |
WR6 |
Andre Johnson was a beast in games played in 2007, as he would have caught 101 passes for 1,456 yards and 15TDs if he had played all 15 games this past fantasy season. A.J. missed Weeks 3-9 in ‘07, but he did rack-up 54 receptions for 777 yards and 8 scores. That’s a tremendous half a season! Expect more of the same from the WR and expect Matt Schaub to be a bargain heading into early 2008 fantasy drafts. |
3.05 |
Chad Johnson |
CIN |
WR7 |
Chad Johnson quietly finished as a top 5ish WR in 2007. He caught a very respectable 89 balls for 1,309 yards and 6TDs, but he only had two solid games in Weeks 4-11, so he was very inconsistent. Expect the WR to be a bit more "money" in 2008 and he can be had at bargain value in the mid-to-late 3rd round. You may even grab Chad in the beginning of the 4th given how deep this upcoming year’s receiving group is. |
3.06 |
T.J. Houshmandzadeh |
CIN |
WR8 |
Housh was on fire in Weeks 1-11, as he was on pace to finish as a top 3WR. He slowed in Weeks 12-16, but it’s nothing to worry about for 2008. Palmer, Chad and Housh should all have consistently solid 2008 campaigns and all three are starting to look like they’re going to be bargain grabs in early 2008 Fantasy Football Drafts. |
3.07 |
Marques Colston |
NO |
WR9 |
Colston was awful fantasy-wise in the first half of the 2007 fantasy season, but it wasn’t his fault. The Saints passing attack never got going until mid-season, but starting in Week 8… only a small handful of receivers outplayed him. In fact, Colston’s Week 8-16-pace would have made him a top 3WR in most scoring formats if he had played at that pace for all 15 fantasy games. Colston is a fine WR1 and you can get him in round 3… The WRs are insanely deep in 2008! Take advantage! |
3.08 |
Laurence Maroney |
NO |
RB20 |
This is the most dangerous pick of the draft so far. Maroney was one of this year’s biggest busts and it wasn’t just because he was banged up here and there. The Patriots coaching staff ruined this guy’s fantasy value until the final couple weeks of the 2007 fantasy season. While that was nice, and just in time for the fantasy playoffs, fantasy owners are still wondering what kind of workload Maroney is going to see in 2008. The question marks surrounding Maroney and his situation make him a 3rd-4th round pick at best entering early 2008 fantasy football drafts. |
3.09 |
Antonio Gates |
SD |
TE1 |
Gates had kind of a down year in 2007, as he finished as the third best TE in some formats. Despite not dominating at the position as usual, Gates has the upside to get 1,000- yards and 10TDs each and every season – That places him in a draft slot right around the top 8-10WRs. |
3.10 |
Jamal Lewis |
CLE |
RB21 |
Jamal Lewis quietly finished inside the top 10 for fantasy rushers in 2007. He was actually top 5-7 in some scoring formats. That is crazy! Well, while it is hard to doubt a guy that produced such solid fantasy numbers, his contract/free agent situation will determine where he goes in 2008 fantasy drafts. Jamal is an undrestricted free agent this off-season, but we imagine both Lewis and the Browns want things to stay the same heading into ‘08. Given that Jamal is turning 29 in August, we’d be surprise if the veteran landed a starting gig elsewhere, but we’d also be surprised if the Browns didn’t see the value in his services given how well it all worked in 2007. We’re predicting that the Browns retain Jamal and he will quite possibly be worth more than this 3.10 value. He’ll either move up or down once his contract/free agent situation is settled. |
3.11 |
Kevin Jones |
DET |
RB22 |
If you haven’t noticed, we haven’t drafted many rushers in this 3rd-round, and to be honest, all of them so far (K.J., Lewis and Maroney) are very risky. The last solid rushing prospect was Darren McFadden at 2.12, which means that fantasy owners better think twice about waiting on rushers in 2008. With the plethora of potential top 10WRs lasting all the way into the 4th-round, going RB/RB is probably the best path to take on draft day. As for Kevin Jones, what can we say about him other than he has top 5-7 overall-type talent, but he comes with "Bust Of The Year" type risk. |
3.12 |
Carson Palmer |
CIN |
QB4 |
Palmer should bounce-back in 2008. The stud QB was outplayed, fantasy-wise, by a number of up-and-coming signal-callers. Now, at this point in a draft, it might be best to grab a non-QB if a player drops that shouldn’t have… but past that, Palmer is a safe bet here. |
Round Four |
# |
Player |
TM |
Pos. # |
Comments |
4.01 |
Ben Roethlisberger |
PIT |
QB5 |
Roethy proved last year that he can play like a top 3QB at any given moment. The fact that you can get him in the late-3rd to 4th, he screams "steal" in 2008. Roethlisberger is only going to get better… remember that. |
4.02 |
Larry Fitzgerald |
AZ |
WR10 |
Larry Fitzgerald is a tough guy to rank heading into ‘08, but he is easily worth a 4th-round pick. The problem is that every single WR below are all capable of being top 5-10WRs in 2008. The QB situation in AZ will determine a lot. Expect Fitz to move up and down a lot in early mocks. |
4.03 |
Torry Holt |
STL |
WR11 |
Holt is starting to feel like a major injury-risk, so we wouldn’t blame anyone for drafting a safer WR in this situation. Holt’s health this off-season will either move him up or down in a major way. |
4.04 |
Greg Jennings |
GB |
WR12 |
Jennings appears to be the "The Man" in Green Bay. Will Favre stay or will he go? Obviously Jennings’ value takes a major hit if Favre hangs them up this off-season, but until then… Jennings deserves this draft slot. The kid is extremely skilled and he is in the perfect situation with Favre still gaming it up! |
4.05 |
Maurice Jones-Drew |
JAC |
RB23 |
Jones-Drew could be a bust yet again in 2008, but much of that depends on the health of Fred Taylor. Taylor played out of his mind in 2007, but given the veteran will be 32 this January, it’s hard to imagine him duplicating last year’s numbers. |
4.06 |
Edgerrin James |
AZ |
RB24 |
Edge will be 30 when the season starts, so it’s tough to project what kind of year James will have in 2008. While the runner certainly isn’t worth 2nd-round value or anything, he could end up being a solid 4th-round rusher given the runners that will be left. |
4.07 |
Brandon Marshall |
DEN |
WR13 |
Brandon Marshall finished as a top 10WR in most scoring formats in 2008. While it’s tough to rank him ahead of the Colston and Fitzgerald-types, how can one look past his numbers and upside? That said, be careful taking Marshall too high, as he may get almost overvalued this off-season. It may be smarter taking a Boldin-type in the 5th vs. a Marshall in the late-3rd. |
4.08 |
Roy Williams |
DET |
WR14 |
Williams started off great in his first three games of the 2007 season, but then he had five-straight below average performances. With Calvin Johnson on the rise, and given Williams will be coming off a season-ending PCL injury, it might be best to consider Williams nothing but an excellent fantasy WR2 heading into 2008. |
4.09 |
Lee Evans |
BUF |
WR15 |
Evans, like Colston, started the season off with a string of pathetic outings. An emerging Trent Edwards should make Evans a very reliable WR2 in 2008. |
4.10 |
Derek Anderson |
DEN |
QB6 |
Anderson was one of the best stories of the entire 2007 season, as the quarterback went from rags to riches rather quickly. The Browns aren’t paying Quinn back-up money, but it isn’t exactly the kind of cash that will make an organization even consider pulling a Drew Brees. The Chargers were stuck in a similar situation with Brees and Rivers before Brees left for New Orleans, but the Browns’ situation is a bit different. With Quinn having a five-year deal worth just $9.2 million, Anderson isn’t likely going anywhere unless he just flat out loses the job. Quinn will be the back-up in 2008 and if Anderson continues to play like an absolute monster, look for Cleveland to try and deal Quinn, not Anderson. As for 2008, Anderson is our favorite QB to grab in 2008, given that you can wait so much longer to draft him vs. a Romo or Palmer-type. |
4.11 |
Anquan Boldin |
AZ |
WR16 |
Boldin should have solid value in 2008 drafts given the mediocre season he just had. Injuries are obviously a concern with Boldin, but dropping into the late-4th to early-5th would be too hard to pass up. Boldin, if healthy, could easily put up top 10WR numbers. |
4.12 |
Javon Walker |
DEN |
WR17 |
Walker has some major injury concerns, especially with his knees, but like Boldin, Walker has great value in that 4-5th-round range. Walker could even fall into the 5th-6th rounds in early 2008 drafts — Monitor his ADP as the off-season moves along, he may become an absolute steal. |
The one thing you should come away with from this mock is that 2008 is going to be WR-heavy like no other year. Grab your RBs early! If you land a top 1-5 overall pick next year in your 2008 draft, you might have an insane advantage over the competition. Not only can you land a LaDainian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson or Steven Jackson or Joseph Addai, you will quite possibly be able to land two top 5WRs with your 4th and 5th-round picks. The up and coming WRs are forcing studs like Anquan Boldin, Lee Evans, Plaxico Burress, Roy Williams and Javon Walker to fall almost way too far… but the thing is, they will fall because no one is going to let any of those second-round running backs up above to fall into the 3rd and 4th-rounds. The bad thing about 2008 is that the running backs are going to go quick and with more RBBC situations emerging, and with so many runners coming back from injury (Cadillac Williams, Deuce McAllister, Cedric Benson, etc.), we could be facing even more iffy RB situations than we expect entering 2008.
For those that have two stud QBs, like a drafted Carson Palmer and a free agent pick-up in Derek Anderson… take advantage and try upgrading a questionable starting running back into a more sure thing. Once we near the 2008 season, many fantasy owners are going to start freaking out about the running back situations heading into the new season and rushers will all of the sudden be hard to come by.
To talk about this mock, visit its official thread on the FFX Forums.
