Fantasy Football 0.5 PPR Mock Draft: Waiting on QB could pay massive dividends but choose wisely

Fantasy managers historically don't love drafting at the end of Round 1, but that could change this season. You might find the back half of the first round to be comparable to the top, and you're obviously getting a more talented player in Round 2 with an earlier selection.

It's still May, but we have a pretty good idea of who the first handful of players will be drafted in all leagues, which includes Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs and CeeDee Lamb, in some order. Those three receivers and three running backs have star potential, and they either have a strong resume or are coming off a big season in 2024.

But the next tier of players isn't far behind that group in terms of potential. We're talking about Ashton Jeanty, De'Von Achane, Christian McCaffrey, and Derrick Henry at running back and Amon-Ra St. Brown, Puka Nacua, Nico Collins, Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr. and A.J. Brown at receiver. The top two tight ends Brock Bowers and Trey McBride are also in this range.

There's a slight drop-off in expected production with those guys, but you're also getting two of them. And that's an awesome start for your Fantasy roster.

Check out some of the roster builds here in our latest 12-team, 0.5-PPR mock draft featuring members of our CBS Sports staff. You can judge if the managers drafting in the back half of Round 1 did better than those drafting near the top.

I had the No. 8 overall pick, and I'm thrilled with how this team was built. I decided to draft Achane in Round 1 instead of Nabers, Nacua, Collins, or St. Brown because I wanted a top-five running back, and I love the way Achane performed in 2024 when Tua Tagovailoa was healthy, especially with Raheem Mostert now gone.

In Round 2, the board didn't fall the way I hoped because Collins, Nacua, Nabers, St. Brown, Thomas, and Brown were all selected before my pick at No. 17 overall. I didn't want to start RB-RB, and I also wanted to pass on McBride and Bowers in this spot.

My No. 10 receiver is London, and while this might seem too early for him, you want to get a top-tier receiver locked up if possible. I like London more than Tee Higgins, Ladd McConkey, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, so I was fine with this selection.

James Cook was an easy pick in Round 3 in this format, and hopefully, his contract situation is settled by training camp. I wanted to handcuff him with Ray Davis, but I missed him by one pick in Round 12, which isn't ideal.

I love the receivers I drafted in Rounds 4 and 5 with Terry McLaurin and Travis Hunter, and Hunter has top-20 upside in Jacksonville as long as he spends most of his time on offense, which appears will happen. We start three receivers in this league, and I feel good about the trio of London, McLaurin, and Hunter, especially with Achane and Cook as my running backs.

In Round 6, I was torn between drafting Sam LaPorta or another running back in D'Andre Swift, Quinshon Judkins, or Kaleb Johnson. I went with LaPorta as the fourth tight end off the board, and then I got lucky when Judkins fell to me in Round 7, which was a surprise.

Khalil Shakir was an easy pick in Round 8, and I went for an upside play at running back in Round 9 with Cam Skattebo. If he's the starting running back for the Giants -- Tyrone Tracy Jr. went in Round 7 here -- then Skattebo is a steal at this spot.

I did a little "friendship strategy" with Keon Coleman in Round 10, and hopefully, Shakir and Coleman can both have big seasons for the Bills. Coleman is one of my favorite sleepers this season, and I'm counting on him to take a big leap in his sophomore campaign.

I love the value for Jordan Mason in Round 11, and he could be a significant factor in Minnesota's backfield this year. And in Round 12, I took a flier on Cedric Tillman, who could be a nice surprise for the Browns, especially if Joe Flacco is the primary quarterback in Cleveland in 2025.

As you can see, I waited on a quarterback, and I was thrilled to get Justin Fields in Round 13. He has top-10 upside with his rushing prowess, and this worked out better than I could have expected to be patient at the position. In Round 14, I paired Fields with Drake Maye, who is another sleeper to target with a late-round pick, and Maye could surprise Fantasy managers with his legs.

This was a fun draft, and I like the way my team came together, especially starting at No. 8 overall. You no longer have to worry about picking at the back end of Round 1 in drafts this season.

As a reference point for this mock draft, all touchdowns are worth six points, and we award one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving and one point for every 25 yards passing. We also award 0.5 points for every reception. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, and FLEX (RB/WR/TE) with six reserves for a 14-round draft.

Our draft order is as follows:

1. Dan Schneier, Senior Fantasy Editor
2. Meron Berkson, CBS Sports HQ Producer
3. Heath Cummings, Senior Fantasy Writer
4. Robert Thomas, FFT Facebook Moderator
5. Joel Cox, CBS Sports VP Business Development
6. Brandon Howard, Fantasy Editor
7. Jake Grogins, CBS Sports HQ Production Staff
8. Jamey Eisenberg, Senior Fantasy Writer
9. Adam Aizer, FFT Podcast Host
10. R.J. White, Managing Editor, SportsLine, and CBS Fantasy
11. Dave Richard, Senior Fantasy Writer
12. Thomas Shafer, FFT Podcast Producer