It's always interesting to do mock drafts after news happens in the NFL to see the impact on the players involved. For example, two backfields recently had significant changes in Washington and New England, and that altered the outlook for several running backs.
Let's start with Washington, which released Derrius Guice after he was arrested for alleged domestic violence. The team is now going with a backfield headlined by Adrian Peterson, Antonio Gibson and Bryce Love -- at least from a Fantasy perspective.
In our latest 0.5, PPR mock draft, Gibson was drafted in Round 8, Peterson went in Round 9 and Love was selected in Round 10. I was glad to see that Gibson wasn't overvalued, and Round 8 is a good spot for him.
As a converted wide receiver from Memphis, the rookie is expected to play on passing downs and likely be a gadget player. We'll see how many carries he gets -- he had 33 in 2019 -- but he could have a similar role to what we see from guys like Tarik Cohen or James White, albeit on a lesser scale.
Being optimistic, I'm hopeful for 45-50 catches and 100 total touches. He could be a flex, and Andrew Baumhor drafted him as the fourth running back on his roster. This was a solid pick and great value for his team.
I didn't like the Peterson pick for R.J. White. Peterson was drafted ahead of guys like Phillip Lindsay, Chase Edmonds and Latavius Murray, among others, and I'd rather have those other running backs.
At 35, Peterson doesn't have much upside, even if he's the starter heading into Week 1. I'd rather have Love in Round 10, and I was upset when Chris Towers drafted him.
The hope is Washington leans more on the younger running backs in Gibson and Love, and Peterson plays in a secondary role. It would be great if Love leads the team in carries after he essentially had a redshirt season in 2019 following a torn ACL at Stanford in 2018. Following Guice's release, Love is one of my favorite sleepers this season.
For the Patriots, they signed Lamar Miller to an already crowded backfield with Sony Michel, White, Damien Harris and Rex Burkhead. Miller, who missed last season with a torn ACL and MCL, was placed on the PUP list upon signing.
We'll see how long Miller is out, but one of the reasons he was likely signed is because Michel is also on the PUP list following foot surgery in May. The Athletic reported that Michel could miss Week 1, and he could stay on the PUP list to open the season, meaning he's out for at least six weeks.
It's a fluid situation, and it's one you might want to avoid altogether -- aside from White. Here, White was selected in Round 8, which is fair value in 0.5 PPR. In full PPR, I can see White being drafted as early as Round 6.
Jeremy Bache drafted White, and he also took a flier on Michel in Round 11. If Michel is fine for Week 1, he should be the lead rusher for the Patriots, but he will likely share carries with Miller, Harris and White, who we know will play on passing downs.
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Miller and Harris were both drafted in Round 14, and it's fine to take a chance on them if Michel is out. If Michel plays, I wouldn't have high expectations for either, especially in any leagues that reward points for receptions.
Now that training camp is ramping up with more action on the field, we'll continue to see more news and reports about players. It's exciting, and it definitely makes for more interesting mock drafts.
We're doing plenty of them as we get closer to the real Draft Day in most of our leagues. So continue to pay attention as things change when it comes to player's values.
We got into ADP and when to target your receivers Friday on the Fantasy Football Today podcast. Follow all our podcasts and subscribe here.
In this league, 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 one point for every reception. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, FLEX (RB/WR/TE), K and DST. There also are six reserve spots for a 16-round draft.
Our draft order is as follows:
1. Dave Richard, Senior Fantasy Writer
2. Adam Aizer, Fantasy Football Podcast Host
3. Heath Cummings, Senior Fantasy Writer
4. Chris Towers, Senior Editor, Fantasy
5. Frank Stampfl, Fantasy Baseball Podcast Host
6. Jamey Eisenberg, Senior Fantasy Writer
7. R.J. White, NFL Editor
8. Andrew Baumhor, CBS Sports HQ Producer
9. Ben Schragger, Podcast Producer
10. Ben Gretch, Fantasy Editor
11. Meron Berkson, CBS Sports HQ Producer
12. Jeremy Bache, Fantasy Sales Coordinator
So which Fantasy football busts should you completely avoid? And which running back going off the board early should you fade? Visit SportsLine now to get cheat sheets from the model that called Baker Mayfield's disappointing season, and find out.
