Now that free agency is mostly done, we wanted to see how some of the players who changed teams -- or even stayed home -- impacted their Fantasy value. With that in mind, we held a 12-team, PPR mock draft with members of the CBS Sports staff.
We're well aware that the NFL Draft will change many things that happened here. But we have a month until that takes place -- and we like doing mock drafts.
You can examine the draft results below to scan for the free agents who have been in the news lately. Some of the players to highlight include Aaron Jones in Round 1, Chris Carson in Round 3, JuJu Smith-Schuster in Round 4, Kenny Golladay in Round 5, Will Fuller in Round 6, Curtis Samuel in Round 7 and Corey Davis in Round 8, among others.
Also, you should look for the players who saw a change in their Fantasy value as a result of transactions on their team. For example, Terry McLaurin (Round 3) saw his stock rise with the addition of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Meanwhile, the Raiders added Kenyan Drake (Round 9), which is bad news for Josh Jacobs, who went in Round 4.
I had the No. 8 overall selection, and free agency definitely played a role in how I built my team. I started with Austin Ekeler, who got an upgraded offensive line when the Chargers signed center Corey Linsley from the Packers and right tackle Matt Feiler from the Steelers.
I drafted Cam Akers in Round 2, and he should benefit with the Rams trading for quarterback Matthew Stafford. And I went with Antonio Gibson in Round 3, and he should improve with Fitzpatrick coming to Washington.
After getting three of my top 15 running backs to start this draft -- which is something I might do a lot if players of this caliber are available -- I focused on wide receivers. Amari Cooper (Round 4), Diontae Johnson (Round 5) and Courtland Sutton (Round 7) were three of my next four picks, with Dallas Goedert (Round 6) also someone I coveted.
Cooper is reunited with Dak Prescott, who signed a big contract extension to stay in Dallas. Johnson should still be a standout receiver even with Smith-Schuster back in Pittsburgh. And Sutton, who could still get a new quarterback in Denver, should be a steal in Round 7 if he's fully recovered from last year's torn ACL.
As for Goedert, he could be the top receiving option in Philadelphia once the Eagles move on from Zach Ertz, as well as depending on what happens with the rest of their receiving corps. Goedert could easily be a top five Fantasy tight end this year.
I drafted Justin Herbert in Round 8, and like Ekeler, he should benefit from the offensive line upgrades. Herbert was the No. 9 quarterback off the board, and I loved getting him at this spot.
The rest of my team consists of bench players with high upside. Mecole Hardman (Round 9) could be the starting receiver opposite Tyreek Hill this year. Tevin Coleman (Round 10) could be the starting running back for the Jets. Darnell Mooney (Round 11) flashed as a rookie for the Bears in 2020 and should start opposite Allen Robinson. Hopefully, Andy Dalton will help the entire Bears passing game, and I also drafted Cole Kmet as a backup tight end in Round 14.
In Round 12, I drafted Darrel Williams, who stayed with the Chiefs this offseason and is the likely handcuff for Clyde Edwards-Helaire. And in Round 13, I drafted Josh Reynolds, who could replace Corey Davis as the No. 2 receiver in Tennessee after leaving the Rams for the Titans this offseason.
It was fun to react to free agency in building these Fantasy rosters. And it will be fun to react to the NFL Draft once it happens at the end of April. We love doing mock drafts, and this is only the beginning as we continue to get you ready for the start of the upcoming season.
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) and DST. There also are six reserve spots for a 15-round draft.
Our draft order is as follows:
1. George Maselli, Fantasy Editor
2. Andrew Baumhor, CBS Sports HQ Producer
3. Jack Capotorto, CBS Sports HQ Producer
4. Meron Berkson, CBS Sports HQ Producer
5. Chris Towers, Senior Editor, Fantasy
6. Dan Schneier, Fantasy Editor
7. Ben Schragger, Fantasy Football Today Podcast Producer
8. Jamey Eisenberg, Senior Fantasy Writer
9. Dave Richard, Senior Fantasy Writer
10. Heath Cummings, Senior Fantasy Writer
11. R.J. White, Managing Editor, SportsLine and CBS Fantasy
12. Adam Aizer, Podcast Host
