Three Round 2017 Fantasy Mock: Half-PPR

We're approaching that time of the year again, though we still have a bit of time to go. Fantasy mock drafts have recently opened up for many of the most popular platforms and experts have already released rankings. You know that old saying goes right? The championships are won in the offseason one? Well, for the slim percentage of fantasy junkies that have already committed themselves to an offseason of diligent research, this one's for you. For others, this may not reach your screen until perhaps August.

Below is a three-round mock draft conducted by myself. For each selection, I acted on behalf of the team and chose from the remaining players on the board. The picks made are based off of my personal rankings. Enjoy.

(DRAFT FORMAT: PPR with Snake draft order)

Round 1

Team 1 RB Le'Veon Bell, PIT: It's close between Bell and Johnson, though I believe Bell 1) runs behind a stronger offensive line and 2) plays in a more high-powered offense.

Team 2 RB David Johnson, ARZ: In 2016 Johnson nearly gained over 1,000 yards both on the ground and as a receiver, showing off his truly special dual-threat talent.

Team 3 RB Ezekiel Elliot, DAL: The uncontested 2016 rushing leader has much potential as a receiver as well. It didn't show much this past season, though look for him to be more involved during his sophomore campaign.

Team 4 WR Odell Beckham Jr., NYG: Beckham Jr. is my number one ranked WR. In each of his first three seasons, with his rookie year being only 12 games, he's managed to put up over 1,300 yards and double digit touchdowns. There's no reason to believe he will slow down. To be honest, I see the additions of Brandon Marshall in free agency and first-round draft pick Evan Engram as boosts to Beckham Jr.'s production. Call me crazy.

Team 5 WR Antonio Brown, PIT: Brown's numbers speak for themselves. His ceiling only grows with the return of an actual threat opposite him in WR Martavis Bryant.

Team 6 WR Julio Jones, ATL: Jones is a man amongst boys every time he touches the turf. Ask the Panthers about that (he managed a mere 300 yards receiving in that contest). The only thing that scares me with Jones is that he does have a bit of an injury history, most recently being his foot/toe issues.

Team 7 WR Mike Evans, TB: Part of me wanted to put Evans as my no. 3 ranked WR. In 2016 Evans truly brokeout as Winston force-fed him the football every chance he could. But could you blame him? Evans stands 6 feet 5 inches, has good speed and can jump out of the stadium. I see him increasing his totals from 2016 to 2017, especially considering the Bucs added some new weapons in DeSean Jackson and rookie O.J. Howard.

Team 8 RB LeSean McCoy, BUF: McCoy enjoyed a monster 2016 season. He also successfully avoided the injury bug (for the most part). In a year of very, VERY thin reliable running backs, it's hard to pass up that kind of production here.

Team 9 WR A.J. Green, CIN: After seeing his team select WR John Ross in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Green must be chomping at the bits. Fully healed from a torn hamstring, Green should see more opportunity in 2017 with the burner Ross and a healthy Eifert opening things up. Not to mention the Bengals also drafted Oklahoma RB Joe Mixon, who could draw some attention from opposing defenses. Cincinnatti has the chance to be a top offense in 2017.

Team 10 WR Jordy Nelson, GB: Over 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns on 97 receptions coming off a torn ACL? Not too shabby. Some may be scared away due to his age, though I dont see Nelson slowing down next season. The Packers boast the leagues best quarterback who just so happens to love feeding Nelson the pigskin. The addition of TE Martellus Bennett should draw some attention away from Nelson as well.

Round 2

Team 10 RB Devonta Freeman, ATL

Team 9 RB Jordan Howard, CHI

Team 8 WR Michael Thomas, NO

Team 7 RB Melvin Gordon, LAC

Team 6 RB DeMarco Murray, TEN

Team 5 RB Jay Ajayi, MIA

Team 4 WR Dez Bryant, DAL

Team 3 WR T.Y. Hilton, IND

Team 2 WR Amari Cooper, OAK

Team 1 WR Alshon Jeffery, PHI

Here a bunch of running backs start to fly off the board. This year's RB class is incredibly thin and thus reaching for a reliable one seems to be the most logical move, especially considering the depth of the WR class. My two favorite picks in this round were WR Michael Thomas and RB Melvin Gordon. In his rookie debut Thomas was good for 1,137 yards and 9 touchdowns off 92 receptions. And with Cooks gone, look for those numbers to increase. I see Brees and Thomas taking really taking their chemistry to the next level in 2017. As for Gordon, he began a touchdown-machine in 2016 and put up decent yardage totals. He even contributed in the pass game as injuries plagued the LA backfield. Now fully healthy, I see Gordon assuming a similar role in 2017, with a solid role also carved out as a receiving threat.

Round 3

Team 1 RB Marshawn Lynch, OAK

Team 2 RB Lamar Miller, HOU

Team 3 RB Todd Gurley, LAR

Team 4 RB Leonard Fournette, JAC

Team 5 TE Rob Gronkowski, NE

Team 6 WR Demaryius Thomas, DEN

Team 7 TE Jordan Reed, WAS

Team 8 WR DeAndre Hopkins, HOU

Team 9 WR Doug Baldwin, SEA

Team 10 RB Christian McCaffrey, CAR

I absolutely love the Lynch and McCaffrey picks here. First, I think Lynch is flying very much under the radar. I understand he has been retired for a full year, though from what I hear it sounds like he has not lost a step. In fact, multiple sources seem to believe he has benefited from a year's rest. And behind that Oakland offensive line? I'm sold. And then we have the Swiss Army knife himself Christian McCaffrey. I see him going for at least 1,200 scrimmage yards and 8 touchdowns as a rookie. Add in the mongo you'd get from his potential 60+ receptions and you have a stud RB2. Switching gears here, I believe the hardest pick (and one I'll stay away from) to gauge is Gronk. Given his lengthy injury history as well as NE's additions of talented weapons like former Saints WR Brandin Cooks, it's hard to even estimate the production Gronk will have (if he is even out there). Personally, I think getting by with a TE in the later rounds is a much smarter move.