Fantasy Football Mock Draft, No. 9 Pick: Full list of picks, analysis and key takeaways

Yahoo

3 hours ago

Welcome to the ninth installment of my 12-part mock draft series, where I'm drafting from every spot — 1 through 12 — in a standard 12-team Yahoo league to break down how draft strategies evolve based on pick position. As always, I used the Yahoo Fantasy Plus Instant Mock Draft tool and drafted solo. The format is half-PPR, with the following roster construction: QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, TE, FLEX, K, D/ST and six bench spots.
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We're onto the 1.09 spot, where I went back to another RB-centric draft strategy — using four of the first five picks on an RB, similar to my 1.08 mock draft. Let's run it!
Full Roster
QB: Bo Nix (DEN)
RB: Derrick Henry (BAL)
RB: De'Von Achane (MIA)
WR: Xavier Worthy (KC),
WR: Jameson Williams (DET)
FLEX: James Cook (BUF)
TE: Tucker Kraft (GB)
K: Jake Bates (DET)
D/ST: Arizona Cardinals (ARI)
Bench: Kenneth Walker III (SEA)
Bench: Jaylen Waddle (MIA)
Bench: Jordan Mason (MIN)
Bench: Josh Downs (IND)
Bench: Drake Maye (QB)
Bench: Jacory Croskey-Merritt (WAS)
Rounds 1–3: Setting the tone with RB security
1.09 – Derrick Henry (BAL – RB)
2.04 – De'Von Achane (MIA – RB)
3.09 – James Cook (BUF – RB)
Roster assessment after Round 3:
This draft opened with a pure RB power grab — and I'm not mad about it. Derrick Henry is the LeBron James of football, a future Hall-of-Fame player who provides a consistent, safe floor in fantasy but is also capable of putting up elite numbers. I liked pairing him with De'Von Achane, the Dolphins' explosive all-purpose back, who's ideal for PPR leagues. Achane's already dealing with a lower-body soft tissue issue, which is concerning given his injury profile. The good news is Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel expects him to be ready for Week 1.
I haven't drafted much of James Cook, but now that he's ended his holdout with a noteworthy extension, I'm down with drafting him at cost. Even though he'll surely regress from the 18 total TDs he scored last year, Cook is a three-down back in a top-tier offense. All three of my RBs project for big workloads and should thrive in a half-PPR format.
Rounds 4–6: Upside WRs with an abundance at RB
4.04 – Kenneth Walker III (SEA – RB)
5.09 – Xavier Worthy (KC – WR)
6.04 – Jameson Williams (DET – WR)
Roster assessment after Round 6:
While the fantasy buzz grows around Zach Charbonnet, I took Walker as a high upside insurance policy who could become a tradeable asset mid-season. He practiced in full on Sunday, giving me confidence he'll be ready by Week 1. From there, it was time to invest in breakout WRs. Rashee Rice's situation remains murky, so Worthy is worthy of a fifth-rounder with the potential of being Patrick Mahomes' top target as the season progresses.
The Jameson Williams pick is based on everything I've read from training camp and preseason. He's poised to take a major step forward in Detroit's pass game this year. With an ADP in the late fifth round, I doubt he'll be available beyond the mid-sixth round in most 12-team leagues.
Rounds 7–10: Value drops and plugging holes
7.09 – Jaylen Waddle (MIA – WR)
8.04 – Bo Nix (DEN – QB)
9.09 – Jordan Mason (MIN – RB)
10.04 – Tucker Kraft (GB – TE)
Roster assessment after Round 10:
Jaylen Waddle was the best value pick of the draft, and it's unlikely he'll fall to the seventh round in a real 12-team draft; he slipped 14 picks beyond his ADP. I went with Bo Nix at QB because he was the best available QB relative to the draft board. The Broncos added more depth to their skill positions to elevate Nix as a mid-tier QB.
Jordan Mason is my preferred backup to target, and locking in Packers TE Tucker Kraft isn't flashy, but with Jayden Reed injured, he could get the volume necessary for him to level up at the position. Kraft was surprisingly second among TEs in yards per reception (13.3) last year.
Rounds 11–15: Bench fliers, rookies and final fill-ins
11.09 – Josh Downs (IND – WR)
12.04 – Jacory (Bill) Croskey-Merritt (WAS – RB)
13.09 – Drake Maye (NE – QB)
14.04 – Jake Bates (DET – K)
15.09 – Arizona Cardinals (ARI – D/ST)
Roster assessment after Round 15:
These rounds were about rounding out positional depth. Josh Downs is a flier who produced well with competent QB play. That's definitely not the Colts. I snatched up Bill Croskey-Merritt after learning that the Commanders are shopping RB Brian Robinson Jr. After a strong second preseason game, JCM is going to be one of those sleepers whose ADP is about to skyrocket.
I added Patriots QB Drake Maye in the event Nix doesn't work out. I like Maye's dual-threat ability, and he could also become a potential trade chip later in the season. Maye has the fantasy tools to be a starter in a 12-team league. I closed things out by getting a top-three kicker and Arizona's D/ST, one of the top streaming options heading into Week 1.
Positional runs and key takeaways
Starting with four RBs is a risky proposition if you're not comfortable with the WR options available in rounds 5-7. I am, so I'd entertain this type of RB-heavy outcome in a real draft.
My Worthy-Williams-Waddle WR room bets on some significant leaps in opportunity and production. In retrospect, I could've bolstered that trio by using my Cook or Walker picks in Rounds 3 and 4 on a wide receiver. In summary, my core group of RBs and WRs is strong, my QBs are solid and I ended up with TE being my weakest position. I like the squad for its massive weekly ceiling and having just enough floor to survive the volatility of fantasy football week-to-week.