Fantasy Football: Staff Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft
Round 3
| Pick | Team | Selection | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Joseph Redemann | Kalen Ballage | RB10 |
| 3.2 | Justin Freeman | J'Mon Moore | WR11 |
| 3.3 | Dale Redman | Antonio Callaway | WR12 |
| 3.4 | Austan Kas | Jordan Wilkins | RB11 |
| 3.5 | Akash Bhatia | Dallas Goedert | TE2 |
| 3.6 | Drew Crawford | Mark Walton | RB12 |
| 3.7 | Jason Schandl | Josh Allen | QB5 |
| 3.8 | Jim Sannes | Equanimeous St. Brown | WR13 |
| 3.9 | JJ Zachariason | Ito Smith | RB13 |
| 3.10 | Anthony Amico | Chase Edmonds | RB14 |
| 3.11 | Abe Schwadron | Hayden Hurst | TE3 |
| 3.12 | Brandon Gdula | DeSean Hamilton | WR14 |
Best Value: RB Ito Smith, Atlanta Falcons
With Tevin Coleman set to test the free agent market following the 2018 season, the Falcons used a fourth-round pick to select Smith as a possible future replacement. Despite losing offensive guru Kyle Shanahan to the San Francisco 49ers last season, Atlanta was able to once again produce two top-25 running backs in PPR scoring in Coleman (22nd) and Devonta Freeman (13th). Smith was a prolific performer at Southern Miss, as he rushed for over 4,000 yards, scored 47 total touchdowns, and caught 132 passes over his final 3 seasons. Smith sees himself in the mold of Jerick McKinnon in terms of being a multi-dimensional back, and early indications are that he will play that role for the Falcons. There are durability concerns due to his 5'9'', 195-pound frame, but as a complementary back in an explosive offense, he is well worth the cost of the 33rd overall pick.
My Pick: RB Mark Walton, Cincinnati Bengals
Due to the nature of positional turnover and available replacements, I usually try to target running backs in the later rounds of rookie drafts. Wide receivers have a historically low hit rate past the second round, but running back value often emerges in this tier of newcomers. In the case of Mark Walton, similar to Ito Smith, he has a long-term opportunity to replace a back headed for free agency after 2018. Walton profiles as a Devonta Freeman/Giovani Bernard style scat-back, the latter of which he could very well replace in 2019. Part of the opportunity to buy low here stems from Walton having his 2017 collegiate season cut short after only four games due to an ankle injury. Before that, he amassed over 1,000 yards rushing and 15 total touchdowns in his sophomore campaign (2016).
