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Fantasy Football Mock '16, RDs 1-2: Ring that Bell!

Fantasy football drafting in May? Heck ya! Are you itching to mock? Deep down you are. And we are too. With the NFL Draft in the books, we recently participated in a 12-team, .5 PPR, with a FLEX, exercise to whet your whistle. Wake up from your pigskin coma, fantasy freaks. The 2016 fantasy football season is officially underway. Let the "expert" derision begin.

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ROUND 1 

Pick 1: Le'Veon Bell, Pit, RB1 – When he's healthy he's a beast, averaging over 4.7 YPC and absorbing more than 83% of his passing targets in 2014 and 2015. (Liz Loza 1)

Pick 2: Odell Beckham, NYG, WR1 – Averaging over 15 YPR, OBJ was a top five fantasy WR in 2015. Another year of experience and the addition of Sterling Shepard should only help his numbers in 2016. (Loza 2)

Pick 3: Antonio Brown, Pit, WR2 – He's coming off a 136-1834-10 season in which he saw 193 targets (with Big Ben missing four games), and Martavis Bryant is suspended for the year. Antonio is the No. 1 player on my board. (Dalton Del Don 1)

Pick 4: Todd Gurley, LA, RB2– Was very close to going with David Johnson here, but Gurley is just so dominant regardless of his surrounding teammates. (DDD 2)

Pick 5: David Johnson, Ari, RB3 – Johnson was the top RB in fantasy over the season's final five games, and it wasn't particularly close. During that stretch, he averaged 131.6 scrimmage yards and one TD per game. (Andy Behrens 1)

Pick 6: Ezekiel Elliott, Dal, RB4 – No way did Dallas use the No. 4 overall pick to acquire a committee back. Elliott is a gifted every-down ball-carrier, running behind an elite O-line. He gets a PPR bump in this league's scoring system. (Behrens 2)

Pick 7: Julio Jones, Atl, WR3 – Volume, physicality, a quarterback who's good enough. Durability strike has always been overplayed. (Scott Pianowski 1)

Pick 8: DeAndre Hopkins, Hou, WR4 – Went ballistic despite lousy quarterback play; this year, he might actually have an adequate QB. (Pianow 2)

Pick 9: Adrian Peterson, Min, RB5 – Bit shocked AP fell this far. Given his advanced age and high mileage he isn't sans worry, but the reigning rush king is a relatively safe bet for another 1,300-plus combined yards and double-digit touchdowns in a ball-control scheme. (Brad Evans 1)

Pick 10: Rob Gronkowski, NE, TE1 – See end zone. Spike end zone. That's what Gronk does on a regular basis. Everyone's favorite party animal is essentially a high-end WR1 eligible at TE, a true consistency king. With or without Tom Brady for four games, he should finish in range of 12-13 fantasy points per contest. (Evans 2)

Pick 11: Lamar Miller, Hou, RB6 – He was a per-touch stud in MIA who should no longer have to worry about being tragically underutilized. (Brandon Funston 1)

Pick 12: Dez Bryant, Dal, WR5 – Dallas offense gets a mulligan after Romo and Bryant suffered injuries. With both healthy and rookie RB Elliott in backfield, this should be a potent offense again, one that should return Bryant to 90/1,200/12 levels. (Funston 2)

ROUND 2 

Pick 13: Jamaal Charles, KC, RB7 – I contemplated Hyde very seriously here, but reports on JC have been good and, while he may have his role reduced a little, it sure sounds like KC still plans on him being the man. (Funston 2)

Pick 14: Allen Robinson, Jax, WR6 – To own him was to love him last season as he posted 10+ fantasy points in 11 of his final 12 games - should be more of the same in '16 for last season's No. 4 overall fantasy wideout. (Funston 1)

Pick 15: Jordy Nelson, GB, WR7 – Coming off a lost season due to injury, Jordy should bounce back with a vengeance. The Green Bay offense, resembling an inoperable golf cart at times last year, sorely missed his services. An 85-1300-9 campaign is on tap, at a minimum. (Evans 2)

Pick 16: Carlos Hyde, SF, RB8 – Some will chuckle at this selection, but Hyde is a superb zone runner who should thrive in Chip Kelly's offense. Admittedly, the Niners' line and pass games are suspect, but volume talks and Hyde is in line for some 18-22 touches per game. Believe in the opportunity. (Evans 1)

Pick 17: A.J. Green, Cin, WR8 – Not the most consistent sort in-season, but has double-digit TDs in three of four years, and deck has been cleared somewhat. (Pianow 2)

Pick 18: Brandon Marshall, NYJ, WR9 – I'm willing to look at 2014 as the outlier season. Jets have a narrow usage tree, delightful for fantasy. (Pianow 1)

Pick 19: Alshon Jeffery, Chi, WR10 – Everyone understands Jeffery's go-get-it ability. His ceiling is a top-tier/top-five positional finish, and he's entering a year that will mean a lot in terms of future compensation. (Behrens 2)

Pick 20: Doug Martin, TB, RB9– As many of you know, I have never been the biggest Martin backer. But I'm not crazy enough to pass on a featured RB coming off a 1400-yard season. (Behrens 1)

Pick 21: Devonta Freeman, Atl, RB10 – He totaled 1,634 yards with 14 touchdowns and 73 receptions in 15 games as a sophomore last year. Insane he lasted this long. (DDD 2)

Pick 22: C.J. Anderson, Den, RB11 – This is a gamble, but he looked great down the stretch last season, averaging 6.3 YPC over the second half. (DDD 1)

Pick 23: Eddie Lacy, GB, RB12 – Reportedly in shape and poised for a comeback, Lacy has top-12 potential in 2016. (Loza 2)

Pick 24: Mike Evans, TB, WR11 – Fifteen drops contributed to Evans' sophomore slump, but with nearly 150 targets in play and a second year with Jameis Winston I expect his TDs to reach the double digits. (Loza 1)

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