Hey everyone, in today’s article, I will be analyzing and giving you my thought process behind my draft picks in this week’s mock draft. Belly Up has been hosting and will continue to host weekly mock drafts! This week’s mock draft was a 10 team auction draft. I don’t have much experience with auction drafts, so this was a learning experience. Our goal by doing all different kinds of drafts at Belly Up is to make sure you are prepared for any type of league, with any amount of people. Whether it’s an auction league, snake draft, SuperFlex, TE Premium, and so much more, we’re going to cover it here at Belly Up Fantasy Sports.

I will be going over my starting lineup in today’s article, which is 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, and 2 FLEX. I had $200 to spend on my team. Hope you enjoy!

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QB:

Gardner Minshew: $6

Gardner Minshew has the potential to be a great sleeper QB in 2020-21. In his rookie season, Minshew threw for 3,271 yards, 21 TDs, and 6 INTs in 14 games. Really solid rookie campaign for a sixth-round draft on a sub-par team. The Jaguars added Tyler Eifert to the squad, which gives Jacksonville a much needed TE. Grabbing Minshew for $6 was a low risk, high reward move. If Minshew breaks out, then this was a great value pick. If not, then I only spent $6 on him. I liked what I saw last year from Minshew, and think he can take another step forward this season. If you can pick up Minshew in a later round in a snake draft or for a few bucks in an auction league, I highly recommend you do so.

RB:

Kenyan Drake: $46

After being traded from Miami to Arizona, Kenyan Drake broke out. In eight games with the Cardinals, Drake carried the ball 123 times for 643 yards and 8 TDs. Drake is 26 years old and on a high powered offense. He is destined for a big year, which is why Drake is my RB11. With DeAndre Hopkins in the desert, it’s going to be very difficult for defenses to stop Hopkins and Kirk, contain Murray in the pocket, and load the box against Drake. Lots of attention will be on Hopkins, which should give Drake great opportunities. Snagging my RB1 for $46 was a solid value, and I still had enough money to build the rest of my team.

Melvin Gordon: $8

As my RB2, I drafted Melvin Gordon for $8. On the Broncos, Gordon is the RB1, but will most likely split some carries with Phillip Lindsay. Despite this, Gordon has the opportunity to have a great year. In the last three seasons, Gordon has played in 40 games. In these 40 games, Gordon has rushed for 26 TDs. That’s a really solid TD rate, and for fantasy, he makes for a great RB2. If Gordon can continue his TD success and rush for 750 plus yards, I’m more than happy with him as my RB2. We’ll have to see how many carries Gordon gets, but I don’t think the Broncos are paying him eight million dollars a year to carry the ball 10 times a game. For $8, I was happy with Melvin Gordon as my RB2.

WR:

Michael Thomas: $67

The best WR in the NFL was on my team for $67. Michael Thomas put up mind-blowing numbers last season. In 16 games, Thomas recorded 149 receptions for 1,725 yards and 9 TDs. Just an unbelievable and unforgettable season for Thomas. While he may not put up those crazy numbers again, Thomas will still have a monster year. His route running ability makes Thomas so hard to contain. For fantasy, this is perfect. Thomas’s consistency is what makes him so special. Unlike most NFL players, Thomas rarely has an off week. Grabbing Michael Thomas, who is on a solid Saint offense for $67 was a very crucial pick for my team.

Courtland Sutton: $15

Courtland Sutton took a huge step forward in the 2019-20 season. Sutton recorded over 1,100 receiving yards in 16 games last season. With Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, Noah Fant, and Melvin Gordon, Sutton may see a decrease in his receiving yards but an increase in TDs this season. The Broncos have one of the best young offenses in the league. Drew Lock is one of the best young QBs in the league, and Denver’s WR corpse is talented. Sutton’s 6’4″ frame makes him stand out to me. Sutton is a red-zone threat, a solid route runner, and can go up and grab the ball over a smaller defender downfield. Sutton has the talent and high powered offense to succeed this season. As my WR2 for $15, I loved this pick.

TE:

Mark Andrews: $30

Mark Andrews had quite the 2019-20 season. In 15 games, Andrews caught 64 passes for 852 yards and 10 TDs. Getting a top-three TE was a strategy I wanted to try in this week’s mock draft. I did spend a good amount of Andrews, but I think he has the talent and capability of becoming a top-two fantasy TE this season. The great thing about auction drafts is if you want someone, you can go get him, and that’s what I did with Mark Andrews for $30.

FLEX:

Tyler Lockett: $11

Not a bad WR3 if I do say so myself. Although Lockett’s days as the WR1 in Seattle may be coming to an end, he is still a solid fantasy WR. Russel Wilson and Tyler Lockett have great chemistry. With DK Metcalf emerging as Seattle’s new WR1, Lockett may not see the same amount of targets, but he will still have an impact. In the last two seasons, Lockett has averaged over 1,000 yards receiving and 9 TDs. Having Lockett as my flex gives me great depth at the WR position. Picking up Tyler Lockett for $11 was great value for a solid wideout.

DeVante Parker: $5

As this was a mock draft, I wanted to see what a stacked WR core would look like. As my WR4, I added DeVante Parker to the team for $5. Parker put up spectacular numbers with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. No disrespect to Fitzpatrick, but he isn’t exactly a great QB. I love the guy, but in terms of QBs go, there’s are a handful of guys I would take over Fitzpatrick. Despite Miami’s QB situation, Parker put up 1,202 receiving yards and 9 TDs in 16 games. If Parker plays with a solid QB, the sky is the limit for him. Any of my five WRs I would be happy to start weekly.

This was my first auction draft in many years. Let me know what I did wrong, what I did right, and any other questions and comments you have.

If you liked what you read, make sure to follow me on twitter @NateHerman27. Be sure to stay on the lookout for Belly Up Mock Draft Mania Volume Four! And while you’re at it make sure to head to Belly Up Fantasy Sports and Belly Up Sports for more great reads!