With the explosion of the NFL's passing offenses, more and more fantasy football leagues are incorporating PPR scoring. This type of scoring puts a bigger emphasis on pass-catchers while subsequently devaluing our old-school, plodding running backs. Any time you're in a full-PPR league, your focus should be on players who will finish with a higher target share and ultimately a high number of targets. This is especially true at the running back position where pass-catching specialists can carry significantly more value than they would in standard leagues.

Since this scoring setting makes more running backs fantasy-relevant, it's a great opportunity to incorporate a hero-running back build, which allows you to stack up on elite pass-catchers while also drafting an elite tight end or quarterback. Drafting in the 12th spot means you're going to miss out on the elite tier of players you'll find in the top six, but it also allows you to double up early. Anytime you're at the beginning or end of a round, you can become susceptible to positional runs, but it's important to not let your league mates dictate your own selection.

In this article, I will walk through a draft in a 12-team full-PPR ESPN league from the 12th spot. With this draft setting, I will be focused on implementing a hero-running back build. With my second running back spot, which will ideally be filled later in the draft, I want to focus on upside. Each pick was optimized using projections and value-based rankings from the 4for4 Draft Hero tool.

More Perfect Drafts: 6th in a 12-Team ESPN PPR League | 1st in a 12-Team Superflex League | 2nd in a 12-Team ESPN PPR League | 1st in a 12-Team Yahoo! Half-PPR | 9th in a 12-Team ESPN PPR League

If Dalvin Cook falls to you at the backend of the first round, he's absolutely a smash pick. Cook was the recommended pick by Draft Hero and it's easy to see why. He was the RB11 in full-PPR PPG last year. This was despite some awful scoring luck that is highly unlikely to repeat itself. Last year, he had 45 red zone carries—third most in the NFL—and scored just six touchdowns on the ground. In 2020, he had 58 red zone carries and scored 16 times. He had 43 red zone carries in 2019 and scored 13 times. Based on his 2019 and 2020 scoring rates, fantasy managers should be expecting him to score a lot more than he did last season.

Through his first five seasons in the league, he's never averaged less than 3.77 targets per game, which amounts to 64 over 17 games. With Kevin O'Connell coming over from the Rams to be the new head coach for the Vikings, the expectation is that Minnesota will be a more up-tempo offense in 2022. Cook had been the RB2 in PPG from 2019–2020 and there is a good chance he could be the RB1 in 2022 in this offense. The draft board and the Draft Hero suggestion made this selection such an easy pick.

Suggested Alternatives: CeeDee Lamb, Joe Mixon, D'Andre Swift, Tyreek Hill

My Top Alternative: CeeDee Lamb

With back-to-back picks here, I was able to select Draft Hero's primary alternative to my 1.12 pick, CeeDee Lamb. With Amari Cooper traded to the Browns and Cedrick Wilson Jr. now in Miami, Lamb has become the unquestioned alpha receiver in Dallas. Michael Gallup, who received a contract extension this offseason has said he won't be ready for Week 1. This will leave Lamb competing for targets with tight end Dalton Schultz and third-round rookie, Jalen Tolbert. While many fantasy analysts will tell you that Lamb has yet to command an elite target share, part of that has been because of his snap share. Last year, he played just 76% of the total snaps. This was outside of the top 40 for receivers. He was in on just 63.5% of the snaps as a rookie.

Entering the 2022 season, the expectation is that Lamb will easily exceed 90% snap share. This will increase how many routes he runs and ultimately, how many targets he receives. While he had just 120 targets last year, consider what could happen if his 76% snap share goes up to 90% and his target share of 20.4% has a slight increase to 22.5%. Fantasy managers could be talking about a receiver with 150 targets. That kind of workload brings with it top-five potential, especially with the efficiency he's shown in his first two seasons. Once again, Draft Hero and the way the board fell made this an easy selection. Despite having the last pick in the first round, so far this team could easily have a top-five running back and wide receiver.

Suggested Alternatives: Joe Mixon, D'Andre Swift, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce

My Top Alternative: Travis Kelce

Michael Pittman broke out in his second season and there's good reason to expect even more growth in year three. The upgrade from Carson Wentz to Matt Ryan won't just be felt in better efficiency and more accurate targets, but it's likely the passing volume will increase, as well. It's a quarterback change that will very likely pay dividends to Pittman on multiple fronts. The former USC star averaged 7.6 targets per game with a 25.9% target share and if the Colts pass the ball at a slightly higher clip with the improvement behind center, Pittman could end up flirting with nine targets per game.

Pittman was already 18th among receivers with 5.2 receptions and 21st in yards per game with 64, but if Matt Ryan is able to give this team more balance and consistency in the passing game, the third-year receiver could really flourish. With my starting draft position and the full-PPR scoring, I was hoping to implement a hero-RB build, and with 11 running backs coming off the board since my last pick at 2.01, Draft Hero appeared to be fully on board. It suggested just one running back, Ezekiel Elliott, but its top suggestion was Michael Pittman. Thus far, Draft Hero and my own personal preferences have been right on the same page.

Suggested Alternative: Ezekiel Elliott, Terry McLaurin, Kyle Pitts, Courtland Sutton

My Top Alternative: Courtland Sutton

With the injury to Tim Patrick, Courtland Sutton's ADP has been on the rise and there's good reason for that. He suffered a torn ACL early in the 2020 season and made his way back in 2021. He seemed to struggle to get back into his groove, but the quarterback play did him no favors. However, there were plenty of positives to glean from last year. He was primarily used in a downfield role where he had 1,534 air yards, which was the eighth-most among receivers. His average target distance was 15.7 yards (second in the NFL) and he had 892 unrealized air yards (fifth most). That was with Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback.

Now consider what have been if it was Russell Wilson making those throws, who has been one of the best deep-ball throwers in the league. Sutton's downfield role with the upgrade at quarterback could lead to a bunch of fantasy points in 2022. The Patrick injury will likely consolidate the target share, which will only increase the possibility Sutton could get back to his 2019 rate of 26.1%. That may seem unrealistic, but he's a full year removed from his torn ACL and he appears to have been Wilson's favorite target in training camp. Sutton has legit top-12 upside, which is why I went against Draft Hero's primary suggestion of Kyle Pitts. Without giving away too much, here's a little foreshadowing—I should've listened to Draft Hero. As the draft moved along, I wish I had this pick back, despite my feelings for Sutton.

Suggested Alternative: Ezekiel Elliott, Kyle Pitts, Terry McLaurin, Justin Herbert

My Top Alternative: Kyle Pitts

Draft Hero and I got back on the same page here at 5.12. Thomas' ADP has steadily been climbing since he came off the PUP list and fantasy managers should expect it to climb even more based off of training camp reports where he's excelled and has been reported to be "back to his normal self". That may seem hard to believe, but it's something that is absolutely worth betting on. When he was healthy, there were very few fantasy receivers better than he was. From 2017–2020, Thomas did not have a seasonal target share lower than 27.9%. From 2017–2019, Thomas racked up the most receptions in the league and the next closest was 63 behind him.

While most will say that was because Drew Brees was there, he actually averaged more targets, receptions, and yards per game in 10 games without Brees. Simply put, he's quarterback-proof as long as he's healthy and by all accounts, he is just that entering the 2022 season. With Lamb, Pittman, Sutton, and Thomas, I have four receivers who have top-15 upside, which is exactly the kind of lineup I was looking to field with a full-PPR scoring format.

Suggested Alternatives: Jalen Hurts, Darnell Mooney, Travis Etienne, Tom Brady

My Top Alternative: Jalen Hurts

With back-to-back picks, Draft Hero's and my top alternative selection at 5.12 became the easy selection at 6.01. While there's no denying that Jalen Hurts struggled as a passer in 2021, it didn't stop him from being an electric fantasy option at the quarterback position. He was the QB7 in PPG and led all quarterbacks in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Quarterbacks who are able to use their legs to score fantasy points are absolute cheat codes and Hurts most certainly fits the bill.

With the acquisition of A.J. Brown, fantasy managers should be expecting the Eagles to pass the ball more in 2022. You should also be expecting a solid increase in passing efficiency. This is not only because of Brown's arrival, who is a significant upgrade in talent compared to Jalen Reagor, but Hurts is in Nick Sirianni's second season and will be more comfortable in the offense. That goes for every returning starter. There's no reason to expect Hurts to run the ball less this year with how successful he was in 2021, so with the assumption that he's going to once again be one of the best rushing quarterbacks in the league, any increase in passing volume and efficiency will only push his fantasy value higher. It's within his range of outcomes to be the QB1 and based on his skill-set on the ground, a top-seven finish seems very safe.

Suggested Alternative: Travis Etienne, Darnell Mooney, Tom Brady, Allen Robinson

My Top Alternative: Travis Etienne

With my current roster construction, Draft Hero recognized my need at both my RB2 and tight end spot. Its top suggestions were all players at these positions. My pick in Round 7 and Round 8 were both made with the same premise—look for RB2/3 stand-alone value with top-10 upside. A.J. Dillon certainly fits that bill. With the Packers having traded Davante Adams this offseason, it seems likely they'll shift to a more run-centric offense, which should increase Dillon's overall touch total. He finished 2021 with 46 total red zone touches and if the Packers end up running the football inside the red zone, Dillon's 250-pound frame may be the biggest beneficiary.

Head coach Matt LaFleur has talked about getting Dillon and Aaron Jones on the field at the same time this season, which makes a lot of sense, considering they're the Packers' two best-skilled players. Dillon will likely flirt with 250 total touches and has 10-touchdown upside in what should still be a very good offense with Rodgers behind center. That kind of utilization will give him RB2/3 stand-alone value, but if anything happens to his soon-to-be 28-year-old teammate, Aaron Jones, Dillon would become a top-10 running back.

Suggested Alternative: Dallas Goedert, Tony Pollard, Zach Ertz, Rashod Bateman

My Top Alternative: Tony Pollard

While Draft Hero suggested A.J. Dillon in Round 7, here Draft Hero suggested that I pick Dallas Goedert. The suggestion makes complete sense because the only spot in my starting lineup that isn't filled is at tight end. However, in a similar fashion to Courtland Sutton earlier, Tony Pollard's upside was too good to pass up. This was especially important because while there's a lot to like about Dillon, his lack of a dependable pass-catching role isn't ideal. Unlike Dillon, Pollard's role in Dallas's offense has grown every year with him finishing with 46 targets and 39 receptions in 2021.

There's been plenty of talk about him lining up in the slot and with the injuries and question marks at receiver, Pollard could have his biggest role in the passing game of his career. Between Pollard and Dillon, there's a very good chance I'll have a competent RB2 throughout the season. Just like Dillon, Pollard also has top-10 upside in the event of any injury to Ezekiel Elliott who has almost 2,000 total touches in six seasons in the NFL. You can argue Goedert would've been the better choice, but by selecting Pollard here, I'll be able to stream these two running backs based on their matchups. I currently have set it and forget it receivers, quarterback, and my primary running back slot. Draft Hero has certainly tried helping me fill my tight end spot and while I regret not grabbing Pitts in Round 4, I'll gladly take Pollard's stand-alone value and his upside over Goedert.

Suggested Alternative: Dallas Goedert, Zach Ertz, Rashod Bateman, Chase Edmonds

Brandon Aiyuk's current ADP hasn't really fully caught up with his rookie season or how he played to close the 2021 season. Too many fantasy managers are caught up with how he started last year with head coach Kyle Shanahan putting him in the dog house. However, from Weeks 8–18, Aiyuk averaged 66 yards per game, which was the 17th-most in the NFL during that time. During that stretch, he averaged more targets per game than both Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. His 24.0% target share during that timeframe was the 21st-highest in the NFL. From Weeks 8–18, he was the WR16 and averaged 13.2 PPG.

While fantasy managers are focusing on the start of the 2021 season, he's been an extremely effective fantasy producer for the majority of his two-year career, except for Shanahan's unknown gripe with him. Reports out of training camp have been sterling and have indicated Aiyuk has been the star of the team. Based on his first two seasons, this shouldn't be much of a surprise. While all the reports have been very positive on Michael Thomas, the selection of Aiyuk here gives me additional insurance at the receiver position. Draft Hero wanted me to pick Dawson Knox and while I certainly understand after his 2021 season, at this point, I'm fine mostly punting my tight end position to further strengthen my bench.

Suggested Alternative: Dawson Knox, Skyy Moore, Robert Woods, Michael Carter

Skyy Moore was one of my favorite receiver prospects coming out of the draft. He checks off a lot of the boxes that we're looking for in year one producers. He had an elite target share in college, he was an early declare, has good draft capital, and was drafted into a great situation. With the depth I have compiled at receiver, I can afford to wait on Moore and if he starts off slow, which could very well be the case, it isn't a big deal. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Mecole Hardman have never been fantasy relevant and it's unlikely that'll change this season. JuJu Smith-Schuster has struggled the past three seasons and Travis Kelce is another year older. It's within the range of outcomes where Moore becomes the No. 1 receiver for Patrick Mahomes in the second half of the season. I can afford to wait for that possibility. Just like last round, even though Draft Hero was suggesting Dawson Knox, his high touchdown dependency wasn't something that I felt I needed to grab here over adding another potential lottery ticket.

Suggested Alternative: Dawson Knox, Robert Woods, Michael Carter, Jakobi Meyers

This is all about upside, even though I have Jalen Hurts on my roster. While some fantasy analysts hold firm on the point that there's no need to roster two quarterbacks in a one-quarterback league, and I certainly understand the premise, our bench is there to upgrade our starting lineup. There's no denying Lance has that capability. He has the same kind of upside that Hurts had last season. His legs will give him every opportunity to become an elite asset at quarterback. If Hurts does struggle or takes a step back as a thrower, Lance will give me an additional option. If nothing else, no other opponent will be able to roster Lance's league-winning potential.

Suggested Alternative: Cole Kmet, Hunter Henry, David Njoku, George Pickens

I finally grabbed my tight end here with Cole Kmet of the Bears. He's got a lot of potential heading in 2022. He had 93 targets last season and that kind of utilization is extremely appealing for a tight end. Fantasy managers should be chasing tight ends who have 100-target potential and who are likely to be one of their team's top-two target earners. There's no denying that Kmet certainly fits both criteria. After Darnell Mooney, it seems very probable that Kmet will have the second most targets on the team.

While his volume didn't turn into any fantasy value last season, there were a lot of reasons for that. First, he scored zero touchdowns on 93 targets. That is highly unlikely to occur again. Based on our expected touchdown statistic and his target volume, he should have finished with 4–5 touchdowns. He also had to deal with extremely poor quarterback play and a broken offensive system.

In 2022, fantasy managers can be optimistic about second-year quarterback Justin Fields being more competent at quarterback and the newly hired Luke Getsy to put together a more quality offensive system. Draft Hero is likely very happy since I've finally followed their advice on tight end. For the record, I still regret not listening to Draft Hero in round four with Kyle Pitts. That was a big mistake.

Suggested Alternative: Hunter Henry, David Njoku, George Pickens, Darrell Henderson

With just three running backs on the roster, I was happy to add one of my favorite late-round running backs here with Darrell Henderson. He averaged 13.6 PPG last year and finished as the RB27. While most, including myself, expect Cam Akers to lead the way, the fact of the matter is we don't really know what Sean McVay will do. He has a history of leaning heavily on one running back, but with Akers still getting over a torn Achilles injury, it's possible this is more of a timeshare. It's also possible that Akers' injury negatively affects his on-field performance, which could give way to Henderson carving out a bigger role. Even if none of that happens, Henderson has really good handcuff potential and is a quality upside play this late.

Suggested Alternative: Evan Engram, DeVante Parker, David Njoku, George Pickens

The Patriots acquired Parker this offseason to give them more depth at receiver and he has the potential to become the No. 2 target behind Jakobi Meyers. It's not out of the question Parker actually is the higher fantasy scorer because of his likely role down the field. Meyers is a slot receiver with a shallow average depth of target. Parker has also generated target shares of 21.9% (2021), 21.2% (2020), and 21.1% (2019) over the past three seasons. If he's able to carve out a 21% target share with Mac Jones behind center, Parker could provide some solid late-round upside here.

Ultimately, I wish I would've taken another swing at tight end, likely in the form of Evan Engram. While he's struggled in recent seasons, he's been a top-10 tight end in the past and is a very friendly fantasy environment with Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, the tight end whisperer at head coach Doug Pederson, and an ambiguous group of receivers. Tight ends have been my regret throughout this mock draft.

Suggested Alternative: Michael Gallup, Evan Engram, George Pickens, David Njoku

The Packers get to play the Lions twice and the Bears twice. They have a real defensive player of the year candidate on their squad in Rashan Gary. They also get top-three cornerback, Jaire Alexander, back from injury. Not only that, but they drafted Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt to help strengthen their front seven. They also signed Jarren Reed. The Packers were an above-average defensive unit in 2021 and it's possible they're a top-three unit in 2022. It should also be mentioned that 2021 was defensive coordinator, Joe Barry's first season with the team, so fantasy managers should expect the unit to be more familiar and comfortable within his system, which will only help.

Easy pick. The Buccaneers are one of the most up-tempo offenses in the league. They'll be top-five in scoring and red-zone trips.

Lessons Learned: In the end, I really like my team. My tight end spot is an obvious weak spot, but every other position has a lot of potentials. Jalen Hurts will give me an elite quarterback, one who has a great floor because of his legs, but that also increases his overall ceiling. My wide receivers have the potential to be the best in the league. Lamb, Sutton, Thomas, and Pittman will very likely give me an every-week win at that position. Cook could be the top-scoring running back and has a great opportunity with some positive regression to finish in the top five at his position. If Kmet lives up to his potential and his incoming volume, my team should be a sure-fire playoff team. I'll also have the ability to continue looking for tight end upgrades throughout the year. If Elliott or Jones do get hurt this year, Pollard and/or Dillon would send my lineup into overdrive. My biggest regret is not listening to Draft Hero's advice in round four and instead of taking Courtland Sutton, I should've selected Kyle Pitts.

After 18 years of playing fantasy football, Rob has learned to follow the numbers. He's a staunch statistics and numbers junkie. Using the right formula, fantasy football can become a math equation of sorts. He's a strong believer in historical trends and coaching tendencies, which in the end, all comes back to following what the numbers tell us.

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