ESPN’s 12-team fantasy mock draft (PPR) muscles through the final week of NFL preaseason with a flurry of bold calls, most notably Stephania Bell grabbing Las Vegas rookie Ashton Jeanty at No. 5 overall in a bid to reverse-engineer late-round upside. The board still anchors on Barkley, McCaffrey, Jefferson and Chase, but several rooks and pass-catchers push into the mix as immediate-week 1 favorites or high-upside darts. The exercise also stacks top targets like McCaffrey, Lamb and Nabers behind strong offenses, while a handful of veteranRBs and WRs who carry multi-team appeal pepper the later rounds. The draft leans into big-play potential, with contending teams like the Raiders, Bengals, Vikings, and Lions placing emphasis on dynamic backfields and pass-catching corps. In sum, this mock underscores the ongoing value of combining established stars with risers who could deliver spike weeks in Week 1 and beyond, while also highlighting the risk-reward calculus of rookie and mid-round targets in a 12-team, PPR setting.

Across the table, the lesson for fantasy managers is clear: anticipate role clarity early and roster versatility late. A few players—Nacua, Achane, Gibbs, London and Nabers—emerge as potential league-winners if opportunities align, while others carry day-one uncertainty, especially in volatile backfields. The mock reinforces the importance of zero-RB flexibility, mid-round handcuffs, and the discipline to pivot when preseason chatter shifts before Week 1.