Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Running Backs Jump Start Round 4
We’re back for Round 4 of the RotoGrinders 2023 fantasy football mock draft. In case you missed our previous updates, this mock draft is traditional PPR scoring (not best ball) with a slow timer.
Round 4 proved to be the sweet spot to take running backs as our experts selected six RBs across these 12 picks – the most of any round so far. Through four rounds, nine of 12 teams have at least three wide receivers, while everyone has selected at least one running back.
Let’s dive into some expert analysis from Round 4.
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2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 4 Results
Pick 4.1 – Kenneth Walker (TJ Zwarych)
Pick 4.2 – Travis Etienne (Kyle Murray)
Pick 4.3 – Keenan Allen (Justin Van Zuiden)
Pick 4.4 – DeAndre Hopkins (Justin Carlucci)
Pick 4.5 – Joe Mixon (Dean Shavelson)
Pick 4.6 – Jerry Jeudy (Chris Prince)
Pick 4.7 – Amari Cooper (Charlie Wright)
Pick 4.8 – Breece Hall (Nick Galaida)
Pick 4.9 – Terry McLaurin (Erik Beimfohr)
Pick 4.10 – Aaron Jones (Keith Eyster)
Pick 4.11 – T.J. Hockenson (Andre Alford)
Pick 4.12 – Alvin Kamara (Derek Farnsworth)
Round 4 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Expert Analysis
Pick 4.2 – Travis Etienne (Kyle Murray)
Admittedly, I usually prefer to go heavier WR early in drafts, however, I wasn’t in love with any pass catchers here and I am quite high on this Jags offense this year. Etienne may not be a 25+ touch-per-game running back, but he will be a crucial part of this offense and I am expecting a lot of efficiency and explosiveness from him. – Kyle Murray
Pick 4.7 – Amari Cooper (Charlie Wright)
I like to get at least three pass catchers in my first four picks in PPR, so definitely wanted to go WR here. I would’ve preferred Hopkins or Jeudy, but I’m fine with Cooper. Felt like he was the last No. 1 receiver in a solid offense left on the board so glad he made it to me. – Charlie Wright
Pick 4.8 – Breece Hall (Nick Galaida)
Hall fell further than I expected he would in this draft. After taking two high-floor running backs in the second and third rounds, this is a worthwhile risk in my flex spot. If healthy, by the time the season rolls around, Hall has legitimate RB1 upside in PPR leagues with a better quarterback situation in 2023. – Nick Galaida
Pick 4.10 – Aaron Jones (Keith Eyster)
Luuch made a great call last week thinking I would have Joe Burrow on the brain here. I certainly did until I realized Drizzy and Noto both had QBs already, and I should be able to grab him after the turn. Jones is the pick here because Green Bay has leaned run-heavy the past few seasons, and I expect it to be even more drastic this year with the QB change. I also love his receiving upside in trailing game scripts, which we should see plenty of with GB in a transition year. – Keith Eyster
Fantasy Football Takeaways – Round 4
Biggest Fall: Breece Hall: Sleeper ADP: 30.2, Underdog ADP: 34
Nick Galaida saw all he needed to see. The upside with Brece Hall in a much better offense is very intriguing. The rumors of adding running back Dalvin Cook to the group might be unappealing to some, while Hall is also on his way back from a serious 2022 injury. Reports in camp have been positive, we’ll see if Nick’s fourth-round pick of Hall pays off!
Biggest Reach: Notorious snagged Alvina Kamara at 48 overall to close out the fourth round. Karma’s Sleeper ADP sits at 60 overall. He’ll miss the first few games of the 2023 season, and we’ll see how he fits back into a rotation with Jamaal Williams and rookie Kendre Miller. Free agent Kareem Hunt had a visit with New Orleans earlier this week, but he left town without a contract.
No Quarterbacks: There were ZERO quarterbacks taken in Round 4. It’s the first round since the opening set of picks that no QBs were taken. The last quarterback selected was Justin Fields at 3.9 – perhaps I was right about the big tier gap after him. We’ve almost certainly confirmed that Joe Burrow will be off the board very quickly when Keith Eyster is up with the second pick of Round 5.