Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Burrow Falls to Round 5
We’re entering the fifth round of our RotoGrinders 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 5 started off with Notorious taking George Kittle, who was the only TE taken during the round. I thought Keith Eyster was going to draft Joe Burrow in the fourth round, but he played the board and happily snagged him in the fifth.
We’re finally starting to see some more strategy and roster construction play out. Let’s dive into some expert analysis from Round 5.
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2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 5 Results
Pick 5.1 – George Kittle (Derek Farnsworth)
Pick 5.2 – D.J. Moore (Andre Alford)
Pick 5.3 – Joe Burrow (Keith Eyster)
Pick 5.4 – Christian Watson (Erik Beimfohr)
Pick 5.5 – Justin Herbert (Nick Galaida)
Pick 5.6 – Drake London (Charlie Wright)
Pick 5.7 – Mike Williams (Chris Prince)
Pick 5.8 – Christian Kirk (Dean Shavelson)
Pick 5.9 – Chris Godwin (Justin Carlucci)
Pick 5.10 – Trevor Lawrence (Justin Van Zuiden)
Pick 5.11 – Marquise Brown (Kyle Murray)
Pick 5.12 – D’Andre Swift (TJ Zwarych)
Round 5 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Expert Analysis
Pick 5.3 – Joe Burrow
My team’s success this year already largely hinges on the health of Joe Burrow thanks to my selection of Chase. I am happy to take him here and hope the calf injury doesn’t linger too far into the regular season. The Bengals throw at one of the highest rates in the league, and Burrow is an elite option when healthy. – Keith Eyster
Pick 5.5 – Justin Herbert
Herbert is finally free of Lombardi, with his savior Kellen Moore assuming offensive coordinator responsibilities in 2023. Moore is an up-tempo coordinator who isn’t afraid to push the ball down the field. It has all the makings of a perfect marriage in Los Angeles, making Herbert in the fifth round a perfect marriage for my fantasy team. – Nick Galaida
Pick 5.6 – Drake London
I was hoping Christian Watson made it here, but I’ll take another second-year wide receiver with some upside. Atlanta will have a low-volume passing offense, so it’s a good thing they only have two legitimate receiving threats (London and Kyle Pitts). As my third WR, London should return value even if Desmond Ridder doesn’t improve. And if he does? This could be a steal. – Charlie Wright
Pick 5.9 – Chris Godwin
It’s an ugly quarterback situation in Tampa Bay right now. However, Godwin is the security blanket/chain-moving-type receiver that can mesh with any QB. Yes, Tampa Bay might stink this year, but the division is pretty bad, so they won’t give up right away. And if they are trailing frequently, the negative game scripts should greatly benefit pass catchers this season. Look what Jameis Winston did in Tampa Bay a few years ago when the team was really bad. I would not expect that kind of volume or performance, but I am happy with Godwin as my WR3 in any PPR format. – Justin Carlucci
Fantasy Football Takeaways – Round 5
Biggest Fall: Joe Burrow – Sleeper ADP: 34.4, Underdog ADP: 48.6
Burrow might be the biggest risk/reward in the industry right now. Eyster was able to pair him up with Ja’Mar Chase, and although this isn’t a best ball league, that connection remains one of the best for head-to-head matchups.
TE dead zone: Only three total tight ends have been drafted in rounds 3-5. When will the next set of dominoes start to fall at that position?
Quarterbacks: Only four teams are without quarterbacks now as Burrow, Herbert, and Lawrence all went in the fifth round.