I’ve never been a huge fan of mock drafts. They don’t feel real enough. It’s like hearing a song you love at a karaoke bar: You hear the same lyrics and melody, but it’s not the same song. It’s not real and everybody knows it. You’d sing along to the actual song in your car, but watching a stranger sing it is totally different. It might even be fun in the moment, but there’s no lasting value to it.
But after thinking about it, I think mock drafts can serve a valuable purpose. It just might not the purpose you expected.
First things first: I don’t think they’ll help you as far as predicting when a player will be available in your draft. A mock draft is a snapshot (well before your draft) of people (who aren’t in your league) taking guys (when they know it doesn’t count and they never have to start them). Even if you somehow held a mock draft with all the managers in your league and they pinky swore they’d be honest about who they wanted, those preferences will certainly change by draft day. If you want the sugar rush of taking players, mock drafts are fine. It passes the time and it doesn’t cost anything to participate, so why not?
I’d be fine with the "why not" philosophy, but I think managers are trying to get something more out of the exercise. They want something that will actually improve their experience on draft day. And in most cases, I think it’s doomed to fail. Everybody knows it doesn’t count and nobody treats it like the real thing.
So how do you make it worthwhile? Simple. Treat it like the real thing.
I don’t mean to pay much attention to what your roster looks like when you’re done. I mean treat the event like it’s real. Simulate your setup exactly as it will be on draft day. Same media devices, same desk, same paper, same pens, same apps, same everything. Pretend you’re actually sitting down for the most important day of the season. Everything counts. Do you have what you need to be successful? Do you have the right pages bookmarked and easy to access? Stress test your setup by simulating an actual draft. Remember, the “mock” part isn’t the player choices. It’s how you make those choices in a similar situation.
Unfortunately, that’s where most mock drafts go wrong. They often let people participate casually, even over the course of a few days. Nobody is giving it the same attention they would if it mattered. It would be like taking a practice test for the SAT or the MCAT while hanging out on the beach over the weekend. You’re not simulating the actual test environment. To get something out of a mock draft you need to simulate the test environment, and it will be challenging to find one like that.
But if you did find one, what could you learn? More than you might think. You might want a page that shows each team’s schedules for easy reference (page 32-33 of this year’s Fantasy Football Index, by the way). An extra pen or pencil could come in handy. A tablet might be good to have as an extra connected device. Maybe that draft-by-phone strategy isn’t as convenient as it sounded. Perhaps the room you were going to use for draft day is too busy in your home, or too loud, or just not conducive to concentrating on the task at hand. Maybe you really need more room or better lighting, or a lap desk if you’re drafting in person. A mock draft can identify deficiencies in your setup if it’s an authentic practice run, using the same time between each pick as on draft day. Practice tests are taken in the same allotted time as the real thing, right? Mock drafts should be no different.
They don’t usually work that way, so I think the benefit is negligible. As a fun way to kill some time, fine. But if you want to be productive with your fantasy preparations, mock drafts should simulate your actual draft format as closely as possible. Try to find one like that, even if you’re just mocking with computer opponents. It’s not about who you get, but how you try to get them. And the more weaknesses you find and fix, the stronger you’ll be on draft day.
Do you utilize mock drafts in the offseason? Are they for fun, or do you think you gain valuable insight as to where players are going? Do actually simulate your draft day experience, or is it more casual for you? Share your thoughts below.