Foster top pick in 2012 mock draft 1.0

Editor's Note: Please check out our Mock Draft 2.0 for the most recent results.

For as often as the NFL gets labeled a 24/7/365 sport, the top two headlines from over the weekend indicate the June swoon news cycle is upon us.

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From the “nothing good happens after midnight” department, Justin Blackmon was arrested on aggravated DUI charges after he blew a 0.24. It’s his second DUI offense in the last two years. Unless he’s suspended by Roger Goodell, I don’t think his fantasy value is impacted.  Can you lose points for bad judgment?

In Houston, the Texans inked former Seahawks' tailback Justin Forsett. He’s now competing with undrafted rookies to back up Arian Foster and Ben Tate. So, that gives you a sense of a) his fantasy value b) how his career is going heading into year five.

With the bad and ugly comes some good news. The FOXSports.com fantasy department conducted its first mock draft of the summer late last week. It’s a luxury we didn’t have this time last year as the owners and players hashed out finances and zzzzzz …

Enough of that nonsense.

Time to look forward to September and the 2012 fantasy football season.

The following draft took place on Thursday May 31, 2012 between 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. (EST). The results are real … in a fake way.

Ryan Fowler Draft Synopsis (@FOXSportsFowler)

Old habits are hard to break.

However, after intensive off-season studies that would make my college professors gasp in disgust, I have broken my “must draft a running back in the first round” motto.

For years, I preached drafting a first-round tail back in leagues where you could start three each week. I believed the math (touches per game) added up. The recent evolution of the running back by committee in addition to the fans/league embracing pass-happy offenses has diluted many rushing attacks outside the top five and forced me to flip-flop philosophies.

With Mike Tolbert joining RBBC poster childs, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, Cam Newton may not rush for as many touchdowns as he did in 2011 (14), but he’ll still pick up a good chunk of yards on the ground and make chicken soup out of chicken droppings with Steve Smith and company in the Panthers’ passing game.

My favorite pick was Jermichael Finley in the sixth, steal was Stevie Johnson in the eighth and sleeper, Vincent Brown, in the 13th round.

Joel Beall Draft Synopsis (@FOXSportsBeall)

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Last summer I forewarned the rotisserie community of the perils of picking Michael Vick in the first round. With his pedestrian performance towards the end of 2010 and concerns of durability, the viscosity of risk was excessive for a supposed foundation of a fantasy squad. And while his yardage accumulation from last season mirrored his production the year before, Vick validated our apprehension with nine more turnovers and 12 fewer forays into the end zone in 2011.

Despite this disappointment, I was shocked to see Vick free fall into the third round of our mock draft. The Philly field general still possesses numerous hazards, but the 31-year-old maintains an elite fantasy ceiling, a sentiment that cannot be said of Ahmad Bradshaw, who went selected before Vick. If this development transpires in your league’s draft, take advantage of the proceeding and bounce on Vick at this juncture.

Aside from my elation at the steal of the four-time Pro Bowl QB, Demaryius Thomas in fifth round, DeSean Jackson in the seventh and Torrey Smith in the ninth are bargains capable of submitting constructive campaigns. It’s unfortunate this draft was just a mock, as clearly Team Beall would have locked up the crown.

Mike Harmon Draft Synopsis (@swollendome)

The old adage states that leagues aren’t won on draft day. That may be true, but the blueprint to global domination has to be sketched out just the same.

I love the core of this squad, particularly the wide receiver and tight end positions. The trio of Fitzgerald, Wallace and Marshall flat-out dominate, and Meachem and Randle are potential steals in rounds nine and thirteen, respectively. Jacob Tamme reunites with Peyton Manning in Denver. Do I need to elaborate?

The retooled Pittsburgh attack under Todd Haley makes me a believer in Ben Roethlisberger, but perhaps the biggest blunder made in this selection process was to eschew the selection of a QB2 in favor of receiving depth.

I took Ryan Mathews at No. 12 based on his huge potential. I’m a sucker. He finished the season like a champ, posted a fantastic 4.9 YPC average and caught 50 balls. Can he leave the injuries behind? He’s the anchor of a question-filled fantasy backfield. That’s the area of the squad that vexes me in hindsight. There are no “gimmes” in this group. I made a big bet on Tampa Bay rookie Doug Martin in the fifth round as my No. 2 before delving into the madness of the Washington and New England backfields (Helu and Ridley, respectively). Both are potential heroes, but Shanahan and Belichick have been known to toy with fantasy owners. Finally, I snagged David Wilson of the Giants as my “Ninja” prospect given Ahmad Bradshaw’s injury history. This quintet will make or break this squad.

John Halpin Draft Synopsis (@jhalpin37)

Was Calvin Johnson a reach at No. 4 overall? Maybe, but I didn't have as much trust in the running backs after Arian Foster and Ray Rice were off the board, or in the QBs behind Aaron Rodgers. Hence, the big wideout in a non-PPR league. Megatron is a monster, so I'll sleep easy at night knowing I have him.

While quarterbacks are very important in a six-point-per-passing-TD format, I kept not liking the value I found for the first handful of rounds - hence the selection of Robert Griffin III in Round 7. There was definitely a voice in my head saying, "Really? Ahead of Ben Roethlisberger?" Yes, barely. RGIII's running ability is very intriguing, and Mike Shananan had some success with non-Elway passers in Denver.

My biggest reservation is with my RB2. After grabbing Jimmy Graham (I couldn't resist) early in Round 3, I took Reggie Bush in Round 4. He's more valuable in PPR formats, but should still rack up a solid number of total yards and TDs. I hope.

Lucas (RotoWire) Draft Synopsis

In leagues over 10 teams, I prefer having an elite quarterback, but I just couldn’t pass on the talent that fell to me early at running back. When the end of August shows up, I fully expect Trent Richardson and Adrian Peterson to be top-20 picks. My best pick had to be Peyton Hillis in the ninth round. Hillis gives me spectacular depth at RB with a guy I expect to top 1,000 total yards and eight scores. Sticking with running back, I may have actually gotten the most value by nabbing C.J. Spiller in the tenth. With Jamaal Charles-like abilities, his upside is huge and I expect him to consistently go much higher in summer drafts.

The previous draft was conducted using the FOXSports.com Fantasy Football Standard Scoring System.

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What do you think? Sound off! Tweet at the fantasy department:

• Ryan Fowler - @FOXSportsFowler
• Joel Beall - @FOXSportsBeall
• Mike Harmon - @SwollenDome
• John Halpin - @jhalpin37