Fantasy football: The ideal mock draft for 2018

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 17: Todd Gurley #30 of the Los Angeles Rams leaps over Bashaud Breeland #26 of the Washington Redskins before scoring a touchdown during the third quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 17: Todd Gurley #30 of the Los Angeles Rams leaps over Bashaud Breeland #26 of the Washington Redskins before scoring a touchdown during the third quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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fantasy football 2018 mock draft
HOUSTON, TX – NOVEMBER 19: Lamar Miller #26 of the Houston Texans catches a pass for a touchdown in the second quarter as Deone Bucannon #20 of the Arizona Cardinals defends at NRG Stadium on November 19, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

Round 5: RB Lamar Miller, Houston Texans

Although we were hoping to draft another wide receiver in the fifth round, most of the top options — Brandin Cooks, Jarvis Landry and Michael Crabtree — will be playing on new teams in 2018, which is often a major red flag.

Our choice at running back was limited to two players — Dion Lewis and Lamar Miller — and our decision was made based on their projected roles in their respective offenses. Lewis arrived in Tennessee this offseason with established competition on the roster in Derrick Henry. Similar to last season, the Titans hope to split the RB load between two backs.

Miller is currently the Texans’ starter, with his main competition coming from second-year player D’Onta Foreman, who the team hopes will be healthy for the beginning of the regular season. If Foreman fully recovers in time, he could eventually beat Miller out for the lead role — but that’s a major “if.”

Niner Noise’s Jeremy Wohlfart recently listed Miller as a player to avoid in the fourth round of standard-format fantasy football drafts — and I don’t disagree. But Miller falls to the latter part of the fifth round of PPR drafts, even though he’s also a threat through the air. If the return of quarterback Deshaun Watson means the return of a high-scoring Texans offense, Miller will have a lot of scoring opportunities in 2018, even if Foreman returns to the team.