Dec. 2, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown in the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

There are football fans out there that decry the release of mock NFL drafts in January. Well, what about a fantasy football mock draft this time of year?

Seems kind of silly but like early mock drafts, an early fantasy football mock draft is just for fun. Yahoo’s Andy Behrens recently put together a 2013 fantasy football mock and admits as much, warning the general public to ‘NOT TRY THIS AT HOME’.

Since Behrens did the work of putting together a ten round mock for a standard ten team league we can talk about the results while heeding his advice to not take part in such lunacy.

It doesn’t take long to find the first Detroit Lions in the mock. Not surprisingly, it’s Calvin Johnson with the third overall pick, behind Adrian Peterson and Arian Foster. Behrens admits to at least briefly considering Johnson for the top spot in his discussion following the first round of picks:

Peterson at the top is one of the easiest calls in any draft in recent memory. He’ll be coming off a historic season, the best of his six-year career. The man has never failed to reach double-digits in touchdowns, no matter how lousy his supporting cast. I might be able to construct a (weak) case to draft Megatron over AP — based on the likely separation between each player and the No. 2 at their position — but in practice, I’d always draft Peterson.

Fair enough.

I figured Matthew Stafford would be the next Lion taken so I started scanning…and scanning…and scanning.

Sure enough, I was right, but Stafford’s name didn’t appear until the seventh round. That’s lower than I had expected, even considering Stafford took a step back in 2012, but the reasoning has, at least in part, to do with a deep crop of quarterbacks. Behrens explains as much when discussing the lack of quarterbacks in his first round:

Why no quarterbacks in the first round? I’ll admit it seems a little unrealistic, because in a public-style league, someone almost always snags their favorite team’s QB in Round 1. But the player pool at QB is awfully deep; in a 10 or 12-team fantasy league, every owner will be satisfied with whatever they get on draft day. It’s the one position you won’t be able to screw up. Right now, the tenth highest-scoring quarterback in our game (Matthew Stafford) is averaging 313.0 passing yards per game.

That’s the extent of Lions selected in Behrens’ mock. Mikel Leshoure finished 2012 ranked ninth in the NFL for rushing touchdowns with nine. If he can do that again and improve his yardage totals he could be a good value pick. Perhaps a sleeper to keep in mind as reports of his progress come out over the offseason.

Photo Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

Now that the NFL has changed to a passing league, the tight end position has become more of a prized offensive weapon. Luckily for the Lions they have two very capable guys at the position. Last season the Lions tight ends got in the end zone 11 times, giving quarterback Matthew Stafford two very good targets in the red zone. This season should be no different for the Lions and the tight ends will be a crucial weapon for the 4th year quarterback.

The main target at tight end last season was Brandon Pettigrew and this year should be much of the same. Pettigrew had an outstanding season in 2011 racking up 777 yards and five touchdowns. Now the most important stat here is the touchdowns. Though five touchdowns is not the most eye popping number, it is more significant when you realize they were all in the red zone. This makes Pettigrew a main target when the Lions get in close. Another fun stat is all five of his scores came at home, though this doesn’t mean much, it may be a useful strategy during the season. In 2012 Pettigrew is poised for another big season. He has got increasingly better in each season since 2009, his rookie year. Not only have his yards increased but his touchdowns as well. This means he should be a top ten fantasy tight end in the upcoming year. Pettigrew should be a late round pick in most standard leagues but in PPR he is intriguing. He averaged around five catches a game in 2011 and that number will likely go up. Pettigrew is a solid pick when it comes to second tier tight ends in your draft.

The other tight end for the Lions that made a big impact last season was Tony Scheffler. Though Scheffler caught only 26 balls last season, six of them were for touchdowns. Near the goal line is where the Lions use most of their two tight end sets and Scheffler is definitely a used weapon. He shouldn’t be chosen in any ten team standard leagues or even PPR, but he could be a viable option for deep 12 to 16 team leagues. This season his numbers should stay close to the same and he may not score as many touchdowns, but he has the ability to have a great upside. And his touchdown dances aren’t bad either.

The Lions tight ends are key targets in the red zone and it is no secret Matthew Stafford likes to use them. There is no doubt in my mind that Pettigrew will be a top ten tight end in all leagues and that Scheffler is a great option for bye weeks or deep leagues. With the league being pass heavy and new emphasis on tight end play, the Lions should have a great pair of guys for your fantasy team.

Brandon Pettigrew
2011 Actual: 83 Receptions, 777 Yards, 5 Touchdowns
2012 Projected: 91 Receptions, 892 yards, 8 Touchdowns

Tony Scheffler
2011 Actual: 26 Receptions, 347 Yards, 6 Touchdowns
2012 Projected: 21 Receptions, 298 Yards, 3 Touchdowns

Photo Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

Preseason games have started and it is time to prepare for fantasy football. SideLion Report is in the process of organizing leagues and want you to be part of the action!

We will keep opening leagues until everyone that wants to play is in and we’ll have prizes for league champions. I can’t promise exactly what the prizes will be at this point in time but we’ll put together prize packs over the coming months as you play your way towards a championship.

The cost to you? Nothing.

But wait, there’s more!

Everyone that gets registered by August 19 will automatically be entered into a drawing to win a pair of tickets to see the Lions take on the Buffalo Bills on the evening of August 30.

Send an email to indicate your interest in participating and you’ll be sent an invitation to join. It would also be helpful to know if you wouldn’t be able to use the tickets if drawn as the winner so that they go to someone that will be able to attend. All leagues will be through Yahoo.

Do well this year and you could earn an invite into a special SLR Champions league next year for a bigger prize pack.