In 2026 Fantasy Football drafts, we are immensely blessed with talent at the top of draft boards. Ja'Marr Chase and Puka Nacua have been historic PPR producers to begin their careers, and both Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs finally have a backfield to themselves. Jaxon Smith-Njigba could not be covered as a third-year player, and we have no real idea what heights he might soar to -- he's still just 24 years old.
Christian McCaffrey is always a strong bet to lead all scorers if healthy. Brown is a set-it-and-forget-it PPR cheat code, and he keeps elevating his game. It sounds crazy, but he is just now entering the stage of a career typically referred to as a wide receiver's prime.
The overwhelming riches at the top of drafts can make selecting with a later Round 1 pick feel like a bummer. Of course, there are still awesome options available at pick 10. And, picking at the back of Round 1 offers the opportunity to start a draft by anchoring a Fantasy team with two running backs.
I really like the wide receivers who are available in Rounds 3-5. There are a couple of running backs who I like in that range, but in my opinion, we see a notable drop-off in RB talent after the first 12 backs leave the board. Those 12 RBs usually are all drafted as top-18 picks.
So, if picking at the top of the order, you might find yourself looking at names like Jeremiyah Love, Kyren Williams, and Javonte Williams as the top RBs available by the time your second pick rolls around. In this draft, I did indeed go RB-RB to start. CeeDee Lamb was tempting with my first pick, and Justin Jefferson was still available with my second.
I was committed to an RB heavy start, though, and I'm happy with how it turned out. This is our 12-part, pick-by-pick series where me, Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, Dan Schneier and Heath Cummings all took part in a six-person PPR mock draft. We each built two of the 12 teams in this 14-round draft to show you a different strategy from each spot.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
