RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 3 sourcesYou're all set for your fantasy football draft ... and you find out you have the No. 1 overall pick.
Are you overjoyed? Nervous? Upset? Or possibly even scared to death?
It's perfectly acceptable for the answer to be "all of the above" when you know the player you select will set the tone for the rest of your draft. There's a lot of pressure on whoever has the top pick to get it right because failure to do so has a good chance of wrecking your season − and drawing untold scorn from the rest of the league.
Fortunately, it's not an either/or proposition. You don't have to make the best pick at No. 1. Just make a good one.
No. 1 pick options in fantasy football
1. RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
The Lions ' do-everything back has even more freedom this season with longtime partner-in-crime David Montgomery off to Texas. Offseason acquisition Isiah Pacheco isn't going to warrant getting anywhere near the offensive workload Montgomery did, leaving more big-play, goal-line and red-zone opportunitites for Gibbs.
The 24-year-old has averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry and 10 rushing touchdowns in each of his previous three NFL seasons. He's a threat in the passing game coming off a season in which he had 94 targets and 77 receptions. The sky's the limit for Gibbs this season.
2. RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Thanks to his lucrative new three-year contract extension, Robinson is now the highest paid running back in NFL history . And the Falcons are going to want a high return on their investment.
Robinson had more yards from scrimmage last season (2,298) than any other player. He had the longest run (a 93-yard touchdown against the Rams in Week 16). And yet, he scored only 11 TDs.
With red-zone vulture Tyler Allgeier now wearing Cardinal red, Robinson is poised to see his TD total explode in the Falcons' new offense.
3. WR Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals ' incredibly potent passing attack remains intact for 2026 with QB Joe Burrow throwing to his two favorite targets: Chase and Tee Higgins. Especially for fantasy managers in PPR leagues, Chase is a viable option with the first overall pick.
A large majority of the Bengals' offensive production runs through the two receivers and RB Chase Brown. In fantasy football, volume is king. And Chase gets a ton of it. He's totaled 100 or more receptions each of the past three seasons, with 125 or more the last two.
He won the receiving triple crown in 2024, leading the NFL in receptions (127), yards (1,708) and receiving TDs (17). With Burrow healthy for a full season (remember, he only played eight games last year due to injury), Chase could easily return to those lofty numbers that made him the consensus No. 1 pick in 2025.
4. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
In the long run, fantasy football value goes hand-in-hand with opportunity. And no one had more opportunities last season than McCaffrey. His 413 total touches (rushing and receiving) by far outpaced runner-up Jonathan Taylor (369).
Yes, there are always durability concerns with McCaffrey, who has played less than half a season four times in the last six years. But for pure upside, here are his overall finishes in fantasy value for every season in which he's remained fully healthy:
2017: 44th
2018: 3rd
2019: 1st
2022: 3rd
2023: 1st
2025: 2nd
The ultimate rushing/receiving threat, McCaffrey is a lock to be the focal point of the Niners offense again this seson.
5. QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
OK, so it may be cheating to advocate drafting Allen first overall only applies in SuperFlex or two-QB leagues, but one point still stands: He's the best quarterback in fantasy by a considerable margin.
Allen is incredibly consistent when it comes to both being available and productive. He's missed one or zero games in each of the past seven seasons. Even though he threw for a mere 3,668 yards last season (his lowest total since 2019), Allen made up for it with 14 rushing touchdowns − one short of his career high.
The biggest problem Allen's had in recent years is the lack of a No. 1 receiver. The Bills worked to remedy that this offseason, acquiring D.J. Moore from the Bears.
If drafting a set-and-forget QB is a cornerstone of your fantasy football strategy this season, there's no better foundation than Allen.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who should be No. 1 pick in fantasy football? Ranking 5 best options
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