RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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When it comes to first-round draft picks in Fantasy Football drafts, the 2026 board feels a lot more evenly distributed than in years past. Sure, we'd all love to get Jahmyr Gibbs , Bijan Robinson or Ja'Marr Chase , but if you're stuck with a back-end Round 1 pick, you can still land former No. 1 overall player and first-round Fantasy draft pick CeeDee Lamb , for example. The beacon of consistency himself -- Amon-Ra St. Brown -- is a mid-first. You can even double up on two running backs with legitimate RB1 upside at the turn if that's what you please.
However, one thing is for sure -- as was the case last Fantasy season -- wide receiver dries out fast. The haves and have-nots at receiver keep growing as the NFL saw a record-low eight teams average 250 yards passing or more in 2025. In this specific full-PPR scoring format, one that requires us to start three wide receivers and a flex, I wanted to grab receivers early and often. This is counterintuitive to my belief that the Rounds 2-3 value lies in the running back position with more options at receivers in the Rounds 4-7 range than at running back. However, the format always matters and you should never forget to emphasize it when building out your draft plan.
And what better way to start out a wide receiver-heavy build than by grabbing last year's No. 2 scoring wide receiver in PPR formats in Jaxon Smith-Njigba . While the loss of Klint Kubiak has some Fantasy managers panicking, I'm more excited about the continued rapport with Sam Darnold leading to just as many targets and more efficient scoring opportunities.
My colleague Jamey Eisenberg often talks about using mocks as a way to explore all strategies so that you are then prepared for whatever comes on draft day. I explored the idea of drafting wide receivers with each of my first three picks in this draft and I love how it turned out. With three strong receivers at the top, I focused on adding running backs with a wide array of boom/bust potential and floor to mix and match with my final flex spot, a race to consistency among the remaining receivers and running backs on my roster. I don't plan to move my top-three receivers out of my lineup save for injury and bye weeks.
As is typical for my strategy in leagues that start just one quarterback, I couldn't help but grab what I felt like was a difference-maker in a position of the draft where difference-making running backs and wide receivers were few and far between. The good thing about drafting quarterback early in one-QB leagues is that it allows you to open up a roster spot for another flier at running back or wide receiver because you don't need to have a backup quarterback.
Without further ado, let's dive a little deeper into how I built out a roster I think can compete to win it all from the No. 5 overall draft position.
As a reference point, all touchdowns in this league are worth six points, and we award one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving and one point for every 25 yards passing. We also award one point for every reception. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, and FLEX (RB/WR/TE)."
1.5: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks 2.8: Nico Collins , WR, Texans 3.5: Tee Higgins , WR, Bengals 4.8: Cam Skattebo , RB, Giants 5.8: Bucky Irving , RB, Buccaneers 6.5: Jayden Daniels , QB, Commanders 7.8: Kyle Pitts , TE, Falcons 8.5: Jacory Croseky-Merritt, RB, Commanders 9.8: Jordan Mason , RB, Vikings 10.5: Antonio Williams , WR, Commanders 11.8: Khalil Shakir , WR, Bills 12.5: Denzel Boston , WR, Browns 13.8: Keaton Mitchell , RB, Chargers 14.5: Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Chargers
As is common in industry leagues, quarterbacks tend to fall and fall and fall. Most of the time, I'm right there with my colleagues in letting them fall. After all, in this draft, quarterbacks like Brock Purdy and Jared Goff went in the double-digit rounds. However, those quarterbacks don't present the same kind of league-winning upside that Daniels does. The change in offensive system going from Kliff Kingsbury to David Blough means we'll likely see a lot more pass volume for the Commanders in 2026 and total dropbacks will lead to more scrambles from Daniels. In the range I took Daniels, I passed on players like Brian Thomas Jr . and Harold Fannin Jr . -- both exciting players -- but neither has anywhere near the upside.
While the upside for Skattebo is clear after he scored nearly a touchdown per game as a rookie and checked all the advanced metrics boxes as a runner (and a receiver), I can't help but wonder if a fourth-round pick is too rich a price to pay. For starters, Skattebo is coming off of a major injury. While he appears to be a full go for training camp, there's no guarantee how he will recover from an efficiency standpoint. Also, the history of Matt Nagy offenses hasn't been kind to Fantasy managers. If Skattebo suffers a setback or Tyrone Tracy Jr . plays a larger role than expected, this could be the pick that derails the entire roster.
If I get the 2024 rookie version of Bucky Irving, then I just drafted one of the most efficient runners in the NFL. His metrics were off the charts in 2024 from a yards after contact created standpoint, forced missed tackle rates and explosive run rates. He was also one of the ten most efficient running backs as a receiver -- checking in the top-10 overall in yards per route run as a rookie and last season. However, the rest of his efficiency completely fell off in 2025 as he battled injuries. In addition to his own injuries, the Tampa Bay offensive line collapsed and Baker Mayfield limped his way through the year. If everyone is healthy, Irving could be back to his explosive self and will be a league-winning pick in the fifth round.
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