"Have a plan. Follow the plan, and you'll be surprised how successful you can be. Most people don't have a plan. That's why it's easy to beat most folks." – Paul "Bear" Bryant, football coach, University of Alabama's Crimson Tide
Fantasy football draft season is a heady time — thinking about how the draft will unfold, who you'll target, and how you'll assemble your championship team in real time, pitted against a group of live minds.
You need to be prepared, but you also have to be flexible. The best way to do that is to understand the alternatives for filling each starting slot on your team.
First, familiarize yourself with your scoring and lineups. Know the landscape before you get dropped in to conquer it.
Next, create a list of players who are your guys. Using ADP, you can have a reasonable expectation of who will be there in which rounds and start to piece together a plan that will give your lineup balance and upside.
Then clear your mind, get in the moment, and draft.
Fantasy football is a diversion, an escape where we get to call the shots. Do it your way and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with getting lost in a puzzle and forgetting the pressures of everyday life.
Cliff's Notes
Overall Strategy
There will be multiple right answers at every position, and the right answers will change as the season unfolds. Have clarity on which players you like at each position so you can piece together a roster you want no matter how your opponents draft. In the first round, don't focus on running back vs. wide receiver. Take the player and situation you believe in the most.
Draft Slot Strategy
The dropoff from the top of the first round to the bottom is steeper than the dropoff in the second. You want to be in the early first; if having Christian McCaffrey as your first-round pick doesn't give you nightmares, the mid-first.
Quarterback Strategy
There's a case to take Josh Allen as QB1, but there's a better case to wait on quarterback, even in superflex. There are options outside the top 10 who can finish near the top of the position.
Running Back Strategy
There's a decent chance the best player available on your board will be a running back in each of the first two rounds, but there are values at running back on the board from the late third through the sixth round. Plan on taking at least one starter from that tier.
Wide Receiver Strategy
A wide receiver may be the best player available on your board in each of the first three rounds, especially if you are picking in the middle of the round. Don't overdo at wide receiver early because the quality of wide receivers in the 7th-10th rounds allows you to wait to fill your last receiver spot(s) if you want.
Tight End Strategy
There are a couple of potential breakout tight ends you can pay a premium for, but there are also multiple tight ends available after the good RB/WR tiers are depleted who can give you top-five production at a discount because of injury worries.
Kicker Strategy
Take one with your last pick that's established in a good offense.
Defense Strategy
Take one with your next-to-last pick that has a good Week 1 matchup.
How to Use the Draft Day Game Plan
I am sharing my preferred strategies and targets for each position, but there are surely other players who will be among the "hits" at their positions. The way to get value from this article is to use it as a roadmap that evolves as you make your picks. Be flexible and agile as the draft unfolds, confident that you can adjust on the fly as the draft differs from your expectations.
Think of it as a "choose your own adventure" story where each pick creates a different path forward at the positions you didn't take.
Quarterback Strategy - Take the Long Way Home
Know Your Scoring System and Lineups!
SCORING SYSTEM
- Non-PPR/.5 PPR - Increases value of quarterbacks
- 5 or 6 Point Pass TD - Increases value of passing quarterbacks (Burrow, Prescott, Stafford, Goff, Mayfield)
- 4 Point Pass TD - Increases value of running quarterbacks (Allen, Jackson, Willis, Murray, Herbert, Lawrence, Dart)
- 300-yard Bonus - Increases value of passing quarterbacks
- Long TD Bonus - Increases value of deep threats and quarterbacks in vertical passing offenses
LINEUPS
- Only 5 RB/WR Start - Quarterback is more valuable
- 7 or More RB/WR Start - Quarterback is less valuable
QB1 Plan A - Catch a Rising Star
Targets: Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence | Round: 7th-9th
There's a case for both these quarterbacks making the leap to elite fantasy quarterback in 2026. Herbert will now run an offense designed by Mike McDaniel. Lawrence was an elite fantasy quarterback down the stretch last year, and that was without Travis Hunter.
These quarterbacks usually go off the board one after another. If you want your choice of the two, take them once Caleb Williams is off the board. If you're comfortable with either of them, wait for one to be taken, then take the other.
QB Plan B - Take 2 or More QBs After the Top 10 Are Drafted (QBBC)
If you prefer paying less at quarterback than it costs to get Herbert or Lawrence, take two later options and bank advantages at RB, WR, and TE.
Preferred QBBC Targets
- Brock Purdy, SF (QB12)
- Matthew Stafford, LAR (QB13) **6 Point Pass TD Special**
- Jared Goff, DET (QB16) **6 Point Pass TD Special**
- Kyler Murray, MIN (QB17) **Monitor QB Competition**
- Baker Mayfield, TB (QB18)
- Tyler Shough, NO (QB19)
- Malik Willis, MIA (QB21) **4 Point Pass TD/Point Per 25 Pass Yard Special**
Pair any two from this group and focus your early picks on building advantages at the other positions.
What if I wait and miss out on the QBBC targets?
All is not lost. Cam Ward, Daniel Jones, Bryce Young, and CJ Stroud are all capable of becoming usable fantasy starters. Stroud faces Josh Allen and Joe Burrow in the first two games and should have to throw a lot to keep up. There should also be at least one viable waiver-wire option early in the season and you'll have little to no competition with most teams rostering a quality QB2.
Are you saying I shouldn't draft a quarterback early?
Not necessarily. Josh Allen's team re-organized around him, promoting his offensive coordinator to head coach and trading a second-round pick for DJ Moore. Allen was also playing some (most? all?) of 2025 with a broken foot that required surgery after the season. He could be a league winner as a third-round pick if he sets career highs. Give him more consideration in leagues with fewer RB/WR in the starting lineup and in .5/nonPPR league that depress scoring at RB/WR/TE. If you like Lamar Jackson
Do I need a QB2 if I don't go QBBC?
No, but options like Murray, Mayfield, and Willis all have top-five upside and come very cheap. If one hits, you'll have trade leverage and insurance at the position.
A note for Superflex/2QB players
You don't need to take a quarterback in the first round this year. You might not need to take one in the second round either. Taking two (or even three) quarterbacks in the QB9-QB21 range is the way to go in 2026.
Running Back Strategy - Go Your Own Way (in the early rounds)
Know Your Scoring System and Lineups!
SCORING SYSTEM
- Non-PPR/.5 PPR - Running back is king. Take two in the first four rounds; don't rule out a RB/RB/RB start.
- .25 or .5 per carry - Workhorse running backs dominate the top of the board.
- PPR - Receiving backs gain value, but it's easier to survive with weaker RB2 production.
- 100-yard Bonus - Another workhorse value enhancer.
- Long TD Bonus - Small bump for Gibbs, Robinson, Achane, Cook, Taylor, Walker, Henry, Barkley
LINEUPS
- 2RB/2WR/0 or 1 Flex - Running back is more valuable.
- 2RB/3WR/1 or 2 Flex - Running back is less valuable.
Take Your RB1 in the First Round
Draft Slot: 1-2 | Targets: Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs
Both of these backs are set up for career years. Don't overthink it. Next step: You probably won't be taking a running back in the second unless Chase Brown is there. Brock Bowers is a viable swing-for-the-fences pick, while George Pickens and Chris Olave are third-round considerations to be your WR1.
Draft Slot: 4-7 | Target: Christian McCaffrey
If you're comfortable with the age and injury risk, McCaffrey is a justified pick once Robinson, Gibbs, and Ja'Marr Chase are off the board. Next step: Bowers and Chase Brown are considerations in the second, and at least one of Drake London and Chris Olave should be available. A CMC-WR-WR start allows you to go best player available in the 4th and 5th.
Draft Slot: 8-12 | Target: James Cook III
With multiple reports this offseason that Cook could get more passing game work (which is a strength of his game) this year, and Cook already showing he can produce RB1 numbers on his expected double-digit rushing touchdowns and rushing yards among the league's leaders, he separates from the running back pack in the late first/early second round.
If you want your first two picks to include one wide receiver and one running back, the late first round often comes down to:
- RB (Cook) + Drake London
- Lamb/St. Brown + Chase Brown/Ken Walker III
I prefer the Lamb/St. Brown plus second-round RB start, but both approaches work. Next step: Wide receiver in the second might be tempting, but Brown, Walker, or Bowers are all reasonable pivots depending on format and roster construction.
Take Your RB1 in the Second Round
Targets: Chase Brown, CIN; Ken Walker III, KC | Round: Early-Mid 2
Brown and Walker both offer RB1 upside and are worth targeting if you start with a wide receiver in Round 1. Taking either gives you maximum flexibility to take the best player available in Rounds 3-5.
Take Your RB1 in the Third Round
Target: Javonte Williams, DAL | Round: Early-Mid 3
There is a running back who should give you RB1 production available in the third round of almost every draft. Williams is the lead back in an ascendant running game under offensive coordinator Klayton Adams. An improved Dallas defense led by new defensive coordinator Christian Parker will also create more favorable game scripts for Williams.
Go Upside Down/Do the Opposite/Zero RB - Be the Last to Take Your RB1
Running backs who are likely to lead their team in touches but have warts such as age, injury history, offensive environment, or competition routinely fall into the 4th and 5th rounds. That makes it possible to neglect running back for the first three rounds and still build a strong lineup.
- 4th Round Targets: David Montgomery, Cam Skattebo
- 5th Round Targets: D'Andre Swift, Quinshon Judkins
- 6th/7th Round Target: Rhamondre Stevenson
If you wait this long to address the running back position, make sure you're building significant advantages elsewhere on your roster.
Should I take my RB2 in the first 3-5 rounds?
Yes. The running back value from the third through the fifth is too good to ignore. Use the upside-down drafting list for targets.
Should I take three running backs in the first five rounds (AKA Robust RB)?
In Non-PPR and .5 PPR, this should be your preferred strategy. It's also viable in PPR leagues because the depth at wide receiver from the 6th-10th rounds allows you to make up ground later.
What if I only take two running backs in the first seven rounds?
Target Kenneth Gainwell as your RB3 in the 8th round in PPR leagues. Blake Corum is a good RB3 target in the 8th round in .5/nonPPR leagues. Jonathan Brooks is your RB3 target in every format if you want to swing for the fences. Chris Rodriguez Jr. is another name to prioritize in the 10th round in .5 PPR and Non-PPR formats.
Running Back Bench - 11th Round and Later
- If You Have an IR Slot: Zach Charbonnet (SEA)
- Passing Game Skills: Alvin Kamara (NO), Kimani Vidal (LAC)
- Grinders: Chris Rodriguez Jr. (JAX)
- Early Down Backups: Jonah Coleman (DEN), Tank Bigsby (JAX), Isiah Pacheco (DET)
- Wild Cards: Keaton Mitchell (LAC), Jaydon Blue (DAL), MarShawn Lloyd (GB), George Holani (SEA), James Conner (ARI)
