The very first thing you must do before you draft is know your league rules. I shouldn't have to say this, you should instinctively want to know the ins and outs of your league's scoring system, lineup requirements, IR spots, waiver rules, etc. long before you start thinking about who to take.
After that, you might think it's time to "plan" for your draft. If by plan you mean go through a rank list of players and do a little research on guys you're not sure about, then knock yourself out. That's important. But if it's to glean whether you should "go Zero RB" or "wait on a QB," then you're just wasting your time.
It's good to know all the different strategies, and even better to recognize which strategy you're going to go with based on how your first couple of picks are made. But that's not the key to Fantasy draft nirvana.
The biggest piece of wisdom I can impart on you is simple: Buy the dip.
Multiple ways to interpret that:
1. When a player unexpectedly slides in your draft and you have the chance to get him, don't think twice about it. Draft him. Buy the dip.
2. When there's been bad news about a player before your draft -- an injury, an off-field incident, anything that makes him less popular in perception but not necessarily in reality. When that happens, don't be afraid to draft said player provided it's not something catastrophic and you're not taking him where he was before the injury/incident took place. Buy the dip.
Not all dips are created equal -- if it's getting an early rounder four spots past average draft position, or a mid-rounder 12 spots past average draft position, or if it's drafting a player with an injury tag when the news isn't bleak on his short-term future (meaning he'll be good for the majority of the season), it's a dip. Taking advantage of these valuable dips should fuel your confidence in your roster building, not any specific strategy with a cutesy name.
I'll take you through my mindset in each round for 2026 drafts. What I expect to happen, what you should expect to happen, and some players I'm targeting or avoiding based on the most up-to-date ADP as of late August. Please remember this is for typical redraft one-QB leagues and not formats with exotic scoring.
Round 1
What to expect in half- and full-PPR: No more than five wide receivers, which means the majority of your league will take running backs first. This will especially be the case once you get toward the back half of Round 1 and the top four consensus wide receivers are long gone. If you wish to pivot away from running back, bank on CeeDee Lamb being the first receiver you'll look at, with Justin Jefferson a reasonable alternative.
What to expect in non-PPR: Lotsa running backs, potentially as many as nine. It's not wrong to take a receiver, but understand that the flurry of rushers will take many off the board and impact those looking for a RB in late Round 2.
I'm ahead of consensus on and would draft: Chase Brown
I'm nervous to draft at ADP but would draft later in this round: Christian McCaffrey
Round 2
What to expect in half- and full-PPR: The same as Round 1 when it comes to receivers -- you should see five of those. You could see as many as two tight ends, both of whom normally would come toward the end of the round. The rest? Running backs, with potentially an appearance by Josh Allen. If I were inclined to take a tight end I'd want the second one off the board, and I'd want him as close to Round 3 as possible. I would not take Allen at this point -- not big enough of a steal.
What to expect in non-PPR: I'm not sure the RB party slows down. There might be fewer of them drafted because so many were pushed up into Round 1, but still a lot. It's probably safe to assume that at least five will get snagged, maybe a few more. Alternatively, a rush for RBs means some good values will present themselves amongst the receivers. I'd be OK with Bowers in late Round 2, I'd be grossed out by Allen as the first QB off the board in Round 2.
Expect to see: At least a slim majority of Fantasy managers take one RB and one WR with their first two picks. That keeps the door open for any position in Rounds 3 and 4.
I'm ahead of consensus on and would draft this round: Omarion Hampton, A.J. Brown, Chris Olave
I'm nervous to draft at ADP but would definitely draft next round: Ashton Jeanty, Allen
Round 3
What to expect in half- and full-PPR: Four or maybe five receivers and four/five running backs, and otherwise tight ends. Brock Bowers, Trey McBride and Allen will go in Round 3 if they didn't already go in Round 2. Colston Loveland could also go in late Round 3. If three of these guys get picked in Round 3 it will obviously push the more popular RB and WR positions down a little into Round 4, creating some values you can buy the dip on. You'll love that if you're picking late in Round 3 and can even scheme up your picks based on the needs of the drafters picking after you in Round 3/before you in Round 4.
What to expect in non-PPR: There might be a better chance of one of Bowers or McBride (probably McBride) lasting to the end of Round 3, but this should otherwise be the round to lock in a really good WR. At least six should go in the round, nearly all of whom can serve as a WR1. Allen is the only good quarterback to pick here; Loveland would not be worth the squeeze if catches don't count.
Expect to see: Jeanty to be a potential bargain in Round 3. Since word out of Las Vegas isn't detrimental to his availability this season, it's not wrong to take the chance on him here.
I'm ahead of consensus on and would draft this round: Chris Olave; Ladd McConkey, Garrett Wilson & Loveland in PPR
I'm nervous to draft at ADP and would not draft this round: Breece Hall in PPR; Travis Etienne, Josh Jacobs, Zay Flowers
ROSTER CHECK
Now that you have three picks in the books, you should be able to map out how you'd like the next few rounds to go.
If you drafted ...
... three RBs You'll probably chase WRs and wait for TE and QB. You'll probably just like your receivers, might potentially love what you get at TE and especially QB later.
... two RBs and one TE You'll probably chase WRs and wait for QB and RB depth. You'll probably just like your receivers but love what you get at QB by waiting until later.
... two RBs and one WR You can find one WR you'll love in Round 4, maybe Round 5. But if a great value at TE or QB (not both) exist, don't hesitate to pass them up.
... one RB, one WR and one TE You can find that good second WR or RB in Round 4, but expect to feel a squeeze finding the other No. 2 option at the position you don't pick. Running back might be the safer position to get in Round 4 to alleviate roster stress. You should love what you get at QB later.
... one RB one WR one QB Same as above except you should aim to take a tight end later, and should feel pretty good about it.
... three WRs You'll probably chase RBs (and not really love the results) and wait for TE and QB. At least you should find some quality value at those onesie positions. You also better be in a full-PPR league.
... two WRs and one TE Same as above -- you won't love the RBs you collect, but you can probably find a suitable WR3 while landing a quality value at quarterback. And yeah, you better be in a full-PPR league.
... two WRs and one RB I wouldn't pass up a really great value at WR, TE or QB in Round 4, but if there isn't one then RB is definitely the way to go. You might also benefit from another runner in Round 5, especially if you're picking early in Round 5.
Round 4
What to expect in half- and full-PPR: I think this is where uncertainty begins to settle in for running backs, so count on seeing as many as six receivers, all in a good tier for this range of the draft. Loveland would be a very good value here. No quarterback would be worth taking here in my opinion other than Allen.
What to expect in non-PPR: Plenty of receivers, again because running backs got sucked up into earlier rounds. And you'll love the receivers too. Loveland is a safe bet to go in this range, which I'd advocate for. A quarterback is a safe bet to go in this range, which I'd be against unless it was somehow Allen.
I'm ahead of consensus on and would draft this round: Jaylen Waddle, DJ Moore
I'm nervous to draft at ADP and would not draft this round: Cam Skattebo, Quinshon Judkins in PPR
Round 5
What to expect in all formats: More variety than in previous rounds. This is probably the last round to get a running back you'll feel OK about starting -- that position starts getting gross in Round 6. By the end of this round at least three if not four quarterbacks will have been drafted -- and three could go in Round 5 alone. Tyler Warren is in play, six receivers could also be in play.
Expect to see: Josh Jacobs has a concerning off-field issue, but I suspect he'll begin to get some attention starting in Round 5. The risk is that he gets suspended and misses a chunk of the year, but that might only go down if evidence surfaces that proves he did something wrong. If no evidence surfaces he might be available every week. Taking him in Round 5 mitigates some of that risk. If I am in need of a running back and Jacobs is available, I'd take him while targeting MarShawn Lloyd in Round 8 as well as loading up on running backs later (though I always load up on running backs later).
I'm ahead of consensus on and would draft this round: Parker Washington
I'm nervous to draft at ADP and would not draft this round: TreVeyon Henderson
Round 6
What to expect in all formats: The run on start-worthy receivers probably ends here. You'll be lucky if you find a running back you feel real good about starting at all, but No. 3 options are still solid. Two or maybe three tight ends will get snagged, maybe two quarterbacks get snagged.
I'm ahead of consensus on and would draft this round: Tucker Kraft, Brian Thomas Jr., Marvin Harrison Jr.
I'm nervous to draft at ADP and would not draft this round: Jayden Daniels, Rico Dowdle, Tony Pollard, Kyle Pitts
Round 7
What to expect in all formats: Trendy breakouts begin getting called out. Drafters will gravitate to familiar names whose stock isn't what it once was (like Courtland Sutton and maybe DK Metcalf). You will be able to buy the dip on players who suffered an injury (Sam LaPorta and Alec Pierce). It's the last chance to find a running back who will see a solid workload for his team (like Tony Pollard, Jonathon Brooks, the Steelers RBs). And it's when the quarterbacks not considered in the top six consensus will start getting attention (like Caleb Williams and Dak Prescott).
I'm ahead of consensus on and would draft this round: Jacory Croskey-Merritt in non-PPR; Chris Godwin and Michael Wilson in PPR
I'm nervous to draft at ADP and would not draft this round: Carnell Tate, DK Metcalf, R.J. Harvey
Rounds 8 and beyond
What matters here: You can find a start-worthy quarterback or tight end, and maybe a decent flex, but otherwise you should know who your primo starters will be. The sole focus on your remaining picks should be nothing but early-season upside with a heavy lean toward running backs.
By nature, backup running backs have the upside to become reliable Fantasy options. We often refer to a subsection of these backup RBs as "lottery tickets" because they're one scratch, tear or break away from being in a prominent position with their teams. Look no further than the race to draft Mike Washington Jr. in the wake of Ashton Jeanty's ankle injury for an example.
Players at other positions also have upside, particularly those who have proven to be good at football but aren't getting the proper respect from Fantasy fans. How in the world does Patrick Mahomes have an ADP past 100th overall?! What about young talents like Matthew Golden or KC Concepcion get looked at around 120th overall? Don't get me started on Jalen Coker, Juwan Johnson or Greg Dulcich.
Just remember: You will always be able to find a receiver who can hit 10 PPR points or a tight end who could come down with a touchdown in a given week off waivers. In one-QB leagues, solid quarterbacks can be discovered off waivers each week as well. Why spend picks on players like those when you know you can find guys like them any week of the season? It's why I wouldn't bother chasing after guys like Keenan Allen, Rashid Shaheed, Khalil Shakir or Jordan Love.
Remember, the worst-case scenario is that you spend a late-round pick on someone you cut anyway. Big deal. The back end of your bench is meant to churn for potential sleeper picks all season, so you might as well begin the year doing exactly that.
