It's a great feeling to have the No. 1 overall pick this season because you get to choose Jahmyr Gibbs. Don't overthink it -- he's going to be awesome.
Gibbs could destroy Fantasy leagues with David Montgomery now in Houston. Since 2023, Montgomery missed six games due to injury, and Gibbs scored at least 25.4 PPR points in five of them. When Montgomery missed three games in 2024 due to a knee injury, Gibbs averaged 32.6 PPR points over that span.
I'm not going to hesitate to select Gibbs with the No. 1 overall pick in PPR. And that's what happened here when I had that selection.
This is our 12-part, pick-by-pick series where me, Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, Jacob Gibbs, 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.
This is an outline that you can follow if you pick No. 1 overall in your league. The key is to study the strategy and not necessarily the players to see if this works for you.
The toughest part of picking at No. 1 overall is what happens at the Round 2-3 turn. You should avoid reaching for a running back unless you really want Ashton Jeanty (ankle), who could be in this range now that he's injured. And I'm not drafting Jeremiyah Love (ankle) here since he's also hurt.
Receiver should have some quality options, including Nico Collins, George Pickens, Chris Olave and Rashee Rice. It's not a bad idea to go WR-WR with these two picks.
You can also consider Brock Bowers or Trey McBride in this spot, and I love Bowers if he's available. I expect him to be the No. 1 Fantasy tight end this season, ahead of McBride.
I decided to pair Gibbs with Bowers and Olave, and I love this start. I now have the No. 1 running back, No. 1 tight end and a top-10 receiver. Now, let's see how the rest of the team turned out.
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).
Here's my team from No. 1 overall:
1.1: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions
2.12: Brock Bowers, TE, Raiders
3.1: Chris Olave, WR, Saints
4.12: Terry McLaurin, WR, Commanders
5.1: Quinshon Judkins, RB, Browns
6.12: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jaguars
7.1: Rico Dowdle, RB, Steelers
8.12: Carnell Tate, WR, Titans
9.1: Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Buccaneers
10.12: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars
11.1: Tyjae Spears, RB, Titans
12.12: Caleb Douglas, WR, Dolphins
13.1: Khalil Shakir, WR, Bills
14.12: Jordan Love, QB, Packers
I wasn't going to select a quarterback early after drafting Bowers in Round 2. Starting in Round 4, I wanted to stockpile talent at running back and receiver, and I like the way the board fell to me.
McLaurin and Thomas will join Olave as my starting receivers, and I have plenty of upside on the bench with Tate, Douglas and Shakir. Tate, if Cam Ward is serviceable, could easily be a flex option with top-20 upside.
Judkins is a solid No. 2 running back to draft no later than Round 5, and he should do well to complement Gibbs. Dowdle could be a flex option if he's the lead running back in Pittsburgh ahead of Jaylen Warren, and Gainwell has flex appeal also while playing in tandem with Bucky Irving. Spears could also be a nice surprise as the No. 2 running back in Tennessee.
I loved waiting for Lawrence in Round 10, and Love is a good flier to draft late if you're inclined to select two quarterbacks. Love should benefit with Josh Jacobs (Commissioner's Exempt List) out since the Packers could throw more, and Love has top-12 upside this season.
Overall, I like this team a lot, especially if Gibbs, Bowers and Olave perform as expected. That trio is one to covet if you have the No. 1 overall pick.
Favorite pick: Trevor Lawrence
Lawrence averaged 30.2 Fantasy points per game in his final eight outings last season, including the playoffs, and he's one of my favorite quarterbacks to target this year, especially if you can draft him in Round 8 or later. It's hard to expect nine rushing touchdowns again like he scored in 2025, but this offense should be pass-friendly under Liam Coen, which gives Lawrence the potential for another top-10 finish in 2026.
Pick I might regret: Carnell Tate
The Titans' offense looked awful in the preseason, which has Fantasy managers worried about Tate, especially since he didn't catch a pass on six targets. I'd be concerned also if I had to draft him in the first seven rounds, but Tate is worth the risk in Round 8 or later. Cam Ward is still adjusting to new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll's system, and there will be growing pains. Tate should still be viewed as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues, but he's my fourth receiver here, which is ideal. The reason I might regret drafting Tate is I selected him ahead of Courtland Sutton, but I like Tate better because there should be more upside in his rookie campaign.
Player who could make or break my team: Chris Olave
I like this team a lot, but I'll need Olave to have a big season since he's my No. 1 receiver. I'm expecting that to happen, especially since Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) is starting the year on injured reserve. Last year, when Rashid Shaheed was in New Orleans, Olave averaged just 14.1 PPR points per game in the first nine outings of the season. But in the final seven games after Shaheed was traded to Seattle, Olave averaged 20.2 PPR points per game. With Tyson out, that puts Olave back in line to be a monster, and I'm hopeful that will happen. If not, this team could struggle given the other receivers on the roster.
