The No. 7 overall pick in a 12-team, PPR league is where things get interesting -- potentially. If the first six picks go as expected, in some order, of Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, Ja'Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Amon-Ra St. Brown, then you could face a tough decision.
Most likely, you'll choose between two running backs: Christian McCaffrey or Jonathan Taylor. I prefer Taylor because I'm worried about McCaffrey, but McCaffrey is usually selected first.
It's easy to understand why Fantasy managers still gravitate toward McCaffrey. He was amazing last season as the No. 1 non-quarterback at 24.5 PPR points per game, and hopefully he'll replicate that level of production again.
My concern is his age (30) and workload (450 total touches last season, including the playoffs). The last two times he had over 400 total touches in a season (2019 in Carolina and 2023 in San Francisco) he played four games or less the following year. There's risk involved with drafting him.
Ideally, I want someone in the first six picks to draft McCaffrey, and that's what happened here. He went at No. 5 overall, and I was able to draft St. Brown at No. 7.
Now, you might have to make the tough call to draft McCaffrey. You could regret passing on him if he stays healthy and plays the majority of the year, or you could play it "safe" and go with Taylor. I like Taylor, who averaged 27.4 PPR points per game last season through Week 10 when Daniel Jones was healthy. And Jones (Achilles) is ready to go in Week 1.
As for St. Brown, I couldn't wait to draft him when he landed in my lap. He has been a top-four receiver for three years in a row, and he averaged 18.8 PPR points per game over that span. He should once again have a standout season in 2026.
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. 7 overall in your league. The key is to study the strategy and not necessarily the players to see if this works for you.
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. 7 overall:
1.7: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions
2.6: Derrick Henry, RB, Ravens
3.7: DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles
4.6: Josh Allen, QB, Bills
5.7: Jadarian Price, RB, Seahawks
6.6: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Cardinals
7.7: Jayden Reed, WR, Packers
8.6: Isaiah Likely, TE, Giants
9.7: Jalen Coker, WR, Panthers
10.6: Aaron Jones, RB, Vikings
11.7: Tyler Allgeier, RB, Cardinals
12.6: Christopher Brooks, RB, Packers
13.7: George Holani, RB, Seahawks
14.6: Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens
Once you decide who to draft in Round 1, you're playing the waiting game to see who falls to you in Round 2. If you end up with a receiver like St. Brown or potentially Smith-Njigba, then you're hoping for a running back in this spot, which happened here with Henry.
However, if you draft Taylor or McCaffrey, then you probably want a receiver in Round 2, and your choices could range from A.J. Brown to Nico Collins to George Pickens, among others. You could go WR-WR if you want, or Brock Bowers comes into play at No. 18 overall.
I was thrilled to get Henry and pair him with St. Brown. That's a great start, especially since I knew there would be quality value at receiver in Round 3. Sure enough, Smith fell into my lap, and I loved how this roster was coming together.
Round 4 is where I either capitalized on amazing value or made a huge mistake with Allen. Based on Average Draft Position, this is a steal since Allen is a Round 2 pick. And I love getting the No. 1 quarterback at a bargain price. But you also have to know who you are drafting with, and my league-mates waited -- and waited -- on quarterbacks. More on that below.
The rest of the draft unfolded well at running back, wide receiver and tight end. I loved getting Price in Round 5 to pair with Henry, and then I took late-round fliers on Jones, Allgeier, Brooks and Holani. Jones is a potential flex option, and the other three running backs could be lottery tickets if given an increased workload, with Holani a handcuff for Price -- at least until Zach Charbonnet (knee) is healthy.
After drafting St. Brown and Smith, I was able to get Harrison as my third receiver, and he should be a nice surprise entering his third year in the NFL. I also love my bench receivers in Reed and Coker, and both are two of my favorite sleepers this year.
We'll dive into Reed below, but Coker should be No. 2 on the Panthers in targets behind Tetairoa McMillan. And Coker actually outplayed McMillan down the stretch last season and should be a borderline top 30 Fantasy receiver this year.
At tight end, I liked the value for Likely in Round 8, and he should have a breakout season with the Giants. I also took a flier on Andrews, who should once again have a prominent role with the Ravens this year.
This is one of the more balanced rosters that I've built this season, especially since I drafted Allen. But the most important part of picking at No. 7 overall is what happens in Round 1. If you're like me, then you want someone else to draft McCaffrey, which would allow you to draft a stud receiver like St. Brown. I'm thrilled that it worked out this way.
Favorite pick: Jayden Reed
I was excited about Reed prior to training camp with Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks no longer in Green Bay, which frees up 135 targets. Now, I expect the Packers to lean into their passing game more with Josh Jacobs (Commissioner's Exempt List) out. Reed has 23 games in his career, including the playoffs, with at least five targets, and he has scored at least 13.5 PPR points in 15 of those outings and averaged 16.1 PPR points per game over that span. If he stays healthy, he could be a top-30 Fantasy receiver in all leagues, and he's one of my favorite sleepers in 2026.
Pick I might regret: Josh Allen
It's never a bad thing to have Allen on your roster. He's my No. 1 quarterback, and he should be awesome again with D.J. Moore now in Buffalo. But I'm never inclined to draft the first quarterback, even in Round 4, and my roster might have been better if I selected D'Andre Swift, Moore or Emeka Egbuka instead. The combination of Allen and Price or Allen and Harrison will hopefully be more productive than Swift and Maye or Moore and Maye. That's the way it would have worked out if I passed on Allen at that spot.
Player who could make or break my team: Jadarian Price
Price is my No. 2 running back, and I'm hopeful he'll be the lead option in Seattle's backfield all season. That could change once Charbonnet (knee) is healthy, and we'll see how the Seahawks use Holani and Emanuel Wilson in tandem with Price. There's a big opportunity in Seattle for Price with Kenneth Walker III gone and Charbonnet out since that duo combined for 405 carries and 51 catches last season. If Price is the leader in touches as expected, then my Fantasy roster should be fine. However, if this is a committee, as well as Charbonnet back early in the season, then my backfield behind Henry could be a mess. I have a lot riding on Price to help my Fantasy team reach the playoffs.
