Fantasy Football 2026 Post Free Agency PPR Mock Draft: Full results, recap, best picks, more

We held our first 12-team, PPR mock draft following free agency, and it was exciting to see where the players who changed NFL teams or were impacted by moves were selected. Some guys like Kenneth Walker III, Jaylen Waddle, Luther Burden III and Emeka Egbuka saw a significant rise in their Fantasy value. Meanwhile, players like DK Metcalf, Rico Dowdle and Alvin Kamara watched their stock plummet.

We have several months before we'll see what the Average Draft Position data shows us for these players, especially once the NFL Draft happens in April. But in this mock draft -- which featured several members of our CBS Sports staff, two listeners of our Fantasy Football Today Podcast (Jason Magnone and Erik Guenther) and Alfredo Brown of the Pretend GM and Adam Pfeifer of Fantasy Life -- we got a glimpse of where Fantasy managers might be targeting some of these old faces in new places.

For example, Walker was selected in Round 2 at No. 15 overall as the No. 8 running back off the board. I like Walker in Round 2, but it's a little early for me at this spot. That said, Walker is now coveted as the new leader of Kansas City's backfield.

Waddle went in Round 3 at No. 33 overall, and I felt this is too soon despite his trade from Miami to Denver. While Waddle should end up leading the Broncos in targets, there are still a lot of mouths to feed for Bo Nix. And Waddle has struggled the past two seasons while averaging 11.0 PPR points per game over that span with the Dolphins.

Some other notable names who changed teams included Mike Evans (drafted here in Round 4), Travis Etienne (Round 4), D.J. Moore (Round 4), David Montgomery (Round 5), Wan'Dale Robinson (Round 5), Rachaad White (Round 7), Romeo Doubs (Round 7), Michael Pittman (Round 8), Tyler Allgeier (Round 9), Darnell Mooney (Round 9), Kenneth Gainwell (Round 10), Chris Rodriguez Jr. (Round 10), Isaiah Likely (Round 10), Emanuel Wilson (Round 11), Kyler Murray (Round 13) and Malik Willis (Round 13).

Most of these values seem fair, and my favorite selections were Etienne, Moore, Doubs, Dowdle, Allgeier, Likely and Wilson. Etienne could be a stud if the Saints move on from Alvin Kamara, and Dowdle (Steelers) and Allgeier (Cardinals) could end up being the best running backs for their teams. I love Moore going to the Bills, and Doubs (for now) should be the No. 1 receiver for the Patriots.

Likely should also benefit as the new No. 1 tight end for the Giants. And Wilson could end up starting for the Seahawks while Zach Charbonnet (ACL) is out. I also like the late-round fliers on Murray and Willis since both could emerge as top-12 quarterbacks.

While those guys changed teams, we had a few players either stay in the same city or benefit with someone leaving. For example, Alec Pierce was a steal in Round 7, and he has the chance for another big year after signing an extension to stay with the Colts, especially since Michael Pittman was traded to the Steelers.

I also like the value for Kyle Pitts in Round 9, and I hope he doesn't holdout in training camp after the Falcons gave him the franchise tag. With Kevin Stefanski as the new coach in Atlanta, Pitts could be in line for another solid season in 2026.

Meanwhile, some players who should benefit from departures included Luther Burden III (Round 4), Emeka Egbuka (Round 4), Colston Loveland (Round 4), Rome Odunze (Round 4), Tyler Warren (Round 5), Chuba Hubbard (Round 6), Bhayshul Tuten (Round 6), Chris Godwin (Round 6) and Josh Downs (Round 8), among others. Burden, Loveland and Odunze all get a boost with Moore gone for the Bears, while Egbuka and Godwin should thrive with Evans now in San Francisco.

Hubbard could return to his 2024 form with Dowdle now in Pittsburgh, and Tuten might be the No. 1 running back for the Jaguars with Etienne gone, although we'll see what happens with Rodriguez. I also expect Warren to thrive with Pittman gone, and Downs is now a sleeper as well.

Pittman was a good pick in Round 8, but I'm worried what the passing game will look like for the Steelers, which is why Metcalf fell to Round 7. We can fully evaluate the Pittsburgh players once a quarterback is signed, although it appears like Aaron Rodgers will return in 2026.

Dowdle (Round 9) might end up as the best running back for the Steelers, but I still prefer Jaylen Warren, who was drafted in Round 8. If this is a 50-50 split for touches then both running backs will be flex options at best in the majority of leagues.

I hope the Saints trade Kamara (see Jacksonville or Seattle), but if he remains in New Orleans then expect him to be drafted with a late-round pick like he went here. And James Conner's Fantasy value is also shaky with the addition of Allgeier, which is why Conner fell to Round 9.

This is a great mock draft to study to see the initial Fantasy value for the players impacted by free agency. And while we'll see changes happen following the NFL Draft, we know Fantasy managers get excited when players join new teams.

The NFL offseason is in full swing now. And the fun is just beginning -- in Fantasy and reality.

As a reference point for this mock draft, all touchdowns 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) with six reserves for a 14-round draft.

Our draft order is as follows:

1. Alfredo Brown, The Pretend GM

2. Adam Pfeifer, Fantasy Life

3. Adam Aizer, FFT Podcast Host

4. Thomas Shafer, FFT Podcast Producer

5. Erik Guenther, Podcast Listener

6. Jason Magnone, Podcast Listener

7. Robert Thomas, FFT Facebook Moderator

8. Jamey Eisenberg, Senior Fantasy Writer

9. Dave Richard, Senior Fantasy Writer

10. Daniel Schneier, Senior Fantasy Editor

11. Jake Ignaszewski, FFT Social Media Coordinator

12. R.J. White, Managing Editor, SportsLine and CBS Fantasy