The NFL preseason starts on Thursday afternoon, which means over the coming weeks, fantasy football draft season will really ramp up. I have my first draft of the season this Sunday, so I figured what better time to do some research myself and come up with my final mock draft of the season?

There are pretty clear top-four picks this year. But after that, it’s a whole lot of who you prefer. From pick five to pick 11, it feels like anyone could go anywhere; it just depends on who you like this year. And once you get to round two, forget about ADP. It feels like everyone is all over the place on where these guys should be ranked.

I won’t claim to be a fantasy football guru like some of those TikTok and X guys that post clickbait videos, but I have won two championships in the last two years, so I have to be doing something right.

If you’re trying to figure out what the early rounds of your draft should look like, look no further than here.

Round 1

1.01 – Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

It’s a bit of a toss-up between Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson for the first overall pick this year, but I’m going with Gibbs. Not just because he’s on my dynasty team, but because I trust Detroit’s offense a whole lot more than I trust Atlanta’s. You can’t go wrong with either, but Gibbs’s ceiling is higher.

1.02 – Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

That leaves Robinson as the clear No. 2 pick. He’s going to be a workhorse in Atlanta’s offense, but how many points will they really score with Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa leading the way? He’s going to have far fewer touchdown opportunities than Gibbs.

1.03 – Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Ja’Marr Chase is my WR1 in fantasy football. Puka Nacua had a better season last year, but even with Joe Burrow missing significant time, Chase was the WR4 in fantasy. He sees a target volume no other receiver in the league sees, so he’s easily my top receiver.

1.04 – Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams

I say easily, but Puka Nacua isn’t really that far behind him. Nacua finished as the WR1 last year after a stellar season with MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford, but he could be facing a suspension to start the season. Still, if he is, it won’t be a long one, so he’s still worthy of the fourth pick.

1.05 – Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Christian McCaffrey is always a risk, but he’s a worthy one. Outside of his rookie season, McCaffrey has played eight seasons in the NFL. He’s finished as the RB1 three times, the RB2 twice, and the RB38 or worse three times. He’s either a top-two fantasy running back or he’s injured pretty much the whole year. He’s only suffered an injury in one of the last four seasons, though. Maybe that means he’s due to get hurt again, or maybe he’s just not that injury-prone anymore.

1.06 – Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions

Amon-Ra St. Brown might be the safest pick in fantasy football, especially in PPR leagues. He’s finished as the WR3 in each of the last three seasons, catching 100+ passes for 1,200+ yards and 10+ touchdowns in each one. You literally can’t go wrong taking him in fantasy football.

1.07 – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks

JSN finished as the WR2 last season, but with Klint Kubiak and Kenneth Walker leaving, I think Seattle’s offense will take a step back this year. He will still be a great fantasy player, but I think he’s a clear tier below the three guys I just mentioned.

1.08 – Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

Jonathan Taylor’s ceiling is the RB1 in fantasy, just like he was in the first 10 games of last season. But I do have concerns about Indy’s offense. Daniel Jones is coming off a torn Achilles, and that always takes over a year before you start feeling like yourself again. I think the Colts are going to struggle a bit out of the gates, and defenses are going to load the box against Taylor. Still, he’s a top-five running back in fantasy pretty easily.

1.09 – CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

I feel like a lot of people are lower on CeeDee Lamb than they should be. George Pickens outperformed him last year, but Lamb dealt with injuries while Pickens was healthy all year. And even if Pickens goes for 1,200+ yards and 10 touchdowns this year, Lamb will still get his share of targets. Dallas throws the ball too much for me to be concerned about him this year.

1.10 – De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins

I love De’Von Achane. Over the past two seasons, I’ve played in five fantasy leagues, and I’ve drafted him in four of them, leading to two championships. Is he going to finish as the RB1? No, but he was the most consistent fantasy performer across the entire year last season. I know Miami’s going to suck, but he’s literally the only player on their offense capable of anything good. He’s going to get 25+ touches a game.

1.11 – Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jefferson has a crazy high ceiling this year, but also a very low floor. If the whole Kyler Murray experiment works out, he has WR1 upside. I still think Jefferson is the best receiver in the league, but he doesn’t have the QB play that Chase and Nacua have. If I’m picking late in the first round, he’s my pick.

1.12 – James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills

James Cook led the league in rushing last year, and if anything, I only think he’ll be better in 2026. Buffalo’s offense will be one of the best in the league, and Joe Brady mentioned getting Cook more involved in the pass game. If that happens, he could easily finish as a top-five RB in fantasy this year.

Round 2

2.01 – Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

I fully believe in Saquon Barkley this year. He was a 2,000-yard rusher in 2024, but struggled in 2025 due to some horrible play calling and drama in the Eagles’ offense. Now, A.J. Brown and Kevin Patullo are gone, and I think Barkley will benefit greatly from their departures.

2.02 – Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

Ashton Jeanty has the talent of a top-five running back, but the Las Vegas Raiders still have a ways to go on offense. They’ve improved the offensive line and quarterback position, but with no real threats at wide receiver, defenses will stuff the box against Jeanty. I still think he’ll be productive, but he’s not a first-rounder in my eyes.

2.03 – Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Mike McDaniel says he wants to use all three of his running backs pretty equally, but Omarion Hampton is so clearly a step above the rest that I’m not too worried about it. He’s going to be the Los Angeles Chargers’ RB1, and we know how much McDaniel loves to pound the rock.

2.04 – Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Chase Brown is one of the most underrated fantasy football players. He always produces, is in a very good offense, and has receiving upside. He’s always one of my favorite second-to-third round picks in fantasy, and that’s no different this year.

2.05 – Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons

I’m not a Drake London fan in fantasy football this year. He’s an extremely gifted player, but his quarterback situation is awful. Michael Penix Jr. hasn’t proven he’s a franchise guy, and does anyone still believe in Tua Tagovailoa? I would consider sliding him even further down this list, but mid-to-late second is probably where he should go.

2.06 – Kenneth Walker, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Kenneth Walker, fresh off an incredible playoff run that netted him the Super Bowl MVP trophy, joins a Kansas City offense that desperately needed some fresh legs in the backfield. He is going to be the unquestioned RB in KC, but we know the Chiefs like to air the ball out, and he doesn’t have a ton of receiving upside. He’ll rush for 1,200 yards, but his ceiling is lower than every RB above him.

2.07 – Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals

Trey McBride might be the most valuable player at any position in fantasy. Last year, he scored 105 more points than any other tight end in the league. If you take him, you’re going to have a massive positional advantage at tight end every single week.

2.08 – A.J. Brown, WR, New England Patriots

A.J. Brown is going far too low in fantasy drafts right now, but his stock has been rising. He’s the clear WR1 in one of the best offenses in the league with the MVP runner up as his quarterback. He’s a top-20 selection in fantasy this year.

2.09 – Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Rashee Rice has some off-the-field issues and an injury history, but there’s no denying that when he plays, he’s one of the top receivers in fantasy. If he was guaranteed to play 17 games, I’d take him in the early second round. That’s how high his ceiling is when he’s on the field.

2.10 – Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens

Derrick Henry has finished as the RB8 or better in six of his last seven seasons, and the one he didn’t was when he was injured. He’s one of the most consistent fantasy running backs, but because he doesn’t offer much as a pass catcher, he’s almost always under-drafted. Don’t make that mistake this year.

2.11 – Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

Brock Bowers should have a much better junior year than sophomore year in the NFL. He suffered an injury and had some poor quarterback play, but if he’s healthy, he should do much better with Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza under center in 2026.

2.12 – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona Cardinals

I don’t love the situation Jeremiyah Love is in. He’s in a great offense, but their offensive line is BAD, and there are so many pass catchers on the team that he’s not going to get as many carries as he probably should get. But still, he’s an electric player in an offense that’s capable of scoring points, so end of round two/beginning of round three is a good spot for him.

Round 3

3.01 – Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints

3.02 – George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys

3.03 – DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

3.04 – Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans

3.05 – Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants

3.06 – Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

3.07 – Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams

3.08 – Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers

3.09 – Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

3.10 – Javonte Williams, RB, Dallas Cowboys

3.11 – Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

3.12 – Travis Etienne, RB, New Orleans Saints