With the 2025 fantasy football season behind us, it’s natural to be thinking ahead to the 2026 campaign, even when the playoffs are still happening at the same time. Strong performances, busts and breakouts are already starting to help us form judgments about players for next season. To see how far off we are, or how close we are, in our assessments, there is no better way to find out than a by doing a fantasy football mock draft. Let’s dive into some early fantasy football draft predictions as we try to determine the top-10 picks in upcoming fantasy football drafts.
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Fantasy Football Mock Draft
The drafters were:
- David Leisering — 1.01, 1.06
- Ryan Kirksey (@CableBoxScore) — 1.02 & 1.07
- Garrett Ball (@GarrettBFF) — 1.03 & 1.08
- Jesse Garcia (@jesseg628) — 1.04 & 1.09
- Chris Schommer (@ChrisSchommer1) — 1.05 & 1.10
Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 1
- 1.01: Bijan Robinson (RB – ATL)
- 1.02: Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)
- 1.03: Ja’Marr Chase (WR – CIN)
- 1.04: Puka Nacua (WR – LAR)
- 1.05: Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF)
- 1.06: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – SEA)
- 1.07: De’Von Achane (RB – MIA)
- 1.08: Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND)
- 1.09: James Cook (RB – BUF)
- 1.10 Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR – DET)
Mock Draft Analysis
David Leisering breaks down his picks from the No. 1 and No. 6 spots:
Bijan Robinson (RB – ATL)
I was torn between taking Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs with the first overall pick, but I went with Robinson as he led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage by 172 over second-place Christian McCaffrey. While he only totaled 11 touchdowns in 2025 — a decrease of four from his previous season — his rushing yardage increased to a career-best 1,478 (on 17 fewer carries), and his targets (103), receptions (79) and receiving yards (820) all established new career-highs.
Robinson added a little more than 400 yards from scrimmage from 2023 to 2024 and, again, from 2024 to 2025. If he does it again from 2025 to 2026, he’ll break Chris Johnson‘s NFL record of 2,509, which he set in 2009. Even if he doesn’t, add in the rumored possibility of Tyler Allgeier looking for a starting job with another team in 2026, and it all potentially spells even bigger and better for Robinson in 2026.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – SEA)
I was considering either Christian McCaffrey or Jaxon Smith-Njigba with this pick, and with McCaffrey being selected before me, it made my decision that much easier. Smith-Njigba led the NFL in receiving yards (1,793), finished fourth in receptions (119) and was tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns (10).
Smith-Njigba defined the meaning of being a true No. 1 receiver, accounting for 44.1% of Seattle’s total receiving yards in 2025. The other thing I liked about taking Smith-Njigba (besides the fact that I’m a Seahawks fan) was his consistency. He had one real bad game when he caught two passes for 23 yards in a shutout win over Minnesota in Week 13. I’ll take my chance on Smith-Njigba, at the very least, having a repeat performance in 2026.
Ryan Kirksey breaks down his picks from the No. 2 and No. 7 spots:
Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)
Jahmry Gibbs was the RB4 in half-PPR points per game in 2025, but he still managed to leave a sour taste in the mouths of fantasy managers. In the playoffs (Weeks 15 and 17), Gibbs couldn’t even manage eight points, and he was well below his season average of 19.4. But heading into the playoffs, Gibbs was the RB3 with over 21 fantasy points per game. He was 11th in carries and third in targets this season, while ranking in the top seven in rushing yards, receiving yards and total touchdowns.
Gibbs will be just 24 years old next season. David Montgomery is likely to land elsewhere, and a new offensive coordinator is coming to town. Gibbs could actually be better in 2026.
De’Von Achane (RB – MIA)
There was exactly one running back who scored at least 10 half-PPR fantasy points in every single game of the 2025 season — De’Von Achane. That level of consistency plus room for explosion games (three games over 20 points) absolutely makes Achane worthy of a pick in the middle of the first round in 2026. He has very little competition on the ground and in the air, and has moved into a bell-cow back role for the Dolphins.
With a new head coach and new offensive system coming in, I have faith they will understand how to use their most dynamic weapon on offense. Perhaps Achane’s most valuable skill last season was availability, which is never something you can count on, but at least he has shown he can withstand the rigor of a 17-game season.
Garrett Ball breaks down his picks from the No. 3 and No. 8 spots:
Ja’Marr Chase (WR – CIN)
It’s a bit of a cherry-picked stat here, but from Weeks 5-18, Ja’Marr Chase was the WR3 in fantasy points per game. He got off to a rocky start with Joe Burrow having his patented slow start and then Jake Browning not doing him any favors for two weeks. Chase has finished as a top-five fantasy receiver in back-to-back years. That and not having to worry about injuries is what ultimately put him ahead of the likes of Puka Nacua. It was very close, though.
Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND)
Jonathan Taylor was on another planet to start the season, averaging 25.9 half-PPR points per game from Weeks 1-10. He fell off dramatically after the Colts’ bye, but the first three teams out of the bye were all top-10 run defenses, and he lost quarterback Daniel Jones in that stretch. Taylor is better than his end-of-year finish shows, and I’m betting on him returning value as a top-end RB1 yet again.
Jesse Garcia breaks down his picks from the No. 4 and No. 9 spots:
Puka Nacua (WR – LAR) & James Cook (RB – BUF)
I believe that the first two rounds of the draft allow you to pick two pillars at the two most important positions — running back and wide receiver. With my first two picks, I took Puka Nacua and James Cook. Nacua continues to be one of the most impressive wide receivers in the league and finds ways to get open.
There are injury concerns throughout each season with Nacua, but when he is on the field, he is a top-five fantasy asset. Cook was the best running back left on the board. Despite not seeing the volume of touches that some running backs may get, Cook finds a way to deliver in a high-powered Bills offense. The next two closest players on the board were Amon-Ra St. Brown and Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty will still struggle behind a very weak Las Vegas’ offensive line and St. Brown is close to Nacua in my rankings. I trust Matthew Stafford more than Jared Goff currently.
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