Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Team, Late Pick (2026)

While actual drafts shape the market, one of the easiest ways to get a glimpse of the future is with a fantasy football mock draft. I drew the short straw and wound up with the pick that most drafters try to avoid — the dreaded 12th spot. For this redraft PPR mock, I built a 16-player roster with the following roster settings: 1-QB, 2-RB, 3-WR, 1-TE, 1-FLEX and eight bench players.

Here’s how the team came together from the turn.

Fantasy Football Mock Draft

1.12: Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)

Malik Nabers tore his ACL and meniscus in Week 4 last season. From all reports, he is recovering well. The injury might scare off some drafters, but if his average draft position (ADP) continues to be in the back-end of the first round, I’m in.

Pre-injury, Nabers commanded an absurd 35.8% first-read share.

Even in limited time alongside Jaxson Dart, there’s no reason to expect a dip in volume. Even if Nabers starts the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, I’m taking the discount because you draft Nabers for October and beyond.

2.01: Ashton Jeanty (RB – LV)

I was out on Ashton Jeanty as a rookie. I’m in for 2026. The Raiders’ offensive line was horrendous, ranking 30th in run blocking, per Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Among running backs with 150+ carries, Jeanty had the second-highest stuff rate, per the Fantasy Points data suite. Still, the talent showed. He ranked seventh in missed tackles forced among that same group.

Las Vegas addressed the offensive line in free agency, signing Tyler Linderbaum. With improved blocking and his ability to make people miss, I can’t be more excited for Jeanty.

3.12: Tee Higgins (WR – CIN)

Even though Tee Higgins may be viewed as a boom-or-bust wide receiver, the boom outweighs the bust. He finished as a WR3 or worse in five games last season, but also delivered WR1 finishes four times. That’s the ride you sign up for.

Higgins feasted against man coverage, ranking 14th in yards per route run and 13th in targets per route run at the wide receiver position (minimum 300 routes), per the Fantasy Points data suite.

Despite being the No. 2 WR behind Ja’Marr Chase, Higgins still commanded a 23.5% first-read share. If you can’t stomach the swings of Higgins, he’s probably not for you.

4.01: Ladd McConkey (WR – LAC)

It is a case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from 2024 to 2025 for Ladd McConkey. As a rookie in 2024, he averaged 15.1 PPR points per game, compared to 11.3 in 2025. What changed?

McConkey’s slot rate dipped slightly (72% to 64%), but the bigger issue was efficiency. His targets per route run held steady in the slot (0.22 to 0.21) but cratered out wide. Cut nearly in half, from 0.31 to 0.16, per the Fantasy Points data suite.

With Keenan Allen approaching age 34 as a free agent after logging a 39.5% slot rate, there’s potentially a larger role for McConkey in the slot. If that happens, he would be a huge bounce-back candidate.

5.12: DJ Moore (WR – BUF)

In formats where you start three receivers, depth matters.

DJ Moore reunites with Joe Brady, his offensive coordinator in Carolina from 2020 to 2021. His receiving totals have regressed since 2023, but catching passes from Josh Allen could change that. I’m betting on an offense where Allen finally gets a proven No. 1 WR he hasn’t had since Stefon Diggs.

6.01: Rome Odunze (WR – CHI)

I know a lot of people are on the Luther Burden III hype train, and rightfully so. But I will take the two- to three-round discount from Burden’s ADP on Rome Odunze. He showed inconsistencies and suffered a stress fracture in Week 14, but the flashes were there.

Through the first 10 weeks, Odunze was tied for WR15 in PPR points per game and ranked 20th in yards per route run (minimum 200 routes), per the Fantasy Points data suite. More importantly, he also led the team in first-read share.

With DJ Moore now out of the mix, the path to more volume is clear as Odunze enters his third season.

7.12: Bhayshul Tuten (RB – JAX)

I’ll buy a ticket for the Bhayshul Tuten hype train. The Jaguars showed confidence in him by moving on from Tank Bigsby and letting Travis Etienne depart for New Orleans. They did add Chris Rodriguez Jr., but this backfield is still wide open.

Even with fewer opportunities, Tuten forced 15 missed tackles on just 83 carries, which matches Rodriguez on a per-touch basis. If this turns out to be a near split backfield, it works in Tuten’s favor.

Tuten only handled 19.2% of the rushing attempts last season, leaving plenty of room for growth. With no clear-cut No. 1 RB in the Jaguars’ backfield, I’ll bet on the one the team invested in from Day 1.

8.01: Jordan Addison (WR – MIN)

Continuing to load up at wide receiver for depth. Jordan Addison is entering his fourth season and has already shown he thrives alongside Justin Jefferson. Addison has finished second on the team in first-read share and tied for second in red-zone targets in each of the last two seasons.

While Kyler Murray has typically honed in on one wideout, it’s also fair to question if this holds up here. He’s never had a 1-2 punch like Jefferson and Addison.

We have also seen Murray support smaller-framed receivers like Marquise Brown, who had 100+ targets in his two seasons with the Cardinals. Jordan Addison doesn’t need to be a WR1 to return value; he needs to maintain the role that has consistently featured him.

9.12: Kenneth Gainwell (RB – TB)

Kenneth Gainwell lands in a crowded backfield with Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker. The latter excelled in goal-line situations last season. It’s the fit that matters.

Baker Mayfield ranked third and fourth in pass attempts behind the line of scrimmage over the last two seasons, per the Fantasy Points data suite.

This aligns with Gainwell’s strength as a pass-catching running back. As a late-round PPR flier, Kenneth Gainwell offers sneaky value in passing-down situations.

10.01: Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL)

We don’t know whether Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. will be ready to go. You also have Drake London soaking up targets on the outside and Bijan Robinson being the stud that he is. On paper, the pass-catching group looks crowded.

The usage tells a different story.

Before London went down in Week 12, Kyle Pitts still averaged 6.2 targets per game through the first 11 weeks. Among all tight ends during that span, he ranked: (per the Fantasy Points data suite):

Sixth in receptions
11th in receiving yards per game
Sixth in target share
Eighth in expected fantasy points per game

The volume says to buy. The ADP makes it easy.

11.12: Jadarian Price (RB – Notre Dame)

Total upside pick here at the running back position. Jadarian Price sat behind Jeremiyah Love, but I prefer him over Isiah Pacheco, Brian Robinson Jr. and Keaton Mitchell.

Price isn’t going to burn you with speed, and the receiving usage hasn’t been there, but the rushing profile is encouraging.

Over the course of his three years in college, Price averaged nearly six yards per carry. According to PFF, he averaged 3.92 yards after contact per attempt last season. Price showed bursts in the run game, where he ripped off 24 carries of 10+ yards.

Landing spot and draft capital will play a role, but if in the right situation, Price may get a shot to shine and become hard to take off the field.

12.01: Trevor Lawrence (QB – JAX)

One strategy I lean on is drafting a late-round quarterback, and Trevor Lawrence fits the bill here.

In Liam Coen’s first year in Jacksonville, Lawrence finished with a career-high 19.9 fantasy points per game (QB6). The rushing touchdowns of nine may regress, but the late-season spike is real.

From Weeks 13 to 18, he scored 20+ fantasy points in all but one game. Coen unlocked Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay, and now we’re starting to see this same change in Lawrence. I’ll buy into this offense in Year 2 under this coaching staff.

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Kyle Zeigler

Kyle Zeigler is a featured writer at FantasyPros, providing unique insights and in-depth analysis.