Fantasy Football: Expert Draft Advice for Each Position (2026)

Pat Fitzmaurice shares his fantasy football draft advice for each position to prepare you for your 2026 season. And you can find all of Fitz’s fantasy football draft advice in his Perfect Draft article.

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2026 Fantasy Football Draft Advice: A Plan for Each Position

Here’s the approach Fitz is taking to each of the four primary positions in 2026 fantasy football drafts.

Quarterback

It’s a good year to spend down at the position in 1QB leagues.

The FantasyPros Expert Consensus Rankings have Trevor Lawrence, Dak Prescott, and Brock Purdy as low-end QB1s. I’d happily take any of those three as my starting quarterback. I’d be willing to settle for Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix, Kyler Murray, or Jordan Love, who are ranked as QB2s.

I want to stock up at other positions in the early rounds and will be forgoing the top quarterbacks.

Running Back

Robust RB, Hero RB, and Zero RB are all valid strategies.

In leagues that require me to start only two wide receivers, I’ll draft running backs aggressively in the early rounds, leaning toward a Robust RB approach (although I might go with more of a Hero RB build if I’m getting values at other positions).

In leagues that require me to start three wide receivers, I’ll usually go with a Hero RB approach, taking a running back in the first two or three rounds and cutting corners with my RB2 spot in order to load up on pass catchers. I might even try a Zero RB approach, eschewing running backs completely in the first five rounds in an effort to stockpile overwhelming firepower at wide receiver and tight end.

Wide Receiver

As noted above, I’ll draft wide receivers aggressively in the early rounds if I’m required to start three of them. If I’m required to start only two, there’s less incentive to load up on receivers in the early rounds.

A lot of fantasy managers talk themselves into the idea that the WR position is deep. It’s true that there are a lot of WRs who play ample snaps. But we want receivers who do more than just run a lot of routes. We want receivers who score a significant number of fantasy points.

Last season, there were 30 running backs who played at least six games and averaged 10 or more half-point PPR fantasy points per game. There were only 26 wide receivers who played at least six games and averaged 10 or more half-point PPR fantasy points per game.

The idea that the WR position is deep is a fallacy.

Tight End

I’m going to be flexible in my approach to the TE position.

I’m certainly willing to spend early-round draft capital on Brock Bowers, who’s capable of putting up the sort of numbers the elite wide receivers produce, or Colston Loveland, who turned into a monster late in his rookie season.

But I also like midrange TE1s such as Tucker Kraft and Kyle Pitts. And the TE position is so deep that you can spend down and still come away with George Kittle or Travis Kelce, who were considered elites at the position not long ago.

My approach to tight end will largely depend on my draft spot and the hunger for top tight ends in a particular draft.

To see some of the players I’m targeting in 2026 fantasy football drafts, FantasyPros Premium members can go here. To see some of the players I’m avoiding, Premium members can go here.

And subscribers and non-subscribers alike can find my frequently updated fantasy football draft rankings here.

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Fantasy Football Draft Rankings

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