Fantasy football draft season is upon us, and the excitement is at an all-time high. All the what-ifs and “I know he’s in for a big season” are in full swing, and the trash-talking has seemingly commenced before a single player is on a team. It’s the perfect time for a fantasy football mock draft.
Whether you find yourself just starting out or are a grizzled fantasy veteran, it’s essential to have a good understanding of how important it is to get in as many drafts as possible.
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Fantasy Football Mock Draft
Below is a 10-team PPR mock draft. We took a somewhat different approach than originally planned because of a very intriguing prospect that became available. Our draft position was ninth, which obviously comes with a more focused strategy given the break between picks.
1.09: Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND)
Our first selection didn’t take too much critical thinking. Amon-Ra St. Brown was already off the board, and our choices came with way more uncertainty than we are comfortable with regarding a first pick.
The logical play was to grab Jonathan Taylor and his gaudy touchdown and rushing numbers. It may seem as if Taylor has been in the league for a decade. Yet, the Wisconsin running back is in the prime of his career (27), and there’s no real competition at the position. Taylor scored on 18 plays last season, while rushing for 1,585 yards, with 43 receptions for 378 yards.
The opportunity to get a player who could possibly produce close to 2,000 all-purpose yards and score 15+ times was one we had to jump on.
2.02: Chase Brown (RB – CIN)
Chase Brown is expected to play an important role in a highly functioning offense that could finish as one of the top-scoring teams in 2026. Brown is a pass-catching back who adds a vast amount of value due to his high reception rate and dual threat in regards to touchdowns (11 total).
The running back for the Bengals caught 69 receptions for 437 yards. Brown also rushed for over 1,000 yards on 232 carries last season, and that number could certainly increase this year. Having Jonathan Taylor and Brown as our top two backs certainly puts us in a favorable spot going into the season.
3.09: Ladd McConkey (WR – LAC)
This is where our first true decision had to be made. Grab a third running back, considering we have the turn only a few selections away, or start stacking wide receivers? In hindsight, leaving that extra back on the board allowed us to pair two fantastic receivers together.
Ladd McConkey hauled in 66 receptions last season for nearly 900 yards and six touchdowns. The Chargers wide receiver will, without a doubt, be looking to bounce back from finishing outside of the top 25 fantasy wide receivers last season. Inserting Mike McDaniel into the Chargers’ offense should open a window for consistent success for McConkey.
The wide receiver saw over 100 targets last season; if he can get the receptions closer to 80-85 this season, McConkey may finish the season as a top-10 receiver for fantasy.
4.02: Tetairoa McMillan (WR – CAR)
The young wide receiver caught 70 receptions last season. With a year of experience under his belt, Tetairoa McMillan could be in a very favorable position. The Panthers wide receiver saw over 120 targets last season and is a true first option at the wide receiver position.
As is the case with Ladd McConkey, McMillan will have to be way more efficient at catching passes to fully produce at a high level. Having said that, this is a very strong pairing of wide receivers who are more likely to improve on last year’s numbers than regress.
As you will see in the next few picks, we added a bunch of insurance at the wide receiver position, just in case things do go as planned. You always want to give yourself as many options as possible.
5.09: Jameson Williams (WR – DET)
This was another very easy decision. Jameson Williams finds himself in a very favorable position. Should anything happen to Amon-Ra St. Brown, you are getting a possible WR1 in the fifth round. Injuries make or break the season in both fantasy football and the NFL.
By adding a tremendous backup plan at quite a low cost, we have an opportunity to incur a major leg up should Williams find himself in such good graces. The wide receiver for the Lions finished last season with a powerful 1,117 yards on only 65 receptions. Williams crossed the end zone on seven occasions.
6.02: Rome Odunze (WR – CHI)
We had to get somewhat tactical here. At this juncture of the draft, running backs were flying off the board. However, when we looked ahead, there was still a ton of value with a very high probability of being available in future rounds.
Rome Odunze was staring us in the face, and we simply couldn’t pass on the chance to add another lead receiver. This kind of reverts back to our thinking with Ladd McConkey and Tetairoa McMillan, except it’s three rounds later.
We now have four options that can all finish the season in the top 10 or top 15 in fantasy. Odunze finished last season with seven consecutive games of six or more targets.
Another year with Caleb Williams could mean a strengthening of chemistry. The 90 targets are very promising for Odunze. We just need him to take steps towards efficiency to crush from either a WR3 or FLEX position.
7.09: Bhayshul Tuten (RB – JAX)
As previously stated, things played out so that we were able to roster four consecutive wide receivers. Had it not been for the talent still available in later rounds, we more than likely would have had to change our plan of attack. Bhayshul Tuten has an opportunity to be the lead back in Jacksonville, in lieu of Travis Etienne signing with the New Orleans Saints.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. will also be vying for the top spot. However, we feel Tuten has the inside track. On 83 carries last season, the running back out of Virginia Tech rushed for 307 yards, hauled in 10 receptions and added seven touchdowns. Tuten could see 200-300 touches this season and would serve as a formidable FLEX spot addition.
8.02: Jadarian Price (RB – SEA)
Jadarian Price is in a similar role to Bhayshul Tuten, given that last year’s lead running back, Kenneth Walker III, has moved on. Zach Charbonnet has made a tremendous effort to recover from a torn ACL in February, yet it appears he may not be ready for week 1.
If Price can make a splash in his first few opportunities or Charbonnet experiences any type of setback, we could be looking at an absolute monster in the eighth round. Seattle rushed the ball on 501 plays last season, compared to 481 passing plays. Price is in a very fortunate position and could see a ton of volume, especially in the first few weeks.
9.09: Makai Lemon (WR – PHI)
This was more of a dart throw, considering the options at wide receiver were getting quite scary. Makai Lemon could step into the No. 2 WR role for the Eagles this season, behind DeVonta Smith, if he can heal up from a nagging hamstring injury that’s kept him out of training camp.
Soft tissue injuries are the worst for players who depend on speed and quick changes of direction. However, we don’t need Lemon to be on the field the first week, given our depth at wide receiver. We need him to produce when he is out there. Lemon is worth adding late in 10-league teams to see how things shake out.
10.02: Blake Corum (RB – LAR)
Blake Corum has been one of our favorite players to grab later in drafts, given the tremendous potential for success further along in the draft. Corum rushed for 746 yards on only 145 carries last season —the young running back closed out the season with over 600 yards and five touchdowns through the last six games. Corum averaged 6.4 yards per carry over that span.
The expectations are logical; it’s all about the opportunity. If Corum gets a heavier workload, his outlook would skyrocket. You’re obviously not starting Corum in Week 1 in such a shallow league.
Come later in the season, you may be extremely fortunate to have such a dangerous weapon waiting in the wings.
11.02: Jordan Addison (WR – MIN)
If the Makai Lemon pick falls flat, we wanted to give ourselves some extra insurance at wide receiver. Jordan Addison hasn’t been all that productive since his rookie season, when the USC star caught 70 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns.
We are hoping the recent quarterback change in Minnesota will right the ship and get Addison back to a quality WR2 or better. Kyler Murray will be at the helm for the Vikings in 2026, and that has to be a better option than having J.J. McCarthy, who threw more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11) in 2025.
12.09: Brock Purdy (QB – SF)
Brock Purdy may have the benefit of playing with the best wide receiver corps ever in his tenure with the Niners. Obviously, that will be foretold by the injury woes that have plagued this team for over five years now.
We are barely into camp, and already the injury bug has claimed Ricky Pearsall for the season, while newly acquired Christian Kirk is dealing with a quad injury that has kept him out of practice. Despite the misfortunes, he’s still Brock Purdy, one of the top quarterbacks in the league, simply finding a way.
Purdy played nine games in 2026, with his lead receiver being a running back, and still managed to finish as a top-five quarterback based on fantasy points per game (20.8). One of the reasons we are so bullish on Purdy is due to the possibility of George Kittle returning earlier than expected after tearing his right Achilles in the playoffs.
A player we drafted at the end of our draft could also be a perfect fit if things go awry with the veteran talent the 49ers brought in over the offseason. Things are off to a bad start in San Francisco. Yet, there are many avenues of success for Purdy given the amount of options available.
13.09: Houston Texans D/ST
14.02: Brandon Aubrey (K – DAL)
After reviewing the current draft landscape, we decided to gamble on a back-to-back tandem to fill our kicker and D/ST slots.
You normally want to wait on these positions, but with only 10 teams, you have to try and find advantages where you can. Grabbing the projected top options at kicker and defense could be the difference in your close matchups throughout the season.
The Texans’ defense finished second only to the Seattle defense in points last season. The next closest team behind the Texans was 20 points behind. Seattle lost some major pieces to their defense this year, and that should open the door for Houston to be the top defensive option in fantasy.
As for our kicker, Brandon Aubrey plays for a Cowboys team expected to be significantly improved from last season, which could easily lead to more scoring opportunities for Aubrey.
Bench Standouts
George Kittle (TE – SF)
George Kittle will be coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon, and as of now, seems to still be in line to possibly be on the field for Week 1. That would be an incredible feat for the veteran tight. The Brock Purdy/Kittle combo has been one of the best tandems in the league when both are on the field.
We drafted another tight end, just in case Kittle needs extra time to be completely ready to get on the field. Kittle’s days as a top-five option at tight end may be in doubt going forward. Yet, he deserves a spot in all leagues due to being a strong security blanket when things get tough in the pocket for Purdy.
Dalton Kincaid (TE – BUF)
There are certainly worse options than Dalton Kincaid late in drafts. The Bills tight end recorded 39 receptions for 571 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. If some injury should befall George Kittle or Kincaid gets hot, he could be a great source of insurance at a very shallow position.
De’Zhaun Stribling (WR – SF)
Our last selection is a direct pairing for Brock Purdy and a way to get ahead if tragedy continues to strike the 49ers’ wide receiver room.
De’Zhaun Stribling has been nothing short of fantastic early in camp and could be in line for a major role given the team’s prior injury history. If you’ve been following the Niners’ training camp, some of the adjectives suggest he may be a very special contributor to this team
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