This is my third straight season posting my draft plan on this website. If you look back at my 2024 draft plan and 2025 draft plan, you’ll see that I hit on a lot of players. But 2024 and 2025 were not anomalies for me. I’ve been pretty dang good at fantasy football for a long time.

Over the years, I’ve been asked, “Kenny, what’s your secret?” My secret? Well, there’s several things that I’ve done over the years that’ve propelled me toward success. But, honestly, the main thing has been simple. I go into every draft with a very clear draft plan! That’s my super power.

 

The Plan: It’s All About Value

Before each draft, I pinpoint where the value will be in that particular type of league, then I simply plan out where in the draft I intend to take certain types of players and positions. I try to guesstimate which players are likely to be on the board when it’s my turn to select—based on the style and structure of that particular league—and I seek to enter the draft with a good handle on which players are likely to be the best values at each section of the draft.

Overall, my mantra in fantasy football has always been: Fantasy is all about value. Each draft selection ought to maximize value. So, this article is my attempt to map out for you (round by round) what my 2026 draft plan will be, informed by my fierce commitment to maximizing value.

SIDE NOTE: This fantasy draft plan assumes a 12-team league with typical fantasy scoring/settings. This plan should work well for both PPR and non-PPR leagues.

 

Round 1

In round one, take the best player available. Regardless of position. Here’s my overall top 16 players for 2026:

• RB- Jahmyr Gibbs
• RB- Bijan Robinson
• RB- Jonathan Taylor
• RB- James Cook
• WR- Ja’Marr Chase
• WR- Jaxon Smith-Njigba
• WR- Puka Nacua
• RB- Saquon Barkley
• RB- Christian McCaffrey
• RB- De’Von Achane
• RB- Ashton Jeanty
• RB- Chase Brown
• RB- Derrick Henry
• WR- Justin Jefferson
• WR- CeeDee Lamb
• WR- Drake London

In my estimation, there’s a noticeable drop-off after these players. Keep drafting players from this pool until they’re all gone, regardless of position or roster construction goals.

 

Caveat: Play the “Value Game”

As previously stated, fantasy football is all about value. So there’s a little bit of a game that needs to be played. This is an art, not an exact science.

There are certain players that I have ranked higher than the market. So there will be moments where it makes sense to draft a lower ranked player because you think the higher ranked player will still be on the board at a later spot in the draft.

For example, I currently have Derrick Henry ranked as my 13th overall best player as we head into 2026 and I have Justin Jefferson ranked as my 14th best player. Based on average draft position (ADP), it seems that Henry will still be available in the middle part of round two (he’s consistently apx. the 20th to 22nd player off the board), while Jefferson is consistently being drafted late in the first round (or early in the second round).

So, let’s say I have the 9th pick of the first round, and both Henry and Jefferson are on the board. Well, since it seems likely that Henry will make it back to me when I draft at the fourth spot of the second round (16th overall), I would likely take Jefferson in round one and seek to draft Henry in round two.

When you’re drafting, you’ll have to consider which higher-ranked players might drop, and occasionally roll the dice. But be sure you have a good reason to believe that the player will indeed drop. If you roll the dice too many times, or without good rationale, this could burn you.

SIDE NOTE: Playing the “value game” can sometimes be informed by the tendencies and inclinations of your league mates. For instance, I play in some leagues with guys that I’ve known for 20+ years, so I have a strong handle of their tendencies. This often helps me know which players will be available later in the draft. But they also know my tendencies too, so it cuts both ways. You can try to use this to your advantage, but don’t get too cute.

 

Rounds 2 & 3

If any of my top 16 players are still available when you draft in round two, pounce without hesitation, regardless of position. And in the unlikely event that any of my top 16 players are still available when you’re drafting in round three, then pounce again without hesitation, regardless of position (and start counting your prize money).

However, if all of those top players are gone when you’re drafting, then your 2nd round and 3rd round picks will be based on whichever position you selected in round one. Again, to be clear, if any of the above-mentioned top 16 players are still available, then draft those guys, regardless of position. But if not, then your next selections will depend on position of previous pick(s).

In that case, if you drafted a WR in round one, then you do not have flexibility; you definitely need to draft a RB in round two (and probably should draft another RB in round three).

However, if you drafted a RB in round one, then you have flexibility in rounds two and three. You can go RB or WR. In most leagues, it’s ideal to lean toward the RB positions; even starting the draft RB-RB-RB is perfectly fine, especially if you have a flex spot in your lineup (I prefer to have a quality RB in my flex spot over a WR).

But if you’re in a PPR league that also happens to start more WRs than RBs (e.g., three WRs but only two RBs), then it’s understandable to learn toward WR with your second pick.

However, if you’re in a non-PPR league (regardless of starting lineup) or if you’re in a league that starts the same amount of WRs as RBs (e.g., two WRs and two RBs), then leaning toward is ideal with second round pick.

Here’s the best RBs being drafted around this area of the draft:

• Kyren Williams
• Kenneth Walker
• Breece Hall
• Josh Jacobs*
• Javonte Williams
• Omarion Hampton
• Jeremiyah Love
• Quinshon Judkins
• TreVeyon Henderson
• David Montgomery

Here’s the best WRs being drafted around this area of the draft:

• A.J. Brown
• Amon-Ra St. Brown
• Nico Collins
• DeVonta Smith
• Chris Olave
• Tee Higgins
• Zay Flowers
• George Pickens
• Emeka Egbuka
• Ladd McConkey
• Tetairoa McMillan
• Garrett Wilson
• Jaylen Waddle
• D.J. Moore
• Jameson Williams
• Rome Odunze

These are the pools of players that I’d be looking at through the end of round three and into round four (several of these players will likely still be available in rounds four and five).

Roster Construction Goals: Ideally (unless great value presents itself at WR), you’ll want to have two or three RBs by the end of round three. After the first three rounds, you should have one of these roster constructions (listed in order of my preference):

• 2 RBs + 1 WR
• 3 RBs
• 1 RB + 2 WRs
• 3 WRs

*In May 2026, Josh Jacobs was arrested for domestic violence. As of the writing of this article, Jacobs’ case is pending but he is still practicing with his team and is slated to play in 2026. However, he could face a suspension from the NFL in 2026 for violating the league’s conduct policy. We’ll obviously want to monitor this as we approach the 2026 season.

 

Round 4

Okay, thus far in this article, I’ve mentioned 42 names. If you’re in a 12-team league, at least six of those players will last into round four (and it’s even possible that several will last into round five). Target one of those 42 players, if possible.

However, in the unlikely event that all 42 aforementioned players are gone already (which could happen if you’re drafting late in round four), then this is the first moment in the draft to potentially consider a QB or a TE. (Side Note: Do not draft a QB or TE in the first three rounds; the math will never work out in your favor).

If all previously mentioned players are gone, then consider one of these guys:

• QB- Josh Allen
• TE- Brock Bowers
• TE- Trey McBride

However, if you have not selected any RBs in the first three rounds, then you MUST take a RB here in round 4. Target one of the previously-mentioned RBs or consider one of these RBs:

• Travis Etienne
• Cam Skattebo
• Bucky Irving**
• D’Andre Swift

Roster Construction Goals: As you’re drafting here, you’ll want to be thinking about roster construction. After four rounds, you’ll ideally want to have one of these roster constructions (listed in order of my preference):

• 3 RBs + 1 WR
• 2 RBs + 2 WRs
• 2 RBs + 1 WR + J. Allen
• 2 RBs + 1 WR + 1 TE
• 3 RBs + J. Allen
• 3 RBs + 1 TE
• 1 RBs + 3 WRs

QB–TE Alert: Ideally, I do not ever want to draft both a QB or a TE early in the draft. You absolutely cannot take both a QB and a TE in the first eight rounds. If you draft a QB in the first few rounds, then you must wait until later in the draft before considering a TE (and vice versa). If you were to take both a QB and a TE early in the draft, you will likely devastate your roster’s depth at RB and WR (which will be hard to recover from). Don’t do it!

**As of June 2026, Bucky Irving is dealing with a significant shoulder injury which could impact his availability for the start of the 2026 season. We’ll obviously want to monitor his status as we approach our 2026 drafts and we could potentially move him downward if we don’t get good news soon.

 

Round 5

First, thus far in this article, I’ve mentioned 49 names. If any of those players are still available when you’re drafting in round five, that’s the guy(s) you ought to target here.

Secondly, if you’re behind on one particular position (e.g., too few RBs or too few WRs), you’ll need to prioritize that position (although, if you’ve followed my advice, you should not be behind on RBs).

Thirdly, if all of the aforementioned players are already gone when you are drafting here in round five, then here is the next set of names to consider:

• RB- Bhayshul Tuten
• RB- Jadarian Price
• WR- Rashee Rice
• WR- Davante Adams
• WR- Terry McLaurin
• RB- Jaylen Warren
• RB- Chuba Hubbard
• RB- Tony Pollard
• RB- Rhamondre Stevenson
• WR- Luther Burden
• WR- Courtland Sutton
• WR- Alec Pierce
• WR- Ricky Pearsall

I’ve now given you a total of 62 names. After this spot in the draft the quality of the RB position drops-off big time. That’s why I’m recommending that you draft at least three RBs through the first five rounds.

 

Round 6

If any of the aforementioned players are still available when it’s your time to draft in round six, then that’s who you ought to target (with the exception of avoiding both a QB and TE in the first eight rounds). Based on the consensus rankings across the fantasy industry, I think it’s very likely that several of the aforementioned players will fall into your lap.

QB Pivot: In the unlikely event that all of the previously mentioned players are all gone AND you’re feeling good about your RBs, then it might be time to consider a QB. I would consider drafting one of these QBs:

• Lamar Jackson
• Joe Burrow

Value at WR: In the unlikely event that all previously mentioned players are gone, but you’re feeling good about your RBs, and both Burrow and Jackson are gone, then look for value at WR. Here’s the next potential group of guys to consider:

• D.K. Metcalf
• Malik Nabers
• Christian Watson
• Marvin Harrison, Jr.
• Mike Evans
• Michael Pittman, Jr.
• Michael Wilson
• Jayden Reed
• Jakobi Meyers
• Parker Washington

Desperate at RB: If you do indeed need a RB, and all of the previously mentioned guys are gone, then you’ll need to reach for one of these two guys at the RB position:

• Jacory Croskey-Merritt
• R.J. Harvey

Side Note: Frankly, I would much prefer to not have to draft either of these RBs here in the 6th round; they’re much more like 7th round type of guys (let’s hope some other better RBs fall to you here in this spot). However, if you’re desperate, you’re probably going to need to reach to ensure you have some decent options at RB. After these guys are gone, it’s slim pickings.

 

Round 7

At this point, I’ve given you a total of 76 names in this article. These players will take you into round seven.

By the end of round seven, it’s ideal to try to have four RBs. If you only have three RBs going into round seven here and any of the previously mentioned RBs happen to still be available, then you should take one of those RBs.

But if you already have four RBs as you head into round 7, then you’ll have great flexibility here. There are several good WRs projected to be available at this part of the draft (and I suspect that several of the previously mentioned WRs will fall to you at this stage of the draft too).

Again, if any of the aforementioned players are still available when you select here in round seven, that’s your target—and that means you’ve got some really good value here.

But, if all of the above-mentioned players are gone AND if you already have four RBs AND you do not love any of the WRs available, then I’d consider one of these two QBs:

• Drake Maye
• Jalen Hurts

If those players are no longer options, then I’d look at one of these TEs (but if you’ve already drafted a QB, wait until round nine before considering a TE):

• Tyler Warren
• Tucker Kraft
• Colston Loveland

If all those players are gone off the board, then look at one of these WRs:

• Quentin Johnston
• Carnell Tate
• Chris Godwin

 

Round 8

Thus far, I’ve given you a total of 84 names. If any of the aforementioned players are still available when you select in round eight, then you’ll want to consider those players; however, you’ll want to make sure you’re working to balance your roster too.

If you get to round eight and all 84 previously mentioned players are gone, then consider one of these upside RBs:

• Blake Corum
• Kyle Monangai
• Chris Rodriguez

Or if you prefer a QB, then consider one of these two QBs:

• Justin Herbert
• Jayden Daniels

But if all those guys are taken (or if you’re not a fan of those guys), then consider one of these guys:

• WR- Brian Thomas
• WR- Makai Lemon
• WR- Jordan Addison
• RB- J.K. Dobbins
• RB- Rachaad White
• RB- Aaron Jones

Roster Construction Goals: After round eight, you’ll ideally want to have one of these roster constructions (listed in order of my preference):

• 4 RB + 4 WR
• 5 RB + 3 WR
• 4 RB + 3 WR + 1 QB
• 4 RB + 3 WR + 1 TE

Be sure you’re considering these roster construction options when drafting in round eight (and beyond). At this stage of the draft, it’s perfectly okay to “reach” to ensure that you have your roster filled out properly.

 

Round 9

As you head into round nine, hopefully you’re feeling good about the selections you’ve made at RB and WR thus far, which will now allow you to consider the QB position (assuming you don’t already have one). My favorite QBs at this stage of the draft (in this order):

• Matthew Stanford
• Dak Prescott
• Trevor Lawrence
• Patrick Mahomes***
• Caleb Williams
• Brock Purdy
  
• Jared Goff

If you’re not going to draft a QB here, then consider one of these TEs (assuming you have not selected a TE yet):

• Sam LaPorta
• Harold Fannin

If all of these guys have already been selected, then it’s likely that one (or more) of the players mentioned in this article’s earlier sections have fallen to this stage of the draft, in which case you ought to draft one of those guys. That’s value!

If all of those players are off the board already, then here is the next list of other players to consider:

• WR- Jordyn Tyson
• RB- Woody Marks
• WR- Matthew Golden
• WR- Khalil Shakir
• WR- Jayden Higgins
• WR- Xavier Worthy
• WR- Romeo Doubs

***Throughout the off-season, Patrick Mahomes has been rehabbing from a serious knew injury suffered in 2025. The reports thus far have been mixed. We’ll want to monitor his status as we approach our 2026 drafts and we could potentially move him downward if we don’t get good news.

 

Round 10: QB Time For Real

Okay, if you still don’t have a QB, now is the time to seriously consider taking one. If one of the previously mentioned QBs is still available, then pull the trigger. I’ve seen guys like Purdy and Goff frequently drop to the 10th round, and I’ve seen Mahomes fall a few times too—so it’s not crazy. However, if all those QBs are gone, then consider one of these guys:

• Bo Nix
• Jordan Love
• Baker Mayfield
• C.J. Stroud
• Cam Ward

If you have a QB already, or if there isn’t a QB here that you really want, then you may want to look at TE (assuming you don’t already have one). My favorite TEs at this stage of the draft:

• Dallas Goedert
• Jake Ferguson
• Brenton Strange

If you’re not going to draft a QB or TE here (which is perfectly viable), then here’s the other guys at RB and WR that I’d consider here:

• WR- Jalen Coker
• WR- Stefon Diggs
• RB- Zach Charbonnet
• RB- Alvin Kamara
• RB- Kenneth Gainwell
• RB- Rico Dowdle
• RB- Jordan Mason
• WR- Wan’Dale Robinson
• WR- Josh Downs
• WR- Travis Hunter

 

Rounds 11 thru 14

As we approach these later four rounds, it’s all about filling out our rosters with the best players available and then taking some shots on late-round sleepers.

As stated multiple times in this article, if any of the aforementioned players are still available when you select in the later rounds, then that’s who you ought to target in these later rounds. There are several players that I have already mentioned that I think will likely fall in rounds 11 or 12. That’s value!

Side Note: If you’ve already taken a QB or TE, do not take a second QB or second TE (unless your league requires it or has some weird rules that make it advantageous to draft a back-up guy at those positions). I usually just draft one QB and one TE, and then play the waiver wire later in the year to figure out my bye weeks.

QB TARGETS: If you have drafted zero QBs headed into round 11, that’s fine. There’s some value here. But you definitely ought not wait much longer: Target one of these guys:

• Tyler Shough
• Jaxson Dart
• Sam Darnold
• Kyler Murray
• Bryce Young
• Malik Willis
• Daniel Jones
• Aaron Rodgers
• Jacoby Brissett

TE TARGETS: If you already have a QB, but still don’t have a TE, then seriously consider one of these guys here in round 11:

• Mark Andrews
• Dalton Kincaid
• George Kittle
• Kyle Pitts
• Juwan Johnson
• Travis Kelce
• Hunter Henry

If you miss out on all those TEs, then just wait until the 13th round and take one of these guys:

• Dalton Schultz
• Gunnar Helm
• Greg Dulcich
• Isaiah Likely
• Kenyon Sadiq
• T.J. Hockenson
• Oronde Gadsden
• A.J. Barner

Strategies For the Latter Rounds: With your last 2 or 3 picks, you’ll want to fill out your roster. Add depth wherever you feel weak.

Also, consider mixing up your team’s constitution. If you’ve drafted higher-risk players, then maybe you need 1-2 safe players on the back end. On the flip side, if you’ve drafted a lot of players with higher floors, then take some bigger swings with the late picks. If you’ve drafted mostly older players, maybe supplement that with some younger unproven guys. If you have several young players or rookies, maybe you need some proven veterans to fill out your roster.

BYE WEEKS: Lastly, don’t worry about bye weeks too much. If there’s any major glaring conflicts (e.g., 3 of 4 RBS have same bye week), then you can try to address that. However, in my experience fantasy owners tend to overthink the bye weeks way too much. So many things change over the course of the season, it’s hard to dictate or know what you’ll really need; and you can usually address bye week issues in-season with the waiver wire. Again, if there’s a major issue and there’s an easy way to address, then go for it. But don’t sweat it too much.

Late Round Targets: Here’s the final 60+ players that I’d consider in rounds 11 thru 14:

• RB- Jonathon Brooks
• RB- Tank Bigsby
• RB- Jonah Coleman
• WR- Jalen Nailor
• WR- Jauan Jennings
• RB- Brian Robinson, Jr.
• RB- Tyler Allgeier
• WR- Tory Horton
• RB- Tyrone Tracy
• RB- Keaton Mitchell
• RB- Dylan Sampson
• RB- Jaydon Blue
• RB- Braelon Allen
• WR- Jalen McMillan
• WR- Rashid Shaheed
• WR- K.C. Concepcion
• WR- Omar Cooper Jr.
• WR- Ryan Flournoy
• WR- Isaac TeSlaa
• WR- De’Zhuan Stribling
• WR- Dontayvion Wicks
• WR- Deebo Samuel Sr.
• RB- Isiah Pacheco
• RB- Kaytron Allen
• WR- Jaylin Noel
• WR- Antonio Williams
• WR- Tre Harris
• WR- Zachariah Branch
• WR- Kayshon Boutte
• WR- Troy Franklin
• WR- Darnell Mooney
• WR- Denzel Boston
• WR- Hollywood Brown
• WR- Tre Tucker
• WR- Elic Ayomanor
• WR- Chris Bell
• WR- Rashod Bateman
• WR- Ja’Kobi Lane
• WR- Jerry Jeudy
• TE- Terrance Ferguson
• RB- Sean Tucker
• RB- Tyjae Spears
• TE- Mike Gesicki
• RB- Emmett Johnson
• WR- Calvin Ridley
• RB- MarShawn Lloyd
• RB- Ray Davis
• RB- James Conner
• RB- Kimani Vidal
• WR- Tyquan Thornton
• RB- Emanuel Wilson
• RB- Jordan James
• RB- Kaelon Black
• RB- Nick Singleton
• RB- Mike Washington
• RB- Malik Davis
• WR- Jahan Dotson
• WR- Chimere Dike
• WR- Brandon Aiyuk
• RB- Justice Hill
• WR- Ted Hurst
• WR- Adonai Mitchell
• WR- Pat Bryant
• WR- Malachi Fields
• WR- Bryce Lance

 

Round 15 and 16: Kickers and Defenses

Don’t get cute. These two positions should be your last two picks. The rest of your roster should be fully done before taking a Defense or Kicker.

However, if you insist that you want better value and want to jump ahead of the runs on the positions, fine, then take Defense with your third-to-last pick and then Kicker with your second-to-last pick, and then use your actual last pick on a sleeper/flier pick. I don’t love that approach, but I understand why some people like it.