Fantasy Football Mock Draft 1.0: Round-by-round analysis, full list of picks for 12-team, half-PPR league
The Yahoo Fantasy staff recently joined forces for a 12-team, 15-round mock draft. While player ADPs are sure to move over the next few weeks, this should help provide valuable insights on what to expect in each round of your upcoming drafts.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
The scoring format for this mock is half-PPR (point per reception) with the following roster spots: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, DEF, K, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN.
A big thank you goes out to everyone who participated.
My Full Roster
QB: Josh Allen, Bills
RB: Chase Brown, Bengals
RB: Bucky Irving, Bucs
WR: CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys
WR: Jaylen Waddle, Broncos
TE: Dalton Kincaid, Bills
FLEX: Jameson Williams
DEF: Eagles
K: Jake Bates, Lions
Bench: Makai Lemon, Eagles
Bench: Chris Godwin Jr., Bucs
Bench: Jonah Coleman, Broncos
Bench: Brian Robinson Jr., Falcons
Bench: Tank Bigsby, Eagles
Bench: Demond Claiborne, Vikings
Round 1
A fairly chalky opening round, with the lone exception being James Cook III going off the board a few spots earlier than his ADP. While I prefer Jonathan Taylor’s ceiling and Amon-Ra St. Brown’s consistency in that range, the recent talk about Cook’s role as a pass-catcher growing could push his value up in 2026. That will need to happen to justify this pick, since Cook finished as the sixth-highest scoring fantasy RB on a per game basis last season with 1,912 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns. It’s worth noting, the Bills’ backfield also faces a very tough schedule, including a brutal first five weeks.
My pick: Picking near the end of the first round is my least favorite spot to end up in this year due to the clear tier dropoff at both running back and receiver. However, Lamb is someone I’m happy to take in this range, since it seems like the fantasy community is forgetting just how productive he can be after a down year. Yes, Lamb’s numbers were down in 2025, but he dealt with injuries, didn’t score as many TDs and the Cowboys fell out of playoff contention. If we just look at the 10 games he played before that, he had over 100 yards in six of those outings, while averaging 10 targets, six catches and 98 yards per game. So, even with George Pickens around, Lamb remains a high-end fantasy WR and a strong selection in the late first.
Round 2
The second round is filled with quality fantasy options to the point where you almost can’t go wrong. It shouldn’t be surprising if any of the names chosen in this frame return Round 1 value in 2026. That includes tight end Brock Bowers, who is positioned for a massive campaign after being limited by injuries a year ago. In addition to entering the season healthy, Bowers will be propelled forward by arrival of offensive-minded head coach Klint Kubiak, his new quarterbacks, upgrades on the line and a general lack of talent in the receiving corps. Remember, as a rookie Bowers finished sixth in total targets behind a collection of top wideouts.
My pick: Even in a mock draft, this was a difficult pick for me, deciding between Chase Brown and Omarion Hampton. Brown got the edge due to his more proven production and the absence of any real competition for touches in the Bengals’ backfield. Though Brown might not be viewed as a potential top-five fantasy back, he definitely has that within his range of outcomes. During the final 10 games when Joe Flacco settled the offense down and Joe Burrow eventually got healthy, Brown was the third-highest scoring back, averaging 19.1 fppg.
Round 3
We see another tier drop partway through the third round, which is another reason to lean towards having an earlier pick in drafts this season. We also see managers taking chances on players with some uncertainty in their profiles this season. Malik Nabers is a potential superstar working his way back from an ACL tear, Rashee Rice can be a top-10 fantasy receiver if he stays healthy and avoids anymore off-field issues and Josh Jacobs is still dealing with an open investigation stemming from his offseason arrest. All three players have league-winning ceilings, but come with significant risks in 2026.
My pick: Though I’ve been more willing to spend up for elite quarterbacks in recent years, it hasn’t been my preferred approach this season. However, I didn’t love the options on the board when it got back to me at 3.11, so Josh Allen became the pick. Even with the Bills battling a tough schedule, Allen is as rock-solid as they come in fantasy, finishing as the highest-scoring fantasy QB in four of the last six campaigns and never falling below third at the position during that span. The additions of DJ Moore and Skyler Bell should help him stay in that range once again.
Round 4
You can see the running backs available in Round 4 are already starting to come with more red flags attached to them. It only gets worse from here, which is why you see a lot of managers drafting at least two running backs in the opening few rounds to avoid the dangers associated with this group. We even have one team on a true Robust RB build, with three backs and a tight end through four rounds. The tight end in question was Colston Loveland, whose hype train has reached a new level, being taken just a few picks behind Trey McBride. It’s definitely possible that Loveland challenges for a spot among the elite fantasy tight ends this year, but you are paying a high premium for that production.
My pick: We should all be taking advantage of Jaylen Waddle being available in the fourth round, since I don’t expect that to last all summer. The trade to Denver allows Waddle to join a higher volume offense, where he’ll be deployed as the true No. 1 option in the passing game. Changing teams always comes with challenges, but Waddle has found himself in the right environment to take his fantasy numbers to new heights. That’s notable for a receiver who started his career with three straight 1,000 yard seasons, including fantasy finishes of WR17, WR11 and WR22. Don’t be fooled by the last two years in Miami, Waddle will be one of the stars of the 2026 fantasy season.
Round 5
One of the reasons we can lean heavily on running backs in the opening rounds or even secure an elite quarterback or tight end, is due to the depth at receiver. Almost all the wideouts in this area of drafts have serious ceilings and fairly high floors — as long as they stay off the trainer’s table. Luther Burden III and Christian Watson are obvious breakout candidates, 33-year-old Davante Adams was the WR7 in fppg just last season and Jameson Williams was quietly the WR18. Meanwhile, Mike Evans and DJ Moore have found themselves on new offenses where they’ll be asked to shine as the No. 1 target.
My pick: Running backs flew off the board early, leaving me with satisfying options the last few rounds. Truth be told, David Montgomery would have been my choice in this round if he wasn’t sniped one pick before me. That caused me to pivot and grab Jameson Williams, who will occupy my Flex spot. As I mentioned above, Williams was a fantasy WR2 on the season, but his stats jumped in the second half of the season with Sam LaPorta sidelined — making him a top-10 wideout during that span. While I don’t expect him to post those kinds of results over a full campaign, his spike-week potential makes him an intriguing Flex option.
Round 6
The second wave of quarterbacks and tight ends are officially gone with Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels and Tyler Warren taken in Round 5, before Joe Burrow, Drake Maye, LaPorta and Tucker Kraft were scooped up in this frame. If you started with a balanced build of receivers and running backs, it allows you to dip into the QB and TE pool guilt free. While you could make a strong argument for the wideouts in this range, the running backs options are getting extremely thin.
My pick: For anyone who watches or listens to the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast, you know that Bucky Irving isn’t a name I’ve been drafting very often in 2026. The addition of Kenny Gainwell and return of Sean Tucker limits Irving’s fantasy ceiling. However, there’s almost always a spot where I’m willing to invest in any player and in this instance drafting Irving in the sixth round as my RB2 represents value. The 23-year-old (turns 24 in August) has a fifth-round ADP on Yahoo and a fourth-round consensus ADP on FantasyPros. The Buccaneers committee approach may prevent him from pushing for an RB1 fantasy finish, but it won’t prevent him from returning top-24 results, which is all I need to make this pick worthwhile.
Round 7
Checking in on our lone team on a true Robust RB build and we can quickly see why that strategy can be a profitable one this year. After starting with James Cook, Derrick Henry, Breece Hall and Colston Loveland, he’s filled out his receiver depth chart with Davante Adams, Parker Washington and Josh Downs. Washington is one of my top breakout WRs for 2026 and Downs made my top sleepers list, as both players should see an uptick in usage this season. As long as Adams has one more solid campaign in him, this roster will be extremely competitive.
My pick: With most of my starting lineup filled outand no tight end or running back values catching my eye here, I’ll chase upside at receiver. Lemon is a first-round pick who didn’t get the usual rookie hype this spring because he sat out OTAs with a hamstring injury. Fortunately, that was precautionary and he’s arrived at training camp ready to make his mark. Though he’s not going to replace A.J. Brown one-for-one in the Eagles’ offense, Lemon is a high-end prospect and skilled playmaker who will be a big part of Philly’s attack in Year 1.
Round 8
We’ve entered “Get Your Guys” territory, where managers should be filling out their rosters with the players they believe could vastly outproduce this draft slot. That mostly includes underrated receivers and running backs who will have weekly RB3/flex value but need an injury to clear their path to fantasy stardom. Personally, I find myself far more enticed by the WRs selected here, which features some veterans trying to prove they still have it (Chris Godwin, Courtland Sutton, DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr.), a talented Packer hoping for more playing time (Jayden Reed) and a sophomore who flashed his potential last year (Jayden Higgins).
My pick: Drafting a fifth wideout completes my WR room and allows me to focus on finding a starting TE and stockpiling one-injury away RBs in the later rounds. The 30-year-old Chris Godwin Jr. is about to enter a season without Mike Evans for the first time, which means there is opportunity in Tampa’s passing game — especially around the end zone. While it’s been a minute since his best fantasy campaigns, Godwin has been a top-12 fantasy WR in the past, including WR2 overall back in 2019. He also posted over 1,000 yards in four of five seasons before his season-ending injury in 2024. Injuries impacted him last year as well, but once healthy he ended up being the WR24 in fppg from Weeks 13 to 17.
Round 9
It’s not often you can draft a team’s starting running back in the ninth round, but we have several ball carriers taken here who have a path to leading their backfields. Teammates Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones Sr. are vying for that role in Minnesota, while Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White will be battling it out in Washington. J.K. Dobbins will almost certainly begin the year atop the depth chart for the Broncos, the only question is how long he can hold that job before injuries strike, which has happened every year of his career. Even Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Kenny Gainwell will push for significant touches in their offenses. While I like the other players selected here, the running back value stands out.
My pick: As one of only three teams that’s yet to pick a tight end, I don’t want to wait any longer. Pairing Dalton Kincaid with Josh Allen is an obvious move at this stage. It seems like a lifetime ago, but there was a point early last season when people were ecstatic over having Kincaid in their lineup. The 26-year-old was averaging the third-most fantasy points among tight ends through the first five weeks, before injuries derailed his season. The former first-round pick continues to be hyped up by people around the Bills organization and if he can stay healthy a top-five fantasy TE finish is within reach.
Round 10
Though I didn’t do it in this mock, waiting on quarterback is a very smart approach this season. Trevor Lawrence and Bo Nix both finished as top-eight fantasy quarterbacks on a per-game basis in 2025 and their outlooks are looking even brighter this year. Even after this round, we still have Patrick Mahomes, Jaxson Dart, Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford, Kyler Murray and more available — with all of them having a chance to be top-12 fantasy options. If you don’t have the courage to ride with one of them you can always pair a couple late-round QBs together to increase your odds of hitting on the right passer.
My pick: I mentioned J.K. Dobbins’ durability concerns in the previous round. No one wants to see a player get hurt and predicting injuries can be a fool's errand. However, the 27-year-old Dobbins (turns 28 in December) never completing a full NFL campaign is notable. RJ Harvey was the next man up last season, but failed to establish himself as a true lead back. That’s why there’s already buzz around the rookie Jonah Coleman. In the event of another Dobbins’ injury, Coleman would likely step into the bulk of the veteran’s snaps, with Harvey maintaining his role. That makes Coleman an important late-round selection in one of the best offenses in football.
Round 11
As the talent pool in each round declines, the odds hitting on a difference-making fantasy asset decreases dramatically. That’s why Stefon Diggs is such an obvious upside pick in this range. The only reason his ADP is this low is because he hasn’t signed with a team yet. The moment that happens, Diggs’ value will skyrocket several rounds. Of course Mr. Reception Perception Matt Harmon isn’t going to let that kind of WR value get by him.
My pick: With my running backs being the thinnest part of my roster, I’m locked in to loading my bench up with ball carriers who could return value at some point in the season. Brian Robinson Jr. didn’t get much work last year behind a surprisingly healthy Christian McCaffrey, but he’s landed another high-upside role as the main backup to Bijan Robinson. If the Falcons’ phenom were ever to miss time, Brian Robinson would be vaulted into fantasy RB2 status. Let’s not forget, he’s only two seasons removed from posting 1,101 scrimmage yards and nine total touchdowns for the Commanders.
Round 12
If you’re looking for a very cost effective way to put together a QB room with elite upside, follow the path of my teammate Scott Pianowski. He paired Trevor Lawrence in Round 10 with Brock Purdy in this round. That duo both finished as a top-six QBs in fppg last year and were two of the hottest quarterbacks down the stretch. Purdy is particularly interesting as a late-round selection after injuries cost him time in 2025. Even so, he’s now been a top-12 fantasy QB on a per-game basis for three consecutive seasons and gets Mike Evans added to his arsenal.
My pick: Another round and another one-injury away backup running back added to my bench. Tank Bigsby is firmly behind Saquon Barkley, but if his starter were sidelined, Bigsby would be an RB2 with RB1 upside in a high-volume role. On top of drafting a bench full of backup RBs (including rookie Demond Claiborne who I took in the next round), this build will encourage me to be aggressive with any waiver wire running back who shows potential — since RB2 is the spot in my lineup I have the least confidence in.
Here’s how the rest of the draft unfolded, as managers took shots on late-round sleepers while also selecting their kickers and defenses.
