Mike Clay's Ultimate Draft Board: Perfect picks for every round
Fantasy football drafts are all about collecting the best possible values, but we all know those special players exist whom we badly want on our squad. Whether it's the young, up-and-coming wide receiver on our favorite team, a sleeper running back no one is talking about or this year's big breakout at tight end, these players add an extra level of excitement to the roster construction process. Create a league and customize league size, scoring and rules to play in the league you want to play in. This round-by-round analysis will give you an idea of what's going through my head on draft day, headlined by those players I have circled on my cheat sheet. Note that I used average draft position (ADP) data from Draft Sharks' terrific Market Index Tool in order to ensure this road map would be useful for as many of you as possible. For a more philosophical look at the fantasy landscape, including strategies for drafting, trading and working waivers in all types of formats, be sure to check out the fantasy football playbook column. Here it is: my personal recipe for a 2026 fantasy football championship in a 12-team league. When I'm making my selections, I often ask myself: "Am I drafting this player at his ceiling?" If the answer is "yes," I generally aim for someone with more upside. Of course, all the players available in the first round or so are likely at or near their ceiling, so this is an opportunity to not overthink it and simply take the best available player on the board. Who I choose in the first round will, of course, primarily depend on where I pick. For the purposes of this exercise, it's (once again) a tricky year to handicap who will be available since six RBs and six WRs are currently coming off the board in the round. If I land a top-two pick, this is an easy call: Jahmyr Gibbs or Bijan Robinson. I'm also happy to take Christian McCaffrey or Jonathan Taylor in the middle of the round or to go wide receiver with the best available among Ja'Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown, CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson. Don't overthink the first round. It's loaded with talent. Just take the best guy on your board and proceed. Just like Round 1, our pool of available players is very dependent on where we are in the draft order. If I'm near the Round 1-2 turn, I'll likely be eyeing a running back, with Achane as the highlight and the likes of Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Kenneth Walker III among the appealing options. Achane is a polarizing player. On the one hand, he's 24 years old, having finished both of the past two seasons in the top five among running backs in fantasy points. He has scored either 11 or 12 TDs in each of his three NFL campaigns, and he leads all qualified backs with 5.62 YPC since entering the league. On the other hand, he lost RB-friendly playcaller Mike McDaniel and the rebuilding Miami offense could struggle to move the ball in 2026. The bottom line for me is that, as coach Jeff Hafley noted in early August, Achane is going to handle a massive workload. That's enough for me to pounce on Achane, who reminds me a lot of prime Alvin Kamara, at the Round 1-2 turn. The mid-to-late portion of Round 2 leans more toward wide receiver, with Drake London, Nico Collins, A.J. Brown and George Pickens there for the taking. I have no major qualms with investing in one of the "Big 2" tight ends -- Trey McBride or Brock Bowers -- but I think you can get more value later. Love can be best described as "My Guy" in 2026. I have him ranked well above the consensus and often grab him late in the second round when possible. However, he generally comes off the board near the Round 2-3 turn, more likely now settling into the third round as he recovers from an ankle injury suffered in his preseason debut. At worst, he's expected to miss one game, but it's very possible -- perhaps even likely? -- that he'll be good to go for Week 1. Even if Love's career starts off slowly, he's a good bet to beat his ADP. The No. 3 overall pick in April's draft, Love is looking to become the 10th consecutive back selected in the top 12 to finish in the top 12 in fantasy points as a rookie. He looked excellent in his debut and is capable as a rusher, receiver and blocker. I expect RB1 production when he's on the field. If not Love, Malik Nabers and Rashee Rice are my targets here. We've been getting a discount on both for different reasons, but Nabers is on the rise now that it appears he'll be able to play in Week 1 (following a successful recovery from last season's torn ACL). Rice still could face league discipline, but that's already baked into his cost. He remained his usual, productive self when active last season, handling 9.8 targets per game and posting top-12 fantasy outings in five of his eight games. My RB6 through RB15 form one giant tier, so whichever backs remain from that group are also on my radar here. That includes Breece Hall and, while we need to monitor for a potential suspension, Josh Jacobs. My favorite round this season? The fourth. My favorite pick in said round? Wilson. FREE to play. Create up to 10 entries and compete for 58 prizes worth $102K. Make Your Picks We're getting a discount on the fifth-year receiver after an injury-plagued 2025 campaign in which he missed 10 games. Of course, he was productive when healthy, averaging 14.2 fantasy PPG thanks to a massive 33% target share. Wilson is primed for a career year with Geno Smith under center. Though not a major upgrade, Smith did lead the trio of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Smith-Njigba to top-16 fantasy campaigns during the 2022-24 seasons. If not Wilson, I'm likely going with one of Cam Skattebo or Quinshon Judkins, as (a) they're two of my favorite running back targets this year and (b) running back dries up in a hurry after this round. Year 2 wide receivers Tetairoa McMillan and Emeka Egbuka are also very appealing here and I'm also not afraid to take a shot on second-year tight end Colston Loveland. Warren is my favorite tight end value pick. The second-year player had a terrific rookie season -- and it very well could have been better. In 12 games with a healthy Daniel Jones, he scored five touchdowns and averaged 13.1 fantasy PPG. In five games with Jones out, he failed to find the end zone and averaged just 6.3 PPG. Warren finished his debut season ranked in the top five among tight ends in both targets and end zone targets. He also handled three goal-line carries. If I don't go tight end, I like the value at wide receiver. Terry McLaurin, Jameson Williams and Davante Adams are all on my radar. Although teammate Luther Burden III is getting all the hype, Odunze is well positioned for a Year 3 leap. He very well could lead a good Chicago offense in both targets and fantasy points. We saw his ceiling early on last season in the form of five touchdowns and 15-plus fantasy points over his first four games. It's possible he gets back to that WR1 level now that he's near full health. I'm also looking at Carnell Tate in this range, though I'll feel better if Cam Ward shows progress this preseason. Parker Washington has been one of my favorite targets throughout the offseason, but his ADP has ballooned to the sixth round. That's made him quite expensive. I haven't yet selected a quarterback in this exercise, but this isn't a bad place to strike with Jayden Daniels on the board. OK, so the core of my team is in place. Now it's time to start filling gaps and adding depth. I obviously want players with upside, but I also want guys I feel comfortable placing in my Week 1 lineup. We'll save the high-risk fliers for later. It's been years since Sutton wasn't a favorite target of mine, and he continues to pay dividends. The veteran receiver has delivered 1,000-plus yards and a top-20 fantasy campaign in both of the last two seasons. He'll have more target competition with Jaylen Waddle in the mix, but he'll remain one of Bo Nix's go-to receivers, especially near the goal line. Sutton ranks third in the league in end zone targets over the last four seasons. If not a wide receiver, Rico Dowdle makes for a solid RB3/flex. If I haven't addressed tight end yet, I'd be all over Sam LaPorta or Kyle Pitts Sr. Make one pick each week. Create up to 25 entries and play for the $25,000 Grand Prize! FREE to play. Make Your Picks The middle-round wide receiver run continues with Pittman. Like Sutton, Pittman continues to pay off as a boring investment in the middle rounds. The ex-Colt finished four of his six seasons in Indianapolis as a top-20 fantasy receiver and he's reached 800 receiving yards in five consecutive seasons. He's unlikely to deliver big touchdown numbers, but is still a good bet to lead the Aaron Rodgers-led Steelers in both targets and catches. If I want to aim for a higher ceiling than Pittman, ex-teammate Alec Pierce is a fun "lottery ticket" in this range. Signed to a four-year, $114 million contract in the offseason, Pierce's ADP has dipped as he recovers from ankle/heel surgery. I'll keep drafting him as long as his expected date of return remains Week 1. If not a receiver, Jonathon Brooks is a terrific target, as he very well could lead the Carolina backfield this season. Finally a quarterback! Dart is one of my most-drafted players this season, as he's inexpensive and has a substantial fantasy ceiling. As a rookie, he played the bulk of Giants snaps in 12 games and was a top-10 fantasy scorer in eight of those weeks -- only four quarterbacks had more top-10 outings! With John Harbaugh now in charge and Nabers back (Dart threw only three passes his way last season), Dart has a better supporting cast to go along with elite rushing ability. The 2025 first-round pick is a sleeper to lead the quarterback position in fantasy points. If not Dart, I'm looking at RBs Kenny Gainwell and Jordan Mason or TE George Kittle. Kittle would generally come off the board much earlier, but he comes at a discount this year while he recovers from a torn Achilles. He's expected to be ready to play in either Week 1 or 2. I'm usually content to leave a draft with one quarterback. That said, especially if I wait at the position (as I did in this exercise), I have no issue grabbing a second one. That game plan is even more sensible in 2026 with a deep tier of fringe-QB1 options.
Source: ESPN
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