The Perfect Fantasy Football Draft Strategy For 2026: Positional Strategy & Mocks For ESPN, Yahoo & Sleeper

Building the perfect fantasy football draft strategy is about thinking several moves ahead. While your leaguemates are playing checkers, you should be playing chess. Don’t build a plan that requires the board to fall perfectly; build one that anticipates chaos and gives you answers when it does.

A perfect draft is not about landing every player you circled in August. It is about assembling the best possible roster from the options the draft gives you. As Mike Tyson said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Let’s plan for the punch.

This is my crescendo piece of the summer. Months of studying, tiering and drafting (over 150 teams so far) to deliver this article to your eyes.

Positional Tiers: QB, RB, WR, TE
What Matters: QB, RB, WR, TE

Now, it is time to zoom out and put those pieces into one practical framework—one you can use to adapt in real time as your draft unfolds, using the principles below.

Positional supply and demand: How many do I need, and how many are available? League scoring and starting roster requirements are enormous factors that many fantasy players don't consider.
Value: Can I target mispriced assets that offer similar value at this position later? The more confidence we have in this answer, the more we can consider not spending early picks on the position. These players become pillars within our strategy.
Draft capital allocation: How much have I spent on this position? As a rule of thumb, the more we spend earlier in drafts, the less we will invest later, and vice versa.

This article turns those concepts into a usable draft plan. You will identify the best value pockets at each position, understand where supply is thin or deep and know how many picks to allocate based on the draft capital you have already invested.

You will also see how the strategy changes by draft slot and platform. Using ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo examples, you will learn how to adjust for each site’s unique fantasy football ADP landscape—so you can enter any room with a flexible plan, recognize value as it falls, and build the best roster the board allows.

Quarterback Draft Strategy For 2026 Fantasy Football

We have a lot of depth at the QB position this year. There are dual-threats falling further than usual and multiple value windows after Round 6. Plus, we have a late-round fallback dual-threat.

Value sweet spots: Round 5, Rounds 7-9

Bold: Strategy Pillars
Italics: Upside With Uncertainty
[Brackets]: Balanced Archetypes—our second favorite after dual-threats (Note: the meaning of bracketed players changes by position).
*Asterisk: Injury, Age, and/or off-field issues

Nerd Note: If you see a player listed more than once, it is due to varying ADPs across sites. You might see a player unbolded in one range and bolded in another. That is intentional. At later prices, convictions grow.

Rounds 1 to 3 QB Fantasy Targets and Fades

These are built on consensus ADP from ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo in a 12-team setup. ESPN and Sleeper are PPR, while Yahoo is half-PPR.

Site-specific roadmaps can be found below in this article, since ADPs vary along with scoring and roster requirements.

Guidelines: I am fading the early-round QBs in 2026 because of the trade-off costs. However, if you wanted to take Josh Allen, he has been amazing at adding value to fantasy teams.

Round 2: Josh Allen
Round 3: None.

You can make an argument for Allen if he slides to Round 3 when you reach a level of uncertainty with the WR/RB options. That is where he goes on Sleeper.

Rounds 4 to 6 QB Fantasy Targets and Fades

If you drafted a QB in the first three rounds, don't take another in this range. If you don't have a QB, you can target one in this range. Just note that the opportunity costs remain fairly high, as we will outline in other positional tiers below.

Round 4: Lamar Jackson, Drake Maye
Round 5: Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts
Round 6: None.

Fades: None.

My preference with this tier is to see if one of them falls past ADP to the next round, where I often scoop them up.

Daniels and Hurts fall to Round 6 on Sleeper.

Rounds 7 to 9 QB Fantasy Targets and Fades

If you already have a QB, you can pass on these options. If not, target one.

Round 7: [Caleb Williams], [Justin Herbert], Jaxson Dart
Round 8: [Trevor Lawrence], Dak Prescott
Round 9: [Brock Purdy], [Bo Nix], Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes

I like all of the QBs in this range. So it really comes down to tier breaks at the other positions. If I still like the RB-WR-TE options, I am going that route—especially in Round 7. If you miss, don't be afraid to reach for Kyler Murray.

Pro Tip: Have a draft board up so you can see how many other teams need a QB between you and your next pick. Then you can check this list to see how likely one is to come back. When it reaches the point where the tier could evaporate, you make your QB pick. This allows you to squeeze out additional value at other positions.

Late-Round QB Fantasy Targets and Sleepers

If you don't have a QB on your roster, grab 1-2 of these. Whether you go 1-2 depends on how strong the rest of your roster is. You may have a more pressing position, and there is almost always a startable QB on the waiver wire.

Rounds 10-11: Kyler Murray, Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff, Jordan Love, Malik Willis, [Baker Mayfield]
Rounds 12+: [Tyler Shough], Sam Darnold, C.J. Stroud, Daniel Jones

Murray is my most-drafted QB if I wait at the position. He is in a great scheme with fantastic weapons, and he is a dual threat. He could miss, but he is the sort of bet we want to make because when we get it right, the ceiling is high.

Plus, if Murray is your starting QB, we should feel fantastic about the other positions.

Willis is the final remaining dual-threat if you miss Murray.

Running Back Draft Strategy For 2026 Fantasy Football

RB is the hardest position to find value at this year.

The value sweet spot: Round 2.

Starting in Round 3, they come with significant question marks. By Round 5, you will be forced to make difficult decisions. Take a swing on upside profiles in uncertain circumstances or settle for just-make-do options with projectable roles?

That makes taking two RBs in the first round appealing (Super Hero RB strategy), but we shouldn't force it. My preference is to leave the first three rounds with at least one. I like the value pocket at WR better than at RB in Rounds 3-5.

Always be willing to pivot if your leaguemates load you up at WR, especially in PPR and/or 3WR formats. We will discuss how to navigate the rest of that setup by draft site later in this article. The basic premise: you will need to take multiple swings, even ones that make you highly uncomfortable in Rounds 5-6.

Rounds 1 to 3 RB Fantasy Targets and Fades

These are built on consensus ADP from ESPN, Sleeper, and Yahoo in a 12-team setup. ESPN and Sleeper are PPR, while Yahoo is half-PPR.

Site-specific roadmaps can be found below in this article, since ADPs vary along with scoring and roster requirements.

Bold: Strategy Pillars
Italics: Upside With Uncertainty
[Brackets]: Floor Plays (Projectable volume but lack of dual-threat traits and/or a good offensive environment hurt upside)
*Asterisk: Injury, Age and/or off-field issues

Nerd Note: If you see a player listed more than once, it is due to varying ADPs across sites. Typically, the RBs go sooner on Yahoo, in half-PPR with two starting WRs and one Flex. Additionally, you might see a player not bolded in one range and bolded in another. That is also intentional. At later prices, convictions grow.

Guidelines: Aiming for 1-2 RBs in this range, but not forcing it; value is the compass.

Early Round 1: Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson (my 1-2 in all formats)
Middle Round 1: *Christian McCaffrey (after Ja'Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba; you can fade if age/injuries are a concern)
Late Round 1: James Cook
Early Round 2: James Cook, De'Von Achane, Ashton Jeanty
Middle Round 2: Chase Brown, Kenneth Walker III
Late Round 2: Chase Brown, Kenneth Walker III, Derrick Henry
Early Round 3: *Jeremiyah Love (anticipating a fall toward this range with injury; has already reached this range on Yahoo, which reacts the fastest in ADP)
Middle Round 3: *Jeremiyah Love
Late Round 3: None.

Almost all of the names you don't see, I am willing to take when they slide multiple picks past ADP. I just prefer other positional options at their draft spot. For example, in a PPR setup, I like Amon-Ra St. Brown over Jonathan Taylor in the middle of Round 1. But when JT slides to the end of Round 1, things change.

Fades: Kyren Williams. *Josh Jacobs.

Fades must fall a round-ish past ADP and make structural sense before consideration.

Jacobs is a great example. He represents an opportunity to help a weak RB room in Round 4. But it is hard to click his name over strong WR and TE options in Round 3 with a similar range of outcomes, given his off-field risk amid an open NFL investigation.

Rounds 4 to 6 RB Fantasy Targets and Fades

Guidelines based on the number of RBs rostered entering these rounds:

Three RBs: Draft other positions. Willing to take ADP value at RB4 if in a 2WR, 2Flex format.
Two RBs: Draft other positions. Willing to take ADP value at RB3.
One RB: Draft 1-2 RBs. Mixing upside-floor profiles is in play.
Zero RBs: Draft 2-3 RBs. Mixing upside-floor profiles is in play.
___
Round 4: [Javonte Williams], [Travis Etienne], *Cam Skattebo
Round 5: Bhayshul Tuten, [Quinshon Judkins], Bucky Irving, D'Andre Swift
Round 6: Bhayshul Tuten, D'Andre Swift, Jadarian Price

Fades: TreVeyon Henderson

Henderson offers similar upside to Tuten, Irving and Price. But he has tougher competition for touches in Rhamondre Stevenson. Henderson will break fantasy leagues if he ends up in a full-time role; he just shouldn't go ahead of Price and Tuten, who have more realistic paths to full-time roles. If those two are off the board, Henderson is in play if your roster needs upside at RB.

Rounds 7 to 9 RB Fantasy Targets and Fades

In this range of the draft, there are a lot of landmines despite what may look like reasonable prices on the surface. My preference is to avoid this range, except for upside options.

Guidelines based on the number of RBs rostered entering these rounds:

Four RBs: Draft other positions. Willing to take ADP value at RB5 in 2WR, 2Flex.
Three RBs: Draft other positions. Willing to draft upside RB4 at or below ADP.
Two RBs: Draft 1-2 RBs. Mix of upside-floor depending on profiles of RB1-2.
One RB: Draft 1-2 RBs. Mix of upside-floor depending on profiles of RB1-2.
Zero RBs: Draft 2-3 RBs. Avoid this scenario. The value vs. needs don't align.
Round 7: None.
Round 8: [Rhamondre Stevenson], [Rico Dowdle], [J.K. Dobbins], Jonathon Brooks, Blake Corum
Round 9: Jonathon Brooks, Blake Corum, RJ Harvey

Fades: Tony Pollard, Chuba Hubbard

Late-Round RB Fantasy Targets, Handcuffs and Sleepers

Multiple RBs in this zone offer a similar range of outcomes to the RBs in Rounds 7-9, where I prefer the WR/TE/QB options.

Guidelines based on the number of RBs rostered entering these rounds:

Five RBs: Draft zero if you took multiple early. Draft 1-2 if you waited.
Four RBs: Draft one if you took multiple early. Draft 1-3 if you waited.
Three RBs: Draft two if you took multiple early. Draft 3-4 if you waited.
Two RBs: Draft three if you took two early. Draft 4-5 if you waited.

Remember, underlined players have projectable volume if you need someone to play early. We also get into clear-cut handcuffs. They are prioritized by their contingency upside, which ties back to their team environment.

Rounds 10-11: [Jacory Croskey-Merritt], [Jordan Mason], Kenneth Gainwell, [Aaron Jones], Rachaad White
Rounds 12-13: [Chris Rodriguez], MarShawn Lloyd, Tank Bigsby, Emmett Johnson, Brian Robinson Jr., Jonah Coleman
Rounds 14+: Keaton Mitchell, Isiah Pacheco, Ray Davis, Jaydon Blue, Mike Washington Jr.
Deep Leagues Handcuffs: Demond Claiborne, Braelon Allen, Seth McGowan, Samaje Perine

Tracy and White are better options in PPR and half-PPR. Tyjae Spears and Dylan Sampson also fit this archetype, but in offenses we are less confident in.

Zach Charbonnet is only in play if you have an IR slot. He is a Round 12-13 pick.

Wide Receiver Draft Strategy For 2026 Fantasy Football

The WR position offers more flexibility than RB later in the draft. We have multiple targets across different ranges, and a mix of floor and upside options.

Value sweet spots: Round 3, 4-6, 9-11

Bold: Strategy Pillars
Italics: Upside With Playing Time Uncertainty
[Brackets]: Floor Plays (More predictable playing time but limited upside)
*Asterisk: Injury, Age and/or off-field issues

Nerd Note: If you see a player listed more than once, it is due to varying ADPs across sites. You might see a player unbolded in one range and bolded in another. That is intentional. At later prices, convictions grow, and opportunity costs change.

Rounds 1 to 3 WR Fantasy Targets and Fades

These are built on consensus ADP from ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo in a 12-team setup. ESPN and Sleeper are PPR, while Yahoo is half-PPR.

Site-specific roadmaps can be found below in this article, since ADPs vary along with scoring and roster requirements.

Guidelines: Aiming for at least one WR in this range, but open to as many as three depending on draft slot and what value slides—especially in PPR formats that start three WRs.

Early Round 1: Ja'Marr Chase, *Puka Nacua (after Gibbs, Robinson are gone)
Middle Round 1: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown
Late Round 1: CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson

Malik Nabers is at full speed at practice—he is my WR7—above all the options below. I am willing to take him in Round 2 even though he isn't listed below. But for now, he goes in Round 3 on ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo.

Early Round 2: None (prefer RBs)
Middle Round 2: A.J. Brown, Drake London (taking RBs if they make it)
Late Round 2: A.J. Brown, *Malik Nabers, Nico Collins, George Pickens (taking RBs if they make it)

If you start RB-RB, getting one of the WRs below is your No. 1 priority in Round 3. This is also a great way to start WR-RB-WR and secure two WR1s.

Early Round 3: *Malik Nabers, Nico Collins, George Pickens, *Rashee Rice, Chris Olave, DeVonta Smith
Middle Round 3: *Malik Nabers, Chris Olave, DeVonta Smith
Late Round 3: *Malik Nabers, Chris Olave, DeVonta Smith

Fades: None.

Rounds 4 to 6 WR Fantasy Targets and Fades

Guidelines based on the number of WRs rostered entering these rounds:

Three WRs: Draft 0-1 in 2WR formats. Drafting 1-2 in 3WR or 2Flex.
Two WRs: Draft 1-2 in 2WR formats. Drafting 1-3 in 3WR or 2Flex.
One WR: Draft 2-3 WRs.
Zero WRs: Draft 2-3 WRs.
___
Round 4: Tee Higgins, Zay Flowers, Tetairoa McMillan, Jaylen Waddle, Ladd McConkey, *Emeka Egbuka, *Luther Burden
Round 5: *Luther Burden, DJ Moore, Christian Watson, Jameson Williams
Round 6: Christian Watson, *Parker Washington, Carnell Tate

Fades: None.

Egbuka would be in play in Round 3 if not for the turf toe injury. For now, he slides toward the bottom of the Round 4 group.

Mike Evans would be a Round 5-6 target, but has dealt with multiple injuries and is an older player. At this juncture, I am leaving him off but will update if he is healthy.

You can see why building rosters with RBs early makes so much sense. There is a lot of opportunity to address your WR room with players who offer high-end WR2-to-WR1 upside.

Draft Tip: Don't compile too many injured players on the same roster. It can torpedo your early season. If you do go down that road based on value, be sure to circle back for an early-season floor option later.

Rounds 7 to 9 WR Fantasy Targets and Fades

Guidelines based on the number of WRs rostered entering these rounds:

Five WRs: Only drafting fallers in 2WR formats. Draft 0-1 in 3WR or 2Flex.
Four WRs: Draft 0-1 in 2WR formats. Drafting 0-2 in 3WR or 2Flex.
Three WRs: Draft 1-2 in 2WR formats. Drafting 1-3 in 3WR or 2Flex.
Two WRs: Draft 2-3 WRs.
One WR: Draft 2-3 WRs.

In Round 9, I am somewhat ignoring ADP and listing the players in the order I would prioritize them for a couple of reasons: 1) many of these players are going to climb, or your leaguemates will be wise to them despite ADP; 2) if your mission is to acquire multiple targets over the next several rounds, you can't accomplish that objective if you wait.

Round 7: Chris Godwin, [Courtland Sutton]
Round 8: *Makai Lemon, [Michael Pittman Jr.]
Round 9: [Stefon Diggs], Josh Downs, Jayden Reed, KC Concepcion, De'Zahaun Stribling, Michael Wilson

Fades: Jordyn Tyson (injury), Alec Pierce (injury)

I am not targeting Sutton and Pittman often, but they can start in Week 1 in a pinch. Diggs is the best-priced option fitting that bill and might offer more upside.

As you can see, the targets at WR thin out in this range in Rounds 7-9.

This is also a good range for QBs if you are in need, which is often where I turn my attention, given the lack of RB-WR options I want to target in Rounds 7-8.

Late-Round WR Fantasy Targets and Sleepers

Guidelines based on the number of WRs rostered entering these rounds:

Six WRs: Draft zero if you took multiple early. Draft 0-1 if you waited.
Five WRs: Draft 0-1 if you took multiple early. Draft 1-2 if you waited.
Four WRs: Draft 1-2 if you took multiple early. Draft 2-3 if you waited.
Three WRs: Draft 2-3 if you took two early. Draft 3-4 if you waited.
Two WRs: Draft three if you took two early. Draft 4-5 if you waited.
___
Rounds 10-11: Jayden Reed, KC Concepcion, De'Zhaun Stribling, Stefon Diggs, Matthew Golden, [Romeo Doubs], [Jakobi Meyers], Travis Hunter, [Jalen Coker]
Rounds 12+: Repeat Round 10-11 options + Omar Cooper Jr., [Denzel Boston], Ja'Kobi Lane, Cyrus Allen, [Adonai Mitchell], Caleb Douglas, Jaylin Noel, *Tank Dell, Malachi Fields, [Rashod Bateman], Ryan Flournoy, *Chris Bell

Tight End Draft Strategy for 2026 Fantasy Football

At TE, I only have one big flag plant: Colston Loveland in Round 3-4. And the best values are the elite options on Sleeper and Yahoo.

Value sweet spots: Round 4

Bold: Strategy Pillars
Italics: Upside With Uncertainty
[Brackets]: Floor Plays (More predictable playing time but limited upside)
*Asterisk: Injury or Age or off-field issues

Rounds 1 to 3 TE Fantasy Targets and Fades

These are built on consensus ADP from ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo in a 12-team setup. ESPN and Sleeper are PPR, while Yahoo is half-PPR.

Site-specific roadmaps can be found below in this article, since ADPs vary along with scoring and roster requirements.

Guidelines: You don't have to draft a TE in the first two rounds, but Brock Bowers and Trey McBride are in play if you don't like the options at other positions.

Rounds 2-3: Brock Bowers, Trey McBride

Fades: None.

If you decide to start without an RB based on how your board falls, dominating the TE spot with two great WRs is appealing.

Rounds 4 to 6 TE Fantasy Targets and Fades

If you took a TE in the first two rounds, chill. If not, you can target one in this range.

Round 4: Colston Loveland
Round 5: *Tyler Warren, *Tucker Kraft
Round 6: None.

Loveland is my most-drafted TE in the first four rounds of drafts—he is a SMASH selection in Round 4.

Warren and Kraft are the next two difference makers in this tier. Warren is dealing with a groin issue that we will monitor. Kraft is recovering from a mid-season knee injury last year and could have his reps managed early, but has looked good in camp and offers massive upside.

The dual-threat QBs in Round 5 are the trade-off for Warren and Kraft. I lean slightly toward the QBs.

Draft Tip: If you have already rostered more than one injured player, be careful not to stack too many together. If I grabbed Nabers, I am slightly less interested in Kraft at ADP. If I have Nabers + Egbuka, Kraft is a hard click to make.

Rounds 7 to 9 TE Fantasy Targets and Fades

If you have a TE on your roster, don't take another in this range.

Round 7: Kyle Pitts, Harold Fannin Jr., *Sam LaPorta
Round 8: *George Kittle
Round 9: None

Fades: Jake Ferguson.

LaPorta is a Round 6 pick, but I put him in this group because I don't want to take him in Round 7, given the WRs I want to target. And if you are shallow at RB, the targets dry up quickly.

Late-Round TE Fantasy Targets and Sleepers

If you don't have a TE, you should grab a minimum of one, but this also means you are probably strong at another position, leaving the door open to roster two.

Rounds 10-11: Isaiah Likely, Dalton Kincaid, [Dallas Goedert], [Mark Andrews], [Juwan Johnson], Terrance Ferguson, *Kenyon Sadiq
Rounds 12+: [Brenton Strange], Terrance Ferguson, *Kenyon Sadiq, Oronde Gadsden II, Gunnar Helm, Greg Dulcich

What Do The Value Ranges Tell Us About Our Draft Strategy?

Before we dive into specific draft examples, let's zoom out and look at our value ranges together:

QB value sweet spots: Rounds 5-6, 7-9 (multiple value windows)
RB value sweet spot: Round 2 (thin value window; last call R5-6)
WR value sweet spots: Rounds 3, 4-6, 9-11 (multiple value windows)
TE value sweet spot: Round 4 (but flexible in R7-8)

When you piece this together, there are some key takeaways:

Taking a QB early is not ideal. The trade-off at RB in Round 2 is high. The trade-off at WR is high in Rounds 2 and 3. If we go with an elite onesie position, TE is better due to fewer value windows later.
Taking a QB and a TE before in Rounds 1-3 is out.
Taking two RBs by Round 2 sure feels nice. We get maximum flexibility the rest of the way and can focus on better WR targets in Rounds 5 and 6.
Key question to ask yourself: Do you like the late-round TEs or QBs more? Waiting on one of them until Round 9+ is a likely scenario. I lean QBs; there are more of them, and the R8-9 window conflicts less with the WRs.
Colston Loveland: Loveland is one of my favorite plays this year, but he does come at a cost with multiple WRs we love and some viable RBs in that range. I feel best about it when I start with two RBs and one WR in the first three rounds.

Having said all of this, we want to be adaptable, so let's game out some different strategies by site. Based on how boards are falling, we will focus on three options:

Hero RB: One RB in first three rounds
Super Hero RB: Two RBs in first three rounds
Zero RB: No RBs in the first three rounds

ESPN Fantasy Football Strategy

Format: PPR, 16 roster spots + 1 Injured Reserve (IR)
Starters: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 FLEX

ESPN Mock Draft From Early Position (Picks 1-4)

For ESPN, I used ADP rank rather than pure ADP, because the teams I was able to build just didn't feel realistic. For example: Tucker Kraft ranks 87th, but his ADP is 100. Parker Washington ranks 91st, but his ADP is 103.

Are your leaguemates really going to allow that to happen? This is a sober-minded view that should have you prepped for a stronger draft room. But if you notice players falling to these ADPs, you can adjust and build an insane team.

The great news is you can use our Draft Companion during your draft for ESPN. It will provide pick recommendations. And you can use our consensus ranks or your favorite Fantasy Life rankers.

And ahead of the draft, you can prep with our Mock Draft Simulator: Draft Champion. You can play all of these scenarios out for yourself.

ESPN Mock Draft From Middle Position (Picks 5-8)

ESPN Mock Draft From Middle Position (Picks 9-12)

By now, you are probably noticing a trend in players going too late on ESPN:

QB: Justin Herbert
RB: Kenneth Walker, Chase Brown, Travis Etienne Jr., Bhayshul Tuten, Jadarian Price
WR: DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Ladd McConkey, Tee Higgins, DJ Moore, Christian Watson, Parker Washington, Chris Godwin
TE: Tucker Kraft

I like having three RBs by Round 5-6 on ESPN in Hero and Zero constructions, then flipping back to the WR values. Super Hero is my favorite, though. I have passed over the RB3 in Rounds 5-6 on most of those, but the door is open.

I have also felt pretty comfortable securing a QB and TE in the first eight rounds in all of these build types.

You aren't seeing many other QBs because the value on Herbert is too good and Purdy is an easy pivot play in the same round. Plus, we have Kyler Murray in our back pocket. It has been hard to click on the Round 5 dual-threat QBs when studying these. There are just too many balanced options much cheaper.

I am not a fan of Zero RB from late position. There are just too many great RB-RB combos in that range, and that is where we get value. So I pivoted to a second Hero build, waiting on QB until late. I will also take a third RB on the Super Hero squad this time:

Sleeper Fantasy Football Strategy

Format: PPR, 15 roster spots + 2 Injured Reserve (IR)
Starters: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 FLEX

Sleeper is more difficult than ESPN from an ADP perspective.

A Super Hero build on Sleeper is not a lock from an early position. Chase Brown (19) and Kenneth Walker (23) don't always make it back. But Derrick Henry is in the mix (25). There's a chance to get one of the three. Jeremiyah Love goes in Round 2 but could slip with the injury.

But once those guys are gone, I am pivoting away from RB. Multiple reaches are going on in Round 3. Be prepared for a Hero build from early position.

The elite TEs also go earlier. McBride has an ADP of 19, and Bowers is at 20.

In the middle rounds, the WR pricing is much tighter.

Sleeper Mock Draft From Early Position (Picks 1-4)

Below, I went with a Zero build with Chase, but prefer Hero if Walker or Chase make it back.

Sleeper Mock Draft From Early Position (Picks 5-8)

I don't love the middle of Round 3 on Sleeper, and DeVonta Smith is a value in Round 4 (as you can see, I am willing to take him in Round 3). That is a great time to think about Josh Allen, who is at his lowest ADP on Sleeper.

I tried it on for size here, for you guys in the Super Hero build. And I like the team. The RB depth isn't fantastic, but that isn't the worst thing with an RB-RB start. I also tried a Jalen Hurts team from the Hero spot, and he was a natural fit/value from the middle position.

So the Super Hero build could have been something like: CMC, KWIII, Smith, Etienne, Moore, Hurts instead. I prefer the Allen build, where we get value on DeVonta. But if you wanted to reach, you could go McMillan/Burden/Wilson/McConkey + Smith to get two WRs in Rounds 3-5.

Overall, I was far more comfortable drafting from the middle and found it easier to navigate tier breaks.

Sleeper Mock Draft From Late Position (Picks 9-12)

In this iteration, I want to try a Super Hero with Loveland (38) from a late position. I liked the first one, so I did a second one with Jayden Daniels as well (Super Hero RB 2).

Two RBs early
Potential Elite TE + QB – big tier breaks after, and lesser options are overpriced.
Maximizes value at WR: Smith, Washington, Godwin
Upside options late: Reed, Brooks, Concepcion

I don't love the Dowdle pick. He isn't winning leagues without an injury. I passed on Makai Lemon there because I had Smith.

Yahoo Fantasy Football Strategy

Format: Half-PPR, 15 roster spots + 2 Injured Reserve (IR)
Starters: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 FLEX

Yahoo has the tightest ADP of all three sites.

Yahoo Mock Draft From Early Position (Picks 1-4)

Super Hero RB builds aren't easy from early position on Yahoo, with our top targets having ADPs before the 1-2 turn. That means you are forcing it with Love. But he is a Round 3 pick on Yahoo, so you could go RB-WR-RB instead.