Is it too early to discuss what a 2026 fantasy football first-round might look like? Yes.

Will that stop us from doing exactly that? NEVER!

Let's go through a way-too-early 2026 fantasy football mock draft! Full-PPR scoring and one-QB for this exercise. Here we go …

2026 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Running Backs Crowd The Top

1. BIJAN ROBINSON | ATL | RB

Everyone knows how damn good Bijan Robinson is and that's why he's more than likely going to be drafted 1.01 overall this season. Kevin Stefanski is the new head coach in Atlanta and we can all remember the prime years he had with Nick Chubb. In Chubb’s two healthiest seasons with the Browns, he was fourth in the league in carries (530) and second among running backs in yards per carry (5.3). The big question with this offense sits more at the quarterback position than anywhere else—not only will we have to wait to see how Michael Penix Jr.'s rehab goes, but it isn't a given that he's the QB1 in 2026. The team will also have to make a decision on whether or not to bring back Kyle Pitts.

Last season, Robinson was second among all running backs in targets (102), receiving yards (820), and third in total touches (366). Another important note is that Tyler Allgeier is an upcoming free agent. Robinson managers remember the pain they felt when Allgeier scored eight times, but now that he's likely gone we are looking at huge touchdown upside for Robinson in 2026.

Premium

Go FantasyLife+

Your league is unique. Your advice should be too. Get personalized tools, rankings, and projections tailored to your fantasy football league settings.

Learn More

2. JAHMYR GIBBS | DET | RB

Jahmyr Gibbs was elite yet again, and we could be looking at a backfield next season that doesn't have David Montgomery. Lions general manager Brad Holmes said that the team could consider trading Montgomery this offseason.

Gibbs had the lead role in the Detroit backfield last season and started all 17 games, locking down 1,223 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns on 243 carries. He added 77 receptions, 616 yards and 5 more TDs. Montgomery saw 158 carries for 716 yards (both career lows) with 8 touchdowns. To give an even bigger glimpse, Gibbs played 713 snaps compared to Montgomery's 395. If Gibbs gets everything, he's an easy contender to finish as the overall RB1.

3. PUKA NACUA | LAR | WR

With the news that Matthew Stafford is returning for another season, the questions about where to slot in Puka Nacua are all but gone. He's not my WR1, but I believe he will be taken as such come draft season and for very good reason.

He finished this season third in Offensive Player of the Year voting after locking down 129 receptions (1st), 1,715 receiving yards (2nd) and 11 total touchdowns. He also set a Pro Football Focus record with 27 contested catches and finished first among receivers in yards after catch (729), according to Next Gen Stats. It's crazy to think there's still meat on the bone with Nacua, but it's not out of the question. It feels like a safe bet to say Davante Adams won't score 14 touchdowns again this coming season, and Nacua will always be a focal point of this offense.

4. JA'MARR CHASE | CIN | WR

If we're breaking down the top three receivers, it's a very thin line between Ja'Marr Chase, Nacua and JSN here for me. It's never a guarantee that Joe Burrow is going to stay healthy, but even in a year where Burrow was banged up we still saw Chase finish as the WR4. He's an elite receiver and will be taken off the board as such. There's a proven ceiling that's hard to ignore. And since the Bengals also decided to keep Zac Taylor as their head coach, we somewhat know this defense is not going to transform overnight.

5. JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA | SEA | WR

GO HAWKS. This was truly a magical season for Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He was fourth among wide receivers in targets (163) and finished the season with 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns. With DK Metcalf out of the picture it was truly JSN's time to shine, and his connection with Sam Darnold is something that can be done again in 2026. This is the beginning of a new era in Seattle and we shouldn't be led to believe it's just a flash in the pan.

The only worry with JSN is having a new offensive coordinator come to town. Klint Kubiak will be the new head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders, and we will have to wait and see which coaches he brings with him. I expect the Seahawks to hire from within, but still it cannot be understated how big of an impact Kubiak had on this team. Ian Hartitz also listed the Seahawks as a team in need of a wide receiver this offseason, with Cooper Kupp averaging a career-low 37.1 yards per game and some unknowns still with Rashid Shaheed and Tory Horton. Still, any company in the WR room won't knock Smith-Njigba's value in fantasy football.

6. CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY | SF | RB

We are going to be having the exact same injury/workload conversation this season as we did last season. Last year, some fantasy managers stayed away from Christian McCaffrey because of his injuries but CMC proved them wrong. He started a career-high 17 games and scored the 12th-most fantasy points of any player in history (416.6), according to ESPN. This is going to be a rinse and repeat conversation now, because McCaffrey is going to be 30 years old and coming off 2,284 total touches on his career.

7. DE'VON ACHANE | MIA | RB

We have another bell cow back in De'Von Achane for 2026, but some questions do loom with a new head coach in town. There is a chance that head coach Jeff Hafley decides to limit Achane in the coming year, but we can't ignore his 238 carries and 1,350 yards from the previous season. The questions won't be around Achane's talent and ability, as he stayed healthy in 2025 and produced even when Tua Tagovailoa wasn't playing. Achane remains a running back everyone will want to target for their squads.

8. AMON-RA ST. BROWN | DET | WR

The Lions hired Drew Petzing as their new offensive coordinator and while I don't think it's a home run hire, it's still Amon-Ra St. Brown we're talking about here. During Petzing's three seasons as offensive coordinator of the Cardinals, the offense ranked 22nd in points per game (21.3), 14th in yards per game (336) and 14th in EPA per play. ARSB will be at the top of many analysts' lists because he's just that damn good.

St. Brown's fantasy finishes over the last 3 years:

2023: Fantasy WR3

2024: Fantasy WR3

2025: Fantasy WR3

Detroit shouldn't be changing too much, and St. Brown is always a player who fantasy managers can turn to as a safe bet.

9. CEEDEE LAMB | DAL | WR

The reason the Cowboys haven't performed is not because of their offense. The Cowboys finished the 2025 season with the NFL’s No. 2 total offense and No. 7 scoring offense. CeeDee Lamb finished behind George Pickens in fantasy points, but also missed games in 2025 due to a high-ankle sprain and concussion. And what if Pickens leaves this offseason? There are reports going around that the Cowboys could tag and trade Pickens instead of signing him to a long-term deal.

Either way, Lamb is still a high-end fantasy target. Dak Prescott was second in the league in pass attempts (600) and this will be another high-powered offense to want a piece of in fantasy next season.

10. JAMES COOK | BUF | RB

Remember the conversations about James Cook’s regression? Yeah, he looked us in the face and absolutely laughed! He had more carries and yards in 2025 than 2024 and scored 14 total touchdowns. Cook finished as the RB6, but really lacked in the receiving game (33 catches for 291 yards and 2 touchdowns). Cook feels like a player who might split some people this draft season, especially when conversations come up about him as a first-round pick.

People might not like the Joe Brady hire from an NFL perspective, but in fantasy it makes me believe that Cook will have a somewhat similar workload in 2026, which means he's more than worthy of a first-round pick.

11. JONATHAN TAYLOR | IND | RB

The season started so hot for Jonathan Taylor, from Weeks 1-13 he averaged 24.8 PPG (RB2 behind McCaffrey). And then … the fantasy playoffs happened. In Weeks 14-17—during the playoffs—he averaged only 14.7 PPG (RB16). Still, Taylor tied a career high with 20 total touchdowns, and his 1,585 rushing yards were his most since 2021. He's a bell cow running back and is going to be only 27 years old when the season starts.

12. DRAKE LONDON | ATL | WR

There's a lot of questions surrounding what new head coach Kevin Stefanski will do at quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons this season. Penix partially tore his ACL in Week 11 and it's questionable that he will be ready to suit up for Week 1. I'm more excited for Robinson than anything else, but Stefanski has a propensity to feed his No. 1 wide receiver, which will be appealing to Drake London managers this coming season. This pick might not be for everyone, either. I think Josh Jacobs has a solid case for being a first-round pick and so does Trey McBride, but for now it's London just sneaking by.

Join Our Newsletter

Trusted by 400,000+ fantasy football players. Get access to Fantasy Life's free award winning newsletter and tools, all in one step.

Email Address

Subscribe

By registering or logging in, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.