It's impossible to nail every pick in your fantasy draft, but you at least have to be prepared to try. To help lead you to a successful season and, hopefully, a championship, here are the best and worst selections from each of the first 10 rounds in 12-team leagues.
Consensus ADP source: FantasyPros
Jump to: Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | Round 8 | Round 9 | Round 10
Round 1
✅ Best pick: Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (ADP 6.3)
You could argue that Taylor should be taken third overall, especially in deeper leagues where running backs are at a premium. The fact that no player had more fantasy points than Taylor through 10 weeks last year is a distant memory after injuries derailed the Colts' season. With quarterback Daniel Jones healthy again and four of Indy's five starting offensive linemen returning from last year, Taylor's RB1 potential is huge. Getting him with the seventh pick in a draft would be a steal.
❌ Worst pick: Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty (ADP 11.0)
Despite Jeanty being one of the biggest busts as a rookie, fantasy managers remain eager to draft him with a first-round pick again. While the Raiders should be better offensively and Tyler Linderbaum's addition at center will boost a bad offensive line, Las Vegas still doesn't project to score many points and will likely have a rookie starting at quarterback for most of the season. Saquon Barkley, Omarion Hampton, and Chase Brown are all in better offensive environments and are being selected after Jeanty.
Round 2
✅ Best pick: Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker III (ADP 16.3)
Fantasy managers are picking the Chiefs' new workhorse back in the second round, which could be the biggest bargain of the year. Kansas City will want to protect Patrick Mahomes after he tore his ACL late last season, meaning more rushes for Walker to limit the hits the star quarterback takes throughout the season. Additionally, the Chiefs failed to provide Mahomes with top-tier receiving weapons to complement Rashee Rice. If Walker stays healthy, the reigning Super Bowl MVP could lead the NFL in carries and rushing touchdowns.
❌ Worst pick: Dolphins RB De'Von Achane (ADP 13.3)
I'm fading running backs on bad teams with offensive environments that aren't conducive to fantasy production. While Achane is an exceptional talent, I don't feel comfortable drafting him in the second round. Malik Willis is a running quarterback who will undoubtedly take touches away from Achane in the passing game, unlike Tua Tagovailoa, who frequently checked down to him. Without elite receiving production, Achane's upside is limited and not worth the risk, particularly with Barkley, Hampton, Brown, and Walker still on the board.
Round 3
✅ Best pick: Eagles WR DeVonta Smith (ADP 32.7)
Malik Nabers is also going in this round, but his ADP will continue to rise as drafts occur. Therefore, I'll stick with Smith as the best value selection in Round 3. Smith is the new top dog in Philadelphia and should see an overwhelming number of balls thrown his way from Jalen Hurts. Though the Eagles will still be a run-first team, Smith faces minimal competition for targets.
In a small sample size of three games without Brown since 2024, Smith earned a 32.9% target share while producing 2.65 YPRR, which would put him among truly elite company last season.
❌ Worst pick: Chiefs WR Rashee Rice (ADP 30.7)
It's tough to find a positive report on Rice's training camp. By all accounts, he looks to have lost a step, showing no burst or the ability to create separation during drills. Rice had knee surgery in May and was forced to rehab while in jail. Perhaps he's still ramping up to full speed, but I'll happily pass on a receiver with a ton of question marks and better options being picked after him.
Round 4
✅ Best pick: Chargers WR Ladd McConkey (ADP 43.3)
Adding pieces from the Chargers' offense is a smart move, and landing Justin Herbert's top target in the fourth round could secure you a WR1. McConkey is coming off a down year but was WR12 during his rookie campaign. With Mike McDaniel designing plays and the offensive line healthy, projecting a huge rebound for McConkey would be reasonable.
❌ Worst pick: Browns RB Quinshon Judkins (ADP 47.0)
I'm also avoiding Judkins, another running back in a bad offensive environment. The second-year rusher isn't expected to have a role in the passing game, and the Browns are projected to be a low-scoring team and trail in most games. That's a bad combination for someone who recorded only one top-18 scoring week in his final eight contests last year. Judkins going in the fourth round is another example of why it's important to get running backs early. Otherwise, you may be forced to draft a low-ceiling RB in Round 4 and pass on some of the much better receiver options.
Round 5
✅ Best pick: Commanders WR Terry McLaurin (ADP 54.3)
Last year was a write-off for the Commanders. McLaurin and Jayden Daniels played only three games together, erasing any memories people had of McLaurin finishing as WR6 in 2024. While Washington signing Stefon Diggs will keep McLaurin's ADP in check, there will still be plenty of targets to go around for him to outperform his draft position. Offensive coordinator David Blough said he plans to get McLaurin 10 targets per game, and Diggs' presence shouldn't change that.
❌ Worst pick: Bengals QB Joe Burrow (ADP 51.7)
Burrow should have a fantastic year if he stays healthy, but a ceiling season from the Bengals quarterback still doesn't make taking him in the fifth round worth it. Despite Burrow leading the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns when he played all 17 games in 2024, he still finished as the QB3 in total points for the year. If you're taking Burrow as the third QB in drafts, you need him to have a career campaign just for him to return value.
Round 6
✅ Best pick: 49ers WR Mike Evans (ADP 62.0)
Evans carries an obvious injury risk, but he'd easily be drafted two rounds earlier if he didn't. Considered the alpha in Kyle Shanahan's offense, Evans should see a ton of red-zone opportunities, especially if George Kittle struggles to get back up to full speed after last year's Achilles tear. If healthy, Evans will lead the 49ers in targets, receptions, yards, and receiving touchdowns, making him a fantastic value pick in Round 6.
❌ Worst pick: Browns TE Harold Fannin Jr. (68.0)
Fannin had a great rookie season and finished as TE6. However, he still plays for Cleveland and will have either Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders throwing him the ball. The Browns also used two high draft picks on wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, giving Fannin much more competition for targets than he had last campaign. Sam LaPorta, who should have no issues scoring points in Detroit, and Kyle Pitts, the clear No. 2 receiving option in Atlanta, are being selected later in drafts and are better tight end picks than Fannin.
Round 7
✅ Best pick: Jaguars WR Parker Washington (ADP 76.7)
Washington had a great finish to 2025, posting four top-16 finishes in his last seven games of the fantasy football regular season. Following the Jaguars' Week 8 bye, he earned a 29.4% target share and averaged 3.2 yards per route run while playing alongside Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers. Washington should continue to operate as the Jags' slot receiver, but he'll likely be Trevor Lawrence's first option on a team that's expected to throw a lot.
❌ Worst pick: Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard (ADP 78.0)
Hubbard's draft position has cratered following news that he'll miss training camp with a hamstring injury. He's untouchable in the seventh round, and I'd consider passing on him all the way until the 11th round. Hubbard also struggled last year, and Jonathan Brooks seems ready to take over as the Panthers' lead back.
Round 8
✅ Best pick: Rams RB Blake Corum (ADP 94.0)
Brooks is being picked in Round 8, but that should change over the next couple of weeks. Instead, Corum is the clear top pick here, coming off the board as RB36. The Rams' tailback was the most efficient runner last season, according to SumerSports' EPA/rush. Far more than just Kyren Williams' backup, Corum could threaten to take over the starting role at some point this year.
❌ Worst pick: Colts WR Alec Pierce (ADP 90.3)
Expectations for Pierce were high after his breakout 2025 campaign and Michael Pittman Jr.'s departure this offseason. He signed a lucrative contract to stay in Indianapolis, but it doesn't appear he'll be ready for Week 1. The 26-year-old remains on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from offseason foot surgery. Without important training camp reps, Pierce is unlikely to see his role in the Colts' offense expand in 2026.
Round 9
✅ Best pick: Dalton Kincaid (ADP 105.0)
You're shooting for upside at this stage in the draft at tight end. Production from all of the tight ends ranked ninth to 14th will likely be relatively flat, but Kincaid can break from the pack and become an elite scorer at the position. The issue with Kincaid is that he comes off the field too much, but that could change under new head coach Joe Brady, as many are expecting the Bills to throw more this season than in prior years. Kincaid led all tight ends in yards per route run last season, per SumerSports.
❌ Worst pick: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (ADP 102.0)
I'm not here to besmirch Mahomes. What I am here to do is hopefully prevent you from drafting him in the eighth round. Mahomes ran a ton last season, with 22% of his fantasy points coming from rushing, according to DraftSharks' Jaren Smola. Before last year, that percentage wasn't higher than 12.9%. Mahomes has already said he plans to run less after tearing his ACL in 2025, and he'll rely more on the running game with Walker. I don't expect the Chiefs to have a high-octane passing attack. Instead, they should manage the clock through rushing and let their defense win games.
Round 10
✅ Best pick: Colts WR Josh Downs (ADP 111.0)
Being out on Pierce means I'm way in on Downs. The undersized wideout has shown flashes of brilliance, but he's never been given the opportunity to be an every-down player. With Pittman gone and Pierce ailing, Downs is expected to stay on the field for most of the Colts' snaps and be a top option for Jones.
❌ Worst pick: Brandon Aubrey (ADP 119.7)
This is a bit of a layup, but it's also a reminder not to take kickers or defenses anytime before the second-to-last round. Aubrey will likely be the highest-scoring kicker, but you're passing on players with way more upside.
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