The PERFECT Fantasy Football Draft Strategy for 2026 | The Top Value Picks in Every Round (Ep. 2092)

Derek Brown projects AJ Brown for a career season in 2026, expecting him to see career-high targets moving from Philadelphia's 15th-ranked neutral passing rate offense to New England's 9th-ranked passing offense, with top-three wide receiver upside.

AJ Brown represents strong value in the second round with top-three wide receiver upside, as he transitions to an offense with higher passing volume and red zone opportunities.

AJ Brown ranked 9th in target share, 17th in yards per route run, 8th in first reach, and top-20 in first downs per route run and route win rate last year, demonstrating elite efficiency metrics that support his projection for increased volume and production.

AJ Brown will be the Patriots' primary red zone target, with New England ranking 15th in 10-zone passing rate compared to Philadelphia's 32nd, positioning him as the go-to guy in scoring situations under Josh McDaniels' system.

Brown is selected as a top-tier wide receiver in the draft, anchoring the receiving corps.

Pierce has late offseason injury news that could affect his early-season availability and target share with the Giants.

Kamara is a 13th-round value who remains directly behind Travis Etienne in the backfield, will continue to get passing game usage, and has backup upside if Etienne gets injured.

Wright was third in target share on the Lions in the weeks 5-10 sample, behind Laporta and St. Brown.

Ward is positioned as a 13th-round upside shot similar to Caleb Williams, offering potential for massive offensive improvement without needing to worry about wide receiver carousel.

Jake Seeley projects Chase Brown as a potential top-six running back in 2026, comparing him favorably to James Cook's breakout two years ago, with upside to reach 300+ touches and 60-70 receptions if the Bengals' offense stays healthy.

Jake Seeley has Chase Brown ranked as a first-round pick (11th overall) but selected him in the second round due to his current ADP being significantly lower, representing strong value.

Chase Brown's production is heavily dependent on Joe Burrow's health, as he disappears when Burrow is unavailable, making his consistency a concern despite his upside.

Brown is selected as part of a strong running back group in the draft.

Rodriguez will play a role on early downs but is not expected to contribute in the passing game, limiting his overall value.

Jake Seeley acknowledges Christian McCaffrey as the potential number-one fantasy player if healthy, but expresses concern about his injury history and recent 400+ touch mark, making him a risky pick despite elite upside at picks 7-8.

Derek Brown is about to discuss Colston Loveland as his third-round pick, indicating he views the tight end as a strong value in that round.

Montgomery is part of a powerhouse set of running backs in the draft, selected as a core piece of the team.

Jake Seeley highlights Drake Maye's elite downfield passing metrics since becoming the Patriots' starter, ranking 2nd in EPA per drop back on 20+ air yard passes and 2nd in TD per attempt, making him an ideal fit for AJ Brown's skill set.

Likely is ranked as a top 12 tight end (TE8) and is positioned as the clear number two target in Baltimore's passing attack, with potential to be the number one if Neighbors misses time.

Jake Seeley notes that Jamar Chase has similar ceiling to Puka Nakua but with more inconsistency, having seasons of 15-16 PPG even when healthy alongside Joe Burrow, compared to Nakua's more consistent elite production.

Gibbs is projected to explode in his second season and was starting to eat into more of Travis Etienne's volume down the stretch of his rookie year before getting hurt.

Derek Brown projects James Cook as a top-three running back in 2026, citing his elite rushing volume (led NFL in rushing attempts), strong touchdown history (14-18 TDs in past two years), and expected increased passing game involvement under new OC Pete Carmichael, whose offenses have consistently ranked top-10 in RB target share.

James Cook represents strong value at 11th overall in the first round, being valued based on last year's performance despite having the potential to reach top-three status.

James Cook led the entire NFL in rushing attempts last year and has strong passing game involvement potential with Pete Carmichael as the new offensive coordinator, whose Saints offenses never ranked lower than 10th in RB target share.

With Pete Carmichael as offensive coordinator, James Cook is expected to see increased passing game involvement, potentially becoming the number two or three target in Buffalo's passing attack, a significant change from his limited receiving role under previous schemes.

Cook is part of a powerhouse set of running backs in the draft, selected in the early rounds as a core piece.

Williams has major concerns about being what was expected; he was third in target share behind Laporta in the weeks 5-10 sample, suggesting limited upside.

Jennings joining Minnesota creates uncertainty about Addison's role and target share in the offense.

Higgins is the number two receiver for the Texans, though his role is offset by the presence of Jalen Knoll and potentially Tank Dell at full health.

Waddle is selected as a top-tier wide receiver in the draft, part of the core receiving group.

Brooks is described as free access and free upside in round 11, with the entire network discussing his potential.

Addison is a forgotten value at ECR 106 in round nine; he was top 25 in fantasy points his first two years and worst case last year was still a WR4, and with Kyler Murray he can replicate his rookie season production of 8 TDs on limited targets.

Addison is a ninth-round value pick who was top 25 in his first two career years and still produced as a WR2 in PPR last year despite poor circumstances, offering ceiling potential.

Downs is a 10th-round value with potential for 100+ targets and 10.5 fantasy points per game, offering wide receiver 3 floor with upside as a potential target leader if Alec Pierce misses time.

Jefferson will remain the primary receiver for the Vikings, with Addison operating as the second option.

Mitchell is a 14th-round value with potential stand-alone RB3 value under Mike McDaniel, who specifically brought him in to the Dolphins.

Williams is selected as part of a strong running back group in the draft.

Nabers played only one game with Jackson Dart last year, so the full impact of their connection remains to be seen.

Willis is positioned as a late-round QB with top 12 upside due to his rushing ability with Miami, offering QB2 potential that is being drafted too late.

Andrews was crushed by a foot injury in 2025 and was not close to being his actual self on the field throughout the season.

Harrison is a cool value at ECR 71 in the sixth round; with Jacoby Brissett starting, he earned a 23% target share and 18 for 256 and 2 TDs in a four-game sample, showing he was treated as the number one receiver.

Harrison is selected as a top-tier wide receiver in the draft, part of the core receiving group.

In the four-game Brissett sample, Wilson had only a 13% target share compared to Harrison's 23%, with 13 for 171 and zero touchdowns.

Washington has upside for days; in weeks 16-19, he averaged 22.3 PPR points per game with elite usage including a 28.9% target share, 3.78 yards per route run, and 6 red zone targets.

Washington is selected as a wide receiver in the draft, part of the receiving corps.

Jake Seeley ranks Puka Nakua as his top wide receiver for 2026, noting he scored more fantasy points per game than Jamar Chase last year and has similar ceiling to Chase with more consistency, projecting him as the likely WR1 with Matthew Stafford.

Puka Nakua has significant upside for a breakout season if red zone usage shifts from Adams to him, with potential for 10-14 receiving touchdowns on top of his already elite yardage, which could result in a season-breaking fantasy performance.

Nakua is selected as a top-tier wide receiver in the draft, anchoring the receiving corps.

Johnston is an all-in pick at ECR 98 in round nine; when healthy (weeks 1-4 and 9-18), he earned a 20.3% target share, 1.83 yards per route run, 12 red zone targets, and averaged 13.9 PPR points per game (WR16 pace), making him a better value than Ladd McConkie.

Johnston is characterized as inconsistent, sometimes disappearing and sometimes popping up in the offense.

Laporta is a value at ECR 84 in round seven; in weeks 5-10 when healthy, he was the second leading target getter with a 20% target share behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, projecting to 80-100 catches and 1,000 yards if healthy.

LaPorta is selected as the tight end in one draft team.

Diggs is a 14th-round value who produced as a WR2 on a per-route basis last year and could see increased route share if signed by the Commanders, jumping to the 8th-9th round.

McLaurin is selected as a top-tier wide receiver in the draft, part of the core receiving group.

Pollard is ranked as an RB2 at ECR 77 and represents free money; he didn't score any touchdowns last year due to team struggles, was 22nd in yards after contact per attempt, and the improved Titans offense should elevate his production.

Etienne remains the lead back for Jacksonville with Alvin Kamara directly behind him in the backfield.

McBride led the Cardinals receivers with a 26% target share in the Brissett sample, establishing him as the clear number one option.

Warren is mentioned as one of three primary receiving options for the Giants alongside Josh Downs and Alec Pierce, with potential to lead the team in targets.