New Fantasy Football 2026 Mock Draft Strategy, Cheat Sheet Entering Preseason Week 1

During Week 1 of the 2026 NFL preseason, teams across the league will be searching for ways to better their chances for success in the upcoming actual season.

Fantasy managers should do the same.

Because while draft season will dawn soon, we're still in the heart of mock draft season. And fantasy managers who aren't participating are missing out on useful data points that can help shape their draft strategies.

Speaking of strategies, we'll lay out a few of our favorite mock draft tips are running through a simulated mock draft and providing cheat-sheet style positional rankings.

12-Team, 4-Round Simulated Mock PPR Draft

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Round 1

1. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, DET
2. Bijan Robinson, RB, ATL
3. Puka Nacua, WR, LAR
4. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, CIN
5. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, SEA
6. Jonathan Taylor, RB, IND
7. Christian McCaffrey, RB, SF
8. James Cook III, RB, BUF
9. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, DET
10. Justin Jefferson, WR, MIN
11. Ashton Jeanty, RB, LV
12. De'Von Achane, RB, MIA

Round 2

1. Omarion Hampton, RB, LAC
2. Chase Brown, RB, CIN
3. CeeDee Lamb, WR, DAL
4. A.J. Brown, WR, NE
5. Derrick Henry, RB, BAL
6. Saquon Barkley, RB, PHI
7. Kyren Williams, RB, LAR
8. Drake London, WR, ATL
9. Zay Flowers, WR, BAL
10. Nico Collins, WR, HOU
11. Kenneth Walker III, RB, KC
12. Rashee Rice, WR, KC

Round 3

1. Brock Bowers, TE, LV
2. Josh Allen, QB, BUF
3. Chris Olave, WR, NO
4. Trey McBride, TE, ARI
5. George Pickens, WR, DAL
6. Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL
7. Malik Nabers, WR, NYG
8. Tee Higgins, WR, CIN
9. DeVonta Smith, WR, PHI
10. Garrett Wilson, WR, NYJ
11. Emeka Egbuka, WR, TB
12. Luther Burden III, WR, CHI

Round 4

1. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, CAR
2. Colston Loveland, TE, CHI
3. Drake Maye, QB, NE
4. Jayden Daniels, QB, WAS
5. Jaylen Waddle, WR, DEN
6. Ladd McConkey, WR, LAC
7. Davante Adams, WR, LAR
8. Jeremiyah Love, RB, ARI
9. Josh Jacobs, RB, GB
10. Joe Burrow, QB, CIN
11. DJ Moore, WR, BUF
12. Javonte Williams, RB, DAL

Cheat Sheet Positional PPR Rankings

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Quarterback

1. Josh Allen, BUF
2. Lamar Jackson, BAL
3. Drake Maye, NE
4. Joe Burrow, CIN
5. Jayden Daniels, WAS
6. Jalen Hurts, PHI
7. Dak Prescott, DAL
8. Justin Herbert, LAC
9. Jaxson Dart, NYG
10. Caleb Williams, CHI

Running Back

1. Bijan Robinson, ATL
2. Jahmyr Gibbs, DET
3. Jonathan Taylor, IND
4. Christian McCaffrey, SF
5. Ashton Jeanty, LV
6. James Cook III, BUF
7. Derrick Henry, BAL
8. Saquon Barkley, PHI
9. De'Von Achane, MIA
10. Jeremiyah Love, ARI

Wide Receiver

1. Ja'Marr Chase, CIN
2. Puka Nacua, LAR
3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA
4. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET
5. CeeDee Lamb, DAL
6. Justin Jefferson, MIN
7. Drake London, ATL
8. Nico Collins, HOU
9. Chris Olave, NO
10. George Pickens, DAL

Tight End

1. Trey McBride, ARI
2. Brock Bowers, LV
3. Colston Loveland, CHI
4. Tyler Warren, IND
5. Harold Fannin Jr., CLE
6. Sam LaPorta, DET
7. George Kittle, SF
8. Kyle Pitts Sr., ATL
9. Tucker Kraft, GB
10. Travis Kelce, KC

Mock Draft Strategies

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Run multiple mocks.

Ever been in a draft room where a couple of managers (or more) are diverting so far from the norm that you can't figure out what's happening? Well, mock drafts sort of invite those diversions, as risk-taking is welcomed given the lack of season-long stakes and experimenting is encouraged.

That's why you don't want to rely on one or two mock draft rooms as carbon copies of what you'll encounter at your league's talent grab. The more mocks you can participate in, the less chance the results wind up messy. And if you start seeing patterns across multiple mocks, that's really the data you're trying to gain.

Alter your approach.

If you're a seasoned fantasy manger, you probably have a decent idea of how you want to approach things at the draft. Unless you're crowned champion year after year, though, there are always ways to improve that approach.

So, use these mock drafts to take some chances you normally wouldn't. Maybe by the time they're finished, you'll find you actually prefer these rosters over the ones you typically take into a season. For example, if you're the type of manager who typically waits on a quarterback, pounce on an early elite in a mock or two just so you have a clear feel for how that roster looks.

Mimic your league settings.

Player rankings vary across sites. Rosters and leagues come in all sizes. PPR leagues provide a full point for each reception; standard scoring leagues give none. This should be obvious, but only because it's true—These differences can dramatically reshape your draft boards.

So, if you are mocking a fantasy draft, make sure it looks as close to the one you'll participate in for real as possible. You want as many of your league's quirks factoring into the mock draft room as possible, so once the actual draft arrives, you can take comfort in the fact you've already gone through this already—hopefully several times over.