The best late-pick strategy for 2026...?
Take advantage of a STRONG group of RBs at the turn. Here are some of my favorite core builds if you have one of the last picks in your fantasy draft.
1.09: James Cook
2.04: Omarion Hampton
3.09: Emeka Egbuka
4.04: Garrett Wilson
My favorite spot to draft from this year might be the 1.09, because you can usually grab James Cook and pair him with another elite RB in the early 2nd (I grabbed Omarion Hampton in my latest mock - not amazing that they have the same bye week, but the point stands). The WR options at the 3/4 turn are typically good enough to wait. Emeka Egbuka and Garrett Wilson give you a spectacular core.
1.11: CeeDee Lamb
2.02: Chase Brown
3.11: Zay Flowers
4.02: Cam Skattebo
If you want to go hero WR in the back part of the first, I don't blame you. Just make sure you pick up an RB in the early 2nd. CeeDee Lamb and Chase Brown is a start I'm feeling phenomenal about. I took Flowers and Skattebo here at the 3/4 turn to complete my RB/WR starting lineup and can now spend the rest of the draft being super flexible where value falls.
1.12: De'Von Achane
2.01: Chase Brown
3.12: Emeka Egbuka
4.01: Ladd McConkey
One word of advice if doubling up at RB at the 1/2 turn - draft 2 guys who are complementary to one another. I'm avoiding stacking Achane and Jeanty because they're both high-volume players on bad offenses. Achane and Brown, however, gives me a good mix of volume + upside, and I'm not overly reliant on 2 of the projected worst offenses in the NFL. If you double up at RB at the turn, double up at WR in the next 2 rounds. Egbuka / McConkey is a dynamite build.
