With the 2025 fantasy football season behind us, I’m already starting to look ahead to what the first round of 2026 drafts might look like. I know, it’s eight months away, and things will no doubt change dramatically during the offseason in terms of coaches, player moves and the selection of first-year players in the 2026 NFL draft.
Still, I don’t see any of that making a significant impact on the first round. We know who the studs are (and aren’t), and the top 12 players in fantasy drafts will be what they are. As a result, here’s my look at how the first round of a fantasy draft will look in 2026.
Fab's 2026 First-Round Fantasy Mock Draft
1. Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons: Robinson finished as the No. 2 fantasy runner this season, scoring 340-plus points for the second consecutive season. He’s a young player at 23 (24 later this month) and entering the prime of his career, and Robinson will remain the centerpiece of this offense. Let’s hope the Falcons hire an offensive head coach!
2. Puka Nacua, WR, Rams: Nacua was the top receiver in fantasy football, scoring 349 fantasy points despite missing two games due to injuries. He found that level of success, even while his teammate, Davante Adams, led all wideouts in touchdowns. As long as Matthew Stafford sticks around, Nacua will be a top-two pick in 2026 drafts.
3. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Bengals: Chase saw a huge fall in fantasy points compared to his 2024 totals, but that was to be expected (he scored over 400 points last year, after all). Chase still averaged nearly 20 points per game this season, and he did a lot of it without Joe Burrow under center. He’s still an elite player in the prime of his career.
4. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions: Gibbs might not have helped you win a fantasy title (he had a stinker in Week 17), but he definitely helped you get there. The talented runner posted 18 total touchdowns and averaged more than 21 points per game, and I think he’ll be a featured back in 2026 with the possibility that David Montgomery won’t return.
5. Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers: CMC returned with a vengeance this season, as he put up more than 400 fantasy points as the top runner in fantasy leagues. Heck, he would have been the WR7 just based on his stats as a pass catcher! I do have some concerns about his heavy workload, but he has to be a top-five pick at the very least.
6. De’Von Achane, RB, Dolphins: Achane finished the fantasy season fifth in points among running backs, scoring 322.8 (20.2 points per game). The Dolphins' offense is very likely to look much different next season (Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill are likely gone), but one thing will remain: Achane will be the offensive centerpiece.
7. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions: Want to talk about consistency? St. Brown finished as the WR3 for the third time in the past three seasons in 2025. He has now gone over 316 points in each of those three campaigns, and he was one of only three wideouts to average 10-plus targets per game this season. St. Brown is an easy first-round pick.
8. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts: Taylor was on pace to have one of the best fantasy seasons of all time among running backs earlier in the season, but his stats declined down the stretch. Still, he finished third in fantasy points at the position while averaging more than 21 points per game. Taylor will remain a high-end fantasy option next season.
9. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks: Some folks might have Smith-Njigba ranked higher in the first round, but being the fourth wideout off the board is pretty good. He is coming off a breakout season, scoring 345.5 fantasy points as the lead receiver for the Seahawks. At 23 (24 in February), JSN is one of the league’s top young wideouts.
10. James Cook II, RB, Bills: Cook won the rushing title and finished sixth in fantasy points among runners. He also scored 14 total touchdowns, and has found the end zone 32 times in the past two seasons. With a new contract and entering the prime of his career, Cook should remain highly productive in the Bills’ explosive offense in 2026.
11. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys: Am I being too kind to Lamb because I root for the Cowboys? After all, he had his worst fantasy season since 2021. Well, maybe. But for now, I’m keeping him in the first round. The question for Lamb’s 2026 fantasy value: Do the Cowboys franchise/extend George Pickens, or let him walk?
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bijan Robinson Leads Fab’s 2026 First-Round Fantasy Football Mock Draft.
