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Sports Illustrated

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Michael Fabiano

Fabiano's Team In the Pro Forecast Fantasy Football 2026 Magazine Draft

Fantasy football Football Bijan Robinson Patrick Mahomes NFL Aaron Rodgers Deebo Samuel Sr Falcons Robinson Jr Atlanta (Organization)

A fantasy football draft … in May? Well, as Michael Keaton said in Batman, “Let’s get nuts!”

This draft was for the Pro Forecast Fantasy Football Magazine, which is entering its 37th season! The league drafts early for obvious reasons—you need time to edit, lay it out and get it printed—and it’s always interesting to see how some of my fellow fantasy analysts value players … mostly the rookies and players on new teams, and how those players might affect the value of incumbents.

The draft lasted 16 rounds, and each manager had to select a starting lineup that includes one quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, a tight end, and two flex players (RB-WR-TE). There were no kickers or defenses required. The scoring system is full-point PPR, and field generals are rewarded six points for touchdown passes rather than the standard four.

I ended up with the first overall pick, and my strategy was pretty similar to what it has always been in this sort of league. Knowing how most of my fellow analysts draft, I knew I would wait on a quarterback. Believe it or not, the first one (Josh Allen) wasn’t picked until Round 4 (No. 42)!

While you’ll have to wait for the magazine to come out to see the full draft results, here’s a look at my team, pick by pick, along with why I drafted them, and how I think the roster build worked out.

We’ll start off with pick 1.01, where I drafted …

Round 1

1.01. Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons: Robinson is the top player on my board, so this was a no-brainer. Coming off a career season, he should see even more work with Tyler Allgeier no longer in the Atlanta backfield. At 24, he’s entering the prime of his NFL career.

Round 2

A.J. Brown, WR, Eagles: Brown was up and down in the stat sheets last season, but he still ranked in the top 12 in fantasy points among wide receivers. I drafted him assuming he would be the top option in the Patriots' offense, as a post-June 1 trade appears imminent.

Round 3

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Buccaneers: Egbuka is one of my favorite breakout picks, so I loved getting him here since I had no chance to get him in a future round. With Mike Evans now in San Francisco, I expect Egbuka to become the top pass-catching option in Tampa Bay.

Round 4

Davante Adams, WR, Rams: Adams is entering his age-33 season, but he’s not your typical "older" wideout. He actually led all players in touchdown catches (14) last season, and he’ll once again be a prominent option in the passing game for reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford.

Round 5

Jadarian Price, RB, Seahawks: The Seahawks drafted Price in the first round, and I trust their front office to make good personnel decisions more than most NFL teams. With Kenneth Walker III gone and Zach Charbonnet coming off a knee injury, Price likely will be the Week 1 starter.

Round 6

Carnell Tate, WR, Titans: I was surprised to see Tate still on the board at this point in the draft, because the “experts” love to draft young players. I’ll gladly take him as the fourth wide receiver on this fantasy team. He should easily be the best Titans wideout, even in his rookie year.

Round 7

Kyle Pitts Sr., TE, Falcons: Pitts is coming off his best statistical season, and there’s not much in terms of competition for targets in Atlanta’s pass attack beyond Drake London (sorry, Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus). It’s hard to see him falling out of the top 10 at tight end.

Round 8

Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots: The best running backs are obviously long gone at this point in the draft, so my goal was to get a back (or backs) who should see enough touches to be startable as a flex if needed. Stevenson, the top back in New England, fits the bill.

Round 9

Rachaad White, RB, Buccaneers: White is a high-risk/high-reward running back as part of a crowded Commanders backfield, but I think he’ll start ahead of Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Kaytron Allen. White should also see plenty of targets as a receiver, so I’ll happily take him as my No. 4 back.

Round 10

Xavier Worthy, WR, Chiefs: Worthy is coming off a disappointing second season, but a bum shoulder limited him and was partially to blame for his struggles. I think he’ll be better in 2026 as the No. 2 wideout behind Rashee Rice, so getting him as my No. 5 wideout could be a steal.

Round 11

Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs: I always wait on a quarterback (especially in these leagues), and this year that strategy landed me Mahomes. He is coming off a knee injury, but all reports have been positive to this point. Even if he starts slow, it’s still Mahomes in Round 11.

All indications are that Patrick Mahomes' recovery from his knee injury is progressing well. | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Round 12

Bo Nix, QB, Broncos: Nix had been a top-eight fantasy quarterback in each of his first two years as a pro, and he’ll be the No. 2 quarterback on this fantasy team. He’s expected to be at full speed from an ankle injury in time for camp, and he’ll have Jaylen Waddle as a weapon.

Round 13

Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens: Andrews is entering his age-31 season, but the Ravens lost Isaiah Likely to the Giants as a free agent and didn’t add a substantial tight end to replace him. That should mean more targets for Andrews and a potential top-12 finish at the position.

Round 14

Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Falcons: Robinson Jr. is a strict handcuff for my No. 1 overall pick, Bijan Robinson (don’t get them confused in your drafts). If something were to happen to Bijan, Brian would take the lead role and could offer RB2 value in his absence.

Round 15

Deebo Samuel Sr., WR, free agent: In this (early) draft last year, I took late-round fliers on both J.K. Dobbins and Keenan Allen (free agents at the time). Obviously that turned out to be a smart move, as both players made a fantasy impact. I’ll take the same flier on Samuel this year.