2026 Fantasy Football Mock Draft 5.0: Ja’Marr Chase Moves Ahead of Puka Nacua

Updated rankings:Top 200 | QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K | Rookies

Can you believe we’re a month away from NFL training camps opening?

Time flies when you’re having offseason fun, and all of that fun has resulted in a ton of new projected player roles, depth-chart changes and, as a result, fantasy player values. You’ll see that here in the construction of my first one-man, 10-round mock draft.

Each of the “teams” in this mock went into the draft with different strategies. For example, Team 1 went with a “best player available” approach. Team 3 went Zero RB, as the first running back picked wasn’t until the sixth round. Teams 6, 11 and 12 went with a balanced strategy, picking three running backs and three wideouts in the first six rounds while waiting on a quarterback.

Let’s see how a full-point PPR draft might look, including notes on risers and fallers.

All Offseason Mock Drafts: 1.0| 2.0| 3.0| 4.0

Round 1

Notes: Robinson remains my top overall pick, and Gibbs has moved ahead of Chase, whom I have moved ahead of Nacua, since the Lions traded David Montgomery to Houston. Chase is now my first wideout off the board in part thanks to the Bengals’ favorable schedule; he’s No. 3, followed by Nacua and Smith-Njigba. McCaffrey earned his way into the top six, though I do have concerns about his durability at age 30, given his 450 touches last season.

The rest of the first round is mostly the same as in my previous mock draft, but I have moved Achane behind Cook and Taylor among running backs. The Dolphins' offense could be a mess, and I wonder if running quarterback Malik Willis might hurt Achane’s touchdown ceiling. The round concluded with Jeanty, who could break out under new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak.

Round 2

Notes: Jefferson leads off the round now that J.J. McCarthy is no longer the favorite to be the Vikings’ starting quarterback, and Love, the top rookie in fantasy football, comes off the board a spot later. He’ll be the RB1 for Team 11. McBride is the first tight end off the board, with Bowers (my TE2) being picked a few spots later. Barkley is now a second-rounder entering his age-29 season, and Brown moved up just slightly after being dealt to the Patriots.

Hampton will be a breakout candidate for new Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, making him a top-20 pick. The round concludes with the first quarterback, Allen, coming off the board.

Round 3

Notes: The round begins with Olave, who is coming off a magical season but does come with at least some risk. The fantasy unicorn, Henry, is the next runner to come off the board. I’ve moved him up and ahead of Walker, who is taken a few spots later. Rice, who is now out of prison and has time to rehab his knee before the start of training camp, is a risk-reward pick in the third round. Egbuka, my favorite wide receiver breakout, comes after Rice and McMillan.

The round concludes with five running backs in the final six picks, including Kyren and Javonte Williams, who are now ahead of Jacobs at the position. Etienne Jr. has dropped a few spots compared to my previous mock, as it’s looking like Alvin Kamara will remain with the Saints.

Round 4

Notes: This round begins with five wide receivers, and six of the first seven picks are wideouts.Wilson has dropped slightly after the Jets drafted Omar Cooper Jr. and Kenyon Sadiq, and Nabers has fallen as well due to concerns about his knee and his availability for training camp and possibly the start of the season. Burden, one of my favorite breakouts, is also selected. I’ve also moved up McConkey, as he should lead the Chargers in targets under McDaniel.

Two potential breakout running backs, Judkins and Skattebo, are also in the mix in this round. Jackson is the second quarterback to come off the board, followed closely by Maye. Loveland is the third tight end picked in the first four rounds, as I expect him to bust out big-time in 2026.

Round 5

Notes: The fifth stanza begins with McLaurin, who should see a ton of targets in Washington this season. He’s followed by the second rookie, Tate, who is the new No. 1 wide receiver in Tennessee. Irving has fallen into the fifth round as a No. 2 running back. That’s due to the addition of pass-catching back Kenneth Gainwell in Tampa Bay. Close to 39 percent of Irving’s career fantasy points (PPR) have come as a receiver out of the backfield, and that could (and likely will) decline with Gainwell on the roster. He’s a player who could disappoint in 2026.

The round also includes two quarterbacks, Hurts and Burrow. They round out the top five players at the position. Two potential breakout running backs, Price and Tuten, come off the board. Tuten is a player to watch during training camp. Watson has increased value and moves into the fifth round, as the Packers lost Romeo Doubs to the Patriots and traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Eagles. Waddle, who was traded to the Broncos, also comes off the board in the fifth round.

Round 6

Notes: The round begins with three wide receivers: Moore, Williams and Odunze. Now in Buffalo, Moore should see an increase in targets as the team’s top receiver. Kraft, coming off a torn ACL, is the sixth tight end off the board. Hubbard has also moved up following the departure of Rico Dowdle, making him a potential bargain as a No. 2 running back in most leagues.

The second and third-best rookie wide receivers, Lemon and Tyson, come off the board in this round as No. 3s for their respective fantasy teams. Evans, now in San Francisco and entering his age-33 campaign, has moved down into the sixth round. Pierce is coming off ankle surgery, but he’s expected to be ready for camp and should be a potential sleeper/breakout in fantasy leagues.

Round 7

Notes: The seventh stanza begins with Harrison Jr., who has been a disappointment in his first two seasons but should improve under new head coach and offensive mind Mike LaFleur. He is one of three wideouts in the round, including Washington, a popular sleeper candidate. We also see a trio of quarterbacks in Williams, Daniels and Herbert, in addition to three tight ends—Pitts, LaPorta and Kelce—coming off the board. Harvey, who is coming off shoulder surgery, has fallen into Round 7 with J.K. Dobbins and Jonah Coleman also in the Broncos backfield.

Round 8

Notes: There are still plenty of big names available entering Round 8, including a potential draft bargain in Godwin. Wilson busted out last year in Arizona, but his fantasy numbers were far less impressive in games played with Harrison. Buyer beware. Thomas and Sutton have also seen their stock slide, as neither is locked into being their team’s top wideouts anymore. Dart, the lone quarterback in the round, is one of my favorite breakout players. The round concludes with Kittle, who tore his Achilles in the playoffs but believes he could be back for Week 1. I doubt it, but he’s a player to monitor in the summer months leading into drafts.

Round 9

Notes: The ninth round has plenty of players who could become fantasy assets, including five wide receivers in Addison, Johnston, Reed, Meyers and Pearsall. I have Jones off the board in this round, but his backfield mate, Mason, is closely behind (top pick in Round 10). A total of three fantasy quarterbacks—Prescott, Nix and Lawrence—are also picked in the round. All of them finished in the top 10 in points last season, proving you can wait on the position.

Round 10

Notes: This round is loaded with fantasy backfield handcuffs, including Allgeier, Brooks (a viable sleeper), Rodriguez and Tracy. There are also some potential draft bargains at wide receiver, including Concepcion, Worthy, Golden, Downs and Higgins, who all come off the board.

More Fantasy Football from Sports Illustrated

Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollowPublished 9 minutes ago | Modified 9 minutes agoMICHAEL FABIANO

Michael Fabiano is a fantasy football analyst for Sports Illustrated. His weekly rankings and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em articles are must-reads for fantasy players. He is also the co-host of the Fantasy Dirt Podcast on SI. Before joining SI in August 2020, he worked for CBS Sports, NFL Network and SiriusXM. He also contributes to Westwood One Radio. Fabiano was the first fantasy analyst to appear on one of the four major TV networks and is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame.

Share on XFollow Michael_FabianoShare on FacebookShare on XHome/FantasyOriginal Article