Bijan Robinson or Ja'Marr Chase second overall? In a PPR league that starts three wide receivers, I prefer Chase. In all other formats, I'll take Robinson. And even though I took Chase in this draft, I think I would have been more comfortable with Robinson in retrospect. Why? Because I don't love the running back value at the 2/3 turn in 12-team leagues. If you are a Fantasy manager that wants to feel great about the RB position after you draft, take Robinson. If you're OK with the roster construction I put together, then you can take Chase. And keep in mind, this roster construction would also work for a team picking third overall (and likely forced to take Chase).
The next big decision you have to make is at tight end. I'm perfectly fine with taking Brock Bowers in Round 2 or Trey McBride in Round 3 from this spot. If you're lucky enough to have Colston Loveland fall to you in Round 4, that's a no-brainer. I decided against TE in this particular draft and I took Rashee Rice in the second round. Rice is an elite player when healthy, and I think that will continue this year. Round 3 is where it got interesting for me.
I may have reached a bit for Travis Etienne (I prefer him later in Round 3), but I didn't want to be too weak at RB. Had I taken another WR or McBride at 3.2, then RB could be a big liability for my team. How do you feel about Chase/Rice/McBride and any two of Judkins/Skattebo/Price/Montgomery/Lloyd? If that works for you, then you know you can keep waiting on RB. I'm not wild about it, so I reached a bit for Etienne. And by the way, I think Etienne could have a great season and be perfectly worthy of the 26th pick.
After taking Davante Adams and Lamar Jackson with my next two picks (the value on Jackson was just too good to pass up), I knew I had to hammer the RB position. I drafted Tony Pollard, TreVeyon Henderson, Kyle Monangai, Josh Jacobs and Alvin Kamara to round at my RB room. Those guys plus Etienne should be enough, especially considering I have a superstar quarterback and great WRs.
In a 3-WR league, I typically won't have both a stud QB and a stud TE. I typically choose one or the other, and in this case, I chose the QB.
Here's how my team looks from the second pick:
1.2: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, CIN
2.11: Rashee Rice, WR, KC
3.2: Travis Etienne, RB, NO
4.11: Davante Adams, WR, LAR
5.2: Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL
6.11: Tony Pollard, RB, TEN
7.2: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, NE
8.11: Kyle Monangai, RB, CHI
9.2: Travis Kelce, TE, KC
10.11: Josh Jacobs, RB, GB
11.2: Xavier Worthy, WR, KC
12.11: Denzel Boston, WR, CLE
13.2: Matthew Stafford, QB, LAR
14.11: Alvin Kamara, NO, RB
This is not my favorite team. I think I would have liked it better if I had gone Bijan Robinson/Rashee Rice/Malik Nabers with my first three picks. However, I think Chase/Rice/Etienne is a fine start as well. I could have gone with McBride in Round 3, but that likely takes me out of the Lamar Jackson sweepstakes in Round 5. Jackson was the QB1 in 2024 and was off to a blistering starting in 2025 before multiple injuries slowed him down.
The biggest lesson I learned here is that if I am weak at RB, I'll just keep drafting the position and give myself enough high-upside players (like Henderson and Monangai) for my bench.
Favorite pick: Davante Adams
I have been drafting a lot of Adams lately. He was WR9 per game in 2025, and he is going to score a lot of touchdowns again, I promise. TDs are worth six Fantasy points! That's a lot! And can you imagine how good he would be if Puka Nacua got injured or suspended?
Pick I'm already regretting: Kyle Monangai
I thought Carnell Tate would make it back to me in Round 9, but that rascal Jamey Eisenberg drafted Tate immediately after I picked Monangai. After taking three WRs with my first four picks, I neglected the position for a while and ended up with Xavier Worthy in Round 11 as my WR4. Monangai was fine at his value, but perhaps this pick (8.11) should have been Tate?
Player who could make or break my team: Travis Etienne
When we did this pick-by-pick series earlier this summer, I took Etienne late in the fourth round and declared him the player who could make or break my team. Now I've taken him 22 picks earlier, and once again he is my make-or-break player. I am excited about Etienne, especially with Alvin Kamara already injured. I expect the Saints to feature Etienne and Chris Olave repeatedly. Etienne may come off the field on passing downs, but that's true of many RBs, including James Cook and Derrick Henry. Etienne should be a top 15 RB, but in taking him 26th overall, I need him to be Top 12.
