We are getting so close. The Hall of Fame Game is complete. The first full week of NFL Preseason football is upon us. The first game of the 2026 NFL season is less than a month away. If you love Fantasy Football, this is your time. Now you just have to figure out who to draft. Earlier in August, I put out a list of the players I am avoiding in each round, and this list will be the opposite. These are my favorite players to draft in rounds two through seven, with a bonus seven players whose ADPs I really love after Round 7. Draft these guys and your 2026 Fantasy Football season will live up to the excitement we all feel on Draft Day.
Average draft position for each player comes from FantasyPros Consensus PPR ADP.
Round 2
Rashee Rice, WR, Chiefs
ADP: 24
According to ADP, Rice should be available anywhere you want to take him in Round 2. I am happy to do so after pick 18. In his last 17 healthy regular season games, he has caught 120 passes for 1,377 yards and 10 touchdowns. While we expect Kenneth Walker to make the Chiefs run game more effective, and perhaps even cut into Rice's work in the screen game, I also think Patrick Mahomes will run less coming off of his injury, which could lead to more short-area targets for Rice. What should not be in doubt is that Rice is still Mahomes' top option and that if it wasn't for injury risk and off-the-field concerns, Rice should be picked a round earlier. I don't worry too much about the training camp clip that made him look slow unless the Chiefs show concern as we get closer to the start of the season.
Round 3
Zay Flowers, WR, Ravens
ADP: 35
My projections value Flowers as a top 24 player in full PPR. His ADP has him a full round later. Last year he was top five in route participation (95.6%), target share (29.0%), and yards per route run (2.53), and finished as WR7 in total PPR Fantasy points. That was on a team that only threw the ball 420 times. Lamar Jackson's 17-game pace for pass attempts is 480. With a new head coach and offensive coordinator, that total could go even higher. It's easy to project a 10% boost in targets for Flowers at last year's role simply because the team's total pass attempts should go up. I also wouldn't rule out a career high in touchdowns. While they are very important, they are also the least predictable stat for receivers. Chris Olave, Terry McLaurin, and Courtland Sutton are all examples of guys who recently had spike touchdown seasons despite a poor touchdown track record. If Flowers sees 140 targets and has a career year in touchdowns, he'll provide Round 1 value.
Round 4
Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals
ADP: 41
I have no idea why Higgins is available in Round 4. He has consistently averaged 15-plus Fantasy points per game when he and Joe Burrow have been healthy and I don't feel like there is enough of an injury track record to discount him a round and a half because of it. I have Higgins closer to Flowers than I do to Round 4. And he carries as much contingent upside as any receiver. If Ja'Marr Chase misses time, Higgins will be a top five wide receiver on a weekly basis. The only thing I will say is that it may be too much for some to draft Rice, Flowers, and Higgins in the first four rounds. I would argue that shouldn't bother you as long as you draft an RB1 in Round 1, because there is a fantastic RB2 available in Round 5.
Round 5
D'Andre Swift, RB, Bears
ADP: 54
Swift was one of my favorite picks last year at a very similar price point and finished the year as RB14, averaging 14.5 PPR FPPG in 16 games. Generally, when this happens, consensus moves on a player more than I do and I don't get to draft them anymore. Instead, Swift is back in Round 5 as RB23 in the consensus rankings. Most likely, Swift beats this ADP by about a round if Kyle Monangai stays healthy. Monangai has not been healthy at the start of camp, which probably won't bleed into the season but does highlight the incredible upside Swift has if he's the only back in Chicago for an extended period of time. If I started my team with three pass catchers, I would have no trouble pulling the trigger on Swift in Round 4.
Round 6
Sam LaPorta, TE, Lions
ADP: 72
LaPorta already has one TE1 overall season in his resume and he has the upside to add a second in 2026. Drew Petzing is the new offensive coordinator. He came from the Kevin Stefanski tree and, like Stefanski has sent 27% of his team's targets to tight ends over the past three seasons. LaPorta won't see that many, but he could easily see the 120 he saw as a rookie. I expect the Lions to be more pass-heavy this season as their secondary is currently in shambles and they should be one of the highest scoring teams in the league, which helps LaPorta's touchdown upside. He is the main reason I have so much trouble clicking Brock Bowers or Trey McBride in the first 30 picks.
Round 7
Tony Pollard, RB, Titans
ADP:74
Pollard is pretty much the last surefire starting running back left in drafts. I am not sure there will be a big difference between him and Travis Etienne or Bucky Irving, but he regularly goes two-plus rounds later. I understand he is the least exciting player on this list, but there is something to be said about finding a solid RB2 in Round 7 in this running back market. Also, he looked like he did still have some upside late in the season when this offense looked functional. He averaged 15.5 PPR FPPG in his final five games. If Brian Daboll turns Cam Ward into an above-average starter, Pollard could smash ADP.
Seven favorite ADPs after Round 7
103 Quentin Johnson, WR, Chargers
107 Jonathon Brooks, RB, Panthers
108 Isaiah Likely, TE, Giants
109 Jordan Addison, WR, Vikings
113 Josh Downs, WR, Colts
116 Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Commanders
121 Jared Goff, QB, Lions
