When drafting from No. 11 overall in 2026 Fantasy Football leagues (or anywhere in that back-end 10-12 range), I am just about as excited as I've ever been. In past years, this draft range has felt like a total drag. And that was mostly because there was a major difference between the early first-round picks vs. the late first-round picks that wasn't made up for enough by the early second-round options. While there are still clear-cut difference makers up top in 2026 drafts, the early second-rounders have a major edge -- specifically if you're looking to grab a second-round running back -- and that's exactly what I did in this draft.
Building out from the back-end of a snake in 2026 offers an opportunity to not have to go out of your way to build a balanced roster. Your best options in Round 1 are likely (and simply) CeeDee Lamb and your best option in Round 2 is your running back of choice. And even if you do build out RB-RB from here, you'll have plenty of excellent second-tier receivers to choose from in Rounds 3-4.
This is our 12-part, pick-by-pick series where me, Jamey Eisenberg, Heath Cummings, Dave Richard, and Jacob Gibbs all took part in a six-person mock draft. We each built two of the 12 teams in this 14-round draft to show you a different strategy from each spot.
As a reference point, all touchdowns in this league are worth six points, and we award one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving and one point for every 25 yards passing. We also award one point for every reception. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE and FLEX (RB/WR/TE).
Here's how my team came together from the 11th pick:
1.11 CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
2.02 Omarion Hampton, RB, Chargers
3.11 Jaylen Waddle, WR, Broncos
4.02 Breece Hall, RB, Jets
5.11 Rome Odunze, WR, Bears
6.02 Mike Evans, WR, 49ers
7.11 Harold Fannin Jr., Browns
8.02 Jordan Addison, WR, Vikings
9.11 Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB, Jaguars
10.02 Emmett Johnson, RB, Chiefs
11.11 Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
12.02 Jakobi Meyers, WR, Jaguars
13.11 Malik Willis, QB, Dolphins
14.02 Kayshon Boutte, WR, Texans
Favorite pick: Emmett Johnson, RB, Chiefs
This is an odd one, but yes, sometimes you just have to get your guy. For those of you who are Beyond The Boxscore listeners, you know I've been touting Johnson since April. When I evaluated the game film and tried to project skill sets to the next level, Johnson came in as my RB2 overall in the 2026 class. He carried the full workload at Nebraska, they trusted him in pass protection, as a receiver and as an extension of their run game through the air and he had Bucky Irving-esque stop-and-start ability. Since then he had the best possible offseason, dominating every non Ken Walker rep and earning the undoubted No. 2 role in the Chiefs backfield so much so that they decided to release Emari Demarcado. The No. 2 RB role in Kansas City has been valuable over the years; Walker has an injury history and Walker has no history of carrying a full workhorse role. Johnson should be drafted about 30 spots higher by ADP.
Pick I might regret: Breece Hall
From a metrics standpoint -- both as a rusher and receiver -- Hall is one of the elite running backs in the NFL on a per-touch basis and therefore should be a steal in Round 4 of any draft format. Unfortunately, Fantasy Football isn't played on a per-touch basis. Hall could profile as a dead zone RB for me if the Jets are trailing and the red zone work goes to Braelon Allen. This is specifically true if Hall is not very involved in the Jets' pass scheme. All the talent in the world cannot make up for a bad situation in Fantasy Football. However, if the Jets rise to even mid-pack with Geno Smith, a young-and-improved offensive line and Hall gets the majority of the red zone work -- he'll be a league winner.
Player who could make or break my team: Mike Evans
It feels like just weeks ago that Jacob and I were discussing Evans as a borderline top-30 player overall on Beyond the Boxscore, but in reality, it was five months ago. In those five months since Evan signed in San Francisco, he has struggled to make it through a string of consecutive training camp practices with the 49ers. It's possible Evans could be a worrisome player to roster all season long if his soft-tissue issues limit him, but if he's healthy, the fit with the 49ers and Brock Purdy specifically should make him this year's Davante Adams. Similar to Adams joining the Rams, Evans gets an upgrade with Purdy on all vertical routes (Purdy has been one of the most accurate deep passers). He'll also have more scoring opportunities in the red zone and Kyle Shanahan has a history of unlocking vertical X receivers throughout his coaching career. Julio Jones is the best example of that -- his verticality was unlocked once he joined Shanahan in Atlanta. However, Brandon Aiyuk was also top-10 in yards per route run with Shanahan. If Evans stays healthy, he's going to win me this league. The flip side of that -- if he gets and stays hurt -- I'll be scrambling to fill my WR3/FLEX every week.
