The best part about fantasy football is that there’s no offseason. The first round of the draft is very important, and it sets the tone for your whole team.
That being the case, we give you our early-times 2026 fantasy football mock draft — first round only, 12-team league — as well as some PrizePicks picks and projections.
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2026 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: First Round Picks, Projections
Let’s look at a first-round mock draft for the 2026 fantasy football and NFLSZN projection on PrizePicks
1. Falcons RB Bijan Robinson
It was a great season for Bijan, finishing with the third-most fantasy points (370.8). His dual-threat ability gives him a high ceiling; he was one of two players with over 200 carries and 100 targets.
Even with Kevin Stefanski in as the new Falcons head coach, there shouldn’t be a concern about Robinson's role diminishing. Stefanski didn’t have a running back in Cleveland who took more than 60% of snaps, but he also never had one who was valuable as both a runner and a pass catcher.
Looking back to 2019, when Stefanski was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, his RB1, Dalvin Cook, had a 66% snap count, finished tenth in rushing yards (1,135), and fifth in receiving yards among RBs (519), which shows that Stefanski can utilize a dual-threat running back.
Bijan Robinson NFLSZN Projections on PrizePicks
Here are season-long projections for Bijan Robinson on PrizePicks. You can set an entire Lineup of 2026 NFL projections, pick More or Less, and win money if you're right!
- 1,274.5 Rushing Yards
- 599.5 Receiving Yards
- 11.5 Rushing TDs
- 3.5 Receiving TDs
2. Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs
It was another monster year for Gibbs, finishing as the RB3 with nine top-ten weeklyfinishes. What makes him so dangerous is his ability to break off big plays, leading the league in 6 runs of 20 yards or more.
The Lions seem to want Gibbs as their main back, as indicated by the rise in snap percentage from 56% in 2024 to 66% this season. The good news is that his offensive line, which ranked 13th with a 69.8 run-blocking PFF grade, could remain intact, as all are under contract.
Jahmyr Gibbs NFLSZN Projections on PrizePicks
Here are season-long projections for Jahmyr Gibbs on PrizePicks. You can set an entire Lineup of 2026 NFL projections, pick More or Less, and win money if you're right!
- 1,199.5 Rushing Yards
- 524.5 Receiving Yards
- 11.5 Rushing TDs
- 3.5 Receiving TDs
3. 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey had another season where he was valuable to fantasy lineups, averaging 24.5 fantasy points per game, mainly because he led all running backs with 413 touches.
Volume is key to his value, as there are concerns about individual stats. His big-play ability is worrisome, with his 11 breakaway runs ranking 14th among running backs, and he was one of three players in the league with at least 230 carries and an average under 4.0 yards per carry.
As long as he remains a key player in the 49ers’ offense, he is still worthy of being in the top five.
Christian McCaffrey NFLSZN Projections on PrizePicks
Here are season-long projections for Christian McCaffrey on PrizePicks. You can set an entire Lineup of 2026 NFL projections, pick More or Less, and win money if you're right!
- 999.5 Rushing Yards
- 649.5 Receiving Yards
- 8.5 Rushing TDs
- 4.5 Receiving TDs
4. Rams WR Puka Nacua
Nacua had another season as a fantasy star, finishing with the second-most fantasy points and leading the league with 107.2 receiving yards per game.
Nacua’s strength is that he excels regardless of the opponent. He played four games against teams that finished in the top six for fantasy points allowed to wide receivers (Eagles, Seahawks twice, Texans), and had over 110 receiving yards in three matchups, including a 225-yard performance in Week 16 against Seattle.
With Rams QB Matthew Stafford returning for 2026, it could be business as usual for Nacua.
Puka Nacua NFLSZN Projections on PrizePicks
Here are season-long projections for Puka Nacua on PrizePicks. You can set an entire Lineup of 2026 NFL projections, pick More or Less, and win money if you're right!
- 1,349.5 Receiving Yards
- 0.5 Rushing TDs
- 7.5 Receiving TDs
5. Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
It was an outstanding season for the former Ohio State wide receiver, with a league-leading 1,793 receiving yards and earning the Offensive Player of the Year award. Seahawks QB Sam Darnold heavily depended on Smith-Njigba, who led all wide receivers with a 35.9% target share, because he was often open thanks to an NFL-leading 3.0 yards of separation.
The volume and route-running abilities will likely keep Smith-Njigba as Seattle's top option as the team defends its title.
6. Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase
Chase is a fantasy star with over 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth straight season and is among the top -four wide receivers in fantasy points for the second year.
His relationship with Bengals QB Joe Burrow dates back to their LSU days, and they have developed a connection that makes them one of the league's better QB/WR combinations. When you add that Cincinnati has been No. 2 in pass play percentage for two years in a row, it gives Chase the potential to see a lot of volume.
Ja’Marr Chase NFLSZN Projections on PrizePicks
Here are season-long projections for Ja’Marr Chase on PrizePicks. You can set an entire Lineup of 2026 NFL projections, pick More or Less, and win money if you're right!
- 1,324.5 Receiving Yards
- 10.5 Receiving TDs
7. Colts RB Jonathan Taylor
Taylor was a fantasy football MVP candidate in the first half of the season, but as the Colts stumbled, so did his production. In Weeks 1-10, JT averaged 113.9 rushing yards per game, but in Weeks 12-18, that plummeted to 63.7. The reason for this drop in production could be the season-ending Achilles tear to Colts QB Daniel Jones.
Do not be worried about the regression carrying over into 2026; he has four seasons with more than 1,000 rushing yards and three with more than 300 touches.
He is Indianapolis’ best playmaker and could remain the focal point of this offense.
Jonathan Taylor NFLSZN Projections on PrizePicks
Here are season-long projections for Jonathan Taylor on PrizePicks. You can set an entire Lineup of 2026 NFL projections, pick More or Less, and win money if you're right!
- 1,224.5 Rushing Yards
- 11.5 Rushing TDs
- 1.5 Receiving TDs
8. Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
St. Brown is the king of consistency, as he finished as the WR3 for the third straight year. What makes ARSB so valuable is that Lions QB Jared Goff relies on him to finish drives, as St. Brown led the league with 34 red zone targets and 20 red zone receptions.
The fact that this offense has finished top-five in points per game for four consecutive years is why you want St. Brown on your roster.
Amon-Ra St. Brown NFLSZN Projections on PrizePicks
Here are season-long projections for Amon-Ra St. Brown on PrizePicks. You can set an entire Lineup of 2026 NFL projections, pick More or Less, and win money if you're right!
- 1,149.5 Receiving Yards
- 8.5 Receiving TDs
9. Cardinals TE Trey McBride
To pick a tight end early in your draft, he must stand out among his peers: McBride fits that perfectly. His league-leading 315.9 PPR points were over 100 more than Falcons TE Kyle Pitts Sr.’s 210.8.
He was not only the best fantasy tight end in the NFL, but one of the best pass catchers, finishing second in the league in catches (126) and receiving TDs (11).
McBride is someone new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur can lean on in his offense, whether it’s QB Kyler Murray or a new quarterback behind center.
Trey McBride NFLSZN Projections on PrizePicks
Here are season-long projections for Trey McBride on PrizePicks. You can set an entire Lineup of 2026 NFL projections, pick More or Less, and win money if you're right!
- 999.5 Receiving Yards
- 6.5 Receiving TDs
10. Bills RB James Cook
You might be able to put Cook into that top-tier running back list after his 2025 season. He led the league with 1,621 rushing yards and was one of five running backs to have at least 230 carries and average over 5 yards per carry.
Buffalo leans heavily on the run, ranking second in the NFL with a 49.8% run-play percentage. New Bills offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. knows how to use a running back like Cook, having held the same position with the Saints from 2009 to 2023 and made RB Alvin Kamara one of the league's top dual-threats.
James Cook NFLSZN Projections on PrizePicks
Here are season-long projections for James Cook on PrizePicks. You can set an entire Lineup of 2026 NFL projections, pick More or Less, and win money if you're right!
- 1,199.5 Rushing Yards
- 10.5 Rushing TDs
- 1.5 Receiving TDs
11. Giants WR Malik Nabers
Last season, we only saw a glimpse of the potential magic Nabers and Giants QB Jaxson Dart could make. It was in Dart’s first start in Week 4 against the Chargers that Nabers had 2 catches for 20 yards before suffering a season-ending torn ACL. The stats from his 2024 rookie year prove he can be an elite wide receiver — he set a rookie record with 109 catches, and his 1,209 receiving yards were tenth.
New Giants head coach John Harbaugh might make Nabers the main target in the passing game, and he may not experience a drop in workload in 2026.
12. Miami RB Devon Achane
Achane finished in the top- five among running backs for the second consecutive year. He’s Miami’s best playmaker and one of the more explosive runners in football, leading the position with 24 breakaways runs and second with 6.0 yards per touch.
There may not be much change under the new Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley. That’s because the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator is Bobby Slowik, who was promoted from senior passing game coordinator.
Achane is essential to the Miami offense because he was their leading running back, but he led the team with 67 receptions.
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Make NFLSZN Picks on PrizePicks
Don’t be upset because the 2025 NFL season is over because on PrizePicks, you can now make predictions for 2026.
Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 34 states.
Keep it right here with the Playbook for continued NFL picks, predictions, and news every day.
