It is the exact same scenario every single draft season without fail. The minute draft slots are assigned, my inbox, social feeds, and DMs get utterly flooded with one universal question: "Howard, who do I target with the 11th pick?" It is easily the single most frequent question we as analysts get hit with. Managers everywhere start to sweat when they find themselves picking near the turn of the first round. But take a deep breath, Nation—this article series, paired with Fantasy Alarm's Ultimate Cheat Sheet and our groundbreaking Mock Draft Simulator, is designed not only to solve that first-round dilemma, but to guide your decision-making across every single round that follows.

Now, let’s lay the ground rules right up front: theoretically, a flawless, "perfect" draft doesn't actually exist. Unforeseen injuries, last-second depth chart changes, and that one wild-card league mate who drafts a defense in Round 5 are bound to throw a wrench into things. However, if you stick to the draft grid in the cheat sheet, draft the proper skill positions at your essential turns, and keep player value at the absolute forefront of your mind, you can assemble a roster that will steamroll its way to the championship.

While you can certainly veer from the cheat sheet framework when your gut tells you to, proceed with caution—never overlook massive value simply because you feel a position is already filled. If a player from an earlier value tier falls to your turn—particularly at running back or wide receiver—you should target that player regardless of your current roster layout. You can always balance out your positional depth deeper into the draft. If your draft room wants to hand you a player with second-round value in the fourth round, you grab that gift 99 times out of 100!

We all know the draft is only step one in a long, grueling fantasy season, and maintaining active waiver wire management while staying sharp with weekly start/sit choices will be paramount. But if you launch your campaign using this proven fantasy football draft position strategy, failure is no longer an option. Let’s dive straight into how you can conquer your draft from the 11-spot using a winning fantasy football PPR strategy!

Round 1, Pick 11: Draft a Wide Receiver

Why: The 11th overall pick works in a very similar fashion to the ninth and 10th overall. Sure, you could reach for a running back here if you like, but we prefer to grab the last elite-level wide receivers and then just wait two more picks before our second. You could make an argument that there are some second-round receivers who could reach that elite-level status -- we're all looking at A.J. Brown in that fashion -- but it should make you feel more comfortable to lock down the top receiver available to you and then figure out your RB strategy.

Top Target: Justin Jefferson, WR Minnesota Vikings

Drafting Justin Jefferson at 11th overall offers rare, league-winning value because it gives you WR1-overall ceiling at late first-round cost. Jefferson's statistical floor is remarkably high: he has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in all six of his NFL seasons, including a peak 2022 campaign with 128 receptions for 1,809 yards and double-digit touchdowns in both 2021 and 2024. Even during down years or periods of inconsistent quarterback play, Jefferson remains an elite volume driver—frequently commanding over a 30% team target share and ranking among the league leaders in air yards and route participation. Securing a player with a career average of over 85 receiving yards per game, regardless of QB, at pick 11 allows you to anchor your roster with elite, dependable production without having to pay top-three draft capital. And if this Kyler Murray experiment works – oh baby!

Other Targets: Amon-Ra St. Brown, CeeDee Lamb

 

 

 

Round 2, Pick 14: Draft a Running Back

Why: With your elite-level wide receiver tucked away on the roster, you want to grab a running back here. Sure, you could go with another high-end wideout like A.J. Brown or Drake London, possibly even try a Zero-RB strategy, but with so many picks coming off the board between your second and third selections and with so many people grabbing their running backs early, you really want to give yourself a strong RB option and then open yourself up to the possibility of going with either Hero/Anchor-RB or even a Robust/Bully-RB strategy instead. There's great depth at the receiver position, and your selection of Jefferson gives you a huge opportunity to explore the other positions early.

Top Target: Omarion Hampton, RB Los Angeles Chargers

Drafting Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton in the second round gives you high-end RB1 potential at a fraction of elite draft cost. Selected 22nd overall in the 1st round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Hampton showcased elite dual-threat efficiency during his rookie campaign despite being limited to nine games. When fully healthy in Weeks 1–4, he averaged 17 touches and 95 total yards per game. Across his abbreviated rookie season, he amassed 737 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns on 156 touches, averaging 4.4 yards per carry and hauling in 32 of 35 targets (91.4% catch rate). Combined with his dominant collegiate track record at UNC—where he compiled 3,164 rushing yards and 30 rushing touchdowns over his final two seasons—Hampton's workhorse profile and pass-catching reliability make him a pristine anchor for your fantasy backfield in round two.

Other Targets: Chase Brown, Drake London, A.J. Brown

Round 3, Pick 35: Draft a Wide Receiver

Why: When you look at the board and finish crossing off all the names on your Ultimate Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet, what's more abundant right now here at the tail-end of the third round? The Mock Draft Simulator took the quality running backs off our board, and your league is very likely to do the same. While we won't fully commit to a Hero/Anchor-RB strategy with Hampton being our primary just yet until we see what is happening. However, we could very much lean into it depending on what the person on the wheel does with their next two picks.

Top Target: Tetairoa McMillan, WR Carolina Panthers

Selected eighth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, McMillan had an immediate impact, capturing AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after posting 70 receptions for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. He established himself as Bryce Young’s unquestioned top target, dominating the offense with a 25.4% target share, a 40.9% air yards share (ranking 6th in the NFL), and accounting for 30.7% of Carolina’s total receiving yards. With an average target depth of 11.6 yards and an elite 33.3% first-read target share, McMillan boasts the heavy volume, downfield upside, and target command necessary to anchor your receiving corps with top-15 efficiency as he enters his second year. 

Other Targets: Kyren Williams, Javonte Williams, Garrett Wilson

Round 4, Pick 38: Draft a Wide Receiver

Why: The running backs from 4A are gone, and while we could push into 4B and take Travis Etienne, I'm just not that into him. You can read my Fantasy Busts articles for the details, but I'd much prefer to take one of the top Tier-2 wideouts available to me and figure out my RB2 later on. This is giving me too good of a wide receiver corps for me to worry about anything else right now.

Top Target: Terry McLaurin, WR Washington Commanders

Prior to an injury-derailed 2025 campaign, McLaurin demonstrated an ironclad floor by stringing together four consecutive 1,000-plus receiving yard seasons (2020–2024), culminating in a monstrous 2024 finish with 82 receptions, 1,096 yards, and 13 touchdowns. Even while limited to just 10 games in 2025 due to a quad injury, his underlying efficiency metrics surged to elite levels—posting a career-high 2.55 yards per route run (YPRR) (up from 2.32 in 2024), a 15.3 yards-per-reception average, and a 13.7 average depth of target (aDOT). With franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels entering his third year and Washington's offense holding one of the league's highest rates of vacated targets and air yards, McLaurin projects for a command of over 20%+ team target share and a heavy downfield workload. Securing a wideout with top-10 peripheral metrics and undisputed alpha target equity in Round 4 provides a statistical edge over volatile options taken in the same range. 

Other Targets: Tee Higgins, Jaylen Waddle, Luther Burden

 

 

 

Round 5, Pick 59: Draft a Running Back

Why: The room is still tilting heavily towards running backs, so our 5B (cheat sheet round) options are all off the board. Considering how close together this and our sixth-round picks are, I have no issues reaching into 6A to grab a running back and secure my RB2 moving forward. Taking a QB or a WR seems like too much of a reach here, even though Jayden Daniels is still on the board and we have McLaurin. If Team 12 doesn't take Daniels, then maybe we will with our next pick.

Top Target: Bhayshul Tuten, RB Jacksonville Jaguars

With Travis Etienne departing for New Orleans, Tuten inherits a Jaguars backfield that generated over 1,100 rushing yards and a top-15 rushing rate last season under head coach Liam Coen. Though a rookie finger injury limited his overall touch count in 2025, Tuten's underlying efficiency metrics flashed high-end RB1 talent—ranking 5th in rushing success rate, 11th in missed tackles forced rate, and 17th in yards after contact per attempt among 55 qualifying running backs. Coupled with elite athletic traits—highlighted by a 96th percentile 10-yard split and a combine-best 4.32 40-yard dash—Tuten pairs explosive, home-run efficiency with projected volume. Grabbing a dynamic Year 2 back positioned for command of a run-friendly offense in Round 5 gives managers an optimal balance of a safe volume floor and league-winning upside. 

Other Targets: Quinshon Judkins, Bucky Irving, D'Andre Swift

Round 6, Pick 62: Draft a Wide Receiver

Why: Yes, that's right, we're staying with the receivers. Team 12 snagged Daniels; I'm not reaching for a tight end, and I'm not too keen on reaching for Jadarian Price here either. With George Holani and Emanuel Wilson in Seattle, who's to say Price gets the bulk of the workload? Let's stick to the wideouts, and we'll see what the board leaves us next time around.

Top Target: Marvin Harrison, WR Arizona Cardinals

While injury disruptions limited his 2025 sophomore line (41 receptions, 608 yards, 4 TDs in 12 games), Harrison’s underlying usage metrics remained elite. In his fully healthy games (>70% snap share), he maintained a 21.5% target share alongside high-value role indicators—ranking 11th in average depth of target (13.9 aDOT) while commanding a 24.3% red-zone target share and a team-high 41.7% end-zone target share. Moreover, through 29 career games, Harrison’s 12 receiving touchdowns put him in elite historical company alongside Larry Fitzgerald for early-career scoring productivity in franchise history. Securing a 23-year-old former top-four NFL pick with undisputed downfield and goal-line leverage in Round 6 provides the ideal balance of an entrenched floor and league-winning bounce-back potential.

Other Targets: Courtland Sutton, Parker Washington

Round 7, Pick 83: Draft a Wide Receiver

Why: At this point you have two running backs and four receivers. But looking at 7B in the Cheat Sheet, we can do one of three things -- take a receiver again and kick TE down the road a bit, or you can reach by a round (or so) for a running back or quarterback. While I do love the four receivers we have, when the bye weeks come, I'm loving the idea of having a high-floor, PPR-monster receiver in my stable to freely move in and out of my starting lineup. We can attack the other positions soon enough.

Top Target: Wan'Dale Robinson, WR Tennessee Titans

Robinson enters his first year in Tennessee coming off a career-best 2025 campaign where he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards (92 receptions, 1,014 yards, 4 TDs) and led all NFL wide receivers with 622 receiving yards out of the slot. Reuniting with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll—under whose system he commanded 140 targets and a team-high 25.0% target share in 2025—Robinson steps directly into a high-volume slot role. Additionally, his underlying efficiency metrics demonstrated noticeable growth, elevating his yards per reception to a career-high 11.0 YPR while maintaining a reliable 65.7% catch rate. Securing a receiver with back-to-back seasons of 90+ catches and established scheme familiarity in Round 7 offers a high-floor PPR safety net alongside room to exceed his draft capital.

Other Targets: Chuba Hubbard, Justin Herbert, Harold Fannin

 

 

 

Round 8, Pick 86: Draft a Running Back

Why: On the surface, this may look like we're playing QB/TE chicken with the teams who also don't have one, but again, this is all about the value we are getting on a number of these players. And if you've read through this entire series, you'll know exactly who I want here. This is the exact spot he sits in the Cheat Sheet, but truth be told, I actually bumped him up a round from where his ADP sist, simply because I believe in him and love what he's bringing to the table in fantasy this season.

Top Target: Kenneth Gainwell, RB Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Joining Tampa Bay on a two-year deal after a breakout 2025 campaign in Pittsburgh—where he logged 1,023 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns—Gainwell established himself as one of the league's most effective dual-threat backs. His peripheral efficiency metrics were particularly dominant down the stretch in 2025: over his final eight games, he ranked 3rd among all running backs in target share (17.5%), 2nd in receiving yards per game (45.4), and 4th in yards per route run (2.10). Head coach Todd Bowles and new OC Zac Robinson have explicitly designated Gainwell as Tampa Bay's "1B" running back alongside Bucky Irving. With a 25.6% target rate per route and immediate high-volume pass-catching duties in this offense, securing Gainwell in Round 8 yields standalone flex production with immediate league-winning ceiling should he command the backfield.

Other Targets: Rhamondre Stevenson, RJ Harvey

Round 9, Pick 107: Draft a Tight End

Why: Always remember -- you never know who slips through the cracks, and at this point in your draft, there are probably a few names that have. Unless there's a prevalent injury issue, you should probably take the value. For the sake of our blueprint within the Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet, we're going to assume everyone earlier is gone, and we have to look at what's in front of us. This section here screams, "reach for a tight end or your quarterback." Maybe there's a rushing QB out there, or you could get a tight end who will see decent targets. If we see some options later in the draft, then maybe we grab another, but make your pick and grab your first guy, even if it's a slight reach.

Top Target: Isaiah Likely, TE New York Giants

After signing a three-year, $40 million deal with New York, Likely steps out from Mark Andrews' shadow into an undisputed top pass-catching role. Historically, when given starting volume, Likely’s underlying efficiency has rivaled elite tight ends—posting a 2.01 yards per route run (YPRR) and scoring 8 touchdowns on just 51 targets across his starting starts in Baltimore. Projections for 2026 model Likely for 63 receptions, 746 receiving yards, and 5 touchdowns (~165 PPR points), driven by an anticipated 16–18% target share in a Giants offense lacking established depth behind Malik Nabers. Snagging a 26-year-old dynamic tight end with high-end athletic traits and a dedicated receiving role in Round 9 allows you to wait on the position while securing high-volume TE1 upside.

Other Targets: Dalton Kincaid, Travis Kelce, Jake Ferguson

Round 10, Pick 110: Draft a Quarterback

Why: You may as well, right? Just keep in mind that you'll probably want to find a second guy later one, just so you have some options. It's not that the selections this far into your draft are bad options; it's that you have the perfect opportunity here for the Yin-Yang strategy, as there are some mobile guys left and some pure pocket-passers, both of whom will look good on your roster, which is loaded with fantastic running backs and wide receivers. Maybe we try one of each here depending on how the rest of this draft goes?

Top Target: Bo Nix, QB Denver Broncos

Drafting Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix in the 10th round presents an unbelievable draft-day bargain, locking in QB1 production at QB2 pricing. Nix built on his stellar rookie year by finishing as the overall QB7 in fantasy football in 2025, racking up 3,931 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, and adding 356 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground (giving him 30 total touchdowns). Powered by head coach Sean Payton's system, Nix commanded elite volume, leading the entire NFL with 612 pass attempts while maintaining a dual-threat floor with 83 rushing attempts. Across his first two NFL seasons, Nix has established a consistent baseline of 3,700+ passing yards and 29+ total touchdowns per year. Securing a dual-threat starter with guaranteed top-10 finish history in Round 10 grants your roster high-end quarterback production while allowing you to stack premium skill-position depth early.

Other Targets: Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield

 

 

 

Round 11, Pick 131: Draft a Running Back

Why: You don't have strong running back depth at all. In fact, you have two starting running backs and Kenneth Gainwell waiting in the wings. You need to protect your investments. It's too early to grab a Kimani Vidal, and we don't even know if he's even the true handcuff, so it makes the most sense to grab Tuten's backup and make sure that, should anyone in Jacksonville get hurt, you are covered. If CRod is gone in your league, you can pivot to one of the receivers located in 11B of the cheat sheet.

Top Target: Chris Rodriguez, RB Jacksonville Jaguars

Drafting Jacksonville Jaguars running back Chris Rodriguez in the 11th round completes the ultimate backfield insurance policy while securing high-yield production if thrust into a starting role. Because you already hold Bhayshul Tuten, pairing him with Rodriguez secures 100% of Jacksonville’s ground volume in an offense that ranked top-15 in rushing play percentage last season. Rodriguez demonstrated standout power-running efficiency in 2025, setting career highs with 500 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns on 112 carries (4.5 YPC) across seven starts. More importantly, his underlying metrics inside the tackles are elite: among qualifying backs, he ranked 2nd in yards after contact per attempt and 12th in missed tackle forced rate, highlighting a physical running style built for short-yardage and goal-line work. Holding both components of the Duval backfield in Round 11 insulates your team against potential injuries without sacrificing bench efficiency, guaranteeing top-20 RB volume from the Jaguars' run game all season long.

Other Targets: Khalil Shakir, Jalen Coker, Jalen Nailor

Round 12, Pick 134: Draft a Tight End

Why: You already have a great option in Likely. He's considered a high-floor, target-monster in this Giants offense. After all, who is going to replace Wan'Dale Robinson and absorb all those chain-moving targets he saw last season? But now this becomes a great opportunity to take that second tight end -- the guy with the shoot-the-moon upside. He doesn't have to shoot the moon immediately because you have the safety in Likely, so why not take a chance?

Top Target: Chig Okonkwo, TE Washington Commanders

After joining Washington following a career-best 2025 campaign—where he set personal highs with 56 receptions on 79 targets for 560 receiving yards—Okonkwo has established a remarkably stable baseline, posting three consecutive seasons with 52+ catches. His peripheral efficiency metrics highlight high-end post-catch ability: in 2025, he generated 342 yards after the catch (YAC) (6.1 YAC per reception) and boasted a 99.7 Explosive Play Rating (EPX), ranking 13th among all NFL tight ends. Operating as an athletic seam-threat with elite raw speed (4.52 40-yard dash, 96th percentile) in a Jayden Daniels-led attack that heavily features tight end usage, Okonkwo provides a strong positional safety net and TE1 breakout potential at a minimal Round 12 draft investment.

Other Targets: Oronde Gadsden, Kenyon Sadiq

Round 13–18: Fill Depth

Use any additional picks to draft a kicker and team defense if required; otherwise, stock up on running backs and wide receivers unless you waited on tight end. If you did, then a second TE never hurts. It's all about the Yin-Yang draft philosophy and our Dynamic Tiers.