"Who do I take with the seventh pick?" It is the most common question we as fantasy football analysts are asked every single draft season. It’s that awkward middle spot where you watch the top tier evaporate right before your eyes, leaving you stranded in no man's land. Tough spot to find yourself on Draft Day.

This article series, in conjunction with Fantasy Alarm's Ultimate Cheat Sheet, will not only help answer that question but also help guide you with your subsequent picks using our brand new Mock Draft Simulator.

Let's get one thing straight: technically, the perfect draft doesn't exist. Drafts are living, breathing entities. However, if you follow the draft grid in the cheat sheet and select the proper players at your necessary positions, while keeping value at the forefront of your mind, you can build a team that will take you straight to the championship.

Of course, you can deviate from the cheat sheet blueprint if you really want to. Go ahead, be a maverick. But be incredibly careful that you don't overlook strong value, especially at positions you may feel like you already have covered. If there is a player available from an earlier round and it is from either the running back or wide receiver position, consider that player first, regardless of what position they play. You can balance out your roster further in the draft. If your league is going to hand you a player who has second-round value in the fourth round of your draft, you should take it 99 times out of 100.

Implementing a highly effective fantasy football draft position strategy means being fluid. We know the draft is just the first step in a long season, and your waiver wire work and lineup choices need to be on-point, but if you start with this foundational approach, failure is no longer an option.

Let’s dive into the ultimate fantasy football pick 7 draft strategy blueprint using a fantasy football PPR strategy to dominate your 12-team leagues.

Round 1, Pick 7: Draft a Running Back

Why: You're in a little bit of a gray area here and can grab one of the elite-level bell-cow running backs or an elite-level wide receiver, dealer's choice, as both are available to you. However, the preference here is for a running back, because if you try to leave it to the second round, picks 8-12 not only have the opportunity to take the remaining bell-cows off the board, but they could even double-tap the position, which would leave you with a lesser choice than if you were searching for a second-round wide receiver.

Top Target: Jonathan Taylor, RB Indianapolis Colts

During his spectacular 2025 campaign, Taylor spearheaded the Colts' ground game by leading the NFL with 323 carries and capturing an astounding 73.1% market share of his team's total rushing attempts—the highest rate of any player in the league. He parlayed this massive volume into 1,585 rushing yards and a league-high 18 rushing touchdowns, finishing as a fantasy juggernaut with 20 total scores and a robust 19.7 points per game. His efficiency metrics remain premier, evidenced by an 83.5 PFF rushing grade, a heavy 3.5 yards after contact per attempt, and 67 forced missed tackles. With the Colts returning quarterback Daniel Jones from injury to lighten defensive boxes, Taylor's historical 23 red-zone touches inside the 5-yard line guarantee premium scoring opportunities, giving you an elite overall RB1 ceiling at a flawless value pick at seventh overall

Other Targets: Ashton Jeanty, Christian McCaffrey, Omarion Hampton

 

 

 

Round 2, Pick 18: Draft a Wide Receiver

Why: The Cheat Sheet gives you some rock-solid options here in the second round, from a small handful of bell-cow backs to the tail-end of the elite receivers to the top-tier of tight ends. Maybe if this were a TE-premium draft, then that could be the move to make, but in a regular redraft league, you don't need to make that move. Take the elite-level wide receiver and pair him up with your elite-level running back. Then we'll look at the Round 3 options.

Top Target: A.J. Brown, WR New England Patriots

Despite a frustrating final year in Philadelphia, where he averaged a career-low 12.9 yards per catch, Brown still secured his sixth 1,000-yard season, hauling in 78 receptions for 1,003 yards and 7 touchdowns. His underlying metrics remain incredibly robust; Brown has historically finished no lower than seventh among wide receivers in target share in each of his seven NFL seasons, ensuring an ironclad volume floor. Newly traded to New England under head coach Mike Vrabel—who famously maximized him in Tennessee—Brown steps in as the undisputed "alpha" X-receiver for third-year quarterback Drake Maye. Absorbing the massive vacated target volume left behind by Stefon Diggs' departure, Brown's history as a top-15 fantasy point-per-game producer makes him a lock to outproduce his second-round draft cost.

Other Targets: Nico Collins, George Pickens

Round 3, Pick 31: Draft a Wide Receiver

Why: This pick is all about what the teams drafting behind you did for their first two picks. Typical ADP will likely reveal an RB-heavy approach for most of those five teams, which means it might benefit you more to grab another strong receiver and then see what running backs are left in the fourth. Using our Mock Draft Simulator, we are presented with that exact scenario, and chances are, it could very well be the direction in your league as well.

Top Target: Tetairoa McMillan, WR Carolina Panthers

Fresh off capturing the 2025 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, McMillan dominated Carolina's passing game by hauling in 70 receptions for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. His advanced metric profile highlights a foundational fantasy floor, characterized by a commanding 23% target share, a massive 41% air yards share, and a highly efficient 12.3-yard average depth of target (aDOT). McMillan’s underlying talent earned him a stellar 78.7 overall PFF grade while reaching or exceeding a 20% target share in 14 of his 17 regular-season games. With head coach Dave Canales continuing to refine the offense around an ascending Bryce Young, McMillan is mathematically primed to crush his WR2 cost and vault into the elite WR1 tier during his sophomore season.

Other Targets: Garrett Wilson, Tee Higgins

Round 4, Pick 44: Draft a Running Back

Why: This is the exact situation we've discussed with regard to looking at the TE position, should Colston Loveland be available, but for the seventh overall pick, we're going to go back to the running backs and grab our RB2. As always, if someone from a previous round should slip through the cracks -- maybe like a Javonte Williams -- you make that move and solidify your RB2. Still, some really solid options at the position here can keep you from chasing later in your draft.

Top Target: Travis Etienne, RB New Orleans Saints

Securing Etienne in this range offers a rare workhorse profile, as he is coming off a robust 2025 campaign where he ranked 8th in the NFL with 260 rushing carries and 11th with 1,107 rushing yards. His high-end floor is further solidified by an elite elusiveness profile, having racked up 534 yards after contact (averaging 3.3 per rush) and forcing 35 missed tackles. Following a massive four-year, $52 million contract to lead Kellen Moore’s offense, Etienne steps into an ideal, high-tempo scheme perfectly suited for his skillset. His dual-threat capabilities—proven by his six receiving touchdowns in 2025 (ranking 2nd among all NFL running backs)—ensure a safe weekly baseline and overall RB1 upside at a mid-round draft cost.

Other Targets: Bucky Irving, Josh Jacobs, Javonte Williams

 

 

 

Round 5, Pick 55: Draft a Wide Receiver

Why: At this point, we've now seen plenty of people scoop up an early tight end, draft a top quarterback, or panic over the running back position, and we see plenty of receiver value still on the board. With Brown and McMillan, taking a wideout at this point is going to secure your position and allow you to focus on other spots.

Top Target: Mike Evans, WR San Francisco 49ers

Although a hamstring tear limited him to just 9 games last season, snapping his historic streak of consecutive 1,000-yard seasons at 11, Evans remained a model of elite efficiency on a per-snap basis. Before the injury, he commanded a robust 23.5% target share and a massive 38.1% air yards share, proving that his ability to win downfield remains completely intact. His underlying efficiency metrics paint the picture of an elite WR1 hidden in a WR3 draft price; he averaged an exceptional 2.18 yards per route run and maintained a commanding 24.5% target rate per route run. Now fully healthy and integrated into Kyle Shanahan’s quarterback-friendly, play-action passing scheme, Evans is mathematically primed to crush his fifth-round price tag by converting high-value targets into an immediate WR2 floor with a top-10 touchdown ceiling.

Other Targets: Davante Adams, DJ Moore, Jameson Williams

Round 6, Pick 66: Draft a Running Back

Why: We still have plenty of time/opportunity to take a decent QB or TE, so we're staying with our bread and butter. Since Etienne has a few hurdles to overcome (when are the Saints getting rid of Alvin Kamara for crying out loud?) It's a much safer build to grab another back who has the potential of taking over the primary responsibilities in the backfield.

Top Target: Bhayshul Tuten, RB Jacksonville Jaguars

With the Jaguars transitioning their backfield toward younger, more explosive legs, Tuten possesses a straightforward path to high-volume duties, making him an ideal RB3 target for this fantasy football pick 7 draft strategy. Following Travis Etienne’s departure in free agency, Tuten is primed to absorb a massive share of the 260 carries vacated from Jacksonville's 2025 ground game. While operating as a change-of-pace back during his rookie season, Tuten proved to be incredibly efficient near the goal line, converting 83 rushes into 5 rushing touchdowns and matching that with an impressive 7 total scores on just 93 touches. His underlying efficiency data flashes true star upside; he posted a blazing 9.56 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) and generated a powerful 3.22 yards after contact per attempt, ranking 15th in the NFL among qualifying backs. Now stepping into the projected 1A role under offensive coordinator Liam Coen—where early models project him for 197 rushing attempts and 39 targets—Tuten gives managers a locked-in, high-volume starting running back with a top-24 positional floor at a massive Round 6 discount.

Other Targets: Jadarian Price, Tony Pollard

Round 7, Pick 77: Draft a Quarterback

Why: We've been hammering the RB and WR positions and feel great about our options. Absolutely, we could keep going, but the build allows us to go looking for our QB or TE. Throughout this series, the seventh and eighth rounds are typically where we've done this, so let's continue the trend and find a QB who may have a bit of rushing upside but is leading a high-octane offense as well.

Top Target: Justin Herbert, QB Los Angeles Chargers

Despite operating behind an injury-depleted offensive line that subjected him to a league-high 43.3% pressure rate and 54 sacks last season, Herbert still showcased a resilient fantasy floor, completing 66.4% of his passes for 3,727 yards and 26 touchdowns to finish as the overall QB10. His underlying metrics point to massive elite regression in 2026; he unlocked a career-high 498 rushing yards and averaged an explosive 23.9 fantasy points per game in the five contests he played with a healthy tackle tandem. With franchise cornerstones Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt returning to full health and the arrival of innovative offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who is expected to significantly elevate the team's efficiency, Herbert offers a top-5 statistical ceiling at a safe, mid-round draft cost.

Other Targets: Caleb Williams, Trevor Lawrence

 

 

 

Round 8, Pick 92: Draft a Wide Receiver

Why: We're not enamored with the TE selections at this point and have our eye on a few who could fall. Let's continue to build the WR corps and give ourselves a solid high-floor option we can either flex regularly or mix in to our WR3 spot.

Top Target: Josh Downs, WR Indianapolis Colts

Downs is a premier maneuver to anchor your fantasy football PPR strategy with an elite, high-volume slot asset at a massive draft discount. During the 2025 campaign, Downs struggled with the quarterback play after Daniel Jones was injured, catching just 58 balls on 88 targets for 566 yards and four touchdowns. His underlying efficiency metrics, however, paint the picture of a true PPR cornerstone; he commanded a robust 23.4% target share, logged a highly efficient 1.94 yards per route run, and ranked 11th among all NFL wide receivers with a spectacular 79.5% slot catch rate. With head coach Shane Steichen continuing to dial up a highly concentrated passing attack and with a healthy Jones at QB, Downs' elite 91.2% route participation rate ensures an incredibly safe weekly volume floor, allowing fantasy managers to capture a locked-in WR2 ceiling at a safe, late-mid round draft cost.

Other Targets: Ricky Pearsall, Xavier Worthy

Round 9, Pick 103: Draft a Wide Receiver

Why: Sometimes things can get a little crazy in drafts, and players slip through the cracks all the time. In this case, our Mock Draft Simulator has left Quentin Johnston on the board when, typically, he's gone by now. Given the Herbert pick as our QB, I feel compelled to pair them up. Had QJ not been there, I would have taken a look at a few others who are in this range as well. The RB options here just aren't doing it for me with this build.

Top Target: Quentin Johnston, WR Los Angeles Chargers

Johnston is coming off an efficient breakout campaign where he hauled in 51 receptions for 735 yards and 8 touchdowns on 84 targets. His early-season underlying metrics were exceptionally elite; over the first four weeks of the season, Johnston, operating with a fully healthy offensive line, commanded a dominant 25% target share and a 38% air yards share to produce an elite 19.9 PPR fantasy points per game. Boasting a robust 14.4 yards per reception and a deep-threat 13.0-yard average depth of target (aDOT), he perfectly pairs with Herbert's big-arm capability. Now integrated into innovative offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel's pre-snap motion scheme—designed to maximize his 223 yards after catch (YAC) ability—Johnston provides a locked-in outside starter profile with massive touchdown upside at a Round 9 discount.

Other Targets: Jayden Reed, Jordan Addison

Round 10, Pick 116: Draft a Tight End

Why: Before any more tight ends come off the board, we need to grab ours, and to do so, we have to jump into the next round on the Ultimate Cheat Sheet to grab our guy. We're looking for a high-floor player who should see a strong target share. We are not expecting to find a Trey McBride or Brock Bowers this far down, but there are some names who could be the third-most targeted pass-catcher on their team.

Top Target: Dalton Kincaid, TE Buffalo Bills

Despite playing through a painful torn PCL that limited him to 12 regular-season games and under a 55% snap share, Kincaid was remarkably productive, hauling in 39 receptions for 571 yards and a career-high 5 touchdowns on just 49 targets. His efficiency metrics were completely unmatched at the position: Kincaid led all NFL tight ends with a spectacular 2.73 yards per route run, earned an elite 81.8 overall PFF grade (3rd among tight ends), and paced the league with a 25.9% target rate per route run. Now that he enters the upcoming season completely healthy and fully recovered without needing offseason surgery, a projected spike in his snap share alongside quarterback Josh Allen makes securing his top-3 positional upside at a double-digit round price tag an absolute draft steal.

Other Targets: Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce, Dallas Goedert

 

 

 

Round 11, Pick 127: Draft a Wide Receiver

Why: The RB position can wait another round as there is significantly more value to be found at the WR market. We've seen this spot for a number of our Perfect Drafts, and you can choose how much upside you want to chase versus how high of a floor do you want/need? We'll likely take a high-floor with a potentially strong ceiling here.

Top Target: Jalen Nailor, WR Las Vegas Raiders

During the 2025 regular season with the Vikings, Nailor proved to be an exceptional per-touch vertical weapon, maximizing a limited workload to catch 29 passes for a career-high 444 yards and 4 touchdowns. His underlying metrics scream high-upside breakout capability; he ranked seventh among all qualified NFL wide receivers with a spectacular 15.3 yards per reception and registered a deep-threat 13.1-yard average depth of target (aDOT), all while being charged with just a single drop on 49 targets. After securing a lucrative three-year, $35 million free-agent contract with Las Vegas, Nailor steps directly into an open starting role following the departure of top target Jakobi Meyers. Backed by an average draft position (ADP) around #148 overall, his elite efficiency metrics make him an absolute steal in Round 11 as he transitions into a high-volume offense.

Other Targets: Jalen Coker, Stefon Diggs

Round 12, Pick 129: Draft a Running Back

Why: This is an ideal time to grab a handcuff, as most everyone in your draft is either shooting for crazy, high upside, or they're debating the moronic move of taking a top kicker or defense. The handcuff I most want here will secure our pick of Tuten.

Top Target: Chris Rodriguez, RB Jacksonville Jaguars

Rodriguez in the 12th round is a masterclass in handcuff strategy and standalone value maximization, especially when you already hold Bhayshul Tuten on your roster. Following Travis Etienne’s departure, the Jaguars' backfield is wide open, and Jacksonville heavily invested in Rodriguez by signing him to a lucrative two-year, $10 million contract to reunite with his former college coordinator, Liam Coen. Rodriguez's 2025 regular-season efficiency metrics are completely elite; despite playing a rotational role, he racked up 500 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns on 112 carries, registering a fantastic 78.4 PFF rushing grade (20th in the NFL). More importantly, he proved to be an absolute power-rushing marvel, ranking second in the NFL with a monstrous 3.5 yards after contact per attempt and finishing 12th in missed tackle rate. Because beat writers already project Rodriguez to function as the team's premium early-down hammer and preferred goal-line specialist, pairing him with Tuten completely locks down an aggressive, high-scoring Liam Coen rushing attack—giving you a bulletproof weekly floor and an instant high-end RB2 if either back takes over the backfield entirely

Other Targets: Woody Marks, Keaton Mitchell

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.