If you’ve been following our draft prep over the past month, it is time to throw out your old notes and reset.

The NFL offseason is a living, breathing beast. The draft landscape, the player pool, and ADP are shifting every single day. What worked four weeks ago isn't going to cut it now. When Stefon Diggs signed with the Commanders, it triggered a massive domino effect, not only recalibrating Diggs’ ADP, but also drastically altering target shares and draft values for guys like tight end Chig Okonkwo and rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams.

This is exactly why we constantly test the waters with mock drafts, and why the Fantasy Alarm Mock Draft Simulator is your ultimate tool to stress-test your strategy. If you want to know the exact blueprint for how I draft from the fourth overall spot, this is it. The perfect draft might not exist in real life, but with the Fantasy Alarm Ultimate Cheat Sheet, it exists in mine.

Now, listen to me closely: if your league hands you a gift, take it. If a player with third-round value falls to you in the sixth round, you draft them. Period. If an elite RB or WR slides past their tier, consider them first regardless of what position you intended to target. You can balance out your roster later. We know the draft is just step one in a long season, and winning requires elite waiver wire management and weekly lineup setting. But if you execute this updated fantasy football pick 4 draft strategy, failure is simply no longer an option.

Round 1, Pick 4: Draft a Wide Receiver

When you hold the fourth overall pick, the top tier of running backs is typically wiped clean. Taking a target-monster wideout here locks in elite weekly production and forces the drafters behind you to battle over the remaining top-tier receivers. By opting for a WR first, you set up our updated fantasy football draft position strategy to sweep back and grab an anchor RB1 on the turn.

Top Target: Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams

Why Puka Nacua is the pick: Nacua proved his historic rookie campaign was no fluke by putting together a monstrous 2025 season. In 16 regular-season games, he dominated defensive secondary schemes to the tune of 129 receptions, 1,715 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns. Leading the league with an astonishing 3.80 yards per route run and commanding a 36.1% target rate on his routes, Nacua delivers the exact double-digit target floor and massive ceiling you need from a first-round pick in any updated fantasy football PPR strategy. 

Other Targets: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown

 

 

 

Round 2, Pick 21: Draft a Running Back

The tail end of the second round is usually where the true bell-cow running backs dry up. Securing your high-volume back right here gives your roster a stable foundation and allows you the flexibility to pivot between a Hero-RB or Robust-RB build as the draft develops.

Top Target: Kenneth Walker, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Andy Reid’s system has always thrived when anchored by a dynamic, featured running back. From Jamaal Charles to Kareem Hunt, Reid designs offenses that maximize dual-threat tailbacks who can punish defenders in space and dominate high-value goal-line carries. Landing in Kansas City gives Kenneth Walker the exact volume and efficiency required to deliver elite second-round value. Paired with Patrick Mahomes in an explosive offense, Walker will step into the lead role and benefit from light defensive boxes, massive touchdown upside, and elevated receiving work.

Other Targets: Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry

Round 3, Pick 28: Draft a Running Back

Wide receiver depth is plentiful in mid-rounds, but quality running backs drop off a cliff fast. Locking down your RB2 right here secures two elite backfield starters before a massive gap in picks, letting your league mates fight over the remaining backfield crumbs.

Top Target: Javonte Williams, RB, Dallas Cowboys

Williams enjoyed a massive breakout performance in 2025, operating as the undisputed focal point of the Dallas ground game. He logged 252 carries for 1,201 rushing yards (4.8 YPC) and 11 touchdowns across 16 games, while adding 35 receptions for 137 yards and two receiving scores. That heavy volume and goal-line leverage make him an absolute steal in Round 3. 

Other Targets: Derrick Henry, Kyren Williams

Round 4, Pick 45: Draft a Wide Receiver

While it's tempting to jump on a tight end, grabbing a true WR1 who slid into the fourth round gives you an ironclad starting lineup. Having two elite RBs and two alpha receivers gives you the ultimate foundation to execute a winning fantasy football pick 4 draft strategy.

Top Target: Mike Evans, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Even in an injury-shortened 2025 season where he was limited to eight games, Evans proved he remains a hyper-efficient weapon by catching 30 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns. Before his injury bug, Evans was commanding a top-15 PPR rank per game. Landing in San Francisco's elite offensive ecosystem gives him immediate bounce-back appeal as a dominant red-zone threat.

Other Targets: Christian Watson, DJ Moore

 

 

 

Round 5, Pick 52: Draft a Quarterback

With your core positional spots filled, Round 5 is the sweet spot to grab an elite dual-threat quarterback. A top-tier rushing QB raises your team's weekly floor so high that it feels like playing an extra running back in your lineup every single week.

Top Target: Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

Even after a down 2025 campaign by his lofty standards, grabbing Lamar Jackson in the fifth round represents unbelievable fantasy value. The key to unlocking his elite ceiling again lies in new Baltimore offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Doyle’s creative, highly detailed system introduces fresh pre-snap motion and early-down play-action under center—a scheme Jackson himself called "mind-blowing" and tailored to unleash maximum explosiveness. Between his unmatched, game-breaking rushing baseline and Doyle’s scheme putting defenses in a blender, Jackson gives you overall QB1 upside at a mid-round discount.

Other Targets: David Montgomery, Quinshon Judkins

Round 6, Pick 69: Draft a Wide Receiver

In leagues requiring three starting wideouts, this pick solves your starting lineup needs. If your league only starts two wideouts, you've just drafted a high-end Flex option who can plug in as an instant WR1 during bye weeks.

Top Target: DK Metcalf, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Securing a physical anomaly like DK Metcalf gives your roster a league-winning wide receiver baseline. With Aaron Rodgers leading the offense in Pittsburgh, Rodgers' tendency to get rid of the ball quickly and target players near the line of scrimmage creates immediate opportunities for Metcalf to construct massive yards-after-the-catch plays. Getting a clear target-hog with incredible open-field explosiveness in the middle rounds is a true draft-day steal.

Other Targets: Quentin Johnston, Chris Godwin

Round 7, Pick 76: Draft a Running Back

You can never hoard enough running backs in modern fantasy football. Round 7 is the place to target talent who command the vast majority of touches in their backfields.

Top Target: Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans

Pollard provided steady fantasy utility in 2025, recording over 1,000 yards from scrimmage (1,082 rushing, 238 receiving) and five touchdowns on 250+ total touches. His proven ability to handle a 60%+ snap share makes him a premier RB3/Flex asset in Round 7.

Other Targets: Jadarian Price, Rhamondre Stevenson

 

 

 

Round 8, Pick 93: Draft a Running Back

Injuries hit the running back position harder than any other in football. Selecting another back here isn't overkill—it's standard roster security that keeps you ahead of the waiver wire scramble.

Top Target: Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Yes, you have Metcalf, and no, you don’t want to load up on a bunch of Steelers, but for similar reasons as to why you drafted Metcalf, you are drafting Warren as well. Aaron Rodgers needs to get rid of the football quickly, and Warren is going to see a fierce number of check-downs. Remember how valuable Kenneth Gainwell was last year? That should be Warren this season.

Other Targets: Rico Dowdle, J.K. Dobbins

Round 9, Pick 100: Draft a Tight End

With your RB depth set and an elite QB locked in, grab a top-seven tight end before the position drops off a cliff and forces you to stream weekly.

Top Target: Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons

Forget about all the disappointment you’ve had to deal with by rostering Pitts. It hasn’t exactly been all lollipops, rainbows, and sunshine. We’ve watched how Kevin Stefanski utilized his tight ends in both Minnesota and Cleveland. Now we’re going to get to see him do the same for Pitts, and we are 100-percent for it.

Other Targets: Tucker Kraft, Sam LaPorta

Round 10, Pick 117: Draft a Wide Receiver

Round 10 is all about tailoring your bench to your specific needs. Identify whether your roster needs a high-floor safety net or a high-upside lottery ticket.

Top Target: Romeo Doubs, WR, New England Patriots

Doubs is about to show you why the Packers are going to miss him so much. The exceptional route-running and red-zone trust Jordan Love once had now belong to Drake Maye. He may not be as explosive as A.J. Brown, but joining the Patriots gives him a path to a very strong target share at a dirt-cheap cost.

Other Targets: Khalil Shakir, Jalen Nailor

 

 

 

Round 11, Pick 124: Draft a Wide Receiver

If you selected a high-floor player in Round 10, use Round 11 to shoot for pure, unadulterated upside to maximize your bench efficiency.

Top Target: Matthew Golden, WR, Green Bay Packers

Golden brings dynamic speed and explosiveness to Green Bay's passing attack. With his ability to create yards after the catch, any bump in target volume will translate directly into immediate fantasy viability. The loss of Romero Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks should open the door for additional targets

Other Targets: KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston

Round 12, Pick 141: Draft a Tight End

Tight end depth vanishes quickly. Drafting a second tight end who commands a top-two target share on his team gives you leverage, insurance, and potential Flex flexibility.

Top Target: Chig Okonkwo, TE, Washington Commanders

Okonkwo recorded 56 receptions for 560 yards and two touchdowns in 2025. Now residing in Washington, even with Stefon Diggs landing here, his role in the intermediate passing game creates a comfortable fantasy floor in Round 12.

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.