… go for “elite” or “fringe” players at the onesie positions. This is one of the most specific tips in the entire post, but it feels uniquely fitting in 2026 drafts. Both quarterback and tight end have sifted into similar tiers for this season: a small, elite group at the top, a smattering of known commodities with question marks after that, and then a few discount values at the fringe of QB1/TE1 range. I’m (mostly) avoiding the middle group at both spots. At quarterback, that means snagging Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Drake Maye, Joe Burrow or Jayden Daniels (the Elite Five) OR waiting on someone like Jared Goff or Murray, while avoiding players like Jalen Hurts and Caleb Williams in between. At tight end, it means locking in Brock Bowers or Trey McBride (the Elite Two), taking Tucker Kraft near pick 100, or tapping sleepers like Isaiah Likely, Dalton Kincaid or Chigoziem Okonkwo (while happily passing on Sam LaPorta, Dallas Goedert and others).
… stuff your bench with league-winning upside. Last August, deep in the double-digit rounds, you faced a choice between Cole Kmet, a perennially middling tight end competing with an incoming rookie in Chicago, and Harold Fannin Jr., a rookie himself in Cleveland coming off one of the greatest college seasons for a tight end in history. If you picked Kmet, you got the TE36. If you selected Fannin, you got the TE6 overall. Obviously, hindsight is 20/20, but the point is, it’s (usually) better to shoot for upside in the unknowns. Aim to draft league-winners. The names in this section last year included Emeka Egbuka, Tyler Warren and Trevor Lawrence. For 2026, here’s a list of breakout candidates and potential sleepers.
… handcuff running backs — from other managers’ teams. This is one of the simplest ways to follow the “league-winning upside” tip above. Injuries are unfortunately common in this sport, and a handful of backup RBs will be starting by midseason. Handcuffing your own early-round picks (which is the common instinct) only helps you maintain a poor man’s version of the status quo. Handcuffing other teams’ running backs gives you a shot at major upside if the injury bug avoids your squad. A few of the top names to know in 2026: Tyler Allgeier (ARI), Keaton Mitchell (LAC), Brian Robinson (ATL) and Tank Bigsby (PHI).
… target rookies. Last year continued the ever-blossoming trend of rookie relevance, with two wide receivers and three running backs finishing among the top 25 at their positions, along with the TE4 overall (Tyler Warren), TE6 (Harold Fannin Jr.) and TE12 (Colston Loveland). The league has been steadily shifting in this direction in recent years, and fantasy managers need to take notice. Even with a weaker draft class, rookie RBs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are worth drafting as starters, while WRs Carnell Tate, KC Concepcion, De’Zhaun Stribling, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, Denzel Boston and more have sneaky upside at wide receiver, although Tyson is out for two months with a hamstring injury. Admittedly, it looks pretty barren for rookie QBs and TEs, but that could change come October.
… draft players you like. As always, it’s important to remember fantasy football should be fun. When Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays (and sometimes Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays) roll around, it’s more enjoyable when the players you’d root for naturally are also putting up points for your fantasy squad. For a variety of reasons (including the Penn State fandom of my desk mate), I’m obsessed with Jaguars WR Parker Washington this year. I will be drafting accordingly. (Ideally, he stops inflating his draft price with endless camp hype.)
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