Early 2026 Fantasy Football ADP Breakdown: Analyzing the First Three Rounds

The fantasy football season is still a ways off, but it's never truly early to be looking into the season.

Here, I wanted to start a series that looked at average draft position data. We will start with the best of the best here, then break down individual positions in the days/weeks to come.

Fantasy football average draft position data can be found on FantasySP in the leadup to the 2026 NFL season!

Bijan Robinson - Atlanta Falcons

Robinson is the top overall pick right now. 

That makes sense given he was a top-three PPR fantasy option in 2026. Robinson's fantasy outlook was helped this offseason after Tyler Allgeier left.

The Falcons still have a quarterback problem they need to resolve, but Robinson should star as a fantasy player anyways. I'm good with him being the top pick in fantasy drafts.

Ja'Marr Chase - Cincinnati Bengals

Chase is the second fantasy player taken right now.

He was outside the top 10 last year, but he was good on a per-game basis. Chase still should be the focal point of the Bengals' offense, so I get him being the No. 2 player taken.

I am not set on him as the No. 2 player right now, but he's in the conversation at the very least.

Jahmyr Gibbs - Detroit Lions

Gibbs is the third fantasy player taken at this time.

He was the No. 4 fantasy asset last season, and his outlook improved over the offseason. David Montgomery is no longer around, and even though Isiah Pacheco was brought in, I still see Gibbs being the workhorse in Detroit.

I'm good with him at the No. 3 pick, and would start considering him at No. 2.

Christian McCaffrey - San Francisco 49ers

McCaffrey is the No. 4 fantasy player off draft boards right now.

He was the top fantasy player last season, so this seems like a pretty good value. CMC should continue to star for the Niners' offense, but with an injury history and more playmakers around now, I'm a bit skeptical of taking McCaffrey that high.

He's in the conversation for the No. 2 pick, and should go in the top 10 somewhere, but I'm also inclined to take several others over him still.

Puka Nacua - Los Angeles Rams

Nacua is the next off fantasy draft boards.

He's had a weird offseason, but is still easily a first-round pick. Nacua was the No. 2 fantasy player a season ago, and there's no reason he couldn't reach those heights again in 2026.

Nacua will lead the pass catchers in LA, despite Davante Adams still being around. I'm putting him in that conversation for the No. 2 pick as well, and definitely like him in the top 10 for now.

Jonathan Taylor - Indianapolis Colts

Taylor is the sixth fantasy player taken at this moment.

He finished in that position in 2025, so it's a more than fair spot for Taylor to be taken. Taylor will be the focal point for the Colts' offense again, and if he stays healthy, should be a high-end fantasy asset.

I'd be tempted to take him as early as pick No. 2 as well, but the uncertainty of quarterback Daniel Jones makes him a safer pick later in the first round.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba - Seattle Seahawks

JSN is the third wideout off draft boards, going seventh overall so far.

He was the No. 7 overall fantasy player in 2026, and he could improve on that in 2026. I really like JSN, especially with some questions in the Seattle backfield now.

Again, I'm good putting JSN in the conversation for pick No. 2, and he definitely should be going inside the top 10.

Amon-Ra St. Brown - Detroit Lions

Another receiver in the first round. He's actually got the same ADP as Smith-Njigba right now.

He finished outside the top 10, but he's been one of the more consistent fantasy assets over the past few seasons. Again, I like his outlook in a Lions' offense without Montgomery now. 

St. Brown will lead the pass catchers, and I expect him to be a top-five fantasy wideout, if he can avoid injuries. He's a safe pick in the top 10, but I like him in the back half of the first round, so picks 6-10. 

James Cook - Buffalo Bills

Cook is an interesting pick for the first round, currently sitting ninth overall. 

He was a ways outside the top 10 a season ago, but is certainly capable of being a first-round asset. Cook should still be a big part of the team's offense, but with Josh Allen stealing some rushing stats, I'm not super, super high on Cook.

Cook is an option for the first round, but I personally like a few players being taken after him more. We'll see if Cook's ADP sticks as the season draws closer.

Justin Jefferson - Minnesota Vikings

Jefferson regressed hard in 2025, but he's still a first-round pick on average. 

He struggled as a fantasy asset because of bad quarterback play in Minnesota last year. I like Jefferson's outlook more now with Kyler Murray around.

I think Jefferson will bounce back in 2026, so he is in the conversation for being a first-round pick. Getting him around pick 10, or after, could create a chance for Jefferson to exceed expectations, so he'll be a popular pick around the turn in a 10-team league.

CeeDee Lamb - Dallas Cowboys

Lamb has an ADP just lower than Jefferson's, so I decided to write about him at length as well.

He's still the leading pass catcher in Dallas, despite the emergence of George Pickens a season ago. I think Pickens regresses a bit in 2026, and Lamb re-emerges as a top-end fantasy asset.

Getting him near the end of the first round, or after, is a win in my books. I expect Lamb to push for a top-five fantasy wideout ranking by the end of 2026 - he just needs to stay healthy.

The Next Players Picked

We went over the first 11 picks on average so far, but I wanted to discuss several more players before we end this article.

Las Vegas running back Ashton Jeanty is next off draft boards, going at pick 12 overall. Miami back De'Von Achane is next, even with a lack of playmakers around him in Miami.

Another back is at pick 14 overall, and that's Philadelphia's Saquon Barkley.

The next pick is the first tight end taken, Arizona's Trey McBride. He's followed by Atlanta's Drake London, who just got a contract extension.

LA Charger running back Omarion Hampton is next on the ADP list - he's the 17th player taken. The first rookie off draft boards is Arizona's Jeremiyah Love at No. 18 overall.

Kenneth Walker, the former Seattle RB and new Kansas City workhorse, is at No. 19. Cincinnati's Chase Brown rounds out the top 20.

Malik Nabers, Brock Bowers, Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs (who is facing legal trouble) are next off draft boards before we get the first quarterback, Josh Allen. Pickens, Nico Collins and Chris Olave are three wideouts who are next off draft boards, and then Kyren Williams and Rashee Rice are the guys who round out the top 30.

The No. 31 player taken overall is A.J. Brown, who was just traded from Philly to New England.

Check the ADP page to see how things change over time. It's fun doing early ADP stories, just to see how much things change between now and the regular season. 

We will have much more fantasy football coverage as the 2026 season nears, so keep checking back to FantasySP!