Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Going RB-Heavy Early From the No. 2 Pick

Let's do another fantasy football mock draft on the final day of July.

After my last mock was a strategy of avoiding running backs early, let's turn that around early and go RB-heavy and see what the final product looks like.

We will again use the FantasySP mock draft tool, this time selecting second in a 10-team PPR setup. The roster includes one quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, one tight end, one flex spot, one kicker and one defense/special teams, along with five bench slots. Let's see what we can come up with!

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Round 1 - Bijan Robinson

Jahmyr Gibbs went with the first pick, so I took Robinson at pick No. 2.

I actually prefer Robinson over Gibbs, but I'd be thrilled to get either back to lead my fantasy team in 2026. Atlanta has more question marks on offense, but there's no question about Robinson being the workhorse who should star as a fantasy back as a result.

Take Robinson with confidence early in your fantasy drafts this year.

Round 2 - Kenneth Walker

I decided on Walker with my second pick.

He landed in a great spot (Kansas City) after leaving the Super Bowl champions (Seattle) this offseason. Walker should power the Chiefs' backfield, and it should result in a big fantasy season.

I think his ADP is still kind of early, but getting him near pick 20 is better value in my eyes, so I decided to grab him with this pick.

Round 3 - Kyren Williams 

I chose Williams over Jeremiyah Love with my third-round selection, even though Love's ADP is a few picks earlier.

I like the value in Williams over Love at this pick. Williams and Love are both going to lead their backfields, but there's less competition for touches and production in LA, so I think Williams has the better fantasy season.

With Robinson, Walker and Williams leading the way, I'm set with the running back spot, and can now start addressing other needs.

Round 4 - Zay Flowers

Flowers is the first non-RB that I drafted in this mock draft. I love the value of this pick as well.

Flowers was a high-end fantasy wideout last season, and his outlook is higher going into 2026 with Lamar Jackson healthy again. Baltimore didn't bring in much competition among pass catchers, so I'm confident in Flowers performing well again.

I see him being a draft steal by the end of the season after nabbing him at this pick.

Round 5 - Ladd McConkey 

I grabbed a second wideout here in McConkey.

He's likely to be the Chargers' top receiver, but he does have some competition for targets and production. That's bringing his ADP down, and creating some possible value in the wideout.

I could see McConkey also being a draft steal from this draft slot. That'd be ideal after I skipped the position the first three rounds.

Round 6 - Terry McLaurin 

I'm not the biggest fan of McLaurin, but after he fell seven picks past his ADP, I simply couldn't pass on him any longer.

I see him leading the Commanders' pass catchers in 2026, and being a good draft value from this draft slot. With McLaurin coming off an injury-riddled season, he's a bounceback candidate, but it also means I will need to grab another receiver soon in case he is injured again this coming year.

Round 7 - Harold Fannin

I decided to grab a tight end here and went with Fannin over Kyle Pitts Sr., Tucker Kraft and others.

I liked what Fannin showed in 2025, and think he could be even better in 2026. The Cleveland offense scares me a bit though, so I'll probably take a tight end later, if the value is right.

Round 8 - Courtland Sutton

I wanted another wide receiver, and think Sutton is the perfect guy to grab. It helps that he dropped six picks past his ADP, creating even more draft value.

I already think he's going to be a draft steal, as I still see him as Denver's top wideout over Jaylen Waddle. Even if Waddle leads the way, I see Sutton as a good weekly option, so he's a great pick near this draft slot.

Round 9 - Jaylen Warren

I debated Warren at my last pick, so I decided to nab him a round later. He dropped 13 picks past his ADP.

Warren could lead the backfield in Pittsburgh, although Rico Dowdle being around scares me. I just thought the draft value was too good to pass on, so I decided to grab Warren as a depth option at RB.

Round 10 - Matthew Stafford

I always talk about skipping quarterbacks early and grabbing a guy like Stafford later and I finally went that route in this mock draft.

I think Stafford is mightily underrated going into the 2026 season. Regression is likely coming, but the only way I don't see him flying past the draft value of this pick is if he's injured. I could even skip taking another QB later - that's how confident I am with Stafford.

Round 11 - Wan'Dale Robinson

Robinson is another late-round fantasy steal I like. He even fell six picks past his ADP, making him even more appealing.

He could end up starting as a flex wideout for me most of the season, so I love the draft value of this pick. I see him shining with his new team.

Round 12 - Texans DST

I feel really good about my roster, and with no options standing out here, I decided to grab a top-tier DST instead.

Some won't take DSTs and kickers until the past two rounds, but if you like your roster, I could justify taking them this early.

Round 13 - Isaiah Likely

I decided to grab another tight end here and try Likely. He fell several picks past his ADP.

I think he could be a fantasy surprise in his first season with the Giants. If he doesn't work out, that won't hurt my fantasy squad too much, but he's good depth there to open the season.

Round 14 - Zach Charbonnet 

I decided on one final running back, and that's Charbonnet, who is working back from a major injury.

There's reports that he could be ready for week 1. If he isn't, I could drop him, or stash him for a couple weeks, especially if there are IR spots to put him in. I like Jadarian Price as well, but Charbonnet could end up being RB1 in Seattle, and if he is, that's incredible value for this point of a fantasy draft.

Round 15 - Jason Myers

I decided on another Seattle player here to round out my roster in Myers, the Seattle kicker.

He was the top fantasy kicker a season ago, so I like the value here, even if it's the last round and just a kicker we're talking about.

Final Thoughts

I got a B grade for this mock, with an 86/100 mark. That ranked sixth in the league.

The goal was to take running backs early, and that position should power me. Robinson, Walker, Williams, Warren and Charbonnet are a great fantasy RB room. The only problem is that Robinson, Williams and Charbonnet all share the same bye week, so week 11 could be dicey.

Receiver is the other spot you usually take early, and despite missing most of the top options, I don't hate the five that I ended up with. Flowers, McConkey, McLaurin, Sutton and Robinson lack high-end names, but there's five weekly starting options there to work with, so I'm good with the final result.

Getting Stafford as my fantasy QB was a major win in my eyes. I didn't even take another quarterback, and just would need one in week 11 if Stafford delivers similarly to a season ago.

Fannin and Likely are two solid fantasy tight ends. This could be a position I have to address if Fannin fails to live up to expectations in 2026.

I'm happy with the DST and K I drafted as well, and think this is a fantasy team that should make the playoffs no problem. Health will be key of course, and I think the wide receiver position will be what dictates how high this team could climb.

Between this mock and my last one, both are fine options. I feel more confident in this team, meaning if I had to choose between the two strategies, I'd want to take my running backs early over going wideout-heavy early on.

We'll cover some other strategies in mock drafts to come, so keep checking back for more!