Draft THESE Players in Every Round! | 2026 Round-By-Round Fantasy Football Guide (Ep. 2119)

August 8, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The 15-Round Draft Blueprint: Fantasy Football's Round-by-Round Targets

The FantasyPros crew turned their draft guide into a competitive showdown: two analysts pitching their must-draft players round by round, with a host acting as judge. What emerged was a detailed, round-by-round map of where value lives in 2026 fantasy drafts, built on specific player arguments, statistical ceilings, and the psychology of when to reach and when to wait.

Early Rounds: Chasing Ceilings and Narrative Shifts

In rounds one through three, the debate centered on whether to prioritize proven production or ceiling swings. For round one, Andrew Erickson pitched James Cook as a back-end RB1 who could finish as the overall RB1 if Buffalo follows through on plans to involve him more in the passing game. The argument rested on Cook's 18 touchdowns in 2025 and the idea that even modest receiving volume gains would push him past his current ADP. Derek Brown countered with Puka Nacua, citing his 24.7 PPR points per game in healthy stretches last season and the possibility that flipping a few touchdowns could produce a 26-point-per-game ceiling—a threshold only one receiver has hit since 2013. The host sided with Cook, betting on the rushing touchdown floor plus receiving upside.

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What you'll learn

1 (02:04) **Puka Nacua (Derek Brown) vs. James Cook (Andrew Erickson) in Round 1** - Derek Brown argues Puka Nacua has a league-winning ceiling based on his elite target share and per-game production when healthy, while Andrew Erickson counters with James Cook's potential to be the RB1 overall if his receiving role expands.
2 (04:14) **AJ Brown (Derek Brown) vs. Chase Brown (Andrew Erickson) in Round 2** - Derek Brown bets on a career-best season for AJ Brown in a more pass-heavy Patriots offense, while Andrew Erickson champions Chase Brown's proven dual-threat production and top-three ceiling.
3 (06:50) **Javonte Williams (Derek Brown) vs. Zay Flowers (Andrew Erickson) in Round 3** - Derek Brown argues Javonte Williams is a massive value as an RB2 with RB1 production, while Andrew Erickson favors Zay Flowers' positive regression and role as the Ravens' focal point.
4 (10:35) **Jalen Waddle (Andrew Erickson) vs. Colston Loveland (Derek Brown) in Round 4** - Erickson sees Jalen Waddle as a potential top-12 receiver in a high-volume Broncos offense, while Brown counters with Colston Loveland's elite TE1 overall upside.
5 (13:50) **Braelon Allen (Andrew Erickson) vs. David Montgomery (Derek Brown) in Round 5** - Erickson bets on Braelon Allen's breakout in a high-flying Jaguars offense, while Brown trusts David Montgomery's proven production and workload in a run-heavy system.
6 (16:28) **Christian Watson (Andrew Erickson) vs. Jalen Hurts (Derek Brown) in Round 6** - Erickson targets Christian Watson's potential breakout as a more versatile receiver, while Brown lands a top-tier quarterback at a discount in Jalen Hurts.
7 (20:08) **Jonathan Brooks (Andrew Erickson) vs. Parker Washington (Derek Brown) in Round 7** - Erickson bets on Jonathan Brooks' health and receiving upside in Carolina, while Brown swings for the fences with Parker Washington's late-season breakout in Jacksonville.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Andrew Erickson Derek Brown

Show Notes

If you want to know who to draft in every round of your 2026 fantasy football draft, this episode is for you. Andrew Erickson and Derek Brown go head-to-head in a Shark Tank-style fantasy football draft battle, pitching their favorite targets from Round 1 all the way through Round 15 with Alfredo Brown serving as the judge and deciding which pitch is victorious!

Which players have the upside to become league winners? Which late-round values could massively outperform their ADP? And which players should you be targeting when the draft reaches the double-digit rounds?

The competition gets especially interesting in the later rounds, where each pick becomes more valuable and the guys look for high-upside players who can help you win your fantasy football league.

They also reveal the one player they want to leave every fantasy football draft with, plus additional late-round and dark-horse targets including Brock Bowers and Emeka Egbuka.

Timestamps: (May be off due to ads)

Intro - 0:00:00
Round 1-3 Targets - 0:01:14
Square Promo - 0:08:56
Round 4-7 Targets - 0:09:55
FantasyPros Draft Assistant - 0:22:34
Round 8-10 Targets - 0:23:17
Hard Rock Bet - 0:32:59
Round 11-15 Lottery Tickets - 0:34:35
Closing Draft Advice - 0:46:56
Outro - 0:51:04

Helpful Links:

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