A championship fantasy football roster starts on draft day. Sure, waiver wire moves and trades can improve the roster. But if you have a bad draft, you might as well accept the punishment before the season even starts. This is where you build the core of your fantasy team, and select what you hope are league-winning picks. Here is how you should draft your roster and the best player to pick in each round.
Round 1: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions
With your first-round pick, you need to find someone you know will produce week in and week out. This will be the bedrock on which to build the roster. Consistency is one of the most valuable things a player can give you. No player has been more consistent over the past few seasons than Amon-Ra St. Brown. He has racked up over 300 fantasy points in three straight seasons and never averaged under 13 points per game. There is no sign of this production slowing down with Jared Goff under center. This makes him the perfect player to make the face of your lineup.
Round 2: Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Your second-round pick is similar to the first, as you want to find a high-producing, consistent player. But you want the opposite of what you drafted in the first. So if you drafted a wide receiver in the first, you should draft a running back in the second and vice versa. This will give your lineup balance. In this case, Chase Brown is the best option. He has averaged over 15 points per game over the past two seasons. That trend should continue as he will get work in both the run and pass game. He had over 200 touches and nearly 70 targets last season. In an offense with a healthy Joe Burrow, those numbers should only increase.
Round 3: Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
With the two building block pieces out of the way, the third round is where you can look at more risky players. Guys who have huge upside, but could fall flat on their face due to injury or other factors. The best player in this spot is Malik Nabers. He is coming off an ACL tear, but all reports suggest that he will be ready to go for Week 1. If he is healthy, he will be a top five receiver in fantasy. He should put up numbers similar to what he did in his rookie season. His numbers should also improve with Jaxson Dart throwing to him. This is the type of value that can be a league-winning move.
Round 4: Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears
There are many directions you can take with your fourth pick. But ideally, you need someone who will be a nice complement to the rest of your fantasy roster. Drafting someone like Colston Loveland can help solidify your tight end spot early. With how thin the tight end position is, this can give your lineup a huge advantage. Loveland is coming off a strong rookie season that saw him catch 58 passes on 82 targets for 713 yards and six touchdowns. He also had a strong playoff, seeing nearly a 30% target share. It’s clear that he and Caleb Williams have a strong connection that should only improve this season.
Round 5: Jadarian Price, RB, Seattle Seahawks
There are few rookies who have more fantasy hype surrounding them than Jadarian Price. Some have even gone as far as to say he will be the best-performing rookie this season. This is due to the situation he landed in and where the other rookies ended up. But there is a lot to be excited about with Price. He is going to be the running back one from the jump, and if the Seahawks go with a running back by committee, he’s already proven he can be efficient in that as well. It’s also possible that Price has even more to offer, as we never saw him as the lead back in college. The fifth round seems like the perfect time to strike on him.
Round 6: David Montgomery, RB, Houston Texans
David Montgomery is the classic case of a change of scenery dramatically increasing his fantasy value. Last season, he was gradually phased out of the Lions’ offense. But with the Texans, he should be close to an every-down back. He should have a role similar to Joe Mixon’s during the 2024 season. He also showed he still can be a solid running back despite his age. He averaged 2.2 yards after contact per attempt, which is right in line with his career average. The Texans also plan to run more 12- and 13-personnel formations to boost their running attack. It should be a bounce-back season from Montgomery.
Round 7: Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
This is the point in your draft where you have to start thinking about your bench options. You’ll want to find a few players that have high floors, and you know will perform when your starters are on the bye. Courtland Sutton has turned himself into a reliable fantasy option over these last few seasons. He is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and has seven or more touchdowns in three straight seasons. If Bo Nix can be more consistent this season, we should see Sutton’s numbers increase. There is also the addition of Jaylen Waddle, which should give Sutton better matchups against weaker corners.
Round 8: Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
There is no deeper position in fantasy than the quarterback. It is the position you can sit and wait on and fill out the rest of the roster with positions that are not as deep. Sure, you can take a superstar quarterback. But you’d get similar value from someone drafted in the later round, and make yourself weaker at a skill position. There are also few quarterbacks with the fantasy upside that Herbert has. He has both passing and rushing upside that will lead to big games. With Mike McDaniel as his offensive coordinator, he should be able to get Herbert to deliver big performances more consistently. He easily could have a top five fantasy season.
Round 9: Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams
After a lackluster rookie campaign, Corum broke out during his sophomore campaign. Despite being the second back in the system, he was able to rush for 746 yards and six touchdowns. A lot of his fantasy value came from his ability to find the end zone, making him one of the best handcuff options in fantasy. We should see Corum build off what he did last season and have a similar season. He should get similar usage, but what should have fantasy players excited is the potential for more work at the goal line. It’s unlikely the Rams will go to Davante Adams near the goal line as much, and these opportunities should go to the running back room.
Round 10: Isaiah Likely, TE, New York Giants
At this point, you should be looking at high-upside guys for your bench. Players who have large gaps between their ceiling and ADP. These are the potential steals of the draft and could turn out to be league winners. If you really want a value pick, look at Isaiah Likely of the Giants. His upside is so high he could be a top tight end in fantasy at the end of the season. Not only will he be the tight end one on the Giants’ depth chart, but he should be the second guy Dart looks for after Nabers. With these new opportunities and him only being 26, the path for him to have a career season is very clear.
Round 11: Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions
Unlike your starting quarterback, you do not want to wait on your backup quarterback. You want to draft a high-floor guy that you know will consistently put up around 15 fantasy points. These are guys that will go off the board fast if other league mates still haven’t filled that spot. The best backup quarterback in fantasy this season is Jared Goff. He has been extremely efficient over the past four seasons, averaging over 17 points per game. This season should be no different, as he should have over 500 passing attempts yet again. Goff is the perfect guy to have on your bench for bye weeks or in case of injuries.
Round 12: Romeo Doubs, WR, New England Patriots
He may not be a flashy name, but Romeo Doubs is a solid fantasy producer. Last season, he averaged around 10 points per game for the third straight season. He has also consistently had around 40-50 receptions a season and somewhere around 600 yards. This trend should continue in the New England offense. In fact, it could work out better as AJ Brown will demand all the attention in that offense. Doubs should be the second read and get himself open due to him facing the weaker corner. He will also have Darke Maye throwing to him, who, last season, showed he can handle getting the ball to multiple receivers. It could be a big season for Doubs.
Round 13: Jordan Mason, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Jordan Mason is one of those players who has a decent floor, but could also be a breakout candidate. The Vikings have been using him and Aaron Jones in a 1A-1B-type system. This alone guarantees that Mason should get solid usage this season. He should be a solid bench option that could be a starter with big games. But Jones will be 32 this season and could start to decline. That will give more opportunities for Mason and cause his fantasy value to skyrocket. You could be getting a running back two or flex option right before the draft is over. Some of the best value you can get in fantasy.
Round 14: Stefon Diggs, WR, Washington Commanders
Stefon Diggs is another player with a ton of fantasy upside. He is coming off a bounce-back season where he had 85 receptions on 105 targets for 1013 yards and four touchdowns. The only reason why he was a free agent for as long as that long was due to off-the-field issues. But with those behind him, he is set to be the wide receiver two in Washington. With the Commanders wanting to keep Jayden Daniels healthy, they should look to pass more this season. That will give Diggs more opportunities and allow him to produce at a decent level. It may not be a 1,000-yard season, but it will be enough to be a solid bench piece.
Round 15/16: Best Kicker and Defense Available
If you are anything like me, you will most likely be streamlining your kicker and defense. Whoever you pick on draft night will most likely not be who is starting in those positions down the stretch or in the playoffs. So pick the best players available in these spots, and sit on the waiver wire until a better matchup appears. The only caveat I will say is pick a defense first. They have more upside and can help you steal a game if they have a dominant performance.
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