Fantasy Football Strategies - 2026

My Fantasy Football strategies and thoughts heading into the 2026 season.

*DISCLAIMER: NOT GAMBLING ADVICE*

Whiskey’s Garage

Sports Talk 

Volume 11

09/08/2026

Fantasy Football Strategies - 2026

Fantasy Football Strategies

Fantasy Football is nearly here! With the season starting soon and drafts coming quickly, many are thinking about strategies, plans, offences, and much more. The Fantasy Draft is by far the most stressful part of the season, and it’s a good idea to have some sort of a plan heading into it. Having a game plan, but being able to adjust on the fly is key to a successful fantasy draft. Players may fly off the board quicker than you were expecting, you may not get the starting draft position you want, and who knows what else can happen. Below, I’m going to discuss my personal plans/strategies heading into this season's fantasy draft. While nothing is concrete, and we must see how pre-season plays out, below are 2 strategies I have been planning around and have done a couple of mock drafts with before heading into the season.

#1. Running back heavy. The first 2-3 picks are RB’s. Wide Receivers are later-round steals. Quarterback pick near the end. Splits workload heavily between all RB’s.

Or 

#2. Running back/Wide Receiver split. First 2 picks are RB/WR or Vice Versa. Followed by 2 Running backs and later-round WRs. QB drafted near the end. Puts a heavier workload on WR1. 

I’m currently leaning more towards strategy 1. I think there are a lot of solid late-round wide receiving options this year, and not as many strong RB options. On the other hand, strategy 2 may allow you to select a tier-1 RB and a solid tier 2-3 WR, depending on availability. Pairing an RB1 with a WR like CeeDee Lamb or A.J Brown could very well work out, but stacking RBs like James Cook III, Kyren Williams/Javonte Williams, and Bucky Irving/David Montgomery seems like a better option to me. Of course, it all depends on availability. Getting a strong #1 RB within the first round is going to be important. Obviously, Jahmyr Gibbs is going to be the first choice, but there are other solid options such as Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor, Saquon Barkley, and the player who I believe is going to really take off this season, James Cook III. Acquiring one of these players and building around them is my plan this season. Later-tier WR’s such as Jameson Williams, Terry McLaurin, Wan’Dale Robinson, or Parker Washington are going to be producing points this season, so you're better off spending your early picks on a solid RB. I’d also recommend taking a QB and a TE later in the draft this year. There are really only 2 Tier-1 TE’s right now, Brock Bowers and Trey McBride. While they are likely to produce high points, the trade-off of drafting a TE early instead of a higher point-producing WR/RB is usually not worth it. Especially considering that some of the later-tier TE’s can still produce a decent amount of points. The same rule applies to a QB. Josh Allen is the clear #1 QB option, but spending an early pick on him while there are so many other solid options that will produce points and be available in the later rounds is not a smart idea. Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford, Bo Nix, Trevor Lawrence, and more are later-round QB’s that will be available without the trade-off of spending an early-round pick. 

Late Steals & Players To Avoid: 

STEAL

Steal #1: David Montgomery - Projected 60th Overall - RB 22

‍ ‍Finally, out of the shadow of Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit, and now operating as RB1 in Houston. While he still produced good points in Detroit, he was splitting the backfield with one of, if not the best, running backs in the league. Now, he will have the opportunity to start as RB1 for the Texans, and his partner is Woody Marks, a lower-end RB going into his 2nd season. The workload for Montgomery will be higher, meaning the opportunity and point production should be higher this season as well. 

Steal #2: Deebo Samuel Sr. - Projected 157th Overall - WR 60

Deebo has been traded back to his former team, the San Francisco 49ers, after a season with the Commanders. With the injuries the 49ers are dealing with up top, Deebo’s role is going to become much larger than people are expecting. Ricky Pearsall has been ruled out for the season after knee surgery, Mike Evans (another new addition to the 49ers) is dealing with a left-quad strain and has been limited at practice, and Christian Kirk has been sidelined with a calf injury (also his first season with the 49ers). While Evans is reportedly going to be ready for the start of the season, he may not be at 100%, which can leave Deebo Samuel Sr. as their first WR option and in for a heavy workload. Deebo has also played for the organization, so he should have a better understanding of how the playbook works, how Coach Shanahan likes to call things, and Brock Purdy’s throwing tendencies. 

Steal #3 Parker Washington - Projected 80th Overall - WR 35

Heading into his 4th season with the Jaguars, Parker Washington could have a breakout year. He started making a name for himself towards the end of last season and is hoping to carry that over into this season. With the Jags WR room not being the strongest, the workload should be split fairly evenly between Thomas Jr., Meyers, and Washington. I believe Washington has the most upside this season. He had 54 more targets last season than the season prior, 26 more receptions, and 457 more yards. It’s clear that the offense is going to start utilizing him more and more, and this season he could really take off. A solid late-round WR option to add to your roster. 

AVOID

Avoid #1: Cam Skattebo - Projected 52nd Overall - RB 19

While Cam Skattebo had a breakout rookie season last year, he was sidelined for most of it with a severe lower-leg injury. In a game against the Phillies last season, he had 3 TD’s and 98 YDS on 19 CAR, really putting his name out there. With a new Head Coach in New York, Skattebo could be in line for another breakout year with the Giants. The only issue is that he plays like he has unlimited lives. He is quite literally a wrecking ball out there. Going head down, head first, and smashing into everything he sees in every single play. His injury risk is so high that it is almost a guarantee he will miss time at some point this season. As an undersized player at 5’11”, he still weighs in at 215 lbs. He’s built like a tank, but he also plays like one. He takes unnecessary contact on every snap, makes dumb decisions at times, and is constantly at risk. Although he has the talent and the skill, unfortunately, you can’t outplay broken bones or concussions. I’d say avoid him due to the high injury risk. 

Avoid #2: Rashee Rice - Projected 26th Overall - WR 11

Rashee Rice is the Chiefs’ WR1, but he’s also coming off rehabbing a knee surgery, while in jail. Yes, you read that right. Rashee Rice is in jail on a 30-day sentence for violating his probation, during which he received specialized knee therapy to rehab his surgery. The Chiefs’ WR depth chart isn’t very strong, with Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Tyquan Thornton being the top 3, but Rice’s injury history and his past choices outside of football make him a top contender to miss time this season. The Chiefs also just signed a powerhouse of a RB in Kenneth Walker III, who will without a doubt receive a heavy workload. Patrick Mahomes also just turned 30 and is coming off an ACL and LCL tear near the end of last season, so who knows if he will be back to 100%. These factors, paired with catches split between Kelce and Worthy, make Rice’s draft pick just too high for what you’ll receive from him and the chance of him missing time. I would avoid Rice unless he falls to a far later round in the draft.  

Avoid #3 - Christian McCaffrey - Projected 8th Overall - RB 4 

‍ ‍Christian McCaffrey is without a doubt one of the best RBs in the league. His strength, explosiveness, and IQ make him a standout player. But he is now 30 years old, and with his injury history, this high of a draft ranking makes him a championship-or-bust type of player for your team. You will be building everything around McCaffrey if you take him as early as he is projected, and if he does come down with another injury, your team will be doomed. While he had another great comeback season last year, it seems that he tends to have one up year and one down year. So for me, I’m going to be avoiding McCaffrey this season in fantasy, just due to the injury risk. Although, if he stays healthy, he very well could have another amazing season

Mock Draft’s

Running Back Heavy Draft

A mock draft of strategy #1

Running Back / Wide Receiver Split Draft

A mock draft of strategy #2