Last Updated: August 19th at 4:15 pm ET
Our fantasy draft is not going to go perfectly. We’re going to get sniped, we’re going to panic when on the clock, and our best-laid plans will go awry.
But we can still dream. These are my favorite players in each round, while taking roster construction into account, as of Aug. 19. Note that I am using the half-PPR ADP on our site to more closely replicate a “home league” setting. However, I’m also being realistic — Matthew Golden has an ADP of 142.7, but I know he’ll go much higher in most of your leagues.
For more help with your draft:
* Levitan’s Favorite Fliers
* Levitan’s 2026 Draft Strategy
* Our rankings
* Exploiting the Default Ranks: Yahoo, ESPN, Sleeper
ROUND 1
Ideal: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions — I consider Gibbs in a tier of his own. The Lions have the softest schedule in the NFL. They have the second-highest implied team total, and I expect them to lead the league in touchdowns. Speaking of touchdowns, David Montgomery is gone, and Isiah Pacheco is barely an NFL player. Montgomery stole 14 carries from inside the 5-yard line in 2025 (T-8th most) and 17 in 2024 (T-5th most). Gibbs is going to set career-high marks in snaps, touches, and goal-line carries.
Runner-up: Puka Nacua, WR, Rams — Puka’s off-field idiocy won’t matter because he is one of the best football players on Earth. Now we put him on the field with 33-year-old Davante Adams and a bunch of tight ends. The targets per route run here will be nutty, and those targets are coming from arguably the greatest WR Kingmaker of our lifetime (Matthew Stafford). If I get Puka at 4, I still have a good shot at a top-12 RB in Round 2.
ROUND 2
Ideal: Kenneth Walker III, RB, Chiefs — The Seahawks wanted to retain Walker, but he wanted to leave because of usage. He (rightfully) thought they should have given him more work. So Walker fled to Kansas City, where he has very little competition for touches. He also has Brandon Thorn’s eighth-ranked offensive line and Patrick Mahomes. Defenses have bottled up the Chiefs’ pass game
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