Every fantasy football manager wants to feel good about their start. Granted, a strong first-round selection assures you of nothing, but it impacts how you go about filling out the rest of your roster, and that means that nailing the pick lines sets you up for success.
Who are the best picks? Here’s my breakdown, in order, for PPR single-QB leagues.
1. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Over the past two fantasy seasons, Robinson has had five more games with 20+ PPR points than any other running back in the sport. The per-touch production is no secret, and Tyler Allgeier (514 rush yards and 8 TDs), a thorn in the side of fantasy managers for years, was replaced with a less threatening Brian Robinson Jr. as the secondary runner in Atlanta.
2. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
Like Robinson, Gibbs’ productive backup moved on. The offensive atmosphere is better in Detroit than Atlanta, but the number of weapons at the Lions’ disposal has resulted in a lower production floor for their standout RB (twice as many single-digit scoring games as Robinson over the past two years).
3. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Chase has 15 more catches and 197 more receiving yards than any other player in the NFL over the past two seasons. His connection with Joe Burrow is nothing short of elite, and if both stay healthy for the entire season, this is the pass catcher with the best odds to lead all skill position players in total PPR points.
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4. Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Nacua was the top-scoring fantasy receiver last season and averages more PPR points than anyone at the position during his three years as a pro. There is a civil case the NFL is litigating, and it could impose discipline, but this is the most talented player on the Super Bowl favorites.
5. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Guiding the 2025 Super Bowl champions, Smith-Njigba doubled his career touchdown output last year alone on top of leading the league with 1,793 receiving yards. He was the only Seahawk with even 600 receiving yards a season ago, and his status as the primary option is as safe as any. The gap between him and his pass-catching teammates is greater than Chase or Nacua, but his offense is much more conservative, and that is what lands him as a mid-first-round pick more than one who is in consideration for the 1.01.
6. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions
If your goal is to minimize risk, St. Brown is your target. He’s caught at least 115 passes in each of the past three seasons, and with double-digit scores in each of those campaigns, this is a do-it-all option. As mentioned with Gibbs, this is a talented team that has the luxury of spreading the ball around, and while that removes him from the 1.01 conversation, you could argue that he’s the easiest player mentioned so far to build a winner around.
7. James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
If you follow these rankings, you’re landing on Cook often. He led the league in rushing last season and combines with Josh Allen to drive the production bus for one of the best offenses in the league. He’s cleared 30 receptions in three consecutive seasons, and if he can marry his 2023 production as a pass catcher (44 grabs for 445 yards and four touchdowns) with the bellcow role he had on the ground last season, he should reward our aggression on grabbing him.
8. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Taylor has run for at least 11 scores in all four of his healthy seasons (12+ games played), and that creates a production floor. His ceiling took a huge step forward last season with a career-high 46 receptions. This offense was among the best in the game prior to Daniel Jones getting hurt: with his starting QB reportedly near full strength, it’s easy to build a bullish case for Indy’s star tailback.
9. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Last season’s top-scoring back recovered from a season that saw him miss 13 games, and that’s the battle you’re forced to fight. McCaffrey’s role is as fantasy-friendly as anything we’ve seen recently, and the duality of his skill set makes him inevitable when on the field (he was the clear best option at the position last season despite the second-worst yards per carry year of his career). If you’re willing to ignore all injury risk, you could justify taking CMC third overall rather easily.
10. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
​Jeanty was billed as a generational talent ahead of his rookie season, but he didn’t give us the numbers we expected … not from the jump, at least. He posted three top-5 finishes at the position in the second half of the season as he adjusted not just to the speed of the pro game but also to the limitations of his supporting cast. I still have questions about the Raiders as a whole, but the talent shone through with time in 2025, and I want to be aggressive in targeting this skill set.
11. ​A.J. Brown, WR, New England Patriots
​Brown was portrayed as a team cancer during his time in Philadelphia, and that has public sentiment fading on him. It’s buy time. He joins an offense on the rise in New England that is led by 2025’s top deep passer in the sport. Brown is entering his age-29 season and could well be poised for a career year. Even with everything seemingly working against him in a low-volume offense, Brown scored at least seven touchdowns in every season he spent in the City of Brotherly Love.
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12. Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
On a per-snap basis, Collins has been as efficient as any receiver in the sport over the past three seasons. He, however, has yet to complete a full season as he enters his sixth year in the NFL, and the promise that C.J. Stroud showed as a rookie hasn’t reappeared. With Jayden Higgins (ACL) out for the season, Collins is a real threat to lead the position in targets every week that he laces up his cleats; usage that has me more encouraged than the quality of target has me concerned.
