Last season, Seahawks general manager and president of football operations John Schneider was named the NFL Executive of the Year by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA). He made many important decisions in the construction of a second Super Bowl winning team for the Seahawks under his guidance.
One of Schneider's most apparent routes of success was to build a strong team through the NFL Draft. Superstar wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and top offensive linemen Charles Cross, Grey Zabel and Abraham Lucas were Seahawks success stories from recent drafts. On defense, Devon Witherspoon and Byron Murphy II were two essential performers on the road to a Super Bowl LX victory.
Schneider and the Seahawks' front office also constructed the core of the Super Bowl XLVIII team through the draft. Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor were some of the original Seahawks picks that became Super Bowl starters and won two NFC Championships.
When you are playing fantasy football, building a winning team is also heavily impacted by the draft. Unless you are playing in a dynasty league, though, where most of the rosters are retained from season to season, an entire 2026 fantasy football roster is put together on draft day.
The final roster that is created on draft day is the foundation for your season. But it's also likely not quite the same collection of players that you will lead into the fantasy football playoffs. The roster will undergo many changes throughout the season based on injuries, waiver moves and trades in leagues that allow them.
Fantasy football draft day is when NFL and Seahawks fans get to operate as their own general manager. It is essential that you lay down a strong foundation on draft day in August or early September, as the squad assembled will serve as the basis for everything that happens thereafter. Even if you trade some players away after the season starts, picking those players is what enables you to make key moves.
We provide our important draft day tips and strategies for the 2026 fantasy football season. Analysis leans to full PPR (one point per reception) formats.
Fantasy Football Draft Strategy 2026: Draft Room Tips
First-round draft recommendations: Most seasonal fantasy football players obsess over the first-round pick, especially if they learn what their slot is before the draft. Many fantasy leaguers will try to guess what player will drop to their spot. Will Jaxon Smith-Njigba still be available at the fifth pick?
Don't spend too much time guessing how the flow ahead of your picks might go in any round. Every single fantasy football draft is different, and participants will frequently change their minds on the fly. It's better to simply be ready with a full queue of players that matches your pick number. So if you are drafting seventh, queue up your seven top players overall and then simply pick the best one remaining when your turn comes up.
Early Average Draft Position Reports indicate that the first 12 selections in a 12-team, one QB starter league might be evenly split between running backs and wide receivers. Six RBs and six WRs go off the board in the first 12 picks, as tight ends and quarterbacks are much less likely to be taken in the first round of drafts that include experienced fantasy players.
Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson will often be the first two picks in any draft, and the next three tend to be the top three WRs, which are Ja'Marr Chase, Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua. The flow and order of picks should vary more from slots six through 12.
The early round targets: Taking at least one RB in the first two rounds is advised but should be approached as a loose strategy depending on the flow of the draft. If you can pair Amon-Ra St, Brown with A.J. Brown in the first two rounds, that might be too tempting to resist.
According to ADP reports, though, four more RBs could be taken in the first half of the second round and six total might be selected overall. You can start out with a WR/TE build, but don't take your RB1 later than the third round as another recommended, but loose approach. The twists and turns of the first few rounds could alter any pre-determined strategies at any time.
You'll see the top two tight ends, Trey McBride and Brock Bowers, frequently go off the board in the second round. Starting with a WR/TE/RB build in the first three rounds could work out well enough.
If you end up with Smith-Njigba, Bowers and Jeremiyah Love in the first three rounds as one example, then the early-round roster construction looks successful. But getting Robinson, McBride and DeVonta Smith could also be how the roster looks after three rounds if you start out with a RB/TE/WR trio.
Taking a top 2 TE in the second round might mean passing on a top 10 WR or top 12 RB, but you will have a significant advantage over many opponents at the position that usually tends to be the thinnest and least predictable.
My latest one-man mock draft can serve as a useful early-round map.
Fantasy Football QB rankings are deeper in 2026: If you are going to take Josh Allen in the third round, it's certainly not a bad pick at all. No other player in fantasy football delivers such consistent excellence. Allen has finished as a top 2 fantasy QB in each of the last six seasons.
The other top-shelf QBs, such as Lamar Jackson, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow might all be gone after five rounds. But the QB position is not as top-heavy as it was three or four years ago, and there are approximately 15 viable starters at the position in one-QB leagues.
Trevor Lawrence (ADP of 84.1) might be on the verge of a career year in his second season under Liam Coen. Matthew Stafford (99.4) was a top 3 fantasy QB season. A healthy Baker Mayfield (126) could come through with a big rebound season. Waiting until the seventh to 10th rounds to take a starting QB can be a successful route to take.
Don't get 'sniped': When you make a pick in each round, load up the queue with as many potential picks as possible for the next round. Do so, and you'll always be ready with one of the best possible selections when the next pick comes around. ,You won't be thrown off by someone else taking the one or two players you wanted the most just before your pick.
When hoping a certain player keeps falling closer to your pick, keep in mind that many others in the league could be targeting that same guy. If he makes it to your pick, take that as a win, but don't be left scrambling for an alternative, and fill up that queue before every round.
Your fantasy football draft board should feature starters first: I try to fill out the bulk of my starting lineup in the first six to seven rounds. If league rules require me to start 1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE and a flex player at the skill positions, I will try to fill out at least five of those slots in the first five rounds. QB and TE picks could come in the sixth and seventh rounds but can also be pushed back one round if a very good value pick at RB or WR is available before Round 8.
Late picks and NFL schedule insights: Getting the handcuff to your top RBs should always be on the radar in the final rounds. Be sure to check if the RB2 slot behind one of your starters is solidified on the NFL team of that player. Those who draft Saquon Barkley should surely take Tank Bigsby as his backup. The backup RB situation in Arizona behind Love, though, seems to be much more unclear.
Don't sweat bye weeks and late-season schedules too much, because your roster might change a lot before a projected bye week. Predicting late-season schedule matchups is more of a longer-range swing, because much in the NFL changes from season to season. The outlooks for many players and teams will have changed by the time the fantasy playoffs start, as compared to now.
Obviously, sleepers such as Rashid Shaheed and Las Vegas' Jalen Nailor can be targeted in double-figure rounds. Several rookies will slip to the second half of the draft, and finding appealing surprise standouts and upside picks makes the final rounds fun.
The endgame of a draft is not where you should be struggling to make a pick. Being properly prepared for the final rounds is a must. A late-round pick who soars far beyond expectations might turn out to be a pivotal performer on a fantasy football championship winner.
Streaming defenses from the outset: Many drafters simply pick their defense based on rankings or the perceived overall strength of a unit. But the better approach is to take the teams with the friendliest early schedules. Most fantasy leaguers stream defenses every week, so start doing so from the outset.
The Seahawks face New England, Arizona and Washington to open the 2026 campaign. The 'Hawks are mostly running it back with the same defensive starters that spurred a Super Bowl title run, and all three of those matchups can be favorable.
The Chargers open the season against Arizona and Las Vegas, and Kansas City has a good four-game stretch to start the year. The Chiefs take on the Broncos, Colts, Dolphins and Raiders at the beginning of the season.
Detroit features one of the most defense-friendly schedules in the league over the first five weeks. The Lions start their 2026 schedule vs. New Orleans, and even though they should not be used against Buffalo in Week 2, Detroit's following matchups are against the Jets, Panthers and Cardinals.
Scott Engel has been the official fantasy football writer for *Seahawks.com* since 2012. He is also a *senior fantasy writer at RotoBaller.com* and a longtime host on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. Scott has won four awards and was a 13-time finalist for honors from the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA). He was a member of the FSWA's inaugural Hall of Fame class.
The Seahawks held their fourth practice of training camp on Tuesday, July 28 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tackle Abraham Lucas (72) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
/Seahawks safety Bud Clark (9) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tackle Charles Cross (67) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Ty Okada (39) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo (18) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tackle/guard Mason Richman (78) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. (87) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Ricky White III (86) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tackle Abraham Lucas (72) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tackle Logan Brown (73) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Cody White (82) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Cody White (82) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Bud Clark (9) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Bud Clark (9) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tight end Eric Saubert (81) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Bud Clark (9) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford (75) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back George Holani (36) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tackle Charles Cross (67) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Jacardia Wright (31) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks center Federico Maranges (62) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5) and punter Michael Dickson (4) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) and cornerback Josh Jobe (29) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks guard Christian Haynes (64) and defensive end Mike Morris (94) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson (27) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back George Holani (36) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford (75) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks guard Beau Stephens (60) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Bud Clark (9) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and running back Jadarian Price (8) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks center Jalen Sundell (61) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Bud Clark (9), linebacker Derick Hall (58) and head coach Mike Macdonald on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Ricky White III (86) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Cody White (82) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (33) on day four of training camp on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
