8-Team PPR Draft Strategy: The Shallow-League Blueprint for a Dominant Roster

Your 8-Team PPR Blueprint

The complexity of fantasy drafts overwhelms even the most experienced players. When you're on the clock, endless variables require consideration:

• Scoring system
• Roster Size
• Team needs
• ADP
• Opponent’s rosters
• Current News
• Upside
• Injury Risk

As the clock ticks down, forgetting some of these is likely, and you'll make mistakes.

Having help that takes all of these variables into account is a must.

You need a round-by-round draft strategy guide to help make the right pick every time.

The 8-team draft strategy below takes you through every draft pick from your draft position to get the best results.

We even offer more fantasy football help if you need it.

Our 3D values and recent ADP make the best picks in your 8-team league draft. 

This game plan will help guide you in your 8-team draft.

The Format Edge Starts With Your Settings

It all starts with your Draft War Room.

Use league sync to import your settings, and the Draft War Room will update with every pick as the draft unfolds.

The result: round-by-round pick recommendations catered to your exact draft situation.

I used the Draft War Room to lay out these pick paths from every area of your 8-team draft. We're going 16 rounds with these lineup settings: 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 K, 1 DST.

8-Team PPR Draft Strategy for Pick 1 & 2

Round 1

Top Target: Puka Nacua

Nacua sits atop the Draft War Room as our 1.01. His scoring upside in the Rams offense makes him worthy of the top pick, even with Ja’Marr Chase close behind. Both project clearly ahead of the top RBs in this format.

Among 43 WRs with 80+ targets, Nacua ranked first in yards per route run (3.71), sixth in yards after catch per reception (5.3), and 19th in yards per catch (13.3) in 2025.

He ended as WR1 in PPR points per game.

Next Best: Ja’Marr Chase

Chase isn't far behind. He's coming off three straight 100-catch seasons and led the position in points per game in 2024.

Chase has racked up 44 more targets and 15 more receptions than any other player over the past two years.

Other Option

Jahmyr Gibbs

Rounds 2 & 3 

Top Targets: Saquon Barkley & A.J. Brown

You can grab your top RB and add a second WR at this turn. That helps keep your roster balanced but still leaning into WR (if you start three).

Barkley disappointed last season after being the consensus 1.01, but he still hit 16th in PPR points per game. Barkley actually drew a slightly larger share of Philly carries (61.0%, sixth among RBs) than he did in 2024 (57.9%, 13th).

The biggest problem was his offense. Philly dropped from seventh in scoring and eighth in total yards to 19th and 24th, respectively. That rebound could help Barkley get back to RB1 production.

Brown’s change of scenery to the Patriots could help fuel an even bigger season after a WR12 finish in 2025.

Brown tallied career lows in yards per catch (12.7), yards after catch per reception (3.3), and yards per route run (1.96) last year with the Eagles in 2025.

Brown also finished sixth out of 110 qualifiers in ESPN’s receiver score -- which tracks a player’s ability to get open, make catches, and generate yards after the catch -- and ranked ninth in ESPN’s open score, so the talent is still there.

Next Best: De’Von Achane & Nico Collins

Achane makes for a scary click with how bad the Dolphins offense may be (they are currently implied for 19 points per game, ranking 29th in the NFL). But Achane has ranked in the top six of PPR RBs in each of his first two seasons.

His pass catching on a team lacking in receiving options makes him a fine RB1 built on receiving volume.

Collins has scored as a top-10 fantasy WR in each of the last three healthy seasons. He had a career-best aDOT this past season at 13.3, ranking 15th among WRs with 50+ targets. 

Collins' deep role combined with his consistent fantasy scoring makes him a solid WR1 to take at this point.

Other Options

• Josh Allen
• Chase Brown
• Rashee Rice

Rounds 4 & 5

Top Targets: Rashee Rice & Breece Hall

Another RB-WR split looks good here, though the specific options figure to vary by draft.

Rice only played eight games last season due to a suspension to start the season and a concussion that caused him to miss the last two games. Even so, he finished the season ranked fifth among WRs in points per game (11.9).

He ranked third in targets per route run at 0.291, and led the entire league in yards after catch per reception at 7.98

He did have knee surgery in May to clean up some debris in his knee. It isn’t expected to limit his availability.

Hall had a career-high in carries per game last season at 15.2 after averaging 13.2 each of his two seasons before. The Jets offense stunk ranking 29th in scoring, total yards, and yards per play. 

Replacing Justin Fields with Geno Smith at QB should help. Hall can certainly hit his ceiling keeping his large workload with an improved Jets offense all around.

Next Best: Josh Jacobs & Colston Loveland

Taking a top-three TE can help give you a positional advantage in a very small 8-team league. Loveland certainly has TE1 overall upside in Ben Johnson’s offense, so he's worth considering here (and should land near the top of your Draft War Room).

Loveland made our list of fantasy football breakouts after closing last season with 80+% playing time and 10+ targets in each of his final four games, including the playoffs. If that usage carries into Year 2, he has TE1 overall upside in non-PPR.

He was an elite prospect too. His 49.6% dominator rating (share of team receiving yards plus TDs) rated in the 100th percentile historically among TEs, according to PlayerProfiler.

Jacobs ranked ninth in PPR points per game (15.9) and 10th among RBs in carries per game (234). His finish was fueled by 13 rushing TDs. Jacobs remains a dependable fantasy RB1 because the role and TD upside are strong. 

Other Options

• Zay Flowers
• DeVonta Smith
• Javonte Williams

Round 6 & 7

Top Targets: Cameron Skattebo & Tyler Warren

There is a major drop-off in our TE rankings after Warren. That makes him a must-grab if you don’t have a TE yet.

Warren’s end-zone role could push him into top-five territory this season. Warren led the Colts in 2025 with 26 red-zone targets, and tied for sixth among all TEs in end-zone targets.

The Colts also gave Warren six carries for the season, three of which came from inside the 5-yard line.

RB has a bit more of a drop off vs. WR, so Skattebo pops up above the WRs available.

Skattebo lasted eight games before a tibia fracture, a ruptured deltoid ligament, and a dislocated ankle ended his season.

Among 51 RBs with 90+ carries, he ranked fourth in missed tackles forced per attempt as well as fourth in yards after contact per attempt.

The team didn’t add meaningful competition in the backfield, so Skattebo could enter the season as the starter with the chance for a large workload.

Next Best: Terry McLaurin & Drake Maye

You could also take a QB early and grab Maye, our third ranked QB. Your WR and RB depth will be fine with so few teams, so nabbing a QB and/or TE early makes sense in smaller leagues.

Maye ranked first in completion rate, completion rate over expected, and yards per attempt in his second season. Now the team adds A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs as a major receiving upgrade.

He could certainly repeat his QB3 finish in points per game from last season.

McLaurin makes sense as a potential resurgent player who can fill your flex spot.

McLaurin ranked 33rd among WRs in points per game (7.6). That was fueled by a struggle with a quad injury in Week 3. McLaurin returned in Week 8 but re-injured the quad and missed the next three games.

Before last season, McLaurin hadn’t missed a game due to injury since a one-game absence for an ankle sprain in 2020.

McLaurin’s efficiency remained strong despite him and Jayden Daniels only playing three games together. McLaurin’s 2.22 yards per route run marked a career-high and placed 13th among 76 WRs with 50+ targets.

Other Options

• Rome Odunze
• David Montgomery
• Quinshon Judkins

Rounds 8 & 9

Top Targets: Christian Watson & D’Andre Swift 

RB and WR continue to pop in the Draft War Room to continue securing depth if you have already secured a top TE.

We got top-20 per-game production from Watson last year (he ranked 19th with 13.2 fantasy points per game), even though he was coming off an ACL tear. What we haven’t gotten yet is a full healthy season.

The departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks help Watson’s chances of boosting his target volume and significantly outperforming his mid-WR3 ADP.

Swift is the favorite for lead duties in what could be a top-5 offense and top-5 running game in Chicago. 

He looks like a relatively safe pick. Swift is coming off an RB17 finish in points per game and should return to a similar lead role in HC Ben Johnson’s always-productive running game.

Next Best: Rome Odunze & Jaylen Warren 

Odunze operated as Chicago’s top WR when he was on the field last year. Across his 12 games, he led the team with a  79.7% route rate and 21.9% target share.

Odunze was used primarily downfield, rocking a 14.3-yard average target depth. His 1,257 air yards in 12 games ranked fourth among all WRs.

Warren might be tough to trust week to week now that he’s sharing the backfield with Rico Dowdle. But he can fit as a depth RB on this roster. Warren should get enough work to stay fantasy relevant, and he’d get a big boost if Dowdle goes down.

Other Options

• D.K. Metcalf
• Tucker Kraft
• Jordyn Tyson

Rounds 10 & 11

Top Targets: Trevor Lawrence & Parker Washington

This is the time to target a QB if you have waited to take one. Lawrence ranks seventh in our QB rankings despite sitting 11th in ADP. That may change with more data, but it makes him a value if you wait on the position.

Lawrence ranked just QB18 in points per game across seven contests before the bye despite sitting QB6 in expected points per game.

After the bye, a different player showed up.

Over his final 10 games, Lawrence ranked QB1 in both actual and expected fantasy points per game. That included finishing as a top-7 QB in each of his last four games.

You can also pair Lawrence with teammate Parker Washington (this late in a draft, doubling up on one team shouldn’t negatively affect your team)

Washington could be Trevor Lawrence’s top target this season. He had a true breakout following Travis Hunter's LCL tear in Week 7. 

Washington averaged 9.7 points per game from Week 8 on, ranking 18th among WRs over that period.

Next Best: Jakobi Meyers. & Rhamondre Stevenson

You can opt for Meyers as a safer Jaguars WR option instead of Washington.

From Week 11 on, when Meyers joined the Jaguars (he played just 43.5% of snaps in his Week 10 Jags debut), the veteran led Jacksonville with a 23.5% target share, scoring 12.7 PPR points per game (24th). He finished WR11 in expected points per game over that stretch.

Stevenson could edge out second-year teammate TreVeyon Henderson in playing time this year.

In 14 games together, Stevenson led Henderson in snap share (59.3% to 37.5%), route rate (48.8% to 29.2%), and target share (9.1% to 7.4%).

Stevenson also performed better in the Pats’ predominant run scheme (man/gap), topping Henderson 4.9 yards per carry to 4.6.

Other Options

• George Kittle
• Jadarian Price
• Alec Pierce

Rounds 12 & 13

Top Targets: Michael Pittman Jr. & Jonathon Brooks

New Steelers HC Mike McCarthy has talked up Pittman. “He’s perfect, can play all three spots … the X, Z, and the F, you know, move him around”. 

Pittman did move around the formation with the Colts but has spent just 25.1% of his career pass snaps in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. Last year marked his career high at 28.9%.

That could increase with McCarthy.

Brooks missed the entire 2025 season after tearing his right ACL on December 8, 2024, but the Panthers’ backfield moves this offseason look like a vote of confidence in Brooks’ health.

They lost Rico Dowdle to Pittsburgh in free agency and made no significant additions, leaving the room to Brooks, Chuba Hubbard, and Trevor Etienne. That makes Brooks an upside depth pick at this point in the draft who could finally pay off with health and playing time.

Next Best: Kyler Murray & Jayden Reed

Target Murray here if you're still looking for your QB1 (or want a high-upside QB2).

Murray has been a top-12 QB in fantasy points per game in each of his first six seasons. Even last year (Murray’s seventh season), he finished QB16, QB22, QB16, and QB16 in his four full games. Now, he gets a loaded supporting cast with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, and TJ Hockenson.

Reed will likely stick as the slot WR for the Packers. He played 73.9% of his snaps from the slot in 2025, the 10th-highest rate in the league.

He produced 1.83 yards per route run (32nd among WRs with 20+ targets), while Jordan Love posted a 121.0 QB rating when targeting Reed (13th). That suggests the connection still worked when Reed got chances.

Injuries knocked him out for 11 games last year, however. A fully healthy season with Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks moving on could help Reed be a useful depth WR.

Other Options

• Jordan Addison
• Ricky Pearsall
• Rachaad White

Rounds 14-16

Target a player with big upside in Round 14. You can sort by projected ceiling in your Draft War Room to find players with difference-making upside.

Some names to consider:

• KC Concepcion
• Jayden Higgins
• Travis Kelce
• Rashid Shaheed
• Jordan Mason
• Jacory Croskey-Merritt
• Zach Charbonnet

Use your final two picks on a kicker and DST. Target a kicker on a strong offense. We recommend working the waiver wire and playing matchups at DST throughout the season.

Here are three DSTs with favorable early schedules:

• Chargers (vs. ARI, vs. LVR)
• Packers (at MIN, at NYJ, vs. ATL)
• Bears (at CAR, vs. MIN)

8-Team PPR Draft Strategy for Pick 3, 4 or 5

Round 1

Top Target: Puka Nacua

Nacua will top your Draft War Room as our 1.01. His ADP currently sits at 1.04, so he could be here for you. 

Nacua’s scoring potential on the Rams offense makes Nacua worth the top pick in the draft. He ranks closely with Ja’Marr Chase, but they are likely both well above the top RBs in your draft.

Among 43 WRs with 80+ targets, Nacua ranked first in yards per route run (3.71), sixth in yards after catch per reception (5.3), and 19th in yards per catch (13.3) in 2025.

Next Best: Ja’Marr Chase

Chase certainly doesn’t sit far behind, though. He is coming off three straight seasons of 100+ catches and led the position in points per game in 2024.

Chase has racked up 44 more targets and 15 more receptions than any other player over the past two years.

Other Options

• Christian McCaffrey
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Round 2

Top Target: Ashton Jeanty

ADP helps prop RBs up to the top of the Draft War Room here. Jeanty leads our projections among the potential options in the second round.

Jeanty reached 80 rushing yards in only three games and fell below 50 in eight matchups, but 2026 represents hope with new HC Klint Kubiak.

Kubiak mentioned Christian McCaffrey-like usage. Last year’s Raiders already treated him like a feature back, and the new staff appears ready to keep it that way.

Next Best: Drake London

If you would rather continue building your WRs, London makes sense here. He does sit close to A.J. Brown and Nico Collins in the rankings. Any of those WRs would work in this range.

London was a target hog last year, averaging 9.3 targets per game on a 29.2% share on the season. Those marks jump to 10.4 targets on a 31.6% share before the Week 11 knee injury. Only Jaxon Smith-Njigba registered a bigger target share than that on the season.

Other Options

• A.J. Brown
• Saquon Barkley
• De’Von Achane

Round 3

Top Target: A.J. Brown 

Hitting a second WR becomes a priority here if you took a RB in one of the previous two rounds.

Brown’s change of scenery to the Patriots could help fuel an even bigger season after a WR12 finish in 2025.

Brown tallied career lows in yards per catch (12.7), yards after catch per reception (3.3), and yards per route run (1.96) last year with the Eagles in 2025.

Brown also finished sixth out of 110 qualifiers in ESPN’s receiver score -- which tracks a player’s ability to get open, make catches, and generate yards after the catch -- and ranked ninth in ESPN’s open score, showing the talent is still there.

Next Best: Chase Brown

Brown’s fantasy outlook improved this offseason with the Bengals adding nothing meaningful to the backfield. 

He finished last year seventh in the league in carry share, fifth among RBs in route rate, and eighth at the position in PPR points per game. The whole offense should get a boost from a healthier Joe Burrow this time around.

Other Options

• Nico Collins
• Brock Bowers
• Derrick Henry

Round 4

Top Target: Rashee Rice

Don’t be afraid to fill out your starting WRs by taking three in the first four rounds. 

Rice only played eight games last season due to a suspension to start the season and a concussion that caused him to miss the last two games. Even so, he finished the season ranked fifth among WRs in points per game (11.9).

He ranked third in targets per route run at 0.291, and led the entire league in yards after catch per reception at 7.98

He did have knee surgery in May to clean up some debris in his knee. It isn’t expected to limit his availability.

Next Best: Breece Hall

Hall had a career-high in carries per game last season at 15.2 after averaging 13.2 each of his two seasons before. The Jets offense stunk ranking 29th in scoring, total yards, and yards per play. 

Replacing Justin Fields with Geno Smith at QB should help. Hall can certainly hit his ceiling keeping his large workload with an improved Jets offense all around.

Other Options

• Zay Flowers
• Josh Allen
• Travis Etienne

Round 5

Top Target: Javonte Williams

The Draft War Room likely will have you finish out your starting RBs here if you only have one.

Williams isn’t an exciting RB2, but he was RB10 in points per game last season in a strong offensive environment on the Cowboys.

He signed a three-year, $24 million contract extension in February, clearly retaining the backfield lead.

Williams still has room for more if his touchdowns normalize. He ranked fourth in expected rush TDs in 2025 but only eighth in actual TDs, and that gap plus his heavy red-zone usage points to more upside if the efficiency improves.

Next Best: Colston Loveland

You could also opt for a top-three TE in Loveland. Grabbing a top TE and/or QB can give you a positional advantage in a small league.

Loveland made our list of fantasy football breakouts after closing last season with 80+% playing time and 10+ targets in each of his final four games, including the playoffs. If that usage carries into Year 2, he has TE1 overall upside in non-PPR.

He was an elite prospect too. His 49.6% dominator rating (share of team receiving yards plus TDs) rated in the 100th percentile historically among TEs, according to PlayerProfiler.

Other Options

• Cameron Skattebo
• DeVonta Smith
• Garrett Wilson

Round 6

Top Target: Tyler Warren

There is a major drop off in our TE rankings after Warren. That makes him a must grab if you don’t have a TE yet.

Warren’s end-zone role could push him into top-five territory this season. Warren led the Colts in 2025 with 26 red-zone targets, and tied for sixth among all TEs in end-zone targets.

The Colts also gave Warren six carries for the season, three of which came from inside the 5-yard line.

Next Best: Jaylen Waddle

Waddle opened his career with finishes of WR15, WR14, and WR22 in PPR points per game before injuries to him and QB Tua Tagovailoa impacted the next two seasons. Waddle remains an elite talent who set the rookie reception record in his first season.

The Broncos need him to help an attack that featured plenty of volume but lagging efficiency last season.

Other Options

• Drake Maye
• Davante Adams
• David Montgomery

Round 7

Top Target: D’Andre Swift

Swift is the favorite for lead duties in what could be a top-5 offense and top-5 running game in Chicago. 

He looks like a relatively safe pick. Swift is coming off an RB17 finish in points per game and should return to a similar lead role in HC Ben Johnson’s always-productive running game.

Next Best: Terry McLaurin

McLaurin ranked 33rd among WRs in points per game (7.6). That was fueled by a struggle with a quad injury in Week 3. McLaurin returned in Week 8 but re-injured the quad and missed the next three games.

Before last season, McLaurin hadn’t missed a game due to injury since a one-game absence for an ankle sprain in 2020.

McLaurin’s efficiency remained strong despite him and Jayden Daniels only playing three games together. McLaurin’s 2.22 yards per route run marked a career-high and placed 13th among 76 WRs with 50+ targets.

Other Options

• Quinshon Judkins
• Joe Burrow
• Jameson Williams

Round 8

Top Target: Christian Watson

RB and WR continue to pop in the Draft War Room to continue securing depth if you have already secured a top TE.

We got top-20 per-game production from Watson last year (he ranked 19th with 13.2 fantasy points per game), even though he was coming off an ACL tear. What we haven’t gotten yet is a full healthy season.

The departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks help Watson’s chances of boosting his target volume and significantly outperforming his mid-WR3 ADP.

Next Best: Rome Odunze

Odunze operated as Chicago’s top WR when he was on the field last year. Across his 12 games, he led the team with a  79.7% route rate and 21.9% target share.

Odunze was used primarily downfield, rocking a 14.3-yard average target depth. His 1,257 air yards in 12 games ranked fourth among all WRs.

Other Options

• Jayden Daniels
• Bhayshul Tuten
• Carnell Tate

Round 9

Top Target: Jaylen Warren

This is a good spot to finalize your RB depth.

Warren might be tough to trust week to week now that he’s sharing the backfield with Rico Dowdle. But he can fit as a depth RB on this roster. Warren should get enough work to stay fantasy relevant, and he’d get a big boost if Dowdle goes down.

Next Best: Chuba Hubbard

Hubbard struggled with efficiency last year, ranking 41st in yards per carry and 45th in rushing yards over expected per attempt among 51 RBs with 90+ carries.

But, he enters 2026 as the starter for the Panthers once again, and Rico Dowdle is gone. He will face some competition from Jonathon Brooks, but Hubbard’s usage makes him a fine flex play.

Other Options

• D.K. Metcalf
• Sam LaPorta
• Jordyn Tyson

Round 10

Top Target: Trevor Lawrence

This is the time to target a QB if you have waited to take one. Lawrence ranks seventh in our QB rankings despite sitting 11th in ADP. That may change with more data, but it makes him a value if you wait on the position.

Lawrence ranked just QB18 in points per game across seven contests before the bye despite sitting QB6 in expected points per game.

After the bye, a different player showed up.

Over his final 10 games, Lawrence ranked QB1 in both actual and expected fantasy points per game. That included finishing as a top-7 QB in each of his last four games.

Next Best: Rhamondre Stevenson

Stevenson could edge out second-year teammate TreVeyon Henderson in playing time this year.

In 14 games together, Stevenson led Henderson in snap share (59.3% to 37.5%), route rate (48.8% to 29.2%), and target share (9.1% to 7.4%).

Stevenson also performed better in the Pats’ predominant run scheme (man/gap), topping Henderson 4.9 yards per carry to 4.6.

Other Options

• Parker Washington
• Jadarian Price
• George Kittle

Round 11

Top Target: Parker Washington

You can also pair Lawrence with teammate Parker Washington (this late in a draft, doubling up on one team shouldn’t negatively affect your team)

Washington could be Trevor Lawrence’s top target this season. He had a true breakout following Travis Hunter's LCL tear in Week 7. 

Washington averaged 9.7 points per game from Week 8 on, ranking 18th among WRs over that period.

Next Best: Tony Pollard

After spending his first three seasons playing behind Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas, Pollard has produced four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

Pollard has not missed a game with injury in any of the last three seasons as well. He should be a reliable depth RB option.

Other Options

• Michael Pittman Jr.
• Rico Dowdle
• Jakobi Meyers

Round 12

Top Target: Michael Pittman Jr.

New Steelers HC Mike McCarthy has talked up Pittman. “He’s perfect, can play all three spots … the X, Z, and the F, you know, move him around”. 

Pittman did move around the formation with the Colts but has spent just 25.1% of his career pass snaps in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. Last year marked his high point at 28.9% slot.

That could increase with McCarthy.

Next Best: Jayden Reed

Reed will likely stick as the slot WR for the Packers. He played 73.9% of his snaps from the slot in 2025, the 10th-highest rate in the league.

He produced 1.83 yards per route run (32nd among WRs with 20+ targets), while Jordan Love posted a 121.0 QB rating when targeting Reed (13th). That suggests the connection still worked when Reed got chances.

Injuries knocked him out for 11 games last year, however. A fully healthy season with Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks moving on could help Reed be a useful depth WR.

Other Options

• Ricky Pearsall
• Jonathon Brooks
• Quentin Johnston

Round 13

Top Target: Jordan Addison

Addison gets his ceiling limited a bit by Justin Jefferson’s presence, and he finished 31st and 25th among WRs in PPR points per game his first two years before suffering through J.J. McCarthy last season.

Next Best: Kyler Murray

Target Murray here if you're still looking for your QB1 (or want a high-upside QB2). 

Murray has been a top-12 QB in fantasy points per game in each of his first six seasons. Even last year (Murray’s seventh season), he finished QB16, QB22, QB16, and QB16 in his four full games. Now, he gets a loaded supporting cast with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, and TJ Hockenson.

Other Options

• Xavier Worthy
• Josh Downs
• Rachaad White

Rounds 14-16

Target a player with big upside in Round 14. You can sort by projected ceiling in your Draft War Room to find players with difference-making upside.

Some names to consider:

• KC Concepcion
• Jayden Higgins
• Travis Kelce
• Rashid Shaheed
• Jordan Mason
• Jacory Croskey-Merritt
• Zach Charbonnet

Use your final two picks on a kicker and DST. Target a kicker on a strong offense. We recommend working the waiver wire and playing matchups at DST throughout the season.

Here are three DSTs with favorable early schedules:

• Chargers (vs. ARI, vs. LVR)
• Packers (at MIN, at NYJ, vs. ATL)
• Bears (at CAR, vs. MIN)

8-Team PPR Draft Strategy for Pick 6, 7, or 8

Rounds 1 & 2

Top Targets: Jaxon Smith-Njigba & Amon-Ra St. Brown

The Draft War Room likes doubling up on WRs here if these top options are available. A JSN & St. Brown start gives you elite WR potential. 

JSN ranked second in non-PPR points per game at 14.3. Smith-Njigba became the clear focal point of Seattle’s passing attack in 2025. His 33.9% target share led the NFL and represented a jump from the previous season’s 24%.

He also has never missed an NFL game.

 St. Brown does make sense as a reliable WR option. He delivered another elite fantasy season, ranking third in points per game among WRs last season.

He earned a 90.6 receiving grade, ranking third among WRs with 50+ targets. St. Brown also ranked 14th in yards per route run (2.48) among that 76-player group.

Next Best: CeeDee Lamb & Ashton Jeanty

You can also split between WR and RB if the first round went WR heavy. 

Lamb delivered a strong PPR season despite missing three games with a high ankle sprain. He landed as WR10 in PPR points per game. 

He posted career highs in average depth of target (11.7) and yards per catch (14.4). That should bode well for Lamb if he plays for an entire season

Jeanty reached 80 rushing yards in only three games and fell below 50 in eight matchups, but 2026 represents hope with new HC Klint Kubiak.

Kubiak mentioned Christian McCaffrey-like usage. Last year’s Raiders already treated him like a feature back, and the new staff appears ready to keep it that way.

Other Options

• Justin Jefferson
• Jonathan Taylor
• James Cook

Rounds 3 & 4

Top Targets: Nico Collins & Josh Jacobs 

Don’t hesitate to grab three WRs in the first four rounds to fill your starting WR spots.It’s also smart to have at least one RB as well.

Collins has scored as a top-10 fantasy WR in each of the last three healthy seasons. He had a career-best aDOT this past season at 13.3, ranking 15th among WRs with 50+ targets. 

Collins' deep role combined with his consistent fantasy scoring makes him a solid WR1 to take at this point.

Jacobs ranked ninth in PPR points per game (15.9) and 10th among RBs in carries per game (234). His finish was fueled by 13 rushing TDs. Jacobs remains a dependable fantasy RB1 because the role and TD upside are strong. 

Next Best: A.J. Brown & Josh Allen

You could also opt to take the top QB at this spot and try to gain a positional advantage at that position. 

Allen has been a regular atop the QB rankings with six straight seasons as a top-four QB. 

He’s done it with efficient passing and big rushing volume. Over the last six years, Allen has completed 65.8% of his passes at 7.5 yards per attempt with a 5.7% TD rate, marks that rank 19th, seventh, and fourth among 42 QBs with 1,000+ attempts.

Brown’s change of scenery to the Patriots could help fuel an even bigger season after a WR12 finish in 2025.

Brown tallied career lows in yards per catch (12.7), yards after catch per reception (3.3), and yards per route run (1.96) last year with the Eagles in 2025.

Brown also finished sixth out of 110 qualifiers in ESPN’s receiver score -- which tracks a player’s ability to get open, make catches, and generate yards after the catch -- and ranked ninth in ESPN’s open score, showing the talent is still there.

Other Options

• Breece Hall
• Rashee Rice
• George Pickens
• Kyren Williams

Rounds 5 & 6

Top Targets: Cameron Skattebo & Colston Loveland

In an eight-team league, paying up for a top-three TE can create a real positional edge. Loveland has TE1 overall upside in Ben Johnson’s offense, so he deserves strong consideration here and should land near the top of your Draft War Room.

Loveland made our list of fantasy football breakouts after closing last season with 80+% playing time and 10+ targets in each of his final four games, including the playoffs. If that usage carries into Year 2, he has TE1 overall upside in non-PPR.

He was an elite prospect too. His 49.6% dominator rating (share of team receiving yards plus TDs) rated in the 100th percentile historically among TEs, according to PlayerProfiler.

RB has a bit more of a drop off vs. WR, so Skattebo pops up above the WRs available.

Skattebo lasted eight games before a tibia fracture, a ruptured deltoid ligament, and a dislocated ankle ended his season.

Among 51 RBs with 90+ carries, he ranked fourth in missed tackles forced per attempt as well as fourth in yards after contact per attempt.

The team didn’t add meaningful competition in the backfield, so Skattebo could enter the season as the starter with the chance for a large workload.

Next Best: Zay Flowers & David Montgomery

Flowers ended 2025 as WR15 in points per game despite limited red-zone involvement. Among 76 WRs with 50+ targets, he ranked just 37th in red-zone targets and 31st in red-zone target share.

But he should be a target hog again in a thin Baltimore pass-catching corps, and that makes him one of the safer picks on the board at cost, with WR1-level upside.

Houston acquired Montgomery from Detroit in March for OL Juice Scruggs, a 2026 fourth-round pick, and a 2027 seventh-round pick, a meaningful price for a backfield that needed a lead back. He enters 2026 as the clear lead runner, with Woody Marks behind him.

The Texans have topped out at 13th in scoring (twice) in Stroud’s three seasons. If they can improve on that and give Montgomery the backfield receiving lead, he could easily climb into the position’s top 20 in fantasy scoring.

Other Options

• Garrett Wilson
• Bucky Irving
• D’Andre Swift
• Lamar Jackson

Rounds 7 & 8

Top Targets: D’Andre Swift & Christian Watson

RB and WR continue to pop in the Draft War Room to continue securing depth if you have already secured a top TE.

Swift is the favorite for lead duties in what could be a top-5 offense and top-5 running game in Chicago.

He looks like a relatively safe pick. Swift is coming off an RB13 finish in non-PPR points per game and should return to a similar lead role in HC Ben Johnson’s always-productive running game.

We got top-20 per-game production from Watson last year (he ranked 19th with 13.2 fantasy points per game), even though he was coming off an ACL tear. What we haven’t gotten yet is a full healthy season.

The departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks help Watson’s chances of boosting his target volume and significantly outperforming his mid-WR3 ADP.

Next Best: Terry McLaurin & Bhayshul Tuten

McLaurin makes sense as a potential resurgent player who can fill your flex spot.

McLaurin ranked 33rd among WRs in points per game (7.6). That was fueled by a struggle with a quad injury in Week 3. McLaurin returned in Week 8 but re-injured the quad and missed the next three games.

Before last season, McLaurin hadn’t missed a game due to injury since a one-game absence for an ankle sprain in 2020.

McLaurin’s efficiency remained strong despite him and Jayden Daniels only playing three games together. McLaurin’s 2.22 yards per route run marked a career-high and placed 13th among 76 WRs with 50+ targets.

ADP pushes Tuten up in the Draft War Room despite us having Jaylen Warren and Rhamondre Stevenson higher in our rankings. You can certainly opt for them if you think either will not make it to the end of the ninth.

Tuten also gives you more upside in a shallow league with only eight teams.

Tuten has the opportunity to lead the Jaguars back field after being hand-picked by the Jaguars' regime in the fourth round of the 2025 draft. 

He is an explosive player, clocking a 4.32-second 40 time at 206 pounds. He has the athleticism and underlying metrics to be an impact fantasy RB2 on a productive Jacksonville offense.

Other Options

• Joe Burrow
• Mike Evans
• Jaylen Warren
• Rhamondre Stevenson

Rounds 9 & 10

Top Targets: Jaylen Warren &  Marvin Harrison Jr.

Warren might be tough to trust week to week now that he’s sharing the backfield with Rico Dowdle. But he can fit as a depth RB on this roster. Warren should get enough work to stay fantasy relevant, and he’d get a big boost if Dowdle goes down.

Harrison finished 42nd among WRs in PPR points per game. But if we omit the four games he played less than 70% of Arizona’s offensive snaps due to injury, Harrison climbs to 21st in PPR points per game.

He was effective when healthy as a downfield target. His 13.9-yard average target depth ranked 11th among 76 qualifying WRs, and 16 of his 72 targets (22.2%) came 20+ yards downfield, 30th-most among that group.

Next Best: Sam LaPorta & D.K. Metcalf

Metcalf may pop ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr. in your Draft War Room, but there is no need to double up on Steelers here.

If you pass on Warren, Metcalf is a fine WR choice this late.

Metcalf ranked 21st in non-PPR points per game last season. Last year, he set career lows in receiving yards and total targets, beating only his rookie campaign in targets per game.

HC Mike McCarthy’s arrival should help team pass volume and Metcalf’s career 13.2-yard aDOT makes him the likely deep threat in the offense.

Other Options

• Chuba Hubbard
• Brian Thomas Jr.
• Rhamondre Stevenson
• Jadarian Price

Rounds 11 & 12

Top Targets: Parker Washington & Trevor Lawrence

This is the time to target a QB if you have waited to take one. Lawrence ranks seventh in our QB rankings despite sitting 11th in ADP. That may change with more data, but it makes him a value if you wait on the position.

Lawrence ranked just QB18 in points per game across seven contests before the bye despite sitting QB6 in expected points per game.

After the bye, a different player showed up.

Over his final 10 games, Lawrence ranked QB1 in both actual and expected fantasy points per game. That included finishing as a top-7 QB in each of his last four games.

You can also pair Lawrence with teammate Parker Washington (this late in a draft, doubling up on one team shouldn’t negatively affect your team)

Washington could be Trevor Lawrence’s top target this season. He had a true breakout following Travis Hunter's LCL tear in Week 7. 

Washington averaged 9.7 points per game from Week 8 on, ranking 18th among WRs over that period.

Next Best: Tony Pollard & Jakobi Meyers

You can opt for Meyers as a safer Jaguars WR option instead of Washington.

From Week 11 on when Meyers joined the Jaguars (he only played just 43.5% of snaps in his Week 10 Jags debut), the veteran led Jacksonville with a 23.5% target share scoring 12.7 PPR points per game (24th). He finished WR11 in expected points per game over that stretch.

After spending his first three seasons playing behind Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas, Pollard has produced four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

Pollard has not missed a game with injury in any of the last three seasons as well. He should be a reliable depth RB option.

Other Options

• Michael Pittman Jr.
• Brock Purdy
• Rico Dowdle
• Jordan Addison

Rounds 13 & 14

Top Targets: Jonathan Brooks & Jayden Reed

Brooks missed the entire 2025 season after tearing his right ACL on December 8, 2024, but the Panthers’ backfield moves this offseason look like a vote of confidence in Brooks’ health.

They lost Rico Dowdle to Pittsburgh in free agency and made no significant additions, leaving the room to Brooks, Chuba Hubbard, and Trevor Etienne. That makes Brooks an upside depth pick at this point in the draft who could finally pay off with health and playing time.

Reed will likely stick as the slot WR for the Packers. He played 73.9% of his snaps from the slot in 2025, the 10th-highest rate in the league.

He produced 1.83 yards per route run (32nd among WRs with 20+ targets), while Jordan Love posted a 121.0 QB rating when targeting Reed (13th). That suggests the connection still worked when Reed got chances.

Injuries knocked him out for 11 games last year, however. A fully healthy season with Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks moving on could help Reed be a useful depth WR.

Next Best: Kyler Murray & Josh Downs

Target Murray here if you're still looking for your QB1 (or want a high-upside QB2).

Murray has been a top-12 QB in fantasy points per game in each of his first six seasons. Even last year (Murray’s seventh season), he finished QB16, QB22, QB16, and QB16 in his four full games. Now, he gets a loaded supporting cast with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, and TJ Hockenson.

Downs fell to WR60 in points per game (8.6) in 2025 after finishing WR32 (13.1) in 2024.

But Michael Pittman Jr. has moved to Pittsburgh freeing up his 19.7% target share. Downs could absorb some of those targets.

Downs has played little in two-WR sets through his first three seasons, but HC Shane Steichen has said he believes in Downs’ ability to perform out wide.

If Downs finally earns real two-WR work, his price is way behind his opportunity.

Other Options

• Jacory Croskey-Merritt
• Xavier Worthy
• KC Concepcion

Rounds 15 & 16

Use your final two picks on a kicker and DST. Target a kicker on a strong offense. We recommend working the waiver wire and playing matchups at DST throughout the season.

Here are three DSTs with favorable early schedules:

• Chargers (vs. ARI, vs. LVR)
• Packers (at MIN, at NYJ, vs. ATL)
• Bears (at CAR, vs. MIN)

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