Why I went RB-RB from the 12th pick

By Michael ChenPublished 2026-10-05

Draft-day perspective: September 9, 2026.

I had the last pick in my 2026 fantasy draft. Twelve teams, full PPR, and two picks in a row before waiting through another 22 selections.

CeeDee Lamb went tenth. Justin Jefferson went eleventh. By the time it got to me, I was looking at the running backs.

I wanted two guys I could build around, and I wanted them catching passes. In full PPR, that matters a lot to me. A running back who can contribute in the passing game has another way to put up points when the rushing production isn’t there.

I took Chase Brown at 12 and Omarion Hampton at 13.

Brown was the one I felt better about. I liked Cincinnati’s offense, his receiving upside, and what I saw as a relatively clear backfield. I wanted someone who could get useful touches on an offense I expected to score.

The second pick was harder. I was choosing between Hampton and Kenneth Walker. There were other names there too, but I had concerns about them. Jeanty’s preseason injury was on my mind. I wasn’t confident in Miami’s offense for Achane, and Barkley’s age made me less comfortable taking him that early.

I went with Hampton because I liked what I was hearing about the Chargers. The coaching and offensive-line outlook made me optimistic about his situation. That was a bet on what the offense could become, and it was the bet I preferred at that pick.

My thinking with RB-RB was mostly about scarcity. I find it harder to get running backs whose workloads I actually want than to find receivers I’m willing to start. An offense can support multiple useful receivers. Running-back touches can be harder to find once the players I trust are gone.

Getting Brown and Hampton let me spend the next part of the draft on receivers.

That mattered in this league. We start three WRs and two flexes, so receiver depth can end up in the lineup every week. I couldn’t just take two receivers I liked and call it done.

At 36 and 37, I took Tee Higgins and Zay Flowers.

Olave, DeVonta Smith and Ladd McConkey had just come off the board. I was looking at Higgins, Flowers and Waddle, and I trusted Higgins and Flowers more.

With Higgins, I liked getting another part of Cincinnati’s offense, even with him being the second option. With Flowers, I liked the chance to get the leading receiver on another offense I believed in. I wasn’t as sold on Waddle’s situation in Denver. I was happy taking the two I trusted instead of talking myself into him.

I also knew I was going to wait on tight end. Bowers and McBride were the two I would have considered earlier, and both were gone before this turn. Once that happened, I wanted to keep using these picks on RBs and WRs.

The next pair was Jameson Williams at 60 and Rome Odunze at 61.

I was open to another running back, but I preferred the receivers in that range. In full PPR, I liked their scoring potential more than the backs I was considering there.

Jameson was another bet on an offense I liked. Being the second receiver didn’t bother me as much when I thought the offense could create enough opportunities.

Odunze was the choice over Christian Watson. I liked Chicago’s offensive potential and thought Rome could become a first or second option. Watson had upside too, but his injury history made me more comfortable going with Rome.

After six picks, I had two running backs and four receivers. That was the part of the team I wanted to establish first.

At 84 and 85, I went back to running back with Jonathon Brooks and Tony Pollard. They served different purposes for me.

Brooks was the upside pick. I liked the talent and the possibility that he could take on a bigger part of the backfield. Pollard was someone I thought could give me a usable start when I needed one. I didn’t like the options coming after him as much, so I wanted that insurance alongside the more speculative pick.

Then I took MarShawn Lloyd at 108 and KC Concepcion at 109.

Lloyd was another bet on a backfield opportunity. Josh Jacobs was already on the commissioner’s exempt list while facing criminal charges, so I thought Lloyd had a chance to earn a bigger role in Green Bay.

With Concepcion, I wanted more receiver depth and thought there was a path for him to become the top receiver on his offense. By then, I was looking for players who could become more useful than their draft position suggested.

Jonah Coleman at 132 followed that same idea. I thought he could earn a bigger role in Denver’s backfield. He was another upside back rather than a direct backup to Brown or Hampton.

At 133, I finally took Dallas Goedert. I needed a tight end, and with A.J. Brown traded, I could see a path to more opportunity for him. I was comfortable taking that chance at this point in the draft.

I waited until 156 for Jared Goff.

I liked the cost. Goff had a track record of productive seasons, and I trusted Detroit’s offense. Our league gives six points for a passing touchdown, which also makes his passing production useful. I preferred getting him late and using the earlier picks on the rest of my lineup instead of paying up at quarterback.

I finished with the Chargers defense and Evan McPherson. I stream defense every week, so I was only looking at Week 1. The Chargers were facing Arizona, and I expected Arizona to be bad. I thought that was the best matchup to start with. For kicker, I just took who I thought was the best one left, McPherson.

Looking at the draft on its own, the plan is pretty clear. Get two backs I liked early. Build out the receivers. Take some chances on later running backs, with Pollard as someone I could use while waiting on those chances. Fill quarterback and tight end at prices I was comfortable with.

That was what I wanted from the 12th pick. Brown and Hampton gave me a starting point, and the next four receivers gave me the depth this lineup needed. The later picks were where I was willing to wait and see.