2026 Fantasy Football Beginner's Guide to Winning a League Championship

• Fab's favorite scoring system | Why you should play in a PPR league | What ADP means and how to use it to your advantage

I've been in the fantasy sports business for more than 25 years, giving advice to the masses for fantasy baseball, basketball and, of course, football. But since I've moved exclusively to football (way back in 2006), I must admit I'm far less of an "expert" in the other major sports.

Which makes sense, considering my focus is on the NFL world and fantasy football.

Sure, I can tell you the entire New York Yankees roster from top to bottom—yes, I'm a diehard fan of the Bronx Bombers—and I know the value of the big-name players across the league. However, I can't name those pitchers in the Arizona Diamondbacks rotation, who plays center field for the Cincinnati Reds or the starting catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

So when I participate in fantasy baseball drafts, I sometimes struggle to figure out who to pick in the middle to late rounds. That’s because I'm not up on all the sleepers, players to avoid, potential breakouts, etc., without getting help from good buddy Tristan H. Cockcroft (ESPN baseball expert). Since I’m no longer an analyst in the sport, I’m a lot like the people who casually play in a fantasy football league … looking for help and advice on how to win.

As a result, I’m going to go through everything you, the fantasy football beginner, need to know to prepare for your draft and pick a team that can win a championship. After all, I went through it myself in my baseball league last season (and I ended up winning the league title)!

Know Your League’s Rules And Scoring System

These days, there is no shortage of different league types. I’m going to assume for this exercise that you’re playing in a seasonal (redraft) league and not a keeper, dynasty or best-ball league.

A seasonal draft is exactly what it sounds like … you draft a team for one season. In a keeper league, you’re allowed to keep a certain number of players year to year. In dynasty, you keep your entire roster (or most of it) and have a rookie-only draft (which most closely mirrors the NFL).

You also need to know what your roster and lineup requirements are before the draft. How many running backs or wide receivers do you start? Does the league have flex spots that allow you to start an additional running back, wide receiver or tight end? Is there a super flex spot that allows you to start one of those three positions or a quarterback? Has your commissioner eliminated kickers or defensive positions, or are those required? How many players are allowed on the bench? Are there roster restrictions? Do you have injured reserve spots, and which players are eligible?

These are all questions you need to have answered before the draft. You’ll also need to know the scoring system, which is extremely important to drafting a successful team.

The most popular scoring systems are standard, PPR (Point Per Reception) and Half-PPR (Half-Point Per Reception). In a standard league, you usually get four points for touchdown passes, six points for all other touchdowns, one point for every 25 passing yards and one point for every 10 rushing or receiving yards. You don’t get any points for receptions, though, and that’s made the standard format
a bit less popular in recent seasons (at least in my opinion).

In PPR and Half-PPR leagues, you get a full point or a half point for a reception. That makes a huge difference, as players who catch a lot of passes will have far more value than in a standard league. For example, Wan’Dale Robinson had just 699 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2024. Those aren’t great totals. However, his impressive 93 receptions made him a PPR asset.

Research your fantasy football draft spot

Although some leagues have fewer or more teams, typical fantasy formats have 10-12 teams. I’ll assume a 12-team league for this exercise, so you’ll have a draft pick between No. 1 and No. 12. If this is a snake draft, which is the usual format, the draft will “snake” each round. So, if you have the first pick in Round 1, you’ll have the last pick in Round 2 and the first pick in Round 3 and so on. Once you know your spot, it’s a good idea to look at mock drafts (we'll have plenty at SI) to see how teams were built from each particular spot.

Print out rankings for all positions

Once you know your league's rules and scoring system, you should find a list of appropriate player rankings to use during the draft. That will help you with player values and keep you updated on players who have been picked. I have rankings for many different types of leagues, including full-point PPR, Dynasty Startups and Rookie-Only leagues. These rankings are updated daily (as needed), so you will always have the most up-to-date list.

In addition, you should look at average draft position (ADP) data. That will tell you, on average, where players are being picked in similar drafts. Most fantasy football sites have this data, and it can be useful for those who aren’t necessarily in the know who want to avoid making a pick that might be far too soon (reaching or overdrafting) or miss out on a player by waiting too long.

Compile a list of potential sleepers

Michael Wilson emerged from relative fantasy obscurity to rack up 1,000-plus receiving yards and 7 touchdowns last season. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

In my fantasy baseball leagues, I need help determining sleepers or breakout players I should target in drafts. Researching these last year, I knew to take a chance on players like Cal Raleigh (who I drafted despite never having heard of him!) or Pete Crow-Armstrong. In fantasy football, fans who were smart enough to draft Drake Maye, Michael Wilson or Harold Fannin Jr. in 2025 know how these players can be the difference between a competitive team and a title winner.

Here at Sports Illustrated, I have compiled a list of my favorite breakout and sleeper players at each of the four major fantasy positions … quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end. You can use these as a guide to picking players who could be values in the middle to late rounds.

Don’t draft with only your heart

I get it. You're a Miami Dolphins fan and want quarterback Malik Willis (one of my sleepers) on your fantasy team. After all, drafting players from your favorite team makes the whole experience more fun. But the fact of the matter is you don’t want to reach for a player just because he’s on your team. Based on the ADP data at FootballGuys, Willis isn’t coming off the board until the 130s (Round 10 or 11). So if you rush to pick him, say, in Round 7 or 8, you’re missing out on more valuable players.

Don’t draft last year’s best team

I have to credit my dear friend Bob Harris from FootballGuys for this piece of advice. You have to remember that the NFL is unpredictable (ask anyone with Justin Jefferson last year), so drafting the same players who were great in a previous year doesn’t guarantee a repeat. This is more for the players who came out of nowhere last season, as most of the elite players, such as Ja’Marr Chase, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, are likely to remain great regardless.

Still, you should know why there is cause for concern when it comes to Christian McCaffrey’s value in 2026 (age, workload). You should be aware of players coming off what I call “magical seasons” who will have a tough time repeating those performances. This is also the reason you can’t always just “draft a name.” Big names don’t always equate to big fantasy points.

How did that work out for you last year with Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr.?

While the past obviously matters for statistical success and player value, you should be looking ahead to what a player could become rather than what they were before. That’s how you find breakout players and sleepers while also avoiding potential fantasy busts.

Finally … have fun!

I'm as competitive as the next guy or gal, but fantasy football isn't just about winning ... it's about having fun! The draft experience is fun, winning is fun, making trades is a lot of fun! And unless you play in a million leagues like me, you probably won't have to spend all day setting lineups, making add/drops, etc. ... so be sure to make the fantasy football experience enjoyable!

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