Fantasy Football Draft Strategy From No. 4 Pick: 3 Options To Kickstart Lineups
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The Fantasy Football season is rapidly approaching and players must begin mapping out draft strategy depending on positioning. From the No. 4 overall spot, fantasy players could target a wide range of elite players to lay a strong foundation for the remainder of the draft, but narrowing options can be difficult.
The fourth pick presents an opportunity to land a surefire superstar, with plenty of options left on the board if players like Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson are gone - which they likely will be. Let’s look at three options to consider with the No. 4 pick, and their respective cases to be taken with such a high pick:
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks - WR
ADP: 5.8
Jaxon Smith-Njigba erupted in his third NFL season, leading the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl on the back of his Offensive Player of the Year campaign. He closed the year ranked as WR2 in PPR and the No. 8 weekly scorer overall. Njigba led the league with 1,793 receiving yards on 119 catches with 10 touchdowns.
After losing Kenneth Walker III in free agency, many have raised expectations for Seattle’s passing attack to see an uptick in volume, which could play in Njigba’s favor from a fantasy perspective. He’s suited up in 17 games in each of his first three seasons, and there’s no reason to believe that will change in 2026. Fantasy managers are getting a fail-safe with Njigba at No. 4.
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers - RB
ADP: 5.6
The San Francisco 49ers’ trend of injuries in 2025 have persisted during the offseason. The team has already suffered a season-ending injury in the receiving corps, with Ricky Pearsall set to miss the entire 2026 campaign due to persistent swelling to a knee injury from last season. Pearsall underwent surgery, but the receiving corps will be without one of its top options from last season.
Thin receiver depth will position star running back Christian McCaffrey for yet another top-five finish in 2026. Many fantasy managers may be weary of McCaffrey’s history of injuries in his own regard, but his production last season is nearly impossible to ignore. He finished the year with 2,126 yards from scrimmage over a league-high 413 touches, good for a No. 1 finish in fantasy with 416.6 points on the year. The injuries are definitely a concern, but he managed 17 starts a season ago, and looks to be on track for another healthy season.
Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams - WR
ADP: 3.8
Puka Nacua is taking a slight tumble in real-time ADP projections after suffering a groin injury during a training camp session earlier in the week, but will still likely fall off the board in the first five picks of the vast majority of fantasy drafts. Despite missing a game, the two-time Pro Bowler managed to lead the league in receptions and yards per game, closing the year with a WR1 finish - just ahead of Njigba.
Nacua was one of fantasy’s most consistent players in 2025, eclipsing 20 points in PPR in 10 of his 16 games. In one of the best offenses in the NFL, helping lead the top passing offense in the league a season ago, Nacua is set up nicely to sustain his status as one of fantasy’s top three wideouts this year. With over 166 targets and 1,715 receiving yards, fantasy managers can expect another elite season from Nacua.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.