The Best Fantasy Football Draft Pick in Every Round, Each Backed by One Key Stat

I have sat down and devised a list. It features the best pick in the first 10 rounds of a fantasy football draft. Most formats are either 10- or 12-team leagues, so the picks are based on compensation. It meets the two in the middle and bases the ADP on an 11-team league. They are often arranged around each corresponding round.

Below, I list each pick with "One Stat to Rule Them All."

1st Round — Amon-Ra St. Brown

Over the past 3 seasons, St. Brown has averaged 19.4 PPR points per game. Find a reason he is not a good pick and let me know on X — @TCarelliTakes.

2nd Round — Omarion Hampton

In Mike McDaniel's Miami offense, De'Von Achane averaged 18.5 PPR points per game. Hampton fills the similar majority-back, dual-threat role.

3rd Round — Javonte Williams

In 2025, Williams averaged 3.0 red-zone rushing attempts per game and 0.94 per game from inside the five-yard line, with 9 total touchdowns, or a scoring rate of over 50%. The Cowboys remain a top-5 NFL offense.

4th Round — Tee Higgins

Tee Higgins was ranked 2nd in the NFL in single-man coverage (92.1) in 2025, only behind Puka Nacua (92.4).

5th Round — Tyler Warren

Through Week 7 of 2025, the Colts were literally the most efficient offense in NFL history, averaging 3.46 points per drive. In that span, Warren was 16th in receiving yards across the league and the TE3.

6th Round — Jayden Daniels

Daniels rushed for a total of 890 yards as a rookie and has an over/under of 550.5 in 2026, and now he adds Stefon Diggs, who is rated top-10 in 2026 single-man coverage grade.

7th Round — Carnell Tate

As a rookie, Malik Nabers led the NFL with a 35.3% target share under Brian Daboll. In 2020, Diggs led the NFL with 127 receptions and 1,535 yards, also under Daboll.

8th Round — Courtland Sutton

Through Week 17 of 2025, Sutton had an S-tier deep receiving PFF grade of 96.7. With Jaylen Waddle added, Sutton will primarily line up outside the hashes as the vertical X-receiver.

9th Round — Stefon Diggs

Is Terry McLaurin the best wideout in Washington, D.C? Between 2024 and 2025, Diggs was better in yards per route run (+0.13), catch rate (+12.5%), and YAC/Reception (+0.9).

10th Round — MarShawn Lloyd

The Packers had a 66.7% run rate inside the 10-yard line in 2025, and no running back has more red zone touchdowns than Jacobs since 2024. With him out indefinitely, that role shall benefit Lloyd as the majority Packer runner.

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