Who should I pick No. 1 in my fantasy football draft this year?

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 8: Bijan Robinson #7 of the Atlanta Falcons smiles with Jahmyr Gibbs #0 of the Detroit Lions prior to an NFL preseason football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 8, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. | Getty Images It’s draft time, and you’ve drawn the No. 1 overall pick. Everyone is waiting to see which direction you go in, and there’s pressure to really get this one right. The 1st round pick for any fantasy team should be the tone setter, the player who will anchor your season and be a sure thing. Today we’re diving into that question if you are locked at No. 1 to ensure you make the right pick without looking foolish. There are two directions this question goes, which really depends if you play in a Point Per Reception (PPR) league, or whether it’s based on standard scoring. There is a different No. 1 for each system, and were going to break down your best picks right now. PPR League: Bijan Robinson, RB — Atlanta Falcons When you look at the top rankings Bijan is always hovering in the Top 5, but the case for him being the clear-cut No. 1 in a PPR league is really simple: What else do the Falcons have? When you have a dual-threat running back like Robinson, paired with the quagmire Atlanta has at QB, it spells for MASSIVE usage for the back, and he is going to rack up the points. In 2025 Robinson finished with over 2,200 all-purpose yards, which included 79 receptions on 103 targets. Not only was he the three-down running back, but also third in targets. When you look at Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. you have two quarterbacks under a lot of pressure to play mistake-free football. That will lead to even more checkdown routes to Robinson, short passing, and trying to move the chains with the offense routed through the RB. We have seen these kind of seasons before, most notably the Christian McCaffrey years in 2019 with the Carolina Panthers when Cam Newton was injured. That year the team had to run everything through CMC, and it resulted in him obliterating everyone in PPR leagues as he finished with over 2,350 yards from scrimmage, 19 total touchdowns, and a team-high 116 receptions. That’s the kind of impact Bijan Robinson could have on the NFL this season, and why he’s the clear-cut No. 1 in PPR. Standard League: Ja’Marr Chase, WR — Cincinnati Bengals Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to Bengals superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Even under the worst circumstances (as we saw in 2025) he’s still going to be better than almost any receiver in the league, and when he has a full season with a healthy Joe Burrow — watch out. Boasting a staggering five straight seasons with over 1,000 yards, and seven touchdowns being his absolute floor — there is a real chance that Chase returns to his 2024 form where he finished with over 1,700 yards receiving on 127 receptions, and 17 touchdowns. Those are the high water marks to be sure, but it’s definitely attainable in this offense. Part of the reason Chase is so highly rated is also a factor of the Bengals’ defensive struggles. This team routinely finds itself in holes or shootouts, which necessitates a lot of passing the ball, where Chase is the focal point. It’s a perfect storm where he’s not only the best receiver in the NFL, but finds himself in a situation where he HAS to be used as much as possible to get the team to wins. Is anyone else in the conversation? If you really strongly dislike the idea of Bijan Robinson in PPR then a case could be made for Jahmyr Gibbs of the Lions. Another dual-threat running back, Detroit is obviously a much better team, so they will have the edge when it comes to offensive line play and overall skill. The downside is that the Lions do have other weapons, so Gibbs might not get as many looks. For standard, the other choice is Puka Nacua. He will get a lot of targets and yards as he always does, but the lingering question when it comes to the Rams is how many red zone targets will go to Davante Adams. That hurt Nacua as a fantasy receiver last season, and could be an issue in 2026 as well.

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