Fantasy Football: How to draft a winner from No. 8 spot in PPR leagues; full results, favorite picks, more

I think Fantasy drafts get tricky around pick 30, which means if you’re picking eighth in a 12-team league, you’re going to have some tough calls in Rounds 3 and 4. But first, let’s figure out how to start your draft! In this 3-WR, PPR league, my goal is to come away with one running back and one wide receiver with my first two picks. I’m open to drafting two RBs or WRs, but if I do that, I might feel pressure to draft the other position in Round 3, which could lead me to reach for a player. Starting your team with one RB and WR gives you balance and flexibility. 

You’ll have so many options with your first two picks. I went with Christian McCaffrey and Rashee Rice. McCaffrey is McCaffrey. If he stays healthy, he’s going to be amazing. I’m willing to take the risk as early as sixth overall. Rice has been one of the most consistent performers since breaking out late in his rookie season. In his last 17 healthy regular season games (removing Week 4 of 2024 when he suffered a knee injury), Rice has averaged more than 18.5 PPR points per game. That’s borderline elite.

If I’m picking eighth in the draft, I know I’m never going to have Josh Allen, Brock Bowers or Trey McBride on my team unless they somehow fall to me in Round 3 (and I’d wait until Round 4 for Allen). The 17th pick is too early for those guys. At quarterback with this draft slot, I’d be open to drafting Lamar Jackson as early as Round 4, but I’d rather wait until Round 5 or 6 and see if any of Drake Maye, Joe Burrow or Jayden Daniels is available. If not, just keep waiting until you find the value you love. In this particular draft, I was lucky that Jackson fell to me in Round 5. 

At tight end, how do you feel about Colston Loveland in Round 3? It’s a little early for me, but if he’s there in Round 4, I’m interested. Otherwise, there are plenty of tight ends throughout the draft that I’m fine drafting as fallback options. 

It should be noted that my first four picks are unbelievably risky. I drafted a 30-year-old RB with injury history, two WRs with knee injuries and an RB dealing with serious off-field allegations. In each case, I felt the upside significantly outweighed the risk. If you’re not sure when to draft players you consider risky, ask yourself if the other options on the board have anywhere near that player’s upside. If the answer is no, it might be time to take the risk. 

Here’s my team from the eighth pick: 

1.8: Christian McCaffrey, RB, SF

2.5: Rashee Rice, WR, KC

3.8: Josh Jacobs, RB, GB

4.5: Malik Nabers, WR, NYG

5.8: Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL

6.5: David Montgomery, RB, HOU

7.8: Josh Downs, WR, IND

8.5: George Kittle, TE, SF

9.8: Blake Corum, RB, LAR

10.5: Stefon Diggs, WR

11.8: Dallas Goedert, TE, PHI

12.5: Jaxson Dart, QB, NYG

13.8: Marshawn Lloyd, RB, GB

14.5: De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, SF

I think it’s imperative to have two Top 26 WRs. For me, the back end of this list includes guys like Davante Adams, DJ Moore and Mike Evans. None of them were available to me in Round 5, so I was glad I drafted Rice and Nabers early. Otherwise, I would have hated my WR corps. Before you start drafting, come up with your own list of dependable WRs and try to get two of them. Use average draft position to determine whether or not you can get that second guy in Round 5 or if you are better off using two of your first four picks on WRs. 

I like this team and have no issues with the build. I could have taken Loveland in Round 3, which probably would have prevented me from taking Jackson in Round 5. If I had taken Loveland, I likely would have spent that fifth-round pick on a RB or WR. In that case, I would have just waited on QB and grabbed great value in the later rounds. 

Bottom line: With the eighth overall pick, plan on taking a RB/WR combo with your first two picks and making a tough call on Loveland in Rounds 3 and 4. Consider leaving your first four picks with two WRs because you may not like the options available to you late in Round 5.

Favorite pick: Lamar Jackson

Jackson scored more than 33 points (6 points per passing TD leagues) in four of his first five starts. This was after he averaged 30 points per game and was by far the best Fantasy QB in 2024. Lower body injuries hampered him in the second half of 2025, but he’s healthy now and seems excited about his new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. This is one of the most obvious bounce-back candidates in Fantasy. 

Pick I’m already regretting: David Montgomery

Honestly, I’m not an egotistical man (I’m short, bad at sports and my hair is graying), but I really do not regret any of my picks. I thought Montgomery was perfectly fine. It’s hard to find a running back with Montgomery’s projected workload in Round 6, but he was available and became a pretty obvious pick for me. However, I could have taken tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and been a little stronger at that position. 

Player who could make or break my team: Malik Nabers

It’s hard to know what to expect from Nabers. Videos of him at training camp are encouraging, and there is actually a fairly good track record of elite wide receivers having big seasons after ACL tears (Jordy Nelson, Keenan Allen, Cooper Kupp and Chris Godwin to a lesser extent), but Nabers tore his ACL and meniscus. Plus, the Giants figure to be a run-heavy offense. I suspect we won’t see Nabers in Round 4 much longer. I’m still inclined to wait until late Round 3 for Nabers. He might struggle coming back from the injury, but he also could be the steal of your draft.