Sports

The Perfect 12-Team PPR Fantasy Football First-Round Mock Draft: How High Has AJ Brown Climbed?

By Mark Morales-Smith Sports Illustrated

Updated June 2, 2026 10:57 AM

Fantasy owners are starting to draft, and nailing your first-round pick is a huge piece of having a great fantasy football season. We are here to help you get that pick right in your drafts. This is the perfect 12-team PPR fantasy football draft.

1.1 RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

Robinson is my first overall pick this season. Not only has he already shown his massive upside, which could rise even higher this season with Tyler Allgeier there to steal the goal-line work, but he also has an extremely safe floor with no real concerns surrounding him.

1.2 WR Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

Chase has the most upside of any wide receiver in fantasy football, and his volume gives him a high floor as well. Puka Nacua's off-field antics this year have made him an easy choice.

1.3 RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

Gibbs upside is through the roof. Probably even higher than Robinson. However, the Lions' offense took a big step back last season, and it's not safe to assume that Isiah Pacheco won't see a larger role than we are hoping for.

1.4 WR Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

Nacua still comes in at the No. 4 pick, but he's much more risky than he was at the end of last season. Not only because of his injury history, but also because he could be facing a possible suspension because of his behavior.

1.5 WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) runs with the ball against Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker (9) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

I might have St. Brown higher than most, but he has consistently finished in the WR3 overall spot for years now, and has a much longer track record of success compared to JSN.

1.6 WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks

Speaking of JSN, Smith-Njigba comes in at No. 6 for me, which is definitely below consensus. However, the Seahawks have more targets to throw to this season, and I'm still not overly high on Sam Darnold.

1.7 RB Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

We can't forget that Taylor was a fantasy monster for the majority of last season. Whoever had him in your roster at mid-season was probably in first place in your league. The wheels fell off for the entire Colts' offense once Daniel Jones went down with an injury, leaving a bitter taste in some owners' mouths, but we expect both JT and Daniels to pick up where they left off last season in 2026.

1.8 RB De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins

Achane is going to be the Dolphins' offense. He's going to lead the team in both rushing attempts and targets this season. When you combine that kind of volume with his game-breaking ability, you can make a strong case that he should be drafted even higher.

1.9 WR AJ Brown, New England Patriots

Brown has finally been traded to the New England Patriots. His style of play fits so perfectly with Drake Maye and the Patriots' offense that it's not crazy to put him in the WR1 overall conversation this season.

1.10 WR Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) walks off the field after the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The quarterback situation in Minnesota is still not ideal, but Kyler Murray should be more than good enough to get Jefferson back on track in 2026.

1.11 WR CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

George Pickens returning to Dallas and soaking up a ton of targets does scare us a bit, but not enough to drop Lamb out of the first round.

1.12 RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

This one might turn some heads, but I'm high enough on Hampton that I'm willing to draft him in the first round over other stars like Drake London and James Cook.

More Fantasy Sports On SI News

This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as The Perfect 12-Team PPR Fantasy Football First-Round Mock Draft: How High Has AJ Brown Climbed?.

This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 10:47 AM.