5 Early-Round Fantasy Football Draft Picks To Target | Expert Advice on Top Players (2026)

Don't mess up your draft! Join Chris Welsh and Jake Ciely as they break down their top five early-round fantasy football draft picks to target. Seattle Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba has emerged as an elite pass-catcher, but is he a round one lock? Projected top 10 at his position with strong receiving upside, can Cincinnati Bengals RB Chase Brown return value? Plus, is Chicago Bears TE Colston Loveland a good fourth-round target? The Pros highlight these five picks that'll help managers build a strong foundation so they can take calculated swings later! Timestamps: Introduction - 0:00:00 Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR - SEA) - 0:02:21 Chase Brown (RB - CIN) - 0:07:00 Kyren Williams (RB - LAR) - 0:11:55 Colston Loveland (TE - CHI) - 0:15:33 Drake Maye (QB - NE) - 0:19:21 Outro - 0:23:35 📄 For a complete list of rules and guidelines on how to enter our Giveaway Contest, and to claim your prize, please visit https://www.fantasypros.com/youtubes-contest-policies-and-guidelines/ ❓ FAQs • Who is the top first-round target, according to Jake Ciely? • Should I draft Drake Maye in round five? • Which TE is worthy of a fourth-round pick? • Why target Kyren Williams in round three? ______________________ Sponsors: 🎸 Hard Rock Bet - Sign up for Hard Rock Bet and make a $5 bet and you'll get $150 in bonus bets if you win. Head over to Hard Rock Bet, sign up and make your first deposit today. Payable in bonus bet(s). Not a cash offer. Offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in FL. Offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital, LLC, in all other states. Must be 21+ and physically present in AZ, CO, FL, IL, IN, NJ, OH, TN or VA to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling? In FL, call 1-888-ADMIT-IT. In IN, if you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-9-WITH-IT. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER (AZ, CO, IL, NJ, OH, TN, VA) ✅ BettingPros® - BettingPros offers consensus sports betting advice from 150+ experts to make it easy for you to start making winning bets. We promote the best experts based on one simple question, “How good is your advice?!” At BettingPros, we help you find the best lines for the NFL, MLB, and NBA by showcasing how the individual sportsbooks compare with their Point Spreads, Moneylines, and Over/Unders vs. the Consensus of all top sportsbooks. Sign up today at http://www.bettingpros.com and start betting smarter... not harder 🧙‍♂️ Draft Wizard - Sync your league instantly with Draft Wizard to get custom advice on how to ace your draft, whether it’s a redraft, dynasty startup, rookie draft or salary-cap format!. Know your leaguemates inside and out before they ever make another pick with our Draft Analyzer, which reveals their draft-day tendencies. Prepare to dominate your drafts with custom Cheat Sheets and the Mock Draft Simulator. Plus, don’t draft alone, sidecar with our Draft Assistant that will ensure you’re getting the best, expert-recommended value at each pick. Sync your league and start putting your best foot forward this draft season with Draft Wizard at https://draftwizard.fantasypros.com/ or on the FantasyPros App. ______________________ Subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fantasypros-football-podcast/id1138942145?mt=2 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YM5ymt3vWVfdHzVAEzq2w Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/fantasypros-fantasy-football-podcast/PC:650 Helpful Links: 2026 Rankings: https://www.fantasypros.com/nfl/rankings/ppr-cheatsheets.php Draft Wizard draft tools: https://draftwizard.fantasypros.com/football/leagues/ Dynasty Podcast: https://bit.ly/3ze9ygn BettingPros: https://www.youtube.com/bettingpros FantasyPros Shop: https://shop.fantasypros.com/ Follow Us! YouTube: http://bit.ly/fpros-subscribe Twitter: https://twitter.com/FantasyPros Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FantasyPros/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fantasypros/ Discord: https://discord.gg/RJU29tPrrq TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fantasypros #FantasyFootball #FantasyFootball2026 #FantasyFootballDraft #FantasyFootballSleepers #NFLFantasy #FantasyPros #FantasyFootballAdvice #FantasyFootballTips #jaxonsmithnjigba #chasebrown #drakemaye #colestonloveland #kyrenwilliams