How I Built My 2026 On SI Fantasy Football Team From Pick No. 5

Drafting from the fifth spot in a 10-team snake draft puts you in an interesting position, You are close enough to the top of the board to land an elite player in Round 1. For this On SI fantasy football draft, I wanted to build a team that could compete immediately while still giving me enough upside to compete for a championship.

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I wasn’t going to force myself into a specific strategy before the draft started. Instead, I wanted to allow the board to dictate my selections while targeting players I believed could outperform their position.

Here is how I approached every pick.

Round 1, Pick 5: Christian McCaffrey

With both Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson gone off the board, I knew I needed a solid running back who had guaranteed volume, and I knew that CMC would be the perfect pick for me. McCaffrey has helped me win fantasy championships in past years, and despite him being 30 years old, I wasn’t deterred from taking him with my first round selection.

I wanted a player who could realistically finish as the overall RB1 if everything breaks right. McCaffrey still gives me that type of ceiling.

Christian McCaffrey 2026 projections

327 PPR points

1,725 total yards

13 total touchdowns pic.twitter.com/bM4bDv4ajZ

– PFF Fantasy (@PFF_Fantasy) June 12, 2026

I wanted an elite foundation and CMC gives me exactly that.

Round 2, Pick 16: Trey McBride

This was probably my favorite pick of the draft. McBride is the type of tight end I am willing to prioritize because of the positional advantage he can provide. Rather than hoping to find a late-round breakout at tight end, I wanted to secure a player capable of giving me weekly WR-like production from the position.

Trey McBride 2026 projections

247 PPR points

106 receptions

988 yards

7 touchdowns

Too high, too low or just right? pic.twitter.com/BMLwIKm0YN

– PFF Fantasy (@PFF_Fantasy) June 26, 2026

McBride’s price is significant in 2026 drafts, but that’s because his ceiling is significant. Getting him at pick 16 allowed me to pair an elite running back with an elite tight end and give myself two potential difference-makers.

Round 3, Pick 25: Lamar Jackson

After opening with McCaffrey and McBride, I had already secured an elite running back and one of the best tight ends in fantasy football. That gave me the flexibility to approach my third-round pick based on positional value rather than simply filling another need.

Lamar Jackson has been DEALING.

Another 4k passing yards incoming. pic.twitter.com/mpbpS7VWwz

– SleeperRavens (@SleeperRavenss) August 13, 2026

I didn’t draft Jackson because I thought I needed a quarterback at that point. I drafted him because I believed that his ceiling was too valuable to pass up at pick 25, which is saying a lot for a manager who normally doesn’t take quarterbacks early in drafts.

Round 4, Pick 36: Kyren Williams

Running back depth was something I wanted to address before the position became more difficult to navigate. Williams has the workload profile I look for in fantasy backs, and I was comfortable making him my RB2 behind McCaffrey.

Are you IN or OUT on Kyren Williams in Fantasy Football? pic.twitter.com/VoFuiPOFQp

– Fantasy Farmer (@TFFDudes) September 1, 2024

The pick also gave me flexibility. Instead of entering the middle rounds desperately searching for another starting running back, I could focus more heavily on wide receiver.

Round 5, Pick 45: Ladd McConkey

This was one of my favorite upside selections. McConkey has the profile of a receiver who can become a major fantasy asset, and I wanted to get him before any of my league mates took him before I did.

Justin Herbert and McConkey hit the ground running with an immediate high-trust connection, defined by sharp route-running and quick, rhythm-based throws. McConkey’s ability to win quickly out of the slot pairs seamlessly with Herbert’s elite arm talent and field vision.

Here are 6 players who could genuinely break fantasy football this year:

1. Ladd McConkey… pic.twitter.com/qaTzN5ZU0I

– SAL VETRI (@SalVetriDFS) June 17, 2026

Adding him after McCaffrey, McBride and Williams gave me another player with legitimate difference-making potential.

Round 6, Pick 56: Terry McLaurin

At this point in the draft, I needed reliability. McLaurin gives me a veteran presence in a wide receiver room that was becoming increasingly important to my roster. I already had McConkey, but I didn’t want my WR corps to be entirely dependent on young players reaching their ceiling.

McLaurin gave me a player I felt comfortable putting into my lineup while still retaining big-play and touchdown upside.

Round 7, Pick 65: Rico Dowdle

This was one of the picks where I was specifically looking for value.

Dowdle is the type of running back I want to target in the middle rounds because his fantasy value can change dramatically depending on his workload.

Steelers RB Rico Dowdle has been operating as RB1 ahead of Jaylen Warren and is projected to get 70% of the snaps this season, per Mark Kaboly.

It’s still early on in training camp and while Dowdle and Warren will continue to alternate reps, it appears Dowdle has the edge. pic.twitter.com/ks3on551Xz

– Football Forever (@fballforeverhq) August 2, 2026

With McCaffrey and Williams already on the roster, I didn’t need Dowdle to become my RB1. I needed him to give me depth and another potential weekly contributor.

Round 8, Pick 76: Brian Thomas Jr.

Thomas Jr. was an upside swing. By this point in the draft, I wanted to accumulate receivers who could outperform their draft position. Thomas gives me that type of ceiling, and I was willing to bet on his talent and potential workload rather than simply taking a safer player.

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RD6 – Brian Thomas JR

– Elite Rookie Season (24′): 87 rec | 1,282 yd | 10 TD | 133 tgt

– Bounce-Back Signs: camp buzz | “looking like the 2024 version” | TD catches in red zone reps

– Chemistry: more time with QB Lawrence.

– Value: WR1 upside, WR3 cost pic.twitter.com/Wc4UXVnCG4

– Joshua Cho (@jbchoknows) August 18, 2026

This is where I started thinking less about my starting lineup and more about how I could build a roster capable of surviving injuries and outperforming expectations.

Round 9, Pick 85: Tyler Allgeier

Allgeier was a depth pick with a very specific purpose. At this point, I wanted another running back who could become useful if the situation around him changed.

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That is exactly what I wanted from this portion of the draft: inexpensive players who could become much more valuable than their draft slot suggests.

Round 11, Pick 105: Jake Ferguson

Ferguson was another depth selection with legitimate weekly starting potential. At this stage, I was comfortable adding another tight end because I already secured McBride.

Jake Ferguson is one of the safest TE1 bets on the board. But is his ceiling higher than most fantasy managers realize? Let’s break it down. pic.twitter.com/jJD5qYP4nK

– Fantasy Sports Depot (@fantasysportDP) August 18, 2026

Ferguson gives me insurance at the position and another player I can potentially use in favorable matchups.

Round 12, Pick 116: Patrick Mahomes

I waited until the 12th round to address backup quarterback, and that was intentional. In a one-quarterback fantasy league, I didn’t want to spend an early pick on the position if I can build up my RB, WR and TE rooms first.

Patrick Mahomes: fantasy managers have soured on Mahomes. 30+ years old now and coming off INJ, can he help your team? I say, “YES!” Even with missing 4 games in 25′, Mahomes finished as a QB1 and was the QB4 in fppg. Rice will play and Kelce is back. pic.twitter.com/zMV33hI28c

– Joshua Cho (@jbchoknows) July 29, 2026

Mahomes was simply too good of an opportunity to pass up at this point in the draft. Getting a player with his track record gave me the best of both worlds: I didn’t sacrifice early-round capital at quarerback, but I still walked away with an elite fantasy option.

Round 13, Pick 125: Houston Texans D/ST

Defense was another position I wanted to address late. Rather than spending an early pick on a D/ST, I waited until the end of the draft and took Houston.

The goal was simple: find a defense capable of giving me useful weekly production without sacrificing valuable offensive picks.

Round 14, Pick 136: Harrison Mevis

By the 14th round, I wasn’t looking to add another skill-position player just for the sake of adding depth. I wanted to lock up my kicker, and Mevis stood out as one of my favorite late-round options.

The biggest reason I targeted Mevis is the offense he plays for. The L.A. Rams have one of the league’s most dangerous offenses, and that creates exactly the type of environment I want when selecting a fantasy kicker.

More offensive possessions and scoring opportunities can translate into more extra points and field-goal attempts.

Round 15, Pick 145: Deebo Samuel

I wanted to finish the draft with upside, and Samuel was exactly that kind of pick. At his point, there was very little downside to taking a player with a potentially significant fantasy ceiling.

Deebo Samuel was very involved in the offense on Tuesday and even ran a few sweeps and was used in motion. pic.twitter.com/V8ZL4916eS

– Matt Lively (@mattblively) August 11, 2026

If Samuel hits, he gives me another legitimate weapon. If he doesn’t, I can move on to the waiver wire. That is the type of risk I want to take with my final selection.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I like how this roster came together from the fifth spot. The foundation is built around McCaffrey, McBride and Williams, while my wide receiver room features McConkey, McLaurin and Thomas Jr. I also made a point of adding running back depth with Dowdle and Allgeier.

Most importantly, I didn’t feel like I had to sacrifice upside to build a balanced roster. The biggest question will be whether MCCaffrey stays healthy and whether my receivers can consistently produce. But if thoise things happen, I believe this team has the ceiling to compete for a championship.

That was ultimately the goal when I sat down at Pick No. 5: build a roster with enough weekly stability to survive the regular season and enough upside to win when the fantasy playoffs arrive.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as How I Built My 2026 On SI Fantasy Football Team From Pick No. 5.

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This story was originally published August 18, 2026 at 9:39 AM.