Jahmyr Gibbs Goes No. 1 in Fantasy Football Marathon Mock Draft

Running backs dominated the early rounds of the 10-team mock draft, occupying 13 of the first 20 selections, while Josh Allen was the first QB off the board at pick 40.

The annual ESPN Fantasy Football Marathon concluded on August 26, 2026, with a 10-team PPR mock draft where Jahmyr Gibbs (DET) was selected first overall by Adam Schefter. Running backs dominated the early landscape, accounting for 13 of the first 20 picks. Bijan Robinson (ATL) followed Gibbs at the second spot, while James Cook III (BUF), Christian McCaffrey (SF), and Jonathan Taylor (IND) rounded out the five backs taken in the opening round. The first wide receiver, Ja'Marr Chase (CIN), went third to Mike Clay, followed by Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA) at fourth and Puka Nacua (LAR) at fifth.

Quarterback valuations remained low throughout the early stages, as the first signal-caller, Josh Allen (BUF), was not drafted until pick 40 in the fourth round. Only three quarterbacks—Allen, Jayden Daniels (WSH) at pick 50, and Lamar Jackson (BAL) at pick 55—were selected through the first six rounds. In contrast, tight ends saw earlier movement with Brock Bowers (LV) and Trey McBride (ARI) coming off the board at picks 24 and 25, respectively, within the top 25 overall selections.

Running Back Dominance in Early Rounds

The second round saw a heavy run on the backfield, starting with Kenneth Walker III (KC) at pick 11 and De'Von Achane (MIA) at pick 12. Ashton Jeanty (LV) went 13th to Keiana Martin, while veteran Derrick Henry (BAL) was taken 16th by Field Yates. Other second-round rushers included Omarion Hampton (LAC) at 17, Jeremiyah Love (ARI) at 18, Saquon Barkley (PHI) at 19, and Chase Brown (CIN) at pick 20. This positional scarcity forced wide receiver value down, leaving Justin Jefferson (MIN) available for Daniel Dopp at pick 14 and Drake London (ATL) for Joe Fortenbaugh at pick 15.

By the end of the fourth round, 18 running backs had been claimed. Breece Hall (NYJ) fell to the 29th pick in the third round, while Javonte Williams (DAL), Josh Jacobs (GB), Travis Etienne Jr. (NO), and Quinshon Judkins (CLE) occupied picks 35 through 38. The trend continued into the fifth round with Cam Skattebo (NYG) at 43, Kyren Williams (LAR) at 44, D'Andre Swift (CHI) at 46, David Montgomery (HOU) at 47, and Bucky Irving (TB) at 49.

Wide Receiver and Tight End Distribution

Wide receivers reclaimed momentum in the third round as A.J. Brown (NE) went 21st and Malik Nabers (NYG) went 22nd. Rashee Rice (KC) followed at 23, while Nico Collins (HOU), Chris Olave (NO), and George Pickens (DAL) were taken between picks 26 and 28. Garrett Wilson (NYJ) closed the third round at pick 30. Later value picks included Zay Flowers (BAL) at 41, Terry McLaurin (WSH) at 45, and Tee Higgins (CIN) at 48.

Colston Loveland (CHI) became the third tight end selected at pick 31, followed by Tyler Warren (IND) at 42 and Harold Fannin Jr. (CLE) at 53. Kyle Pitts Sr. (ATL) was the sixth tight end taken at pick 63, followed by George Kittle (SF) at 67, Tucker Kraft (GB) at 69, and Sam LaPorta (DET) at 80. Travis Kelce (KC) was not selected until the 14th round at pick 133 by Keiana Martin.

Late Round Quarterbacks and Specialists

Following the early drought, the quarterback run accelerated in the seventh and eighth rounds. Drake Maye (NE) went 62nd, Jaxson Dart (NYG) 65th, and Jalen Hurts (PHI) 68th. Joe Burrow (CIN) and Trevor Lawrence (JAX) followed at picks 72 and 77. The draft concluded with specialists and defenses; Brandon Aubrey (DAL) was the first kicker taken at pick 100, while the Houston Texans were the first D/ST selected at pick 101. By the final round, kickers like Tyler Loop (BAL) and Jordyn Tyson (NO) closed out the 160-pick event.