Fantasy football No. 6 pick plan starts with three receivers
CBS Sports analyst Dan Schneier tested a 2026 PPR mock from No. 6 and came away with Amon-Ra St. Brown leading a WR-heavy build.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
The fantasy football No. 6 pick may push managers toward wide receiver early, at least in the 2026 PPR mock draft run by CBS Sports analyst Dan Schneier.
Schneier, writing for CBS Sports, said the board led him into a three-receiver start from the sixth slot: Amon-Ra St. Brown in Round 1, George Pickens in Round 2 and Zay Flowers in Round 3. His takeaway was clear enough: if a manager opens that way and does not want to ignore running back, something else will probably have to wait.
How should I draft from the No. 6 pick in PPR?
Schneier’s mock suggests a receiver-heavy start can work from No. 6 if the drafter is willing to accept pressure at tight end or quarterback later. In this format, PPR means one point per reception, and CBS Sports said the mock also used six-point touchdowns, one point per 10 rushing or receiving yards and one point per 25 passing yards.
The lineup used in the exercise was one quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, one tight end and one flex spot for a running back, receiver or tight end. The draft ran 14 rounds, with CBS Sports analysts building teams as part of a pick-by-pick series.
Schneier said four of his top six players for 2026 are wide receivers, while Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson are among the first-round running backs being taken early. That setup made St. Brown the highest-rated option available for him at 1.06.
The full No. 6 mock team
- Round 1: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions
- Round 2: George Pickens, WR, Cowboys
- Round 3: Zay Flowers, WR, Ravens
- Round 4: Breece Hall, RB, Jets
- Round 5: Tony Pollard, RB, Titans
- Round 6: Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Jaguars
- Round 7: Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys
- Round 8: Jakobi Meyers, WR, Jaguars
- Round 9: Xavier Worthy, WR, Chiefs
- Round 10: Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers
- Round 11: Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens
- Round 12: Tyjae Spears, RB, Titans
- Round 13: Mike Washington Jr., RB, Raiders
- Round 14: Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots
Schneier wrote that St. Brown, Pickens and Flowers all sit inside his top 10 receivers for 2026. He pointed to Pickens’ final 10 full games with CeeDee Lamb, saying Pickens averaged 16.8 fantasy points per game while scoring only three touchdowns, and was on a 146-target pace in that span.
The trade-off showed up fast at running back. Schneier said the roster lacks a projected RB1, but he liked landing three starters in Hall, Pollard and Tuten. He described Pollard as a safer low-end RB2 type and Tuten as a higher-upside option with less certainty.
Why Zay Flowers was the favorite pick
Flowers was Schneier’s favorite selection of the draft. He argued that the Ravens receiver played like a No. 1 fantasy wideout last year, but the team’s 420 pass attempts limited his volume.
Schneier said he expects Baltimore’s passing volume to rise and does not expect rookies to heavily dent Flowers’ target share. He added that Flowers ranked top five among wide receivers in several efficiency measures in 2025, with volume and touchdowns the main missing pieces.
The pick Schneier said he might regret was Pollard in Round 5. He had Pollard and Sam LaPorta close in his overall rankings and said, after seeing how the rest of the draft played out, LaPorta may have been the better choice because later tight ends he liked came off the board before his picks.
That left him with Andrews and Henry at tight end. Schneier said he could end up streaming the position if Andrews does not return to form.
Hall is the roster’s swing player in Schneier’s view. He cited Hall’s three straight seasons of at least 85 yards per game, his 70-catch upside and his target production since entering the league, saying a larger receiving role and better touchdown luck could push Hall into the top 12 at running back.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.