Last season, I was on the clock in the middle rounds and needed an RB2. The two best running backs left on the board were Kaleb Johnson and Travis Etienne Jr (at the time a legitimate dilemma).

I quickly compared them with the Draft Tool in the WalterPicks app. Walter showed Etienne to have a higher ceiling. I took Etienne, and the rest is history.

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These are the ultimate flag plants, the guys we are 100%, completely behind this season. These are the players we are the most confident will deliver on not only their ADP price, but the most fun fantasy season possible. These are our “Ride or Dies”.

Reasoning: Colston Loveland rattled off three games over 21 fantasy points in his final 4 games last year, including the playoffs. In games where he played over 80% of snaps, he averaged 18.8 fantasy points per game, which would have ranked ahead of Trey McBride's last season. Love getting him in Round 4 this year.

Reasoning: Last year, this was George Pickens. This year is D'Andre Swift. Injuries across the Bears team have set Swift up to be the reliable option that will get the most touches in this high-powered offense. At the end of Round 5, beginning of Round 6, you have all the upside with his year-after-year consistency.

Reasoning: Last year was Drake Maye. This season is Omarion Hampton.

I'm all in on the Chargers with Mike McDaniel and improved O-line health. Justin Herbert is maybe the most talented QB ever to play in this style of system, and the scoring opportunities for the offense will be abundant. I’m not especially worried about workload concerns given the scoring potential. If his health holds up and the Chargers offense is as good as I expect it to be, he will absolutely be a top-6 pick off the board next year. I feel very comfortable taking him late in the 1st round if I have to.

Reasoning: Last season, my Ride or Die was Matthew Golden. So, I'm currently covered in dirt after digging myself out of a 6-foot hole. This year, my ride or die is De'Von Achane.

This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who's seen any of my content. The primary argument against Achane is his bad QB, offensive line, and team as a whole. My question is: How are any of those things different from last year? Sure, Mike McDaniel being gone isn't ideal. But this Dolphins team is going to use Achane so much. You could also argue that the QB play on this team is going to be improved. Achane will be manufacturing the ball, having splash plays, and touching the ball more than perhaps any other player in the NFL. The only scenario where I don't see Achane being great is an injury.

Reasoning: I died before my ride even started last year. I was all in on Marvin Mims (who is "running with the 1s" again this year but will actually be their WR6).

This year, I'm going much further up the draft board with my ride or die, Ladd McConkey. After the departure of Keenan Allen, his volume should increase, and the addition of Mike McDaniel and a healthy offensive line should increase his efficiency and TD upside as well. Hoping for a third-year breakout here where he can exceed what he did his rookie year. I'm taking him in Round 3 every chance I get.

Reasoning: This year, my guy is Trevor Lawrence. In the second half of the season (Weeks 10 through 17), he was the QB1, finishing above Josh Allen. He took a leap in the rushing department, rushing for career highs in yards and nearly doubled his previous career high in rushing TDs. He goes off the board as the QB12 on Sleeper despite a QB4 finish in 2025. He will undoubtedly beat his ADP.

Reasoning: The Super Bowl MVP is a smash pick in Round 2 of fantasy drafts. He goes to a Chiefs offense where he can finally be that workhorse back. In an offense with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid as the play caller, what’s not to love about Kenneth Walker? In a workhorse-type role in the playoffs last year, he averaged 24.9 PPR fantasy points.