Nate is MIA, so Arlen takes over the Fantasy Football Lab to break down 7 late-round "must-stash" players you need on your bench before Week 1 kicks off.

Instead of burning roster spots on washed-up floor veterans or ambiguous handcuffs that clog your bench for months, this strategy targets high-upside players who will show you their true role immediately. If they hit, you just saved massive FAAB. If they bust, cut bait for early waiver gems without regret.

Leave a comment down below to let us know who your favorite Week 1 lottery ticket is—and make sure to drop a wellness check for Nate!

Featured Players:

• Tank Bigsby
• Dontavian Wicks
• Travis Hunter
• Jack Besh
• Chris Bell
• Greg Dulcich
• David Njoku
  

Video Chapters

• 00:00 - Solo Lab: Where is Nate?
• 00:39 - The "Must-Stash" Philosophy & Early FAAB Strategy
• 03:40 - Pick 1: Tank Bigsby (Elite Efficiency Handcuff)
• 05:42 - Pick 2: Dontavian Wicks (Elite Separation Upside)
• 07:00 - Pick 3: Travis Hunter (Pure Talent Lotto Ticket)
• 08:41 - Pick 4: Jack Besh (Scheme Fit & Coaching Upgrade)
• 11:16 - Pick 5: Chris Bell (Wide Open Miami Target Tree)
• 12:56 - Pick 6: Greg Dulcich (The Low-Bar Tight End Stash)
• 15:27 - Pick 7: David Njoku (Rebooted Role with Herbert)
• 17:00 - Roster Management Strategy & Recap

I ran a stack of mock drafts this week and counted positions. Running backs took 13 of the first 24 picks, with 5 more gone before round three ended.

Your league mates aren't wrong to do that — they watched last season and adjusted. But the supply of good running backs in the middle rounds didn't change. Same guys, same committees, same coaching staffs that won't commit. All that changed is the price.

Solo episode this week. I break down all five draft strategies in plain English, give you the one question that sits underneath every one of them, and then commit to what I'm actually doing at every draft slot this season — including the three-question test I use on any running back going in rounds four through eight.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Solo episode — and what I found in 12 mock drafts

01:45 What's on the board today: 13 of the first 24 picks

03:00 The five draft strategies, defined fast

05:30 The one question underneath every draft strategy

07:00 Hero RB — what it buys, what it costs

09:00 Zero RB — the highest-workload build in fantasy

11:15 Robust RB — and why the WR room is shrinking

14:00 Balanced / Best Player Available — my actual default

17:00 Superflex — don't panic on your QB2

20:00 The 2026 running back dead zone, explained

21:30 Why the top of the board earned it

23:00 The part that costs you: repriced, not restocked

24:30 The fair counterargument

25:15 The three-question test for RBs in rounds 4-8

26:30 What I'm actually doing this year

28:00 Know yourself, don't tilt

Drop your draft slot in the comments and what you're planning from it.

Description: Welcome back to The Fantasy Football Lab. Arlen and Nate are planting their flags and revealing the lab partners they are locking into their rosters this season. We have scoured the depth charts and automated our data to find the ultimate breakout candidates, league winners, and volume hogs. Whether you are drafting from South Hill or anywhere else on the map, these are the three players each of us are staking our reputations on. Drop your top targets in the comments and let us know where we got it right or wrong.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to the Lab & Honorable Mentions

04:36 Arlen's Lab Partner 1

10:43 Nate's Lab Partner 1

16:21 Arlen's Lab Partner 2

20:47 Nate's Lab Partner 2

26:40 Arlen's Lab Partner 3

32:00 Nate's Lab Partner 3

38:15 Outro & Final Staking