2026 Fantasy Football draft strategy: How to approach a middle-four slot in PPR, non-PPR and Superflex leagues

We kicked off our draft strategy series tailored to format and draft slot first by looking at what to do with a top-four pick, and now we move on to the middle of Round 1 and break down how to approach drafts when you're picking fifth through eighth. While this area of Round 1 will shut teams out from getting a Tier 1 running back in one-QB formats, picking in the middle allows Fantasy drafters to not worry as much about missing out on positional runs, which is a challenge when there are at least 16 picks between the times you're on the clock.

Below, we'll break down how to approach the middle whether you're in PPR, non-PPR or Superflex. How should you approach the first five rounds of your draft? When is the right time to jump in on a quarterback in non-Superflex leagues or a QB2 in those expanded formats? We'll get to everything below.

So how do you set yourself up to win your draft with a middle-four pick? And when is the right time to draft a quarterback? ... Join SportsLine here to see SportsLine expert R.J. White's Fantasy football draft strategy!