As football season kicks off, Jim Cramer drafts his fantasy stock portfolio

In the spirit of football season, CNBC’s Jim Cramer drafted his own fantasy league of stocks — telling investors which top companies he’d place in different team roles.

“We do this exercise every year because, look, I just think it’s a great way to educate you,” he said. “Building a great portfolio has a lot in common with building a great fantasy football team.”

Cramer started with the “all-important quarterback position.” He said that role’s key quality is “steady production,” or being able to maintain a solid performance, since there is usually only one active quarterback on a fantasy roster. His quarterback stock pick would be Apple, as he said the company is currently well-positioned, and its stock is back in good shape despite losses earlier in the year. The iPhone maker seems to have a favorable relationship with the Trump administration, it’s maintaining a lucrative deal with Google and sales are growing, he continued.

Running backs are the “workhorses” of a fantasy team, Cramer said, and he suggested it’s necessary that they perform well in different environments — just like secular growth stocks. But he said the position is often “boom and bust,” as running backs get injured, and the best ones change from year to year. Cramer chose GE Aerospace as one running back stock because aerospace has been a popular and lasting theme on the market. He also picked RTX because the company fits into both the aerospace and defense themes, especially as President Donald Trump swells the U.S.’s defense spending. GE Vernova fits the role as well, Cramer added, because of the continuing bull market in electricity as the fleet of data centers grows and guzzles more and more energy.

Wide receivers are “all about growth,” Cramer continued, and when these players “hit big, they really hit big.” Wide receivers can be pivotal for a week of fantasy football, just like a good growth stock can be pivotal for one’s portfolio over the course of a year, he said. He likened Nvidia and Alphabet to wide receivers, suggesting they’re both high-powered long-term growth stocks.

Cramer also picked stocks that act as a portfolio’s tight ends, which he said is “kind of a hybrid position,” that is “part blocker, part receiver.” Tight end stocks need to have defensive characteristics but also growth potential, he said. Utilities are classic defensive names, he said, because people have to pay gas and electric bills even if the economy is soft. However, the sector’s dynamic is changing as the rise of artificial intelligence technology and data centers heightens the need for energy, he continued. Some of these traditionally reliable utility stocks are now also trading like growth stocks, Cramer explained, and selected Southern Company.

“Just like in fantasy, you need to fill every position with the best that you can get,” he said. “Play your studs.”

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Disclaimer The CNBC Investing Club holds shares of Apple, Nvidia, Alphabet and GE Vernova.