Tier 1: The “I’m Buying This Guy’s Jersey” Tier
Talents that can single-handedly win you a fantasy championship.
1. Bijan Robinson, RB, ATL (RB1)
You could make an argument for about five guys (no burgers or fries) as the top fantasy option in 2026, but for me, for now, it’s Bijan Robinson. He’s a legitimate threat to reach 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards and is one of four backs to average over 4.50 yards per carry over the past three seasons (minimum 100 carries). The others are Jahmyr Gibbs, James Cook, and De’Von Achane (well, technically, Achane was at 4.47 in 2024, but we round up around here). I could pepper you with an array of stats that show Bijan’s awesomeness, but I think these two paint the perfect picture: Robinson averaged a league-best 3.06 yards after contact in 2025, and despite ranking fifth in carries, he was first in forced missed tackles. Fantasy points, rushing yards, yards per carry, receptions, and receiving yards have all gone up in all three years of his professional career. Bijan could have the type of fabled fantasy season that’ll be talked about for generations.
The addition of Brian Robinson Jr. to the backfield does nothing to impact the fantasy value of Bijan. It does raise an interesting question, though. What will the back of their jerseys look like? Bi. Robinson and Br. Robinson? Robinson and Robinson Jr? Will Bijan then make “Who’s your Daddy” jokes? These are the hard-hitting questions we should be asking.
2. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, CIN (WR1)
It’s hard to imagine a world where Joe Burrow stayed healthy all season and Ja’Marr Chase didn’t finish as the WR1 overall for the second straight season. But despite a trio of starts from Jake Browning and a one-game suspension (for an uncharacteristic spitting incident), the stud receiver still finished in the top five at the position in total points and in the top three in points per game (getting targeted 42 times over a two-game span by Joe Flacco certainly helped the cause). The reason I have to put Chase over the likes of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Puka Nacua, and Amon-Ra St. Brown is that he has arguably the most stable situation among them. Give me the guy who’s a lock for 150+ targets with his BFF at quarterback and smack dab in the middle of his prime.
3. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, DET (RB2)
If you were hungry for fantasy points from your running back in 2025, Jahmyr Gibbs fed you a diablo sauce-covered RB3 overall season with spike weeks that hit like that first sip of Baja Blast. Gibbs set a career-high 16% target share and handled over 50% of the team’s carries for the first time in his career. But the lows were low. Low, like biting into that Beefy 5-layer Burrito and realizing they’d added sour cream when you’d specifically asked them not to.
At first glance, his second half of the season looks a-ok.
Weeks 1-9
Weeks 10-17
Yeah, Gibbs’ efficiency and elusiveness increased from Week 10 onward. But if you dig a little deeper into the grade of the ground beef at Taco Bell, much of that can be attributed to two nuclear games against the Giants and Commanders, where he averaged a combined 12 yards per carry. Outside of those two games, Gibbs had just one game over 3.5 yards per carry. Don’t hear what I’m not saying, Gibbs is still a straight beast. But that drop in efficiency is certainly concerning.
The Lions hired Drew Petzing to take over the offense and shipped a disgruntled David Montgomery/Knuckles to Houston, replacing him with Isiah Pacheco (Sanic Hegehog)? I’m excited to see what Petzing does with this offense, as he’s been at the helm of top-10 running games in Arizona in two of the past three seasons. He’d likely have gone 3/3 had it not been for injuries to all the running backs in Arizona. Gibbs should easily be one of the first backs off the board, if not the first.
4. CeeDee Lamb, WR, DAL (WR2)
CeeDee Lamb is a perfect example of why it’s so important to look at a player’s points per game finish versus their total points. Lamb missed four games early in the season, so it’s not like he was expected to finish as the WR1 overall in total points. But a WR22 finish has some spooked that the emergence of George Pickens spelled the end of Lamb’s days as an elite fantasy receiver. Yes, Pickens finished as the WR6 in points per game after a career year in Dallas. But Lamb wasn’t far behind, tied for WR12 with Malik Nabers and Zay Flowers. Pickens’ impact has been overestimated, and with him returning to Dallas, there’s a solid chance Lamb goes into draft season undervalued. If there’s any discount, keep things in sync and buy, buy, buy.
Tier 2: The Milk and Honey Tier
These are the players who can take you to the promised land.
5. Justin Jefferson, WR, MIN (WR3)
Alec Pierce. Quentin Johnston. Michael Wilson. Three of the 31 receivers who finished the 2025 season averaging more fantasy points per game than Justin Jefferson. Obviously, nobody’s questioning the talent of one of the most talented active receivers in the NFL. But everyone’s questioning who his quarterback will be in 2026. J.J. McCarthy’s injuries and struggles didn’t help, but even as his play improved toward the end of the season, his connection with Jefferson didn’t. Jefferson ranked outside the top six for the first time in a full season, scoring 10 or more points just three times after week 9. It appears Kyler Murray is the favorite to be the starter for the Vikings in 2026. While he doesn’t throw the best deep ball, anybody is an upgrade over Nine. I’m ready to be hurt again.
6. A.J. Brown, WR, PHI (WR4)
With all the drama surrounding A.J. Brown and the Eagles, you’d think he had the worst season of his career. The dude was a WR1, caught 7+ touchdowns, gained 1000+ receiving yards for the fourth straight season, and finished one spot ahead of CeeDee Lamb in points per game. Brown is getting a little long in the tooth, turning 29 in the offseason. But he heads from Philly to New England and has plenty of juice left in the tank. Brown is a match made in heaven with Drake Maye‘s deep-throwing ability and should feast on targets up and down the field, including the red zone. I’m willing to buy the dip on Arthur Juan. This feels eerily similar to Randy Moss joining the Pats in 07.
7. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, DET (WR5)
Mr. Sun God, I’m sorry. I was dumb. I doubted you after Ben Johnson’s departure, and you proved you’re more than just a scheme. You are one of just five receivers to catch eight or more touchdowns in each of the past two seasons and have three straight top-five fantasy finishes. Buuuuuuuut… I do have an ever-so-slight concern. Your teammate Sam LaPorta. It’s true you put up some monster performances before his season-ending injury in Week 10. But your 8.7 targets per game before the injury increased to an enormous 10.6 after. Don’t get me wrong, St. Brown is a top-10 fantasy receiver. But with a healthy LaPorta, would ARSB have finished top five, or more toward the back end of WR1s? New OC Drew Petzing runs a balanced but slightly run-heavy type of offense, but ARSB should still be used plenty. The negative impact of Petzing’s frequent use of Heavy personnel should be offset by ARSB’s skill set, which fits snugly with the short- and intermediate-passing game Petzing’s passing game tends to feature. With the target competition surrounding him, ARSB doesn’t have the stratospheric upside of some of the guys above him, but he’s as reliable a WR1 as they come.
8. Jonathan Taylor, RB, IND (RB3)
You know that horse-drawing meme? The one where it starts off beautiful but ends looking like it was drawn by a four-year-old who just shotgunned a Wild Cherry Pepsi? That’s kind of what Jonathan Taylor’s season was, but better. Think more along the lines of it starting out as a drawing by Picasso and being finished by your local high school art teacher. JT was in early MVP talks after scoring three touchdowns in 50% of his games through the first 10 weeks, helping him produce seven games with 23 fantasy points. He set career highs in targets, receptions, and receiving yards, in part because 60% of Daniel Jones’ passing attempts were nine yards or fewer (including behind the line of scrimmage). But Jones’ Week 14 season-ending injury derailed more than the Colts’ playoff hopes; it slammed shut the ceiling on what was shaping up to be a legendary fantasy season. Taylor was still solid down the stretch, but after scoring less than 18 points just five times through Week 13, he failed to surpass that mark in the five games after. Had Indiana Jones stayed healthy, JT likely would have carried fantasy teams straight through the playoffs, with his early-season dominance delivering them there. Jones is back in Indy, so the Colts’ quarterback situation is no longer in flux. Jones’ limited mobility could be a problem returning from injury, but I’m hoping it means more dumpoffs to JT. Taylor can put up RB1 numbers with just about anybody under center. If Jones stays healthy all season, JT is right back in the RB1 overall convo.
9. James Cook III, RB, BUF (RB4, ▲8)
James Cook heard what you said about touchdown regression. He said you can take it, shine it up real nice, TURN IT SIDEWAYS, AND…..
Anywho… the Bills back scored four fewer touchdowns than in 2024, but that doesn’t really matter when you get an additional 102 carries and two extra targets. He was one of just seven backs to average over five yards per carry, finishing as an RB1 for the third consecutive season and recording his second straight top-10 finish. Cook is the stud fantasy back nobody seems to want to draft come August and regrets the decision come September.
10. George Pickens, WR, DAL (WR6)
George Pickens enjoyed a career year in Dallas, finishing as the WR6 in points per game and WR5 in total points. Pickens set career highs across all receiving stats, proving he has the WR1 upside we saw flashes of in the Steel City. But that upside also came with bouts of disinterest, dampening what should have been a positive season. He’s back in Dallas and has already stated that while he’s unhappy with the franchise tag, there won’t be any sort of holdout. Pickens still holds that top-five potential, but is held back by his erratic apathy and sharing the field with CeeDee Lamb.
11. Malik Nabers, WR, NYG (WR7)
Oh, what could have been. Malik Nabers didn’t get to play a full game with Jaxson Dart under center, and he was still tied for WR12 in points per game (mainly thanks to a monster game against Dallas). Dart did enough to make Wan’Dale Robinson a high-end WR2, and with the hiring of John Harbaugh, a WR1 overall finish isn’t out of the question for Nabers. The only question now is Nabers’ health, as there have been questions about his Week 1 availability while he recovers from a torn ACL. It was recently reported that Nabers underwent a second surgery to clean up scar tissue, sending the fantasy community into a fearful frenzy over his Week 1 status. There have been conflicting reports about when Nabers will still be able to get back on the field. My personal worry meter has gone from 0% to about 10%. It’s one of the most impactful statuses to keep an eye on this offseason. Whenever Nabers can get on the field, he’s immediately a top-five, maybe top-three fantasy wide receiver.
Tier 3: The “Skip Intro” Tier
You know the plot, just start them.
12. Puka Nacua, WR, LAR (WR8, ▼6)
In the two seasons Puka Nacua played at least 16 games, he’s seen at least 160 targets and caught 100+ passes for over 1400 receiving yards. With Sean McVay calling plays and Matthew Stafford at quarterback, Nacua is poised for another top-five fantasy finish in 2026. Well, as long as he sorts out his off-the-field issues. Nacua spent some time in rehab this offseason after a lawsuit, but it’s not enough to concern me from a fantasy perspective as long as he keeps his nose clean from this point forward.
UPDATE (9/4/26): Until we have the answers to “Will Puka be suspended?” and “If so, how many games?” I can’t keep him inside the top five.
13. Ladd McConkey, WR, LAC (WR9)
What a weird season it was for Ladd McConkey. Kind of a reverse turd sandwich, if you will. He had a productive midseason stretch, bookended by a whole lot of suck. McConkey failed to score 10 points in three of the first four weeks and in four of the final six, but in the middle of the season, he had five of six games over 14 fantasy points and a trio of 20-pointers. The Chargers’ offensive line was an injury-plagued mess, giving Justin Herbert no time and a broken hand to boot. My heart starts skipping a beat when I think about how snugly McConkey fits into new Offensive Coordinator Mike McDaniel’s system. A system with oodles of horizontal routes that emphasize quick catches and let receivers YAC it up. McConkey happens to be one of just six receivers with at least 100 targets and a YAC of 4.5 or more. The other YAC-finity stones? A couple of no-names: Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The hire has made me much higher on Ladd for 2026. He should bounce back bigly and be a candidate to finish as a top 10 receiver.
14. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, SEA (WR10)
All it took for Jaxon Smith-Njigba to break out was for both DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett to leave town. OK, there was a little more to it than that, but it certainly played a major role. Improvements to the O-line gave Sam Darnold enough time to prove 2025 wasn’t a fluke, and JSN was the main beneficiary. The former Buckeye wideout was one of two players to average over 100 receiving yards per game (Puka Nacua being the other) and one of two receivers to average over 3.7 yards per route run (Nacua again the other). Since 2021, there have been only two other instances of receivers averaging over 3.5 YPRR, let alone 3.7. But probably the most remarkable part of it all is that Seattle had the fourth-fewest pass attempts per game. Smith-Njigba was aided by an absurd 32.6% target share and accounted for 44.1% of his team’s total yards. Yet another feat that’s only been accomplished two other times since 2021. All impressive, yes. Also all highly unlikely to be repeated. I’m not saying you shouldn’t treat JSN as a WR1 for fantasy. And honestly, JSN being this low has more to do with the guys I like above him than it does about being down on him. But I am saying I doubt I’ll be buying all the risk and drafting him among the top three or so.
15. Nico Collins, WR, HOU (WR11)
Nico Collins started 2025 inconsistently, as did the entire Texans offense, but finished the season strong thanks to a boost from… yes… Davis Mills. Collins scored 14+ in six of his final nine games and 20+ in four. Tank Dell is expected to return from injury, and rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are taking a step forward. That may reduce the target share available. But even if that’s so, the smaller percentage of the pie should be offset by the pie being bigger thanks to an improved offense (and hopefully an offensive line). Considering the defense, multiple mouths to feed, and at times inconsistent play, I don’t think Collins has a top-3 fantasy ceiling like some others. But don’t let that cause you to discount him as one of the safest WR1s in fantasy, with a sky-high floor and plenty of spike weeks mixed in.
16. Travis Etienne Jr., RB, NO (RB5, ▲6)
I’m willing to admit when I’m wrong, and even though Travis Etienne Jr. (pronounced “Achane” (yes, actually)) finished as RB14 in points per game, I still think my process of fading him was the right one. Nobody could have seen Tank Bigsby‘s trade coming, and although ETN started the season en fuego, the same issues persisted. Etienne ranked 32nd in yards after contact, 27th in explosive run rate, and 22nd in yards per carry. So how’d he finish so high? Touchdowns, baby! Etienne had a career-high 13 touchdowns, with nearly half coming on another career-high of 6 touchdown receptions. Etienne came into the season with one career touchdown reception. Touchdowns are among the most volatile stats from year to year and nearly impossible to predict.
HOWEVER.
Etienne signed in one of the best possible scenarios for his fantasy value with the Saints. While Alvin Kamara recently restructured his contract and isn’t going anywhere, this isn’t the Kamara of even two years ago. I fully expect ETN to carry the majority of the load, and as we’ve seen with backs like Chase Brown and Kyren Williams, volume can make inefficient, non-explosive backs fantasy stalwarts.
UPDATE (9/4/26): Kamara is out with an MCL sprain and is likely to miss the first few weeks of the season at a minimum. Even before that, even with the coach speak of this being a shared backfield, the further along we’ve gotten into the offseason, the more it’s been apparent Etienne will carry the heaviest workload in NOLA.
17. Omarion Hampton, RB, LAC (RB6)
Omarion Hampton was in line to become the next great rookie running back before suffering a sprained ankle that cost him nearly half the season. The former Tar Heel was on his way to his third straight 20-point game in Week 5 before leaving with the injury. Despite being eased back in upon his return, he finished the regular season strong. Hampton scored 14+ fantasy points in three of the Chargers’ final four regular-season games, even at less than 100%, and Kimani Vidal was involved.
If there wasn’t already enough to love about the former Tar Heel’s sophomore potential, he gets this guy as offensive coordinator.
ADD PICTURE OF HANDSOME FOOTBALL MAN
The guy who made dead bones rise with Raheem Mostert‘s 31-year-old breakout season in 2023. Despite McDaniel’s propensity to use a committee in the backfield, he showed he’s not afraid to feed a superstar bellcow volume, with De’Von Achane seeing nearly 60% of Miami’s carries in 2025. Hampton’s ceiling was already RB1 overall, but his floor gets an upgrade with McDaniel running the offense.
18. Kenneth Walker III, RB, KC (RB7)
There’s a running back who’s the reason for the teardrops on my keytar keyboard. Watching Kenneth Walker break tackles (1st in missed tackles forced per attempt), run ever so explosively (2nd-highest explosive run rate), then get immediately lifted from the game for Zach Charbonnet was enough to make me want to drop-kick my TV. But the good news is it’s officially time to FREE KENNY WALKER.
I’ve not worn pants since the day Kenneth Walker signed with the Chiefs. The run-blocking being serviceable is yet to be determined, but Walker wound up in one of the best, if not the best, places for his fantasy upside. Eric Bieniemy is back as Chiefs OC. Isiah Pacheco is in Detroit. Kareem Hunt is still a free agent and likely won’t return with the addition of Emari Demercado. I’m not concerned that the Chiefs ran with a committee backfield during Bieniemy’s first tenure as Chiefs OC. They haven’t had a running back this talented since Jamaal Charles.
Note: Hi guys. Jay here. I am NOT saying Kenneth Walker is as talented as Jamaal Charles. I am saying he’s the most talented back the Chiefs have had since Charles. kthxbye
The Chiefs drafting Emmett Johnson and his potential to play the “Kareem Hunt” role do deflate some of my preseason RB1 overall hopes. If Johnson indeed eats into his workload, it could prevent Walker from going nuclear the same way Tyler Allgeier prevented Bijan Robinson from turning some of those 20-point games into 30 or 40-burgers last year. But I’m certainly not worried about Walker’s floor.
19. Emeka Egbuka, WR, TB (WR12)
I’ve been playing fantasy football since the late 90s, and I can’t remember another rookie season quite like Emeka Egbuka‘s. The dude went bonkers early in the season, with three games over 20 points in his first five (including a 30-burger), averaging 15.4 points per game from Weeks 1-8. The second half of the season was ugly, and he ain’t got no alibi. From Weeks 10-18, Egbuka’s PPG dropped by nearly half to 8.1. His struggles weren’t due to target share, either, as he had seven or more in seven of 10 games and more than nine thrice. Once Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan returned, his target share dropped to 13.5, but Egbuka still had the second-highest yards per reception and the highest yards after the catch per reception on the team. Evans left for San Francisco, and I still believe in Egbuka’s talent. Plan on drafting him wherever you can get him as a WR2.
20. Rome Odunze, WR, CHI (WR13, ▲10)
As good as Rome Odunze looked to start the season, I was honestly shocked to see he had only two games over 20 points and finished as the WR28 in ppg. But there is more to the story than I think most realize. When Odunze suffered a stress fracture in his foot against the Eagles on Black Friday, it was revealed that he had been dealing with foot issues since October that had progressively gotten worse. It just so happens that October is when Odunze’s production started to drop. When healthy, he has the talent and role in an improving offense to become a top-10 fantasy receiver year in and year out. Odunze opted to let his foot heal instead of surgery, which has him adjusting to a “new normal” with the healing process slightly altering his foot structure. DJ Moore leaving for Buffalo does nothing but make Rome’s situation even better. Those 85 vacated targets have to go somewhere. Luther Burden has been the talk of the town, and rightfully so. He’s uber talented and is set to take a major step forward as well. But how easy everyone seems to forget Odunze was a top five receiver the first four weeks of the season. Between the two, I’m in Rome’s corner due to his involvement around the end zone. In three fewer games, Odunze had seven more red zone targets (11 to 4) and 10 more end zone targets (11 to 1). I’m drafting Odunze with no hesitation in 2026.