Tier 6: The “Area 51” Tier (Continued)
There’s definitely something there, but will it stay hidden from the public?
61. Justin Herbert, QB, LAC (QB5, ▲18)
With Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator (the man who made Tua Tagovailoa look like a franchise quarterback) and a healthy and improved o-line, I’m fully back in on Justin Herbert. We’ve seen Herbert’s upside as recently as last season, when he threw 16 touchdowns in his first eight games. McDaniel has worked with Herbert on his footwork this season in hopes of speeding up his release, with the goal of creating more catch-and-run opportunities for the offense. Don’t let the gross finish down the stretch that reeked of injury and misfortune cost you the opportunity to acquire a 28-year-old quarterback in his prime with the potential for multiple QB1-caliber seasons. I’m not saying that’s Herbert’s future, but I’m not NOT saying it. Ya feel me?
62. Jayden Daniels, QB, WAS (QB6)
Jayden Daniels‘ sophomore season was stymied by a dislocated elbow in his non-throwing arm, but Daniels scored multiple touchdowns and gained 250 or more total yards in every game he finished. Out at Offensive Coordinator is Kliff Kingsbury, and in is David Blough to replace him. That name again is Mr. David Blough.
It’s expected that Washington will maintain a similar style of offense to Daniels’ first two seasons, allowing him the offseason to focus on getting healthy and stabilizing the offensive system despite his new offensive coordinator, David Blough. The rumored offseason addition of Brandon Aiyuk looks less likely with each weird video he posts passing day. But the additions of wide receiver Antonio Williams via the draft and free agent signings Chig Okonkwo and Rachaad White add some much-needed depth to Daniels’ supporting cast. The weapons Daniels will have in 2026 may not be elite, but they’ll be the best of his three-year career.
63. DJ Moore, WR, BUF (WR28)
DJ Moore had the worst season since his rookie year and not so gracefully slipped into a more complementary role than the borderline alpha he came to Chicago to be. Moore was traded to Buffalo and immediately became the top option for Josh Allen and a rock-solid WR2. He fills the ginormous X-receiver-sized role in Buffalo and reunites with Joe Brady, with whom Moore had some of his most productive seasons in Carolina. Moore sits just outside the WR2 range. I’d be fine with him as my WR2 as long as I had a top-5ish WR1.
64. Alec Pierce, WR, IND (WR29, ▲20)
Alec Pierce emerged as the Colts’ top wide receiver and one of the most explosive in the league. He led the league in average depth of target (19.4), yards per target (11.94), and yards per reception (21.34). He’s a free agent, but it sounds like the Colts are going to make a major push to keep him. To emerge from the logjam of pass catchers in Indy, he’s shown he can be a fantasy force even in a crowded receiver room. Pierce is my perfect WR3 target and someone I hope to draft a lot of next season. Pierce resigned with Indy and has an even safer floor with Pittman heading to Pittsburgh. That floor drops significantly if Daniel Jones isn’t ready to start the season and the Colts are forced to start either Anthony Richardson or Riley Leonard.
UPDATE (9/4/26): Back practicing in full and hopeful to be ready for Week 1.
Tier 7: The “Oops!… I Did It Again” Tier
You lose all your senses and can’t stop drafting these guys.
65. DeVonta Smith, WR, PHI (WR30)
DeVonta Smith is one of those guys who’s a better NFL player than he is in fantasy. This isn’t me poo-pooing Smith’s talent; he’s a phenomenal football player. But his highest fantasy finish in points per game is WR15 in 2022. When he was “the guy” before AJ Brown came to town? His rookie season of 2021, where he finished as WR30. Smith doesn’t have top-10 potential with Jalen Hurts under center, even with the Eagles moving on from Brown. In 2025, Smith actually had more games under 10 points (10) than over (7). He’s a solid yet unspectacular WR2 who will sprinkle in some spike weeks, but has far too many duds to make it worth the price tag. If you’re searching for the Eagles WR1 for fantasy, he’s not the droid you’re looking for.
66. Rico Dowdle, RB, PIT (RB25)
Rico Dowdle signed a 1-year “prove it” deal with the Panthers last offseason, and he proved it. He was a major part of the Panthers’ success and surprise playoff appearance, outperforming Chuba Hubbard in yards per carry, explosive run rate, forced-miss tackles, yards after contact per attempt, and the list goes on. It seems Dowdle wasn’t too happy with his questionable usage, per his social media posts after the playoff loss. Pittsburgh isn’t technically the situation I had hoped for, but it’ll do. While he’ll share the workload with Jaylen Warren, he’ll get plenty of run in Mike McCarthy‘s offense. I value Dowdle similarly to last season.
67. Bhayshul Tuten, RB, JAC (RB26, ▼11)
Bhayshul Tuten made a few horns toot when Tank Bigsby was traded to the Eagles, which I get. He had some splash plays and looked as if he could take over the backfield at times. But at the end of the season, the numbers were not great, Bob. Tuten ranked 33rd in yards per carry and 43rd in explosive run rate, and was slightly better but nothing special in forced missed tackles (15th) and yards after contact (14th). Etienne departed for Nola and Tuten is coming off the draft as the lead back for the Jags, but as hard as I tried, I couldn’t fit him into the current top 20. That’s not a knock on Tuten; I think he’s in a similar tier to the DMonts and DSwifts of the world. But I can’t push him ahead of them yet.
UPDATE (9/4/26): Tuten hasn’t been practicing due to illness (which isn’t a long term issue), but I think people are underestimating how much of an issue Chris Rodriguez will be for Tuten’s floor.
68. Jaylen Warren, RB, PIT (RB27)
Jaylen Warren ranked 13th in explosive run rate, sixth in yards after contact, and fifth in missed tackles forced per attempt. He’s involved in the passing game as well, averaging 46 catches over the past three seasons. But the addition of Rico Dowdle puts a rather large damper on Warren’s fantasy prospects for 2026. The move does more damage to Warren, who had the backfield all to himself for about 20 minutes when Kenneth Gainwell signed in Tampa. Warren should get plenty of work, but unless I can get him outside the top 25 backs, I’ll be avoiding him.
69. Bucky Irving, RB, TB (RB28)
A lost season for Bucky Irving may have cost him more than just multiple games. It also cost him his role as the goal line back for the Bucs. He still showed flashes that made him one of the most dynamic rookies of 2024, but his struggles at the goal line opened the opportunity for Sean Tucker to steal the job, and he did. Irving ranked dead last in yards per carry among running backs with at least 100 carries and was seventh-worst in explosive run rate. The hopes of an offseason to get Irving healthy and the departure of White were the prerequisites for returning to form. Still, Tampa signed Kenneth Gainwell to replace him, planting a haymaker right to the gut of Bucky believers. Gainwell broke out bigly in Pittsburgh last season with 1,000 combined yards and an RB2 season, and honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him end the season with more snaps in the Bucs backfield than Irving. Instead of the recipe for a bounce-back third season, Irving sadly has all the ingredients for a lukewarm soup that tastes like disappointment. That aroma of dismay lingering in the air is quickly shifting to straight-up poop soup. As of now, my dear Bucky is a full fade for me in 2026. He ironically drops one spot behind former teammate Rachaad White.
70. Jayden Reed, WR, GB (WR31, ▲30)
Jayden Reed missed most of the season due to a series of injuries, including a broken collarbone, but was able to return in Week 14. He’ll be among the Packers’ top pass-catchers in 2026 and should remain a volatile WR3 for fantasy purposes. I’d like to move him up a bit more, but the targets left behind by Romeo Doubs likely get mostly absorbed by Christian Watson, whose route tree is much more similar.
UPDATE (9/4/26): See Watson, Christian.
71. Blake Corum, RB, LAR (RB29)
Blake Corum. Fifth-highest yards per carry. Sixth-highest explosive run rate. Second-highest success rate. Still playing second fiddle to Kyren Williams. He started to see more work down the stretch, but until he supplants Williams on the depth chart, he’s a risky FLEX at best. He’s arguably the top handcuff heading into 2026.
72. Brian Thomas Jr., WR, JAC (WR32)
If Brian Thomas Jr. wasn’t the biggest bust of 2025, he was rubbing elbows with them. But fear not; all hope isn’t lost for our beloved BTJ. Early in the season, he didn’t look like himself, dropping passes and, dare I say, looking scared to take hits. But after returning from injury, he got some of his swagger back and started showing his skill set with incredible catches like this one.
BTJ ONE-HANDER WOW.
INDvsJAX on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/nWfaYRE4nw
— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2025
Thomas finished 13th in yards per reception and totaled 23 deep targets, tied for the fifth-most with multiple receivers despite playing in two fewer games than the rest of that grouping. After the Jags traded for and extended Jakobi Meyers and drafted Travis Hunter, there’s little chance he’ll be the top-12 receiver we saw at the back end of his rookie season. It’s time to accept BTJ for what he isn’t: a top-10 elite fantasy receiver. However, that doesn’t mean he’s not a valuable fantasy asset; we just need to adjust our expectations. BTJ is more of a volatile WR2/3 with tremendous upside in an ever-improving Liam Coen Jacksonville offense. He could wind up being a value if scorned fantasy managers go full BTJ fade in 2026.
73. Jordan Addison, WR, MIN (WR33)
Legal trouble for the third straight offseason has opened up an opportunity to draft Jordan Addison at a discount in 2026. It was dicey to try to rank him this offseason, but it appears there will be no sort of discipline that will cause him to miss games. With an ADP outside the top 100 at the time of writing, Addison is the classic low-risk pick that can reap championship rewards, as long as Kyler Murray is the starter, that is.
74. Quentin Johnston, WR, LAC (WR34, ▲21)
Quentin Johnston is one of just five receivers to score 8+ touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. Like his quarterback, Johnston started the season hot but cooled off significantly as the o-line play decayed. QJ has some upside, but the floor is rock bottom. He’s a prototypical boom-or-bust WR3 who becomes a tad more interesting with the hire of Mike McDaniel. If Johnston can become sugar-free Tyreek Hill, he’ll wind up on a lot of championship rosters.
UPDATE (9/4/26):
herbo w the absolute bomb pic.twitter.com/BpsQeiYAuL
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 28, 2026
75. Makai Lemon, WR, PHI (WR35, ▼26)
Makai Lemon played all over the field at USC, but profiles more as a slot receiver in the pros. He’s a YAC-monster who breaks tackles like the Kool-Aid Man busting through some random family’s living room wall. This year’s Biletnikoff Award Winner (Best College Receiver) has good hands and solid on-field speed but lacks explosiveness off the line. Lemon seems to always find the soft spot versus zone, but struggles against press coverage. His limited wingspan and smaller stature (5’11”, 190-ish) keep his catch radius, well, small. Regardless, with A.J. Brown traded, Lemon leaps into the top spot as my rookie WR1 from a fantasy perspective. The selections of Lemon and classmate Eli Stowers appear to point towards a shift from Hurts’ tendency not to throw the ball over the middle. If there’s a dip, buy it.
UPDATE (9/4/26): Lemon has had a less-than-ideal training camp, missing a large part due to a hamstring injury and not playing particularly well when available. His ceiling is still incredibly high, and I think he’s the best receiver on the team, but losing that incredibly valuable field time for a rookie is “not great, Bob”.
76. Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, NE (RB30, ▲20)
I get why Mike Vrabel loves Rhamondre Stevenson. I didn’t during the season, but as I start my offseason process, looking back at season-long stats and watching film, the dude is just good. Top five in explosive run rate, missed forced tackles per attempt, and yards after contact per attempt. Vrabel was smart to stick with him despite the fumble issues. The problem here is that he’s holding back my bae, TreVeyon Henderson. Both profile as RB2s with upside due to the shared workload, and Stevenson probably comes with the discount between the two.
UPDATE (9/4/26): TreVeyon Henderson has missed time due to an ankle injury, and his lack of development from a pass-blocking perspective has only boosted Stevenson’s stock.
77. Jakobi Meyers, WR, JAC (WR36)
Jakobi Meyers went from an afterthought in Las Vegas to Trevor Lawrence‘s favorite target after a midseason trade to Jacksonville. Meyers averaged 12.4 points per game with the Jaguars from Weeks 10-17, and the team rewarded him with a three-year contract extension to keep him in Duval for a long time. He led the Jaguars with a 21.8% target share and was second to Parker Washington with 1.88 yards per route run. There will be plenty of mouths to feed, especially with the return of Travis Hunter. But Meyers appears to be a fixture in the offense and makes for a rock-solid WR3. Similar story with Meyers as with DJ Moore. His situation didn’t change much, but with the reshuffling of other receivers in this ranks update, Meyers is outside WR2 range for me.
78. Jonathon Brooks, RB, CAR (RB31)
Out of sight, out of mind. People forget too easily how highly touted Jonathon Brooks was coming out of Texas. Chuba Hubbard is the guy I said had literally zero explosive runs. The Panthers lost Rico Dowdle but “added” AJ Dillon this offseason, which makes me even more confident in Brooks’ bounce-back potential. Brooks is one of my favorite sleepers for 2026.
79. Courtland Sutton, WR, DEN (WR37, ▲22)
Courtland Sutton followed up his breakout 2024 by finishing five spots higher in points per game, moving from WR27 to WR22, even though he averaged 1.2 points fewer. I mention that as a reminder not to blindly follow player rankings from year to year; make sure to look at the actual stats for added context. That being said, Sutton brushed off a midseason takeover attempt from Troy Franklin to finish as the Broncos’ WR1. Sutton entered the Broncos’ Week 12 bye with four straight games under 11 points and came out of it averaging 16.5 PPG the rest of the way, finishing as a WR9 over that period. He’s getting a little long in the tooth, and the Broncos surprisingly traded for Jaylen Waddle, pushing Sutton from solid WR2 territory to more WR3ish. That floor we once loved is gone.
UPDATE (9/4/26): Bo Nix looks good.
80. Jordan Mason, RB, MIN (RB32)
I know, I know…I just can’t quit Jordan Mason. Aaron Jones is another year older, Mason ranked inside the top 10 in explosive run rate and missed tackles forced per attempt, and the Vikings’ offense has to improve, right? RIGHT?!