Tier 5: The GigaPet Tier (Continued)
Vintage studs and hungry pups who need just a little hourly care.
41. Tyler Warren, TE, IND (TE4)
Will the real Tyler Warren please stand up? The stud rookie averaged 13.6 points per game over the first 10 weeks before dropping to 7.5 from Week 11 on. His struggles began before Daniel Jones’ season-ending injury, but Jones is back in Indy, and Michael Pittman isn’t. Arrow up for Tyler Warren.
42. Colston Loveland, TE, CHI (TE5)
Although Colston Loveland didn’t have his first double-digit game until Week 9, he finished as a TE1 thanks to seven double-digit games over the final 10. Cole Kmet was much more involved early, but Loveland had the typical rookie second-half surge. With DJ Moore shipped out of town, more targets are available, and Loveland should easily finish as a TE1 in 2026, though I still fear he gets overdrafted.
43. David Montgomery, RB, HOU (RB19)
Despite not missing a game for the first time in his career, David Montgomery had career lows in carries (158) and rushing yards (716), clearly taking a backseat in what once was a nearly 50/50 split backfield. The usage led to Monty’s exit from Detroit, and it’s sad that “Sonic and Knuckles” is no more, but Monty’s arrow is pointing straight up. Traded to the Texans, he’ll form a 1-2 punch with Woody Marks that likely sees at minimum 50% of the work for Montgomery, and the goal line touches as well. I don’t want him as my RB1, but I’d be more than happy to have Monty as an RB2.
44. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, ARI (WR18)
Marvin Harrison Jr. is an enigma. He had the fourth-most end zone targets among all players, even with teammate Trey McBride ahead of him, but had just two touchdowns through the first eight weeks. Harrison didn’t play all that badly in 2025, but the combination of his unreal hype coming out of college and Michael Wilson playing like Jerry Rice has a lot of people down on MHJ heading into 2026. He’s a buy-low for me.
Kyler Murray’s departure from Arizona is the best-case scenario for MHJ’s career, and Jacoby Brissett returning as the starter for 2026 isn’t the death knell that many think. Brissett had an undeniable connection with Wilson and McBride. But I bet you didn’t know Marv only played three full games with Brissett as a starter. Week 7, which admittedly wasn’t great, with two catches on six targets for 58 yards. But he probably shouldn’t have been playing after suffering a concussion just a week prior. After a Week 8 bye, Marv had two straight games where that “generational prospect” potential started to flash. A combined 22 targets, 10 catches, 129 yards, and two touchdowns. Just when things started to click, Marv had to have an emergency appendectomy. He did return and technically played in three more games, but over 60% of snaps just once. Brissett is currently locked in a contract dispute with the team’s brass, but I’m operating under the assumption a resolution is found before the start of the season. He’s working out with his receivers on his own while he’s “away from the team”. Don’t hear what I’m not saying. I don’t think Harrison will ever live up to the 1st-edition base-set Charizard, graded PSA 10, mint-level expectations placed upon him coming into the league. But some legitimately think Wilson is the best receiver on this team and value MHJ as a low-end WR2. He’s still just 23 years old.
45. D’Andre Swift, RB, CHI (RB20)
In the words of Nick Pollack, “Swift Doesn’t Miss.” D’Andre Swift has never finished outside the top 24 running backs in points per game and finished as RB17 in 2025 despite sharing a backfield with a capable runner in Caleb Williams and a promising rookie in Kyle Monangai. Swift ranked in the top 10 in yards per carry and yards per reception and in the top five in yards after the catch per reception. His skill set makes him useful in fantasy even with a partial workload, and Swift likely heads into 2026 underrated once again. Be like Swift. Don’t miss on D’Andre.
46. Jadarian Price, RB, SEA (RB21)
Another big-time riser thanks to a near-perfect landing spot, Jadarian Price finds himself in Seattle to replace the departed Kenneth Walker. With no timeline available for the return of Zach Charbonnet from a torn ACL, Price’s competitors for touches are currently Emanuel Wilson and George Holani. Price is a lot like his former backfield mate Jeremiyah Love, but as my buddy Brett Ford likes to say, maybe more of a “sugar-free” version. Still pretty good, just not like the real thing. Price has incredible vision and elusiveness, but a limited passing game. His biggest knock is holding onto the ball: he lost three fumbles in 2025, all three inside the opponent’s 10-yard line. If Love’s touches are nerfed by the four-headed monster in the desert, Price could be a sneaky candidate for the top fantasy rookie from this class in 2026. He should be FLEX viable from day one.
47. Josh Jacobs, RB, GB (RB22)
Josh Jacobs had another RB1 season, but it was heavily inflated by touchdowns. Jacobs’ inefficiency was masked by the scores, averaging under 4 yards per carry for the third time in his career. Among the 49 running backs with at least 100 carries, Jacobs ranked 22nd in explosive run rate and 35th in yards per carry. Teetering toward the dreaded 28-year age cliff, with a heavy reliance on touchdowns and only playing a full season twice, unless he can be had at an RB2 price tag, I’m likely avoiding Jacobs this season.
48. TreVeyon Henderson, RB, NE (RB23)
If you read any of my work last season, you know how much I love TreVeyon Henderson‘s skill set. His frustrating usage in 2025 was a flame-throwing display every time he took a 50+ rushing touchdown to the house. But I fear that Rhamondre Stevenson isn’t going away anytime soon. Stevenson was actually the more explosive runner of the two and forced more missed tackles. Stevenson was also the better pass catcher, with higher yards per route run and yards after contact. Hendo was plenty good, as evidenced by his 5.6 explosive run rate and #1 yards before contact. That boy is fast. But Stevenson is signed through 2028 and the apple of Mike Vrabel‘s eye. His presence caps Henderson’s top-10 potential.
49. Makai Lemon, WR, PHI (WR19)
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.
50. Garrett Wilson, WR, NYJ (WR20)
The lone bright spot in yet another dumpster fire of a season for the Jets, Garrett Wilson played in just seven games due to injury. Despite playing in less than half the team’s games, he led the team in receiving yards with 395. It’s pretty simple with Wilson. He’s an elite talent who’d be a perennial WR1 overall candidate if he could get a quarterback with a cannon. But he keeps getting ones with Nerf guns. Geno Smith as his quarterback doesn’t give Wilson a cannon to work with, but he’s not a Nerf gun either. A BB gun, perhaps? Wilson can still be a borderline WR1 in 2026. Just stay healthy this year, okay?
Tier 6: The “Area 51” Tier
There’s definitely something there, but will it stay hidden from the public?
51. Zay Flowers, WR, BAL (WR21)
Zay Flowers was solid overall through Week 13 but finished the season en fuego. His 12.1 points per game nearly doubled to 20.3 over the final five weeks. How nice of him to lead all of his fantasy managers to the consolation bracket championship! I was a big fan of Flowers coming into the season, but the torrid end to the season bumped him into the top 10 in total points and just outside the top 12 in points per game. I fear that will inflate his ADP, which doesn’t belong. Baltimore cleaning house also means he’ll have a new offensive coordinator, and it may not be as fantasy-friendly for Flowers. Former OC Todd Monken’s offense is known for hyper-targeting WR1s. He’s too inconsistent to consider drafting as a WR1, but Flowers is a rock-solid WR2 who will have some spike weeks.
52. Davante Adams, WR, LAR (WR22)
If you’ve poked around these rankings for more than just a player or two, you’ll see this same stat repeated a few times. But any player who can repeat something as unpredictable as touchdowns is worth mentioning, and Davante Adams is one of five who caught eight or more in each of the last two seasons. In fact, Adams has caught 8 or more in six straight seasons. That being said, he’s no longer the alpha he once was, and that’s okay. His 14 touchdown receptions more than made up for it, but he had the second-lowest yards after the catch per reception among receivers with 50+ targets, at 1.93. He basically became a goal-line receiver. Stafford’s back, so Adams slots right in as a solid WR2 who will win you some weeks when he catches a couple tuddys.
53. Chris Olave, WR, NO (WR23)
I foresee Chris Olave having a hard time replicating his top 10 fantasy finish in 2026. He was a steal at his ADP last season, but he risks being over-drafted if he comes off the board among the top 12. The Saints’ season was a disappointment overall, but a perfect storm of no running game, no real competition for targets (after Rashid Shaheed’s trade), and a team constantly playing from behind led Olave to his best season yet. He finished fifth with 151 targets, caught 100 passes for the first time, and reached 1000 yards for the third time in four seasons. However, among receivers with 100+ targets, Olave finished 17th in yards per target, 20th in yards per reception, and last in yards after contact. Only Olave and Davante Adams had yards after the catch under three. Even with the Saints drafting Jordyn Tyson in the first round, Olave still slots in as the WR1 in Nola. But you have to knock Olave down a few pegs with the new target competition.
54. Jordyn Tyson, WR, NO (WR24)
Jordyn Tyson is the third of the three amigos regularly touted as the top receivers in the 2026 class. Tyson may have been the consensus WR1 had it not been for a less-than-stellar injury history, missing time to injury in all of his seasons. Coached by Hall of Famer Hines Ward, Tyson is unsurprisingly a great blocker. His video game-like twitchiness stems in part from his lateral quickness and phenomenal footwork. Tyson’s been the alpha at Arizona State the past two seasons, and has zero issue coming down with the ball when everyone on and off the field knows the ball is coming to him. He has good ball skills, is not afraid of contact, and excels at contested catches. He’s a bit of an unpolished route runner and has just one season with 1,000 receiving yards, but he can line up all over the field. Tyson is widely criticized as a one-trick pony versus press coverage and needs to expand his moveset. High floor, but lower ceiling than you’d like from a player with his likely ADP. Before the AJ Brown trade out of Philly, the former Sun Devil was my rookie WR1. QB Tyler Shough has a strong arm, and Kellen Moore is one of the best offensive minds in the league. Tyson should start from day 1 on a team with a porous defense that plays half its games indoors.
55. Carnell Tate, WR, TEN (WR25)
Despite some controversy surrounding his official 40 time at the combine, Carnell Tate is not the undisputed top receiver in this class, yet most consider him to be. Whether he ran a 4.4 or 4.5 doesn’t really matter; speed isn’t his game. A high football IQ and unreal body control make up for Tate’s lack of explosiveness, melding with his wingspan and catch radius to create a high-point specialist who can come down with just about anything thrown at him. There’s some concern with his weight and dealing with the physicality of defensive backs in the pros, but he’s already a thicker, taller DeVonta Smith. Tate can bulk up and be just fine. At worst, a WR2. Great landing spot in terms of opportunity, and Tate could be the Titans’ WR1 as early as Week 1. His fantasy success hinges on whether Brian Daboll is enough to elevate Cam Ward’s game.
56. Bhayshul Tuten, RB, JAC (RB24)
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.
57. Quinshon Judkins, RB, CLE (RB25)
Quinshon Judkins had the fourth-lowest yards per carry, ranked 40th in explosive run rate, and had just one game with over 100 rushing yards. But I’m not ready to give up on him just yet. As disheartening as the Browns’ pass game was, teams loaded up against the run when they played Cleveland. Judkins ranked 46th of 49 in yards before contact (min 100 carries) and had the highest stuff rate in the NFL. He faced 7+ men in the box at the highest rate in the NFL (95%) and was one of five backs who faced a stacked box 54% or more of their carries. He was finally starting to get more involved in the passing game before suffering a gruesome dislocated ankle and fractured fibula in December. As awful as that sounds, it was a best-case scenario injury-wise, as he’s expected to be ready for Week 1 of 2026. If Judkins can get a little more room to work with, he can put up solid RB2 numbers.
58. Jameson Williams, WR, DET (WR26)
Jameson Williams shed some of his boom-bust label and finished inside the top 12 for the first time in his career. But would he have if Sam LaPorta had been healthy all season? The world may never know, but Jamo put on a clinic this season, ranking third in yards per target and yards per reception, and fifth in yards after the catch per reception. He’ll always have that boom upside, but how regular a bust he’ll be is still up in the air. New OC Drew Petzing should attack downfield plenty, keeping Jamo right around the same value as last season.
59. Joe Burrow, QB, CIN (QB3)
It was another lost season for Joe Burrow due to injury, and he was visibly frustrated with the state of the team toward the end of the season. The front office heard him loud and clear,
I initially thought the improved defense could ever-so-slightly ding Burrow’s ceiling. But as awful as there were, even with improvement, I’ve settled on the idea that if the blowouts from 2025 turn into close games in 2026, it likely winds up a wash. Burrow has thrown at least 34 touchdowns in each season that he’s played 16 or more games. Joe Brr is one of the only non-mobile quarterbacks with a shot at QB1 overall thanks to elite weapons and touchdown upside.
60. Jayden Daniels, QB, WAS (QB4)
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.