Tier 6 (Continued): The “Is This a Pigeon?” Tier
You aren’t sure if they’re a superstar or role player, but you’re starting them.
81. Isaiah Likely, TE, NYG
We FINALLY got the Kyle Pitts breakout. Can we get Isaiah Likely next? The pending free agent offers mouthwatering upside thanks to his athleticism and explosiveness, but he hasn’t been able to put it together for more than a few games in Baltimore. If he ends up as the TE1 in a tight-end-friendly offense (maybe following Monken to New York?), he has legit Top-5 potential.
UPDATE: Likely followed someone to New York, but it wasn’t Monken. Regardless, the points made still stand, and I LOVE Likely’s upside as a top target for Jaxson Dart.
82. Zach Charbonnet, RB, SEA
Zach Charbonnet is the bane of my existence. He seems like a nice guy, but he prevented my precious Kenneth Walker III from having a fantasy season for the ages. I came around and understand why the Pats kept Rhamondre Stevenson involved this year. He’s at least played well. But Charbs? He bested Walker in one metric, with 2.62 yards after contact to 2.11 for KWIII. Charbonnet did rank inside the top 10 in missed forced tackles per attempt, which was cool. You know what’s cooler? Ranking first in missed forced tackles per attempt. You know who did? Kenneth Walker, who also had a better yards per carry, double the explosive run rate, and more than double the yards per route run in the passing game. Charbs is a solid back, and with Walker moving on in free agency, I actually don’t mind him as an RB2 depending on ADP. But forgiving him for holding back Walker’s potential in 2025 may be the hardest thing I ever do.
83. Kenneth Gainwell, RB, TB
Kenneth Gainwell caught 73 passes on his way to 1,000 combined yards and an RB2 season, and he enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. The running back free-agent market is loaded, but Gainwell should be in a favorable position for fantasy purposes thanks to his pass-catching chops.
UPDATE: When one door closes, another opens, something something darkside….
I hate Gainwell in Tampa Bay for my boy Bucky Irving, but I LOVE it for Kenny. As the pass catching+ option, Gainwell likely winds up an RB2 that can be drafted at FLEX pricing in PPR formats.
84. Kyle Monangai, RB, CHI
Kyle Monangai is a name you need to remember for 2026 because, even playing second fiddle to D’Andre Swift, he scored five touchdowns and posted double-digit fantasy points in all but two games in which he had at least 10 touches. Monangai has mouth-watering upside, and even with Swift sticking around, I love Monangai as a solid FLEX with upside for spike weeks. We’ve seen two backs be fantasy-viable in a Ben Johnson offense before.
85. Rico Dowdle, RB, PIT
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, missed forced tackles, yards after contact per attempt, and the list goes on and on. It seems Dowdle wasn’t too happy with his questionable usage, per his post-playoff loss social media posts. With Hubbard still under contract and Jonathan Brooks returning from injury, I’d expect to see him elsewhere in 2026. If he can find a team willing to give him the lion’s share of the carries, we saw he’s plenty capable of putting up top-10 weeks.
UPDATE: Well, 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.
86. Isiah Pacheco, RB, DET
Isiah Pacheco is fun to watch run the football. He looks like a toddler running away from his parents because it’s bedtime. Sadly for Pacheco, his fantasy value has officially gone night-night. Among running backs with at least 100 rushing attempts, Pacheco had the second-lowest explosive run rate and was one of two players under 4%. If this is the end, I’ll never forget you, Isiah Pacheco. You’ve ruined me for trying to spell Isaiah for the rest of my life.
UPDATE: It is not the end. Depending on where his ADP lands this summer, I’m intrigued by Pacheco cosplaying in the David Montgomery role. New Lions OC Drew Petzing‘s run game has produced with much less talented backs than Pacheco. If you’re able to get him outside the top 150, sign me up.
Also, rumor has it Pacheco wants people to start calling him “Taz” as a nickname. No, I don’t think I will.
87. Blake Corum, RB, LAR
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.
88. Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, TEN
Wan’Dale Robinson caught 1,000 yards for the first time in his career and was the only receiver on the Giants worth rostering. Had Malik Nabers been healthy all season, Robinson likely wouldn’t have achieved the feat. But he showed what he’s capable of with enough volume and enters the offseason as a free agent. With Harbaugh and co. coming to New York, it’s unclear what their level of interest is in bringing him back. But wherever he lands, if Robinson can get a decent target share, he’s a solid WR3/WR2.
UPDATE: Robinson followed his former head coach to Tennessee, where he should be force-fed much like he was in 2025. He’ll be a PPR-scam WR2 if he and Cam Ward click. Maybe a safety blanket-type player like Robinson is exactly what last year’s first overall pick needs.
89. Brian Thomas Jr., WR, JAC
If Brian Thomas Jr. wasn’t the biggest bust of the year, he was rubbing elbows with them. But fear not, all hope isn’t lost for our beloved BTJ. Our expectations just have to be adjusted. Early in the season, he simply 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 by making some 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 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 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.
90. DK Metcalf, WR, PIT
It’s long past time we had a conversation about DK Metcalf. He’s easily one of the most athletic receivers in the league, but it’s been quite a while since we’ve seen the top end of his upside. His first year in Pittsburgh was not great, Bob, with just two games over 100 yards, his first season under 60 receptions since his rookie year, and a career-low 850 receiving yards. Granted, that was on an Arthur Smith-run offense led by the ghost of Aaron Rodgers, but the Steelers cleaned house and will have a new coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterback (maybe). We have no idea what this offense is going to look like, but regardless, it’s hard to be bullish on DK for fantasy purposes.
91. Patrick Mahomes II, QB, KC
Patrick Mahomes looked like “Showtime” Mahomes (the worst nickname ever) through about Week 8, but the Chiefs’ offense sputtered from Week 9 until his season-ending ACL injury. Even if Mahomes can rehab quickly enough to return by Week 1, as he hopes, he could be without Rashee Rice (possible suspension) and Hollywood Brown (Unrestricted Free Agent). I firmly believe Mahomes has multiple elite fantasy seasons left in him. But given that he’ll be returning from an ACL injury, possibly have a new offensive coordinator, and have multiple new pass catchers, 2026 may be the calm before the storm of a late-career surge a la Tom Brady.
UPDATE: Mahomes had some of his most productive seasons under new/old OC Eric Bieniemy, including a 50-touchdown season in 2018. The addition of Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III should also elevate this offense as a whole, taking pressure off of Mahomes to do it all himself. Oh, and his pal Travis Kelce is here to stay as well. If there is any sort of draft day discount, I’ll be rostering a whooole lotta Mahomes in 2026.
92. Woody Marks, RB, HOU
Woody Marks teased us a few times before taking over the Texans’ backfield by season’s end, but it wasn’t pretty. Marks had the second-lowest yards per carry among running backs with at least 100 carries and was tied with Chuba Hubbard and Emanuel Wilson for the lowest missed tackles forced per attempt. I think Marks will have a solid role in the Texans’ offense in 2026, but I expect them to add a back to help carry the workload.
UPDATE: I’m sorry, Woody Marks truthers (I’m looking at you, Eric Romoff), but fetch isn’t happening. The Texans’ deal for David Montgomery shows that, despite trading a 2026 third-round pick to move up for him, they don’t picture Marks as lead back material. I won’t roster him as anything more than an RB3/FLEX option.
Tier 7: The “Oops!… I Did It Again” Tier
You lose all your senses and can’t stop drafting these guys.
93. Quentin Johnston, WR, LAC
Quentin Johnston is one of the five I keep talking about. One of five receivers to score 8+ touchdowns over 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.
UPDATE: MIKE MCDANIELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
94. Jordyn Tyson, WR, Rookie
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’s 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. Mid-rounder who could bump to early-mid rounds in redraft if he lands in an optimal situation. Mid-first round in dynasty.
NFL Comp: Jakobi Meyers
95. Jordan Addison, WR, MIN
Jordan Addison is in legal trouble for the third straight offseason. Could he face league discipline? Be traded? Cut? It’s impossible to properly rank Addison with so much in flux.
96. Michael Wilson, WR, ARI
Michael Wilson came out of nowhere to win the waiver wire league title. From weeks 10-17, Wilson was the second-most-targeted receiver in the league and ranked as the WR4 overall. Much of that production came without Marvin Harrison Jr. on the field and with Jacoby Brissett force-feeding him and Trey McBride. I fear Wilson will be over drafted in 2026 and won’t match the numbers he put up with Brissett if/when someone else takes over at quarterback for the Cards. He’s a fine WR3, but don’t overpay.
97. Tucker Kraft, TE, GB
Tucker Kraft was enjoying a career year before being blindsided by a torn ACL, totaling nearly 500 receiving yards and six touchdowns in just eight games. Still just 25 years old, even if he’s unable to start the season, he should fully recover from the injury and pick up right where he left off. Kraft tied Brock Bowers and George Kittle for TE2 on a points-per-game basis.
98. James Conner, RB, ARI
James Conner has likely played his last snap for Arizona, as he’s a prime offseason cut candidate. Depending on where he lands, Conner could offer some FLEX viability, but his days as a reliable fantasy starter are over.
UPDATE: He’s back in Arizona alongside Trey Benson and new Cardinal Tyler Allgeier. Avoid at all costs.
99. Harold Fannin Jr., TE, CLE
Harold Fannin Jr. was the only reliable pass-catcher for the Browns for about 99% of the season, which was enough to propel the uber-talented rookie to TE8 on a points-per-game basis. Fannin caught 72 passes and six touchdowns and even ran one in for a score. There’s so much in flux for Cleveland heading into 2026, but one thing is certain. Fannin is here to stay, for real football and fantasy.
100. Denzel Boston, WR, Rookie
King Kong ain’t got nothing on Denzel Boston. The 6’4″ receiver can climb the ladder like he’s scaling a skyscraper and comes down with nearly any ball thrown his way. Boston is a red zone monster with a massive catch radius and hands that might as well be covered in stick-um, sporting a 77% contested catch rate. He struggles with the press and doesn’t separate well, but his elite contested catch skills help make up for those flaws. If he lands in an offense that plays to his strengths, preferably one in need of a red zone threat, Boston could be a boom-bust WR2 from day one. He’s been linked to the Steelers, and both sides have shown interest. Boston’s redraft value may vary by landing spot, but it likely settles in the late middle rounds. In dynasty, he’s a mid-first rounder.
NFL Comp: Drake London