The ACC is coming off quite the season in 2025. It sent Miami to the national title game and produced a handful of the most electrifying quarterbacks in the sport. This year, it has a legit national title contender once again with the Hurricanes, as well as a handful of other teams that should be quite feisty this fall. From James Franklin to Bill Belichick and Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and Darian Mensah, there's no shortage of intriguing figures and storylines in this Atlantic Coast Conference in 2026, and that translates to the fantasy side of things as well.
Note: The positional rankings are based on four-point passing touchdowns and half-point per reception format and may vary based on the format of your league. Visit our College Football Rankings page to customize the rankings to fit your league's format. The rankings are also subject to change as more information rolls in during fall camp. Keep tabs on the College Football News page for everything from job battles to injuries as the draft season draws closer.
2026 College Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- College Football Projections
- College Football Rankings (linked above)
- College Football Cheat Sheet
- National Championship Odds
- Heisman Odds
- Tadpole Bowl Rankings and Strategy
- Underdog Best Ball Draft Tool
- Quarterback Rankings
- Running Back Rankings
- Wide Receiver Rankings
- Tight End Rankings
- Big Ten Conference Preview
ACC All-Conference Teams
ACC Fantasy Sleepers
QB Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh 
There's a reason why Miami reportedly tried to lure Heintschel into the portal before it secured Darian Mensah from Duke; this kid can play. As a freshman, he earned the starting job in Week 6 against Boston College, tossing for 323 yards and four touchdowns against the Eagles in his first-ever collegiate start. The 6-foot-2 gunslinger ended the year with 2,354 yards, 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 63.6 percent of his passes and adding 88 yards and two scores on the ground. He should have a strong ground game led by Ja'Kyrian Turner as well as two experienced returning wideouts in Cataurus Hicks and Censere Lee. I'd expect Heintschel to become a household name in 2026.
QB CJ Bailey, NC State 
It feels like Bailey is flying under the radar ahead of the 2026 campaign, and while there's a litany of factors contributing to that (a somewhat weak NC State team, other dynamic quarterbacks in his conference), I wouldn't bet against the Florida native in his junior season. Last fall, he tossed for 3,105 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions with 216 yards and six scores on the ground. The dual-threat won't rack up rushing yards, but his mobility makes him extremely dangerous as he can make plays of all kinds outside the pocket. The Wolfpack offense also lost explosive tailback Hollywood Smothers to Texas this offseason, meaning NC State could rely a bit heavier on the passing game. And between returnee Keenan Jackson as well as promising transfers Jojo Trader (Miami), Victor Snow (Buffalo) and Davion Dozier (Appalachian State), Bailey should have no shortage of viable options downfield. The gunslinger does have two buy weeks, but he could still outperform a couple of the quarterbacks ranked higher than him in the conference on a per-game basis.
RB Demon June, North Carolina 
Even on a dismal Tar Heels squad last season, June was worthy of your attention each and every week as a true freshman tailback. Though he didn't consistently get the lion's share of the carries, he displayed some real explosiveness and a knack for the big play. He finished with 464 yards and two scores on 84 carries (5.5 yards per carry) with 17 catches for 159 yards and one score through the air as well. He's now the undisputed top back in Chapel Hill, but his production could be tied to how the Tar Heels perform this fall with a difficult ACC schedule that includes most of the conference's heavyweights. North Carolina isn't expected to be very good as a team, so will there be enough opportunities for consistent touches in the backfield if the Tar Heels trail in games early and often? That's the million-dollar question with June.
RB Micah Ford, Stanford 
Again, this is a team that could be playing catch-up quite a bit. But Ford is the clear top back in Palo Alto; he figures to be the bell-cow for Stanford as a junior. Last fall, he racked up 762 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns even on a team that finished 4-8. Like Bailey, Ford does have two byes, but the well-built ball-carrier should receive a healthy workload each and every week that should make it easy enough to out-perform his draft position.
WR Cooper Barkate, Miami 
Barkate is one of the more intriguing players in the conference, sleeper or not. He spent the first three years of his career at Harvard before catching passes from Darian Mensah at Duke last fall. Now, both he and his quarterback, Mensah, find themselves in Coral Gables in what should be a prolific offense. The Hurricanes do boast one of the best receivers in the nation in Malachi Toney, but he's more of an inside slot option; the 6-foot-1 Barkate, meanwhile, figures to do most of his work on the perimeter. There's room for both players to be quite productive in 2026, and Mensah loves to throw Barkate's way — he had just one game with fewer than three catches last fall.
TE Dorian Thomas, California 
If you want a piece of the Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele offense at a bargain, Thomas might be your best bet. Last season at New Mexico, he reeled in 56 catches for 560 yards and four touchdowns as one of the better receiving tight ends in the Group of Six. Now, he joins a passing attack led by one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the nation. Keawe-Sagapolutele was fond of his starting tight end last season, Mason Mini, who had 35 receptions for 387 yards and four scores. Thomas should be a big factor in the passing game in Berkeley, although with Mini still in the mix, he could eat into Thomas' targets.
ACC Position Battles of Interest
Clemson Quarterbacks
Heading into fall camp, returnee Christopher Vizzina has the inside track to earn the QB1 role for the Tigers. He's got the age and experience; last season, in relief duty, he tossed for 406 yards, four touchdowns and one interception on 63.4 percent completion. However, true freshman Tait Reynolds has pushed him all offseason to the point where head coach Dabo Swinney has yet to publicly anoint a starter. The Clemson offense is still loaded with talent, particularly at wide receiver where it deploys Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore and returns a handful of other contributors from last fall. Whoever wins this battle has a great shot to be fantasy relevant in this Tigers' offense.
Virginia Tech Running Backs
Virginia Tech is going to look a lot different under new head coach James Franklin, who, along with offensive coordinator Ty Howle, looks poised to run the ball quite a bit in Blacksburg. Enter tailbacks Marcellous Hawkins and Jeffrey Overton, both of whom manned the backfield for the Hokies last fall. Hawkins racked up 848 total yards while Overton notched 182, but the latter has reportedly bulked up this season and is primed to handle a bigger workload. Both backs could be productive if this Hokies' offense clicks right away, but whoever winds up being the top ball-carrier here should certainly have fantasy relevance. Bill Davis is also a candidate to see some work after putting up 158 carries for 763 yards and six touchdowns last season at Lafayette, but reports from spring suggest he didn't appear up to snuff compared to the other running backs in Blacksburg.
Florida State Running Backs
The Seminoles' offense may not wind up being one of the best in the ACC, but Florida State loves to get its halfbacks involved by air as well as by ground. There appear to be two main backs vying for carries in Tallahassee: returnee Ousmane Kromah and Texas transfer Quintrevion Wisner. Kromah had 555 total yards and a score last fall, while Wisner notched 743 total yards and four touchdowns in Austin. Samuel Singleton, who totaled just under 400 yards last fall, is also in the mix, but the RB1 role will go to either Kromah or Wisner. The Seminoles could lean on their tailbacks quite a bit this season, as the passing game led by the inconsistent Auburn transfer Ashton Daniels could leave something to be desired. At least one of Kromah or Wisner should be worth of fantasy consideration in 2026.
Louisville Wide Receivers
The top option for Louisville, Vanderbilt transfer Tre Richardson, who notched 46 catches for 806 yards and seven touchdowns in the SEC last fall, is set in stone. But behind him, there's some contention for WR2. The candidates include Florida State transfer Lawayne McCoy, returning former San Jose State transfer TreyShun Hurry and FCS Drake transfer Jackson Voth. There's a lot of production in this room; it's just a question of how the wide receiver pecking order shakes out behind Richardson. How Ohio State transfer quarterback Lincoln Kienholz's game pans out in Louisville is also a factor here, but this could be a dangerous passing game that produces multiple receivers fantasy managers want to get their hands on.
