After somewhat of a down year for the Big 12 from a fantasy and a competitive standpoint during the 2025 season, many teams in the conference reloaded on offense in what looks destined to be a bounce-back campaign. BYU returns stars Bear Bachmeier and LJ Martin, Oklahoma State brought in the core of the highly productive North Texas offense from last season along with new head coach Eric Morris, and despite a controversy-ridden offseason, Texas Tech remains the prohibitive favorite to win the conference.
The conference is loaded with incoming transfers, some of whom dominated at the G5 level last season, intriguing freshmen, and proven, elite-level performers. Check out the top players and teams to watch as the 2026 season inches closer.
Note: The position rankings are based on four-point passing touchdowns and a half-point per reception format and may vary depending 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 Conference Preview
Big 12 All-Conference Fantasy Teams
2026 Big 12 Fantasy Sleepers
QB: DJ Lagway, Baylor
Lagway is coming off two tough campaigns with Florida, but signs are pointing to him bouncing back with his new program. He had one of the toughest schedules in the country last season, so his lackluster 17:15 touchdown-to-turnover ratio needs to be put into context. He's taking over the Bears' offense from Sawyer Robertson, who threw for 3,681 yards and 31 touchdowns last season, both of which ranked in the top seven in the country. While key weapons from 2025 like Josh Cameron, Kole Wilson, Kobe Prentice and Michael Trigg are no longer on the roster, there is plenty of talent – both returning and from the transfer portal – that Lagway can rely on. Baylor's offense has been among the best in the country over the last couple of seasons, and Lagway has the talent to keep that momentum going.
QB: Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
Mestemaker is the sleeper you can't afford to skip in fantasy drafts. After walking on at North Texas and leading the entire FBS in passing yards and touchdowns in 2025, he followed head coach Eric Morris to Stillwater, bringing the exact system that turned him into the nation's most prolific passer. That continuity matters - no first-year quarterback-coach pairing should hit the ground running faster than this one. Oklahoma State's defense is nowhere near ready to compete, which means Morris will lean on Mestemaker to sling it 40+ times a game to keep pace. Add in a wide-open, shootout-prone Big 12 and a roster with 87 newcomers, and you get the perfect recipe for gaudy garbage-time and neutral-script numbers alike. Draft him as a QB1 fantasy value with true league-winning upside.
RB: Wayshawn Parker, Utah
Parker is primed for a breakout after a season that flashed elite efficiency but never got a full workload. Despite topping out at 19 carries in any single game, Parker averaged 6.8 yards per carry and finished just 19 yards shy of 1,000 last year. The problem was volume, not talent, as head coach Kyle Whittingham didn't hand him the reins until late October. This offseason, Parker is planning for a role as a true workhorse, trimming weight and pushing himself into spring ball to the point coaches had to rein him in. With a full offseason as the clear lead back, a leadership role in the program, and a new coaching staff, it's going to be a fruitful year. When Parker's efficiency finally gets paired with volume, it's going to be a dangerous combo for a Big 12 sleeper that should go for over 1,000+ yards.
RB: Jeremy Payne, TCU
Payne enters 2026 as TCU's undisputed lead back after a second half of the season that made it clear he's the engine of this offense. Payne racked up 472 of his 623 rushing yards over the final five games, averaging 6.4 yards per carry down the stretch, before capping it off with an impressive game-winning touchdown catch in overtime to beat USC in the Alamo Bowl. With TCU losing two backs to the portal and Payne now entrenched as the clear starter from day one instead of splitting early-season work, the volume finally matches the explosiveness. He's also a real receiving threat out of the backfield, giving him standalone value even in low-volume weeks. He has the potential for a 1,000-yard season, the perfect profile for a Big 12 sleeper poised for a featured-back breakout.
WR: JV Gibson, Cincinnati
Following an excellent season in 2024 with Arkansas-Pine Bluff (70 receptions for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns), Gibson entered the transfer portal and landed at Oklahoma with high expectations. A broken leg during spring ball derailed his 2025 season as he missed the first four games of the season and then caught 18 passes (on 33 targets) for 199 yards and one touchdown in his nine appearances with the Sooners. He transferred again this offseason, opting to take his talents to Cincinnati for his final collegiate campaign, where he could be in for a breakout. Only one Bearcat who gained over 100 receiving yards last season will be back in 2026, leaving plenty of targets for Gibson to snatch up. He seemingly already has a rapport with fellow incoming transfer JC French as the pair combined for two touchdowns during the spring game, and Gibson scored another for good measure. The Bearcats have produced some highly productive wide receivers in the last few seasons, and Gibson has the talent and the opportunity to be the next.
WR: Kenny Johnson, Texas Tech
After three steady seasons at Pitt - including 109 catches for 1,354 yards and nine touchdowns as a Panther - he joins a Texas Tech offense that just lost its top two receivers in Caleb Douglas and Reggie Virgil. That leaves a wide-open lane for targets in one of the Big 12's most explosive attacks. Johnson brings proven route-running chops, real big-play ability, and return-game juice as a bonus. With a talented quarterback in Will Hammond throwing him the ball and minimal proven competition at receiver, Johnson is primed to quietly become Tech's go-to target and a weekly fantasy contributor.
TE: Walker Lyons, BYU
Lyons transferred in from USC this offseason with the tall task of replacing Carsen Ryan, who ranked sixth in the country in receiving yards for a tight end last season with 620. While Lyons' production last season (20 receptions for 223 yards and two touchdowns) does not do much to inspire confidence, Ryan had just 10 catches for 113 yards and a touchdown with Utah in 2024 before breaking out with BYU. Returning quarterback Bear Bachmeier likes to utilize his tight ends, preferring short, high-percentage attempts and having an option to dump off to while scrambling. Lyons is set to have a big role in one of the conference's best offenses, and he has the talent to produce even more than Ryan did in 2025.
Big 12 Position Battles of Interest
Colorado Wide Receivers
As Coach Prime heads into his fourth season with the Buffaloes, much of the excitement has faded, and expectations are low once again. Despite the ups and downs of Prime's tenure, one thing has remained constant – productive wide receivers. Xavier Weaver and Travis Hunter in 2023, Hunter and Lajohntay Wester in 2024, and Omarion Miller in 2025; regardless of the quarterback or the team's record, the Buffaloes have produced at least one highly productive wide receiver. That will continue in 2026. The most likely heir to the throne is Danny Scudero, who transferred in from San Jose State after a remarkable season with 88 receptions (on 165 targets) for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns. Two other transfers, DeAndre Moore from Texas and Kam Perry from Miami (OH), flashed elite-level production at their respective schools. Joseph Williams also returns after a good season (37 receptions for 489 yards and four touchdowns) as the No. 2 last season. Presumed starting quarterback Julian Lewis will have plenty of mouths to feed in the passing game but should have a high enough volume to sustain at least one to an elite level.
Central Florida Running Backs
Four different Knights' quarterbacks saw the field last season, putting more pressure on the running back tandem of Myles Montgomery and Jaden Nixon to be the stabilizing force on offense. The pair combined for 1,529 yards and 12 touchdowns, and both signed contracts as undrafted free agents in the NFL this offseason. Before those two were the electric RJ Harvey, so this program has a history of productive collegiate backs. Heading into the 2026 campaign, Louisville transfer Duke Watson and redshirt freshman Taevion Swint appear set to lead the Knights' backfield. Swint suffered an injury before last season, so he did not see any game action, but he was a four-star recruit and the top-ranked running back from Florida out of high school. Watson had an excellent freshman season in 2024 with Louisville, leading the nation with 8.9 yards per carry and totaling 657 yards and eight touchdowns. He dealt with injuries in 2025, though, only playing in seven games and totaling 207 yards and two touchdowns. Both backs have the talent to produce at a high level if given enough opportunities, but it's too early to tell if either will be able to establish themselves as the clear No. 1 option. However, even if they split the work, Montgomery and Nixon proved last season that this offense can provide two viable fantasy running backs.
Kansas Running Backs
The Jayhawks' backfield could be a fantasy trap this year - plenty of talent, however, zero clarity. Dylan Edwards, a former four-star now on his third school in four years, has flashed real explosiveness (7.4 yards per carry in 2024) but has also battled injuries at every stop, playing just four games in 2025. He's not alone in the room either: Colorado State transfer Jalen Dupree and Syracuse transfer Yasin Willis both arrive with proven production, and four-star freshman Kory Amachree is already turning heads. That's four backs with real cases for touches and no obvious separation. Add a wide-open quarterback battle following Jalon Daniels' departure and a new-look Andy Kotelnicki offense still finding its identity. You get a crowded, unpredictable committee where touches and game script are anyone's guess. Talent isn't the issue in Lawrence - clarity is, and fantasy managers should stay away until it sorts itself out.
Texas Tech Wide Receivers
Outside of the aforementioned Kenny Johnson, Texas Tech's receiver room is talented but genuinely unproven and hard to predict. Micah Hudson, a former five-star now entering year three, is finally drawing rave reviews after a career slowed by inconsistency and a brief, messy portal departure - real upside, but still unrealized. Behind him sits a crowded, largely unproven mix: Liberty transfer Donte Lee and Auburn transfer Malcolm Simmons both flash big-play speed but have never carried a featured role, while returning slot man Coy Eakin offers steadiness without star upside. Add in a new quarterback situation replacing Brendan Sorsby, and you've got a talented but volatile group where nobody outside Johnson has a proven, translatable track record - making this one of the toughest fantasy position battles to call in the Big 12.
