Getting ready for your upcoming fantasy football draft? I've got you covered. Below are my Top 26 overall players for 2026 Fantasy Football, featuring the players I'm prioritizing at the top of drafts and the names I believe can help build league-winning rosters.
Check out my complete Top 200 Fantasy Football Rankings. I will update my rankings every day leading up to the start of the NFL season, so make sure to check back often. And as a special offer, use code THEO35 for 35% off any RotoWire subscription.
1. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions
Thirty-eight TDs in his last 34 regular-season games, with back-to-back seasons of 21.4 FPG or more. Jahmyr Gibbs also had a career-high 77 catches last season. David Montgomery is now a Houston Texan. There is nothing stopping Jahmyr Gibbs from breaking fantasy this season.
2. Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons
Bijan Robinson had 2,298 total yards last season and has back-to-back seasons with at least 20.1 FPG. He is a fantasy football weapon of mass destruction. The Robinson vs. Gibbs debate will rage all summer, but the truth is there is no wrong answer. Both are set to smash.
3. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
Ja'Marr Chase is football's best target earner, with a whopping
Getting ready for your upcoming fantasy football draft? I've got you covered. Below are my Top 26 overall players for 2026 Fantasy Football, featuring the players I'm prioritizing at the top of drafts and the names I believe can help build league-winning rosters.
Check out my complete Top 200 Fantasy Football Rankings. I will update my rankings every day leading up to the start of the NFL season, so make sure to check back often. And as a special offer, use code THEO35 for 35% off any RotoWire subscription.
1. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions
Thirty-eight TDs in his last 34 regular-season games, with back-to-back seasons of 21.4 FPG or more. Jahmyr Gibbs also had a career-high 77 catches last season. David Montgomery is now a Houston Texan. There is nothing stopping Jahmyr Gibbs from breaking fantasy this season.
2. Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons
Bijan Robinson had 2,298 total yards last season and has back-to-back seasons with at least 20.1 FPG. He is a fantasy football weapon of mass destruction. The Robinson vs. Gibbs debate will rage all summer, but the truth is there is no wrong answer. Both are set to smash.
3. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
Ja'Marr Chase is football's best target earner, with a whopping 360 targets the last two seasons combined (10.9 per game). Look for his yards per reception and touchdown totals to be closer to his 2024 WR1 overall season with a healthy Joe Burrow behind center.
4. Puka Nacua, WR, Rams
Puka Nacua is an apex predator at the top of the food chain in one of the league's best offenses. He set career highs across the board last season, including a whopping 23.4 FPG and his first WR1 overall finish. This could be his 2021 Cooper Kupp season. There is the potential for a suspension and even the slightest chance he misses some time is a scary proposition for fantasy managers. If you want to pivot to JSN or ARSB it is viable, but few players in fantasy have the weekly ceiling — and floor — of Nacua.
5. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks
Klint Kubiak is gone, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba will continue to dominate the Seattle passing game. Last season, he took his game to incredible new heights, finishing with a 21.2 FPG average and 10 TD catches. He led all players with a whopping 35.2 percent target share. Expect the gargantuan target and air-yard share numbers to continue — with plenty of spike weeks along the way. JSN is still only 24 years old.
6. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions
Don't overthink the Sun God as part of your 2026 draft strategy. Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of fantasy football's most consistent high-level producers, with four consecutive seasons of at least 106 receptions and 33 touchdowns over his last three. St. Brown is coming off a career-high 172 targets. The only thing he hasn't accomplished is an overall WR1 finish. 2026 could be the year.
7. James Cook, RB, Bills
There has been a massive ADP price correction with James Cook this offseason, and for good reason. He is a TD-scoring machine (32 in 2024 and 2025 combined) in an elite offense, coming off a career-high 1,621 rushing yards. If Joe Brady unlocks him as a receiver in any meaningful way, he can challenge for RB1 overall.
8. Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers
The only reason to rank Christian McCaffrey this low is his extreme workload in 2025 and his age. If he can hold up for another season, he can outscore Gibbs and Robinson and win leagues once again. He is one of the only RBs in fantasy capable of leading his team in targets and catches. Even if he concedes touches to another 49ers back (highly doubtful), his efficiency around the goal line is still elite. Does he have one more "break fantasy" season left in him?
9. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
Justin Jefferson was one of the worst fantasy football picks in 2025 but looks poised for a legendary bounce-back season in 2026. If Kyler Murray can help get Minnesota back to being an average offense, Jefferson should return to his normal 18-20 PPG range. Jefferson's track record of delivering in Kevin O'Connell's offense is simply too strong to ignore.
10. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts
Jonathan Taylor has been on a fantasy football heater, scoring 27 TDs in his last 22 regular-season games. Last season, he got off to a red hot start with a 27.4 PPG average the first 10 weeks of the season before trailing off at the end. He is one of the best bets to lead all RBs in touches, rushing yards and touchdowns this season. Workhorse bell cow. Can he maintain his injury-free run after missing time in 2022, 2023 and 2024?
11. Brock Bowers, TE, Raiders
Unless you play in a TE-premium format, you don't need to take Brock Bowers this highly — but you should absolutely prioritize him as a Round 2 target whenever you can. He will dominate target share and passing-game usage for Las Vegas this season and should enjoy the same type of No. 1 target bump that led JSN to league-winning success last year. A historically great fantasy season is well within the range of outcomes for Bowers.
12. Kenneth Walker, RB, Chiefs
What could a fantasy ceiling outcome look like for Kenneth Walker in a full-time role? We're about to find out in a major way. Walker parlayed an epic finish to last season (20.8 FPG from Week 16 on including the playoffs) — including a Super Bowl MVP award — into a massive contract with the Chiefs and now looks poised to become the focal point of the offense. Walker should post career highs in snap share and touches, and that should be enough to return value at this price. He has the talent and opportunity to have the best fantasy season from a Chiefs running back since Jamaal Charles. The vibes out of Kansas City are terrific. Walker has been one of my biggest summer risers.
13. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Raiders
Two Raiders inside the top 15 overall? Is this madness? Nope — simply a bet on talent and touch consolidation. Much like Bowers, expect Ashton Jeanty to receive a significant Kubiak bump in usage and production. Think 1,800-plus total yards to go along with 70-plus catches is well inside the range of outcomes. Jeanty should benefit from an improved offensive line. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft was preordained for fantasy success.
14. Chase Brown, RB, Bengals
In 15 games played with Joe Burrow the last two seasons, Chase Brown has averaged 20.9 PPG (great stat from Jacob Gibbs). He has had consecutive seasons with 11 touchdowns and had a career-high 69 receptions last year. The Bengals brought in zero backfield competition this offseason.
15. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
CeeDee Lamb set the fantasy world on fire in 2023 with a 23.7 FPG average on his way to a WR1 overall season. That sort of season is still possible, but the presence of teammate George Pickens is enough for me to lower Lamb's ceiling outcome just enough to drop him slightly below ADP. Even still, few players in football possess the sort of target-earning ability and spike-week upside that Lamb possesses.
16. Drake London, WR, Falcons
Drake London averaged 19.8 PPG through the first 10 weeks of last season before a Week 11 knee injury caused him to miss time. Now fully healthy, he looks set for a career year. London has minimal target competition at WR and can build on his alpha-level usage (at least 29% target share the last two seasons). There are QB concerns, but London's role should be elite.
17. De'Von Achane,RB, Dolphins
De'Von Achane has become one of the most polarizing players in fantasy this offseason. Many analysts are fully fading him in this range of drafts, but I remain optimistic that his skill set will translate well in this new offense. Achane posted career highs in PPG (20+) and rushing yardage (1,350 yards) and continued to be one of the best pass-catching backs in football (145 catches the last two seasons). He has double-digit TDs in all three seasons as a pro. Malik Willis is a bit of a mystery box at QB, but it is hard to envision Miami getting away from hyper-utilizing Achane and getting the ball in his hands. There is some unknown upside for how Achane — one of the NFL's top home-run hitters — can perform next to a hyper-mobile QB like Willis.
18. Omarion Hampton, RB, Chargers
Omarion Hampton could be the biggest beneficiary of an impending Mike McDaniel offensive explosion in Los Angeles. Like Jeanty, Hampton was a first-round pick in 2025 and looked poised for a huge second half after averaging 21.8 PPG from Weeks 3-5 before an ankle injury caused him to miss eight games. Hampton can handle a high-volume workload as a runner and is more than capable as a receiver. Look for him to be one of this season's breakout stars — and a 2027 first-round pick in all formats.
19. Chris Olave, WR, Saints
I moved Chris Olave way up my rankings this summer and gave him an additional bump after Jordyn Tyson injured his hamstring. Olave had elite usage last season and was one of only four WRs with 28-plus percent target share and at least 40 percent air yards share. He set career highs with 151 targets, 100 catches, 1,163 receiving yards and nine touchdowns — elite numbers. In games where Tyler Shough started, Olave averaged 18.8 PPG. There is a ton of optimism in New Orleans that the Saints offense could truly break out this season, and Olave will be the biggest beneficiary.
20. A.J. Brown, WR, Patriots
New England went out and got Drake Maye an alpha WR1 in every sense of the word in A.J. Brown. Look for Brown to be targeted early and often and dominate red-zone usage for a New England offense that led the league in explosive plays in 2025. This could be a match made in fantasy football heaven. Brown has posted four consecutive seasons with at least a 29 percent target share and 1,000-plus receiving yards. He is a dark-horse WR1 overall candidate if he can stay healthy.
21. Malik Nabers, WR, Giants
Malik Nabers has been August's biggest rankings riser. There is legitimate injury optimism that he will be ready for Week 1. I believe this ranking is a cautious one — if we knew with absolute certainty that he would play all 17 games, he would be a first-round pick. The last time we saw Nabers play a near full game season, we finished with 109-1204-7 on a whopping 170 targets and an 18.2 PPG average at 21 years old.
22. Breece Hall, RB, Jets
NOTE: Left Aug. 17 practice with a lower-body injury. I will update this ranking once there is clarity on the extent of the injury.
I am flag-planting Breece Hall as a major value in the third round. Last season, he was fourth in the NFL in breakaway runs (17 rushes for 15-plus yards) and posted 1,000-plus yards in a putrid Jets offense that averaged only 17.6 PPG. Expect those numbers to improve and for Hall's reception total to be way more in line with what we saw in 2023 and 2024 (133 catches combined) than his pedestrian 36 last season.
23. Saquon Barkley, RB, Eagles
Will Saquon Barkley's numbers look like they did in 2024 when he dominated the NFL on his way to a 2,005-yard, 22-PPG league-winning season? Or last year's disappointing 14.5 PPG average? How about we split the difference? There is significant optimism surrounding new OC Sean Mannion, and Barkley could be the biggest beneficiary.
24. George Pickens, WR, Cowboys
George Pickens is an electric talent who finally broke out last season in his first year as a Cowboy. He had five weeks with 26 points or more on his way to a 17.2 PPG average (WR5 overall). Pickens outscored Lamb on a PPG basis. While the overwhelming narrative (and ADP) is that Lamb will return to alpha status in this offense, do not underestimate Pickens. The connection he displayed last season with Dak Prescott was real and it is sustainable. He is an edge pick in the third round of drafts.
25. Derrick Henry, RB, Ravens
I was close to leaving Derrick Henry out of my top 26 overall, but even my most ageist beliefs couldn't overcome how locked in Henry is in his role and how well-positioned he is for another big fantasy season. Since 2000, there has been only one 32-year-old RB to play at least 16 games and average at least 15 PPG: Ricky Williams in 2009. It is yet another record Henry is positioned to break — and potentially obliterate. Henry has scored 34 touchdowns in 34 regular-season games as a Raven on his way to two top-8 RB finishes in PPG.
26. Nico Collins, WR, Texans
Nico Collins is locked into an alpha role; he just needs to stay healthy. He has averaged at least 15.1 PPG in three consecutive seasons, finishing no lower than WR9 in PPG. If he can put it together for a full season, he has top-5 WR upside. There are plenty of appealing WRs who go right behind Collins — including a few of my favorite targets at the position — but Collins' role is as locked in as it gets.
Check out my complete Top 200 Fantasy Football Rankings. I will update my rankings every day leading up to the start of the NFL season, so make sure to check back often. And as a special offer, use code THEO35 for 35% off any RotoWire subscription.
