Fantasy football season is nearly upon us. In a matter of weeks, millions of people will draft their teams and begin the pursuit of fantasy glory. If we're being honest, millions of folks have already done just that. For me, football is my year-round obsession. Not a day goes by that I don't consider the sport and the potential range of outcomes for the upcoming season. I think about this 365 days so you don't have to — I'm obsessed, so you get to enjoy your normal life. And I'm far from cursed in mine, to be fair. Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season Here, I'll lay out my blueprint for 2026 fantasy football drafts — a compilation of my thoughts about the game after charting hundreds of wide receiver routes, watching endless film and running through my projections for all 32 teams. I'll get some major assists along the way from the great folks I'm lucky to consider colleagues here at Yahoo. I'll point you to great work to read or listen to later and, hopefully, challenge the way you think. If you're just now jumping back into football, welcome. If you've been keeping up with content all year, thank you for your support and for keeping the lights on. But the journey is just beginning for all of us. So let's delay no further and unveil a blueprint to build your most successful season yet. Good luck. What makes a great fantasy ecosystem? If you know me, I am all about ecosystems. Fantasy football can be all about hammering players from the best ecosystems in the NFL. I always think back to the Peyton Manning-Broncos teams circa 2013. Sometimes winning your fantasy league is as simple as hoarding as many players from those kinds of special offenses.
Ben Johnson's comments had me curious about offensive points per game. Since 2000, only 16 NFL offenses have averaged 30+ offensive points per game (with the 2025 Rams just missing with 29.6 points). It's a fun trip down memory lane. pic.twitter.com/VVgUJJNamS — Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) August 13, 2026
It's obvious that great ecosystems equate to some of the most potent and efficient offenses in the NFL. They're surrounded by a quality line, loaded with good skill position talent and stewarded by a high-end play-caller. But there's more to it than that. It helps if you have concentrated target trees and clear backfield usage but you shouldn't just cross off teams that don't fit the bill. Ambiguous situations can still equal profit. If anything, the lesson from last season was how much great play-callers and offensive designers matter. Teams like the Jaguars and Bears reached unseen heights with the additions of Liam Coen and Ben Johnson as play-calling head coaches. The Patriots got back on track with Josh McDaniels taking over the scoring unit. Even a team like New Orleans became the source of sneaky value down the stretch with Kellen Moore installing a progressive offense that ranked first in presnap motion. Most importantly, the teams that Johnson, Moore and Coen left behind in 2025 all experienced some regression offensively. Players make the plays but great coaches lay the soil for those trees to grow. Subscribe to Fantasy Ultra to unlock our Strategy Lab, 150+ page Draft Playbook and more! NFL teams know the value of a great coach on offense, as over half the league turned over their play callers from 2025 to 2026. Everyone wants their version of Johnson, Coen or, in the most ideal world, Sean McVay, right now. With all the coaching turnover, I wrote up a piece back in February sorting the new hires into buckets based on how much I liked the move for fantasy football. Revisit that for the full analysis, but here, we will revisit the groupings ('I like it,' 'it's fine,' 'I'm skeptical') with some quick and updated thoughts on how those offenses project. I like it Cardinals hire HC Mike LaFleur A hire that was met with skepticism, but frankly, I thought was a huge win; LaFleur is ready to at least be the architect of an offense. He was better than credited as the Jets' offensive coordinator, leaning into the right schematic buttons that boost modern offenses. I am Cardinals Curious and believe this team will be better offensively than the fantasy hivemind thinks, despite long-term quarterback questions.
I know the risks, and yet, I am Cardinals Curious 👀 With a new offense and talented weapons, what if they aren't that bad? I sat down with @JourdanRodrigue, who knows this coaching tree and scheme better than anyone, to talk it out. Watch and subscribe below if you're… pic.twitter.com/LqnLvmN98F — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) August 11, 2026
Ravens hire HC Jesse Minter, OC Declan Doyle will call plays Doyle is a young and intriguing hire off the Sean Payton and Ben Johnson coaching tree. We are likely to see something similar to what the Bears ran in 2025. Expect plenty of zone rushing and play action on downfield route concepts. Bills promote HC Joe Brady The Bills promoting Brady likely keeps more of the same in place with the Bills. I'm higher on Brady than most in the space. Many of the outside complaints about Brady's offense — heavy use of mesh, tons of screens/short throws and a tendency to go run-heavy — are mostly forced into the unit because of personnel problems. I expect the addition of D.J. Moore and perhaps getting the running backs more involved in the passing game, as has been reported from camp, will solve a lot of that. Raiders hire HC Klint Kubiak It may not all come together for fantasy football in 2026 but this was a great hire. Kubiak did almost everything you want out of a modern offensive coordinator last season. Seattle made use of heavy personnel packages to increase the efficiency of the passing game, ran under-center play action and was fifth in dropback motion rate. He's also not a one-hit wonder, as he was doing most of this for a 2024 Saints team that had its moments offensively but fell apart due to injuries. Chargers hire OC Mike McDaniel Just like everyone else, I'm excited about the idea of adding Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator to an already strong team under Jim Harbaugh and a talented offense. If you're interested in chasing the hype, however, expect to pay a heavy ADP price. The pursuit may well be worth it. We've never seen McDaniel's offense operated by a quarterback as talented as Justin Herbert and this team is quietly loaded at all skill position spots with an offensive line that's healthier than the 2026 group. Falcons hire HC Kevin Stefanski, OC Tommy Rees will call plays I'll admit I'm mixed on this one and the quarterback situation makes it even murkier. However, I think Stefanski is a quality offensive coach and his scheme does fit with Atlanta's talent. He's a sensible option but might not be a true needle-mover like some of these other names. Rees is also an unproven variable and I wouldn't say anything from recent Browns seasons push my opinion one way or another. Commanders hire OC David Blough Blough coached under Kingsbury the last two seasons but I expect he will present a somewhat left-turn schematically from the spread tenets of that offense. Blough began his career in 2019 with the Detroit Lions as a backup quarterback and hung onto the roster through Ben Johnson's rise up the ranks from offensive quality control coach, tight ends coach and ultimately to a passing game coordinator role in 2021, where, after Anthony Lynn was demoted, he helped head coach Dan Campbell bring to life what we now identify as the Lions offense. Blough would return to Detroit in one of Johnson's final seasons with the club as the offensive coordinator when he was no doubt already eyeing a move to the coaching ranks. My suspicion was that Blough probably leans more toward the ideas of Johnson's scheme. It's fine Browns hire HC Todd Monken Monken has head coaching experience at Southern Mississippi from 2013 to 2015 and has most recently been the architect of a Ravens offense that ranked third in EPA per play and fourth in success rate since his arrival in 2023. While Lamar Jackson deserves a good chunk of that credit, there's no doubt that Monken helped evolve the MVP quarterback's game. His presence with this team makes me more optimistic when selecting the pass-catchers despite obvious quarterback questions. Lions hire OC Drew Petzing The Lions picking Drew Petzing for the offensive coordinator job got flamed on the internet but just as the section implies, I thought the hire was … just fine. To be clear, there are some justifiable critiques of his play-calling work and pre-snap alignment of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson with the Cardinals, and those are areas where the 38-year-old needs to improve. However, my hunch is he's mostly in Detroit to revive its run game, which stalled out last year under John Morton, while the passing game principles held by Dan Campbell will remain the same. Dolphins promote OC Bobby Slowik Slowik became a bit of a punching bag by the end of his watch as the Texans offensive coordinator in 2024 but I think he's worth a second look at the position. Slowik couldn't evolve the offense as the team had hoped from the "The Shanahan Greatest Hits" compilation they ran in 2023 to a more three-receiver spread unit in 2024. However, he did good work in that first year and was on this Dolphins staff last season. I can't imagine he's going to come in here and tear down a successful run game, which matters for De'Von Achane, the only Miami player drafted highly in fantasy. Seahawks hire OC Brian Fleury Two noteworthy takeaways come from Seattle's hiring of Brian Fleury. For starters, it's interesting that Seattle, which had some internal candidates to replace Klint Kubiak, decided to go outside the building and pluck another Shanahan tree member. The second is that Fleury, who was most recently the tight ends coach in San Francisco since 2022 and held the title of run game coordinator last year, has an extremely varied background. My hunch is that Seattle won't change much of its stripes, but will hope Fleury can keep beefing up the run game — good news for Jadarian Price. Buccaneers hire OC Zac Robinson You can think what you want about Robinson's overall offensive attack in Atlanta. It wasn't perfect. However, he was objectively good for receiver usage, most notably when his motion concepts allowed all four of the main pass-catchers to get a 39% or higher slot rate on passing downs in 2024. This usage awaits for Emeka Egbuka, someone I'm drafting with a ton of confidence.
Unpacked more thoughts on this Emeka Egbuka as the Z receiver quote on today's show here: https://t.co/uba9DYQrZlpic.twitter.com/Zby5SMIhxB — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) May 12, 2026
Titans hire OC Brian Daboll Brian Daboll has quarterback-development skins on the wall he can point to during his recent stints with the Bills and Giants. However, you can also argue that the Bills got better offensively when they moved away from his heavy spread concepts after he departed and Daniel Jones played his best football in a much better-designed unit last year with the Colts. My quick take on Daboll is that he helps get your quarterback on base but his spread-and-shred stylings lead to way too much long-term volatility. For Tennessee and Cam Ward, getting on base would be progress. Broncos promote OC Davis Webb, give him play-calling duties The Broncos clearly felt the heat from what was a relatively hot cycle of interest in their 31-year-old former quarterback coach, Davis Webb. From what I hear, Webb and Bo Nix have a tight connection and this move likely signals their desire to help the young passer take the next step. That should be doable in 2026, especially with Jaylen Waddle in tow. I do wonder if Sean Payton doesn't get back in the play-calling chair at some point if this gets off to a slow start. I'm skeptical Eagles hire OC Sean Mannion I like the idea of Mannion bringing in some tenets from Green Bay and that offensive family. It can help smooth out some of the rough edges in Philly's passing game from last year. But it's a big change for the Eagles based on how they've played under Jalen Hurts. It will be a lot to oversee for the 33-year-old riser, who was on NFL rosters as a player as recently as 2023 and spent the last two years with the Packers as an offensive assistant and then quarterback coach. Giants hire HC John Harbaugh, OC Matt Nagy will call plays The Chiefs essentially fired Matt Nagy. They can try to soften and launder it through the media but they let him walk out the door without a thought to keeping him before he took a coordinator job in February, only after the Giants didn't land Monken. That's a firing and based on how it went in Kansas City, I don't blame them for wanting to make a change. I also find the fit with Jaxson Dart a little odd. Steelers hire HC Mike McCarthy I don't think Mike McCarthy is some miserable hire by the Steelers, but I think we can agree it was uninspiring and likely doesn't push them out of the stagnation that befell them during the late Tomlin years. I have two major hang-ups about McCarthy as the offensive architect in Pittsburgh. For starters, it's tough that this is being framed as a way to make Aaron Rodgers, who was a bottom-tier quarterback last year, more comfortable. Second, it's hard not to notice that the Packers and even the 2025 Cowboys immediately got better right after McCarthy left, as a younger play-caller took over and installed a more dynamic offense with under-center concepts and more motion. At least we have a clear idea of what the attack will look like under McCarthy. He'll cede plenty of pre-snap control to Rodgers and likely run an old West Coast offense out of mostly 11 personnel. Expect a lot of quick game to Michael Pittman Jr. and the occasional boundary shot to DK Metcalf. Jets hire OC Frank Reich Honestly, I didn't get this one. Tanner Engstrand designed a good passing game but the sequencing and rushing attack in 2025 wasn't ideal. If you want to start over, that's fine but I'm not sure Reich, who felt out of step with the league in his static RPO-heavy offense with the Panthers before a midseason firing in 2023, is the answer. The Jets quietly have a good group of weapons but color me skeptical this will be what unlocks them. Fast start vs. Hot finish Whether analysts know it or want to admit it, best ball brain has seeped into all of our content. The popularity and fun of the format have made it hard to transition the way we talk about that game into traditional redraft leagues. Straight up, there is a massive difference. With everyone obsessed with taking down these massive best-ball contests, we've gotten overly obsessed with the end of the season. You'll hear folks say "Weeks 15, 16, 17 …the ones that matter most for fantasy football" when analyzing individual player or team outlooks. No one is denying that those weeks are huge even for managed teams. Those are the fantasy football playoffs and we all want to win those weeks to take the league championship. Yet, what goes under-discussed is that you have to get there in the first place for them to matter at all. Back when I was oh so young and carefree, I was always so concerned with exposing myself to late-year upside. My brain was dialed in on the hot finish, never concerning myself with the beginning of the race. I'd figure it out somewhere along the way; August drafts were the concern, not the starting roster of "September me." No one has caused me to reevaluate that stance more than Scott Pianowski. He wrote about the benefits of starting fast and has pushed our Yahoo Fantasy Forecast listeners to draft to "win September." I repeat it all the time now; he's won the war on the hot start and drilled it into my brain. Best of all? The numbers are on his side. Last season, 90.9% of fantasy managers who started off 5-0 made the playoffs. That didn't automatically land you a championship but almost a quarter of them (24.5%) did win their leagues. This has been consistent every single season I've looked into this data. As is what happens when you start 3-2, where it could go either way; it hovers around 50% of those teams making the playoffs. It's never been more apparent that life is just a lot easier if you're riding hot coming into mid-October. You can start stacking your bench with late-season upside stashes like your favorite rookie receiver or a high-end backup running back when you don't have to worry about chasing needs on waivers. You can get the best of both worlds with that hot start. We all want to make it to the end of the season but you need to win early to clear the path. Just don't get caught looking forward to the destination and forget to focus on simply merging onto the freeway. How can we start off our leagues on the right note? Avoid the allure and delayed gratification siren song of the suspended replacement-level receiver or injury discount. Break ties in favor of players in proven situations with projectable volume. Thankfully, the great Justin Boone is in house to help us with early-season strength of schedule projections. These aren't everything and Boone would tell you that. However, again, it allows us to break ties. We here at Yahoo Fantasy implore you to Win September. Once you do, everything will get easier as you march on toward the weeks that matter most. How to draft Round 1 Round 1 players. (Photo by Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports)
Fantasy analysts spend most of the pre-draft process in the summer talking about breakouts and sleepers but we tend to never investigate the first-round picks. Yet, if your first-round selection flops, your season isn't over, but it sure does start off behind the eight-ball. As such, I wanted to dedicate some space here to diving into the consensus top picks in Yahoo ADP and discussing any reservations I have with each player, even if I am generally in on all these guys. You can decide for yourself if any of these variables presented are enough to dock a player outside of Round 1 for someone else — those options will be presented after. Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions
It's nearly impossible to make a negative argument on this one. Gibbs is an explosive, young and ascending running back tied to a great offensive environment. He's been hit-or-miss in pass protection and could lose reps there — I just don't know who the Lions would be putting on the field over him. Detroit did lose its free-agent center addition Cade Mays for an extended stretch and he was meant to beef up the interior. Bijan Robinson, Falcons Robinson has lost goal-line work in previous years and Brian Robinson Jr. is now in the mix to replace Tyler Allgeier as the backup. The Falcons' offensive line has some holes and they don't project to be a strong offense regardless of whether Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. starts more games. Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals The most difficult of the top-five to paint a negative case of, outside of "His quarterback could get hurt." Even then, Chase averages 2.12 yards per route run (557 routes) since 2023 when Joe Burrow isn't on the field. Puka Nacua, Rams There's a chance Nacua doesn't play in Week 1 with league discipline for off-field missteps hanging over his head. And while Matthew Stafford stayed healthy all last season, you'd be foolish to assume that's definitely happening in 2026 after the reports from August 2025. Nacua is also an injury risk himself. Christian McCaffrey, 49ers The 49ers star was the best player in fantasy last season. He's done it before and the next seasons … haven't been the best rides. It's concerning that he's coming off a season with an unprecedented workload, even for him.
Christian McCaffrey's 480 intended touches (targets + rush attempts) in the regular season and playoffs combined are tied for the fourth-most by an RB in a single season since 2000. pic.twitter.com/Fuu52PGrAH — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) January 19, 2026
If he wears down, you can't say you couldn't see it coming. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks The reigning Offensive Player of the Year had a 35.8% target share of the Seahawks offense, the highest for any receiver the last 10 seasons. You have to imagine some regression in that consolidation, as well as his efficiency downfield. Jonathan Taylor, Colts All of the Colts were hit hard when the offense fell apart after Daniel Jones' first injury but Taylor was impacted most of all. He didn't clear 16 fantasy points in any game from Week 12 on. His 83 receptions are outside of the top 30 at the position since 2023, trailing Joe Mixon, who didn't play a down of football last year. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions Honestly, really difficult to come up with a negative for St. Brown — he's not the first receiver I'd ask to run a go route from the X-receiver spot but that doesn't matter for fantasy football. Since 2022, when he became a full-time starter, he ranks first in catches (457), fourth in yards (5,340), third in touchdowns (39) and third in first downs per route run. I'm not sure what's stopping this train. I have St. Brown ranked ahead of Smith-Njigba for this season. James Cook III, Bills You always have to worry about Josh Allen stealing touchdowns. Cook's average 8.7% target share ranks 25th among running backs in the last three seasons. I have some hope that the second variable changes in 2026 but it's a projection.
There's been a ton of buzz out of Bills camp that James Cook and the RBs will be more involved in the passing game this season. So, I asked the man himself. What did his answer suggest? You decide. pic.twitter.com/OQgEBph5ja — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) August 13, 2026
CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys I have Lamb in the same tier as his teammate, George Pickens, at wide receiver. So it's pretty live odds to me that the latter outscores the former. The Cowboys offense should be good enough for everyone to get home, and Lamb was slightly more productive than Pickens in the games they both played last season. It was still tight enough to make some nervous about spending a Round 1 selection. Justin Jefferson, Vikings Look no further than what happened last year when Jefferson finished as the WR37 in per-game scoring. Now, with Kyler Murray likely starting most of the season, it should be better. However, Murray is a flawed quarterback who doesn't fit the offense perfectly. There's a chance he's not under center by the fantasy playoffs. Ashton Jeanty, Raiders Look no further than what happened last year, when Jeanty finished as the RB17 in per-game scoring. Much of that wasn't Jeanty's fault — the ecosystem around him was bad. I'm trusting its better this season but we're drafting him with the assumption it will be sizably better. Names you should consider if picks 10-12 bother you Saquon Barkley, Eagles The Eagles offense went stagnant last season but I'm not sure that I saw any dip in Barkley's individual play. The offensive line should be healthier this year and if Sean Mannion is a hit as the play-caller, the unit will be more efficient overall. I like betting on one last big year from Barkley. Derrick Henry, Ravens Speaking of seeing no dip in play, Derrick Henry averaged more yards after contact (3.59 to 3.5) in 2025 than 2024. There are zero signs of decline when watching Henry. So, while he is well into an outlier zone from an age standpoint, I will not be the first off the ship. The Ravens didn't grab any real competition for the future Hall of Famer, who basically walks into the season with 10-plus touchdowns in his back pocket. Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks A proven explosive-play specialist meets a team in desperate need for his skills. Over the last two seasons combined, the Kansas City Chiefs rank dead last with a 2.9% explosive rushing rate on running back runs. The teams ranked just ahead of them, the Browns and Raiders, both hover around 5.3%. Walker is going to be a massive changing force for the Chiefs — he's a viable 12th overall pick. He is going too early to place him in the section you'll read below later, but he is a "My Guy" type of pick for me in 2026. Nico Collins, Texans The Texans wideout is one of the best players at his position since 2023. His only question is availability.
Nico Collins from 2023 to 2025: - 2nd in yards per route - 10th in targets per route - 6th in first downs per route Keeps company with all the best receivers in the league during this span while running a real-deal route tree as the Texans' X-receiver. Just need him to stay… pic.twitter.com/aPg74b5RHf — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) July 12, 2026
Before you comment about his quarterback, who was terrible in the postseason (Collins didn't play, which matters), Collins did the vast majority of that damage with C.J. Stroud under center. Collins has WR1 upside if he stays healthy and the offense stabilizes under Nick Caley in Year 2. How to handle rebound players One of the biggest mistakes fantasy football players make is that they're too quick to write off possible rebound seasons. "That guy burned me and I'll never take him again" is an emotional response and leads to missed opportunities. If the circumstances are different, we should be willing to imagine new results. Players are not numbers on a spreadsheet and the NFL is an ever-changing league. In a small-sample-size game like football where the landscape changes, it's borderline insane to write these types of post-hype sleeper cases off. I wrote up 10 disappointing picks from 2025 who need a reboot this season. I'm not drafting all of them but I'm not closed off to them, either. Diving into those cases at least provides us with a path for attacking possible rebounds. The quick and easy rule that I tend to follow is this: if a player is in their prime years and not coming back from a significant injury and is a proven good talent — AKA, look at something beyond the fantasy points — you should almost never put that guy on your "do not draft" list. Fortune favors the open-minded. How to view injuries Another Scott Pianowski gem that's become a hard and fast truth for me as I've gotten older: "Injuries will find your fantasy team during the season, you don't have to go looking for them in the draft." It's always tempting to look at a name you know and a player who, at their best, can outproduce many of the names close to them on the draft board. You want to stick them on your bench, wait it out and imagine a powerhouse starting lineup when they're back in some far-off, distant Week 6 fantasy world. You think you're getting a discount but, because you have absolutely no idea when that "at their best" will arrive, oftentimes you're just catching the falling knife. Living by this rule has been a pretty dogmatic approach of mine the last few years. Avoiding the landmines has been quite profitable. However, as with all principles, you have to know when to make exceptions. That's why this year, in this section, I want to talk about a player you should consider an exception: Malik Nabers.
Back in July, I planned to list Nabers as a full fade. The tenor around his cleanup surgery, rehab and overall status returning from an ACL tear was incredibly negative. Every beat writer report was a black cloud, all comments from head coach John Harbaugh shrouded in darkness. And yet, he came out in training camp and participated in individual drills with few limitations as a route runner. As of late, he's been ramping up toward team drills. If you experienced whiplash from the reports, you weren't alone. Yet, as we stand here in August, we're in a much better place with Nabers. As a reminder, when Nabers got hurt last season, he was tracking toward becoming a true Tier 1 receiver in the NFL — a designation I don't use lightly.
The following WRs have hit or cleared the 98th percentile in success rate vs. press coverage while taking fewer than 30% of their sampled snaps from the slot in #ReceptionPerception history (2014 to current): - A.J. Brown - Davante Adams - Ja’Marr Chase - Justin Jefferson… pic.twitter.com/rqnlQeigXq — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) July 24, 2026
I think expecting Nabers to be at his best would be foolish. Yet, I'm comfortable with grabbing a lesser version of a guy knocking on the door to being elite in early Round 3. Right now, I have Nabers ranked inside my top-30 overall players. He's someone I'm willing to make an exception for as a funnel target who is a freak athletic mover. Even if fully healthy, we would have some questions about his offensive environment, but even those wouldn't be serious enough to bump him outside the top two rounds. So, I'm comfortable with the discount here to grab a guy more talented with access to more targets than the other wideouts who go in his range. High-level QB elevator pitch In past sections of this piece, I've advocated for swimming into the current of the top-tier quarterbacks and snagging the raw point advantage this year. Those players, especially consensus QB1 overall, Josh Allen, still possess that same ceiling. However, one thing that I think fantasy gamers don't remember is that your strategy at one position must incorporate your approach to all others. With that in mind, Late Round QB is absolutely back on the menu for 2026. The strategy never truly left us but I believe it's almost without a doubt the best way to construct rosters. The strength of other positions, plus a flat Tier 3 of quarterbacks that goes from around QB7 to 16 or 17 depending on your preferences, has me waiting until Round 9 or later to grab a passer. The biggest variable here is that I believe falling behind at running back is something you simply can't afford in 2026. At the same time, I want to make sure my receiver spots are covered with a pair of high-end target-getters after WR2 scoring took a nosedive in 2025. As such, it's nearly impossible to afford shopping in the elite aisle at both of the onesie positions in fantasy. A quick look at the quality depth between both tight end and quarterback makes the decision easier. All of my least favorite drafts have come when I make exceptions for a high-end passer who fell a little bit beyond ADP. I suspect I'll keep dropping quarterbacks down my overall rankings every time I go in for an update. My third tier of quarterback begins at Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert, two of my favorite grabs if I'm going "early." Yet, I can kick the can down to a Jared Goff and Malik Willis tandem in the double-digit rounds and feel quite set at quarterback. High-level RB elevator pitch As mentioned above, you can't fall behind at running back this year. The best way to know if you have done just that: you enter Round 5 without an RB2 and are staring down the Quinshon Judkins, Bucky Irving, TreVeyon Henderson grouping between picks 50 to 65. There are some players in this bucket I like and am actively targeting — not Henderson at ADP — but they profile more as strong flex options and far too volatile RB2s.
Based on all the exercises I've done so far, I prefer to leave my drafts with two running backs in the first four rounds. Obviously, in Round 1 you are generally at the mercy of where you end up picking. If you end up in the third spot, you should turn the card in for Ja'Marr Chase. However, I've consistently found myself moving the second tier of running backs up my overall rankings as we get further into August. As it stands, I have nine running backs in my top-15 overall rankings and 11 in the top 19. Picks 30 to 42 also include five more. For the most part, all of my top 18 running backs this year are players who have a clear-cut case to be, if not the workhorse back, the obvious leading man in their backfields. You want a strong foundation of those players as teams lean into heavier formations and beef up their ground game to stay efficient on offense against modern coverages. There are running backs available late who can make be a part of that boom as well but with so many quality options available at the top, and the depth at receiver, I know which position I'm not eschewing early. Your approach to fantasy football drafting should always mirror where the league is heading from a macro perspective. The league-wide rushing rate on early downs was 49% last season. That's up from 48.4% in 2024 and 47.7% in 2023. From 2018 to 2020, you're looking at 46.3%. Sensing the theme here? Teams have reinvested in their rushing ecosystems to regain the upper hand on defenses. Shift your draft approach accordingly. High-level WR elevator pitch We remain in a golden age for wide receiver play in the NFL. I can go all the way down to the 40s in my "real-life" wide receiver rankings before I land on a player whom I think has legitimate question marks about whether they can be a bona fide starting wide receiver and a top-two option on a team. It's just one example, but my ranking of the top-15 wide receivers 25 and under helps show why this position gets better every year. All that said, one of the themes of the 2025 season was that WR2 scoring was down relative to recent history.
Fantasy scoring by alternating year at the WR position: WR1-8: + 2019: 18.5 + 2021: 19.9 + 2023: 20.1 + 2025: 19.2 WR9-24: + 2019: 15.3 + 2021: 15.5 + 2023: 15.4 + 2025: 13.8 WR25-40: + 2019: 5.8 + 2021: 5.9 + 2023: 5.3 + 2025: 5.2 Low-end WR1 + WR2 production📉 — Dataroma (@ffdataroma) April 3, 2026
While it may seem like that reality and the concept of the position being deeper than ever are incongruous, they aren't. The fact that there are more good receivers than ever has forced teams into rotations at the position in some extreme circumstances. Even more critical, we saw teams move toward heavy personnel packages with multiple tight ends on the field, taking one wide receiver off the field. I had a long conversation with JJ Zachariason about this earlier in the offseason:
One of the biggest revelations from this show: We are actively watching the slot receiver archetype, as we once knew it, disappear from today's NFL. Incredible data from @LateRoundQB 👇 https://t.co/rmjOB1MbZipic.twitter.com/8Xa8ESjLkr — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) January 30, 2026
Taking a receiver off the field and adding a heavier body — whether it's a tight end or fullback — only pushes the target consolidation more toward the WR1 in an offense. The Seahawks were one of the teams that skewed heavier last season and we saw Jaxon Smith-Njigba own the highest target share for a wide receiver since 2015. That's the trend, not the exception, as teams get into those looks. With that in mind, despite loving the depth options this year, I think you want to secure a pair of strong wide receiver starters in the first five rounds this year. The first two rounds have plenty of strong options. However, this all comes to focus once you get into Rounds 4 to the mid-sixth range. That area of the draft this year is absolutely loaded with breakout receivers, guys on the rise and a handful of older veterans still getting it done. The depth of the position league-wide is best felt in this range.
The wide receivers with an ADP in Rounds 4 to 6 on Yahoo last week. There are going to be some big hits from this range. Also, some swings and misses. Still one of my favorite ranges to take players at the position. pic.twitter.com/f0h3PJUD8x — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) August 15, 2026
Grab several, then wait to attack it again when the position beefs up in Round 9. Even in that range between picks 90 and 120, you'll find so many good bets. The clear need to prioritize running backs and receivers in the first five rounds is why I'm punting off quarterback. However, the other onesie position does make a strong claim to be in the mix. High-level TE elevator pitch My approach to tight ends this year is similar but less strict than my quarterback plan. The top two of Brock Bowers and Trey McBride just don't find their way onto my rosters much because they will damage the path to clarity at running back and/or receiver. If I'm picking one at ADP, it will be Bowers as McBride is a clear regression candidate after running a league-high 691 routes in 2025.
I am doing most of my shopping in the fourth to sixth round. For starters, Colston Loveland in the fourth round is a pick I've made several times. He belongs in the Bowers and McBride tier. When everyone was available in the playoffs, Loveland led the Bears with a 79% route participation and 28% target share. He's an excellent football player and perfectly weaponized in this system. There is a tier drop down to Tyler Warren, Sam LaPorta and Tucker Kraft but I find all of those guys to be strong picks. LaPorta is the one I've taken most, just relative to ADP in the 60s. The next grouping includes Kyle Pitts Sr. and Harold Fannin Jr.; I'm more interested in the latter. Regardless of your favorite name here, I don't want to wait later than this. It gets tricky in a hurry. Rookies to know at each position 2026 Rookies. (Photo by Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports)
Anyone with experience playing fantasy football knows that rookies can make your fantasy season. We don't quite have the high-caliber prospects we're used to in this class, especially at running back. Nevertheless, there are still a good crop of guys in the rookie class who will be main characters of the fantasy season, and perhaps a back-half of the season breakout. Here, I'll introduce you to every rookie selected on Day 1 and 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Raiders The first overall pick won't start the season as QB1, barring some major change in the Raiders' plans. The Las Vegas braintrust wants to start Kirk Cousins and allow Mendoza to develop. We'll see him at some point this season and I have faith he's good enough of a prospect to be an answer for the Raiders in time, and for Brock Bowers right away. Ty Simpson, Rams If we get a Ty Simpson start this season, something has gone terribly wrong in Los Angeles. The Rams don't even have Simpson working as the backup in camp. He is, hopefully, their long-term answer but is merely a developmental body in 2026. Carson Beck, Cardinals The Cardinals took Beck in Round 3 to provide youth and some competition behind Jacoby Brissett. There's a real chance we see Beck down the stretch of 2026, but Brissett would likely have to play his way out of the job. Drew Allar, Steelers The Steelers snagged Allar as a developmental body in Round 3. He has plenty of tools but just never strung them all together. He's a longshot to see the field in 2026. Running back Jeremiyah Love, Cardinals Love is an explosive three-down threat as a running back. He can make big plays on the ground and brings verifiable receiving chops. He’s a third-round pick in redraft leagues but comes with a little more risk now that he suffered a high ankle sprain in the preseason. The good news is that he was operating as the clear lead back before the injury, not in a timeshare. Once he’s healthy in October or so, he has the upside to be a true RB1 out the gate if the Cardinals offense is better than most expect — I’m high on what they can be from a structural perspective. Jadarian Price, Seahawks The Seahawks tried to trade out of the 32nd overall pick but ultimately stood pat and selected Price. He's walking into this team as Kenneth Walker III's direct replacement. We could see Price in something of a timeshare but he will get enough base-down work for a team that wants to rely on its ground game to justify his mid-round ADP. Kaelon Black, 49ers The latest 49ers' mid-round running back gambit, Black has a shot to be the direct backup to Christian McCaffrey but nothing more than that. You need to track this depth chart behind McCaffrey in August to maybe know for sure. One Day 3 sleeper for the road: Jonah Coleman, Broncos A reliable, rugged runner who doesn't fumble, drop passes and holds up in pass protection; you can see why Sean Payton liked this guy as a prospect. Coleman has a chance to earn a rotational role early on in his career and could be the guy who inherits the most base-down work if J.K. Dobbins gets hurt. RJ Harvey didn't shine in that regard last season.
Jonah Coleman walks me through his process for being a top RB at “the little things” like pass protection, ball security, etc. and why you need to “match the breath” of a defensive back to quiet your mind when looking to hit long runs. Awesome conversation 👇 pic.twitter.com/d07Ndocvkf — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) March 26, 2026
Wide receiver Carnell Tate, Titans The Titans aggressively took Tate at fourth overall but he gives them a man-beating perimeter presence they simply didn't have on the roster. He is a WR3 candidate for fantasy this season as he's going to be in a high-degree-of-difficulty X-receiver role with a young quarterback still finding his way. However, if Cam Ward hits, his game overlaps well with Tate on vertical targets outside the numbers. Jordyn Tyson, Saints Tyson was one of the best zone-beaters in the last few draft classes among prospects I charted, and he landed in New Orleans, where he’ll move across the formation and get favorable matchups alongside a WR1 in Chris Olave. The Saints offense is on the rise and Tyson will go with it, when he’s healthy.
Don’t sleep on Jordyn Tyson in fantasy this year 👀 (via @MattHarmon_BYB) pic.twitter.com/uSkPWRqtrt — Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) April 24, 2026
The last word is quite heavy in this instance. Tyson was dogged by injuries throughout his college career, including a hamstring that cut his 2025 season short. That same injury kept him from participating in predraft testing, held him out of portions of the Saints’ offseason practices and he’s now dealing with yet another hamstring issue that will almost certainly cause him to miss games to start his rookie season. That makes him an incredibly risky click and I had to dock him outside the top 90 selections, but he still presents a high-ceiling dart throw. Makai Lemon, Eagles The Round 1 rookie is a good dynasty stash and may well come on late in the season. However, he is likely a slow start candidate with a limited role. He's missed a ton of time with a hamstring injury this offseason and was only ever going to top out as the WR2 across from DeVonta Smith. My guess is Dontayvion Wicks opens up the season as that player now. KC Concepcion, Browns KC Concepcion was my WR2 in this year's draft and is an explosive separator who can win with the ball in his hands. There are obvious quarterback questions in Cleveland but if Concepcion gets the short-area layup role, he could offset that. I just think the talent is well worth the risk at an ADP outside the top-120 picks for such a talented player. Omar Cooper Jr., Jets Cooper is a slot-based receiver who is tough as any prospect you'll see coming into the league. He has strong hands and is tough to tackle in open space. He can be incredibly useful to the Jets offense but he would need to unseat AD Mitchell for outside receiver snaps to get enough playing time to even be on the fantasy radar. De'Zhaun Stribling, 49ers I know that Stribling was panned as the 33rd overall pick, but I thought he was a viable Day 2 prospect — obviously that was as early as it gets on Day 2. He fits the 49ers offense quite well as an inside/outside power player who flashed some promising release moves. With Ricky Pearsall out for the season, Stribling is a late-round sleeper in all formats.
De'Zhaun Stribling was a late riser in the draft process, and it's clear to see why as he's an obvious coach's favorite WR. No shock Kyle Shanahan had his eye on him. He should fit right into Jauan Jennings' vacated role. pic.twitter.com/M0A74sMlKq — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) April 24, 2026
Denzel Boston, Browns I thought Boston should have been a Round 1 pick and is a better separator than credited for a big wideout. One of the consistent drumbeats out of Cleveland this offseason is that Boston has looked excellent. He's started to get reps with the first team as the X-receiver. Long term, Boston and Concepcion are going to be an excellent tandem. For fantasy this year, if Boston can push aside Jerry Jeudy — quite possible — he will at least be a volatile bye week filler. Germie Bernard, Steelers Bernard is a slot and Z receiver who profiles as a long-term Glue Guy in a quality receiver room. He is technically sound and doesn't make mistakes, though his game lacks much sizzle. He could be the team's WR3 as a rookie. Antonio Williams, Commanders Williams is a smart player who wins from the slot with enough man-coverage ability to be a Z-receiver on occasion. He won't push Stefon Diggs for snaps across from Terry McLaurin but if he flashes enough, he could be a 2027 sleeper. Malachi Fields, Giants Fields caught too much flak during the pre-draft process. He beats zone coverage, wins at the catch point and is a tough blocker. All of those skills sound like they've earned him a spot as the WR2 across from Malik Nabers. He's a dart throw only, for now, but his role as the X could allow Nabers more role flexibility. Caleb Douglas/Chris Bell, Dolphins The Dolphins took two receivers in Round 3. Bell has a ton of long-term upside but needs time to develop and likely won't play early coming back from an ACL tear. He's a dynasty stash. On the other hand, Douglas has made a name for himself in Miami this offseason. He wasn't a complete prospect but wins on in-breaking routes and should start early on a wide open depth chart. Ja'Kobi Lane, Ravens Lane was one of the worst separators I charted in the draft but he has Tractor Beam Hands and competes at the catch point. The Ravens need a player who can line up on-ball and win in tight coverage. By all accounts, Lane is doing just that in training camp. He should play an early role for this team because he has a trump card in his contested-catch chops. The volume ceiling is the question for fantasy.
Ja'Kobi Lane continues to get rave reviews from training camp for the Ravens. He is not a full route-tree separator, but as I wrote in the profile, he can win on some out-breakers and truly has tractor-beam hands. We have, without a doubt, seen a lot of the latter in the camp… https://t.co/l7JvyWdBSN — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) August 8, 2026
Ted Hurst, Buccaneers If we don't see much of Hurst early as a rookie, no one can be too shocked considering he's coming from Georgia State. There's a lot of developing that needs to take place with this player. However, he has the physical skills and wins on breaking routes. In time, he could be the Bucs' X-receiver. Keep an eye on his usage in the second half of the season, as his role should complement Chris Godwin Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. Zavion Thomas, Bears The Bears took Thomas to help as a returner and sprinkle in on offense as a space creator with his speed. He likely plays all of this season behind Kalif Raymond but should replace him in 2027. One Day 3 sleeper for the road: Cyrus Allen, Chiefs I ranked this Round 5 selection as a Day 2 talent. He was big-time value. The Chiefs desperately need a receiver who can execute as a route runner and win against man coverage. That just happens to be Cyrus Allen's specialty. There's a reason he's the talk of Chiefs training camp. I'm buying that he plays a real role for this team in 2026, and could be their top receiver beyond that.
New Chiefs WR Cyrus Allen, I’m a big fan of his game! Awesome route runner who posted stellar success rates vs. man and zone coverage scores in the small sample Rookie Roundup: - 75% success rate vs man - 83.7% success rate vs zone Has real separation skills that I think can… pic.twitter.com/Ks9z7mUm22 — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) April 25, 2026
Tight end Note: I am going to break my usual rule and not run through everyone drafted on Day 2 here. So many of the tight ends selected on Day 2 this year were for blocking purposes, which will impact their overall ecosystems — not create fantasy value for the individual players. I'll just highlight three names you need to know. For more information on why teams skewed this way, check out an episode of the show with Nate Tice from May. Kenyon Sadiq, Jets The ultra-gifted athlete was already going to face an uphill climb to be fantasy relevant and has now missed most of this offseason with injuries. He is someone to keep an eye on as the waiver wire process plays out this season. Eli Stowers, Eagles It doesn't sound like Stowers is making a push to play many snaps early as a rookie. He's a guy caught between being a move tight end and big slot receiver. If he hits, it will be in 2027. Eli Raridon, Patriots Raridon has a true Y tight end's skill set. He can block in the run game and win as an outlet receiver with the athletic traits to develop down field. He's the one Day 2 in-line option to watch because he's quite talented and there's opportunity on the Patriots depth chart to at least compete for TE2 duties. "My Guys" As always, I'm not going to waste your time in this section. You don't need me to tell you why a consensus first- or second-round fantasy pick is "my guy." If you read this whole piece or consumed all my content on this offseason, you know which early-round players I like. So, I will go out on a bit more of a limb for you. As such, some of these picks are going to miss. I don't care; I'm not doing this to victory lap all over social media this season. I'm just offering up some options for you to target that may exceed expectations in the mid-to-late rounds. I'll give you some options at other positions before cracking open the Reception Perception notebook. Non-WR Division Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
If I'm shopping in the single-digit rounds for quarterbacks, Lawrence has become my favorite selection. After their bye week, Lawrence ranked third in adjusted yards per attempt last year behind only the two MVP-candidate quarterbacks, Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford. Lawrence broke through in Liam Coen's offense as a passer and hit career-highs in rushing production across the board. The Jaguars are loaded with intriguing pass catchers that are difficult to sort out for fantasy. The cleanest way to get exposure to all of them? Draft the guy who will be throwing them the football. Tyler Shough, Saints As mentioned, I believe late-round quarterback is exceptionally viable this year, to the point that I believe a stack with Shough and another passer is good enough to get you through the season. Shough was a top-nine quarterback in fantasy from Week 10 on last year, both because he's a solid rusher and was seventh in adjusted yards per attempt. His production passes the smell test. The Saints offense is on a clear upward trajectory. Javonte Williams, Cowboys
The Cowboys had a top-seven rushing attack last season in EPA per rush, success rate and other metrics. Williams' steady and decisive rushing style fit well with what offensive coordinator Klayton Adams brought to the table as a run-game designer. The team rewarded him with a sensible contract extension. He's locked into a bellcow role, even if I like Jaydon Blue as a late-round sleeper. You could argue that the run game could be more explosive (19th in explosive run rate) this season if Cooper Bebe is healthy all year at center and Tyler Guyton takes a step at left tackle. I want every piece of this Cowboys offense I can get in 2026. Bhayshul Tuten, Jaguars The Jaguars' second-year running back has warts in his profile — he could lose third-down work to LeQuint Allen and some goal-line work to Chris Rodriguez. That type of back has a limitation to their ceiling, but I believe that's already fully baked into Tuten's Round 5 ADP. I have him ranked ahead of consensus because he is clearly attached to the best offense among the young backs who go in that Round 4 to 6 range. If a guy like Rodriguez misses any time, Tuten would reach smash-level value. Jonathon Brooks, Panthers We have just 12 touches to go on for Brooks' career, as he tore his ACL quickly in 2024 when coming back from the same injury that ended his final college season. Now, he's ready to rock and is participating without restrictions in training camp. Look, we know how this can go wrong. However, he's a talented back who could push a starter coming off a down season for a team that's featured a strong rushing game. I have been ahead of ADP on Brooks for over a month now. The fact that Chuba Hubbard is dealing with an injury in camp will only increase the steam. Sam LaPorta, Lions
Through the first nine weeks of last season, LaPorta was second on the Lions with a 20% target-per-route rate, behind only Amon-Ra St. Brown, and averaged 54.5 yards per game, eighth-highest among tight ends. His absence opened the door for Jameson Williams to explode in the back half of the season, as the tight end was the second-most targeted pass-catcher on the team. There's a good shot he is a focal point once again with Drew Petzing bringing over a tight end-friendly playbook to blend with the Lions' current offense. Juwan Johnson, Saints Johnson was a useful tight end in fantasy last season for a series of moments. He ranked sixth in route share and seventh in yards per route run at the position. I see more competition for targets this season but he should remain a fixture in the offense. He's at worst an ideal TE2 in best ball formats. Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, Buccaneers
The second-year receiver started his rookie season white-hot and finished ice-cold. I don't think there is anything resembling signal in those splits when projecting him forward. What does matter is that Egbuka should be sliding into a Z-receiver role in the Bucs offense, which suits his game more than his heavy X-receiver diet from 2025. More movement routes and off-ball snaps should put him in situations where his game sings. I can see Egbuka pushing to lead the NFL in receptions in a good offensive environment. Ladd McConkey, Chargers The Chargers' receiver is the most obvious bounce-back candidate in the NFL at wide receiver. His production fell off last year as he lost layup targets to Keenan Allen and the Chargers' pass protection fell apart. With those variables altered for 2026, McConkey should pace this team in targets and has the skill set to be a three-level threat in Mike McDaniels' offense. Rome Odunze, Bears The overconfidence in the fantasy world that Rome Odunze is the third-best pass-catcher in the Bears offense makes no sense to me. He goes two rounds after Colston Loveland and, prior to Luther Burden III's injury, a round after him (I like both players at cost, too). Odunze has already shown us that he's capable of being a good high-volume wideout for a stretch. In the first eight weeks of the season, Odunze was the WR11 in points per game, 15th in yards per game, 12th in team target share, 19th in yards per route run and 13th in first downs per route run (minimum 110 routes run). He trailed only Amon-Ra St. Brown, Michael Pittman Jr., Davante Adams and George Pickens in touchdown catches during that span.
Frankly, I believe his film is even better than some of those numbers indicate; he remains one of the more talented young wideouts in the game, especially if he can clean up some mistakes at the catch point from 2025. He popped up on the injury report heading into Week 9 with what ultimately turned out to be a foot/heel injury that ruined his season. He's now healthy and ready to roll for 2026. DJ Moore, Bills DJ Moore is someone whom I've grown to love more and more at his current ADP and is now a favorite target in his tier. Beyond the fact that he'll now play with Josh Allen, you can make a strong argument that Moore will look better both on tape and in efficiency metrics simply based on the reality that he fits this Bills offense much better than Ben Johnson's in Chicago.
You can make a really strong argument that DJ Moore is going to be better by almost any WR metric (including RP) in Buffalo than he was in Chicago, not just because of Josh Allen but due to his fit in the current Joe Brady X-receiver role. Parsed out his #ReceptionPerception… pic.twitter.com/LBvTJerdql — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) August 5, 2026
Moore might bring some variance as a player and in his weekly scoring, but that's a bet I'm comfortable making as a WR3. Parker Washington, Jaguars The Jaguars took a while to finally get Parker Washington settled into a slot-heavy role — he didn't clear a 60% slot rate until Week 15 — but once they did, he cooked the rest of the way. From Week 15 through their playoff loss, Washington averaged 3.5 yards per route run and earned a first down on 13% of his routes. Those are fantastic numbers. Based on my Reception Perception charting from that same span, Washington posted an 82.9% success rate versus zone coverage, an 85th percentile mark that, if included in the full season database from 2025, would fit right alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Right now, I'm betting he leads this team in routes run in 2026 and while he might not be a WR1, he should be drafted ahead of his current ADP. Josh Downs, Colts We are riding the "never wrong, just early" train on Josh Downs. The Colts receiver is a talented player who was limited by playing time last year. He played on a career-low 55.1% of the Colts snaps and only ran a route on 67% when he was healthy. That won't be the case with the state of their receiver room in the wake of the Michael Pittman Jr. trade. Buy the dip on one of the top separators in the NFL at a depressed ADP.
With Alec Pierce still nursing an ankle injury, there's a chance Downs leads this receiver room in catches and yards, if not the team outright. When he's on the field, he gets the ball. Downs ranks 22nd in targets per route run (23.9%) since he entered the league, just behind his now-former teammate, Pittman. Jayden Reed, Packers It's been a bumpy ride but Reed has been a productive player when healthy. He just has never cleared a 70% snap share in a season due to injuries, a heavy receiver rotation in Green Bay and not playing in two-receiver sets. The second and third variables should be eased after the room was cleared out, with Romeo Doubs moving on, Dontayvion Wicks being traded and the TE2 spot in question. Green Bay should play more 11 personnel and keep Reed on the field for a team likely to throw the ball more in 2026. Reed is 17th out of 114 receivers in yards per route run since he entered the NFL in 2023; he just needs more snaps. Michael Wilson, Cardinals The Cardinals wideout showed last year that when he gets opportunities, he can come through. Wilson can play inside and out and wins on isolated routes from the boundary. His usage in this new offense should suit his skill set. He goes far later than someone who produced at the clip he did last season — regression is more than baked in. As mentioned, I'm "Cardinals Curious" and think these players could all be undervalued if Mike LaFleur installs a Rams-style offense.
I think we have jumped the shark on discourse around X-receivers and some of the reaction to Mike LaFleur's comments on his top two WRs yesterday got me going on this topic. pic.twitter.com/OIxqTz4X2n — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) June 3, 2026
Jalen Coker, Panthers A pure bet-on-talent late-rounder for me. Coker is one of the best young receivers in the NFL and can win both inside and out. He showed late last year he could line up on the boundary and win vertical routes as the X-receiver. His game compares favorably to Chris Godwin. The Panthers' passing game needs to take a big step forward for him to matter in fantasy football but there are worse Round 10 darts.
I actually wrote up Jalen Coker's profile and its similarities to Chris Godwin before we refreshed the player comp tool this morning. Then the tool returned three Godwin seasons as comparisons for Coker's 2025 charting. This one feels good, and as mentioned in the profile, it is… https://t.co/dNUCEKZaYapic.twitter.com/QWn9bkAHvE — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) August 11, 2026
One player I won't leave a draft without Jaylen Waddle If you're using my rankings, it's going to be tough not to end up with Jaylen Waddle. He's been consistently ranked and drafted in the 40s all throughout the offseason. He has a WR18 ADP in Yahoo drafts right now. Ever since the NFL Draft closed and we filed our first pass of rankings, I've had Waddle as my WR12 and a top-30 overall player.
While I will grant you that Waddle has a frustrating injury history, to me, that's the only hole you can point to in his profile. There is so much the fantasy industry doesn't understand about Waddle and the situation change he's about to experience. For starters, this is one of the top wideouts in the game. He ranks 18th in yards per route run and 13th in first downs per route the last three seasons. The only reason he didn't pop off last year without Tyreek Hill for most of the year was the Dolphins ranked 30th in neutral dropback rate and 32nd in plays per game. Denver ranked sixth and fifth — there will be much more raw opportunity awaiting, along with a quarterback upgrade. The other often-missed variable is that Waddle has long been playing out of position as an outside on-ball receiver in Miami to allow for role-catering for other players. Going to Denver with Courtland Sutton established as the X-receiver and Pat Bryant emerging as the big, on-ball slot, Waddle is about to play a movement Z role for the first time in years.
As I've said for months now, Jaylen Waddle is in line for a massive role shift in Denver. Jaylen Waddle's charted snaps in #ReceptionPerception from 2022 to 2024: - 77% outside - 81% on-ball Jaylen Waddle's 2025 snaps in RP: - 83.9% outside - 78.5% on-ball What Sean… https://t.co/7kc5TSVmYM — Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) August 5, 2026
I can't even say how much of a game-changer this is going to be for the new Broncos receiver. He's going to run more breaking routes and get a ton of layups running routes off the line. I feel the exact same way about Waddle as I did about George Pickens, who was my guy in this section last year. Both are players who have already broken out but have another level to reach in an environment where they can lean into their true receiver position and grow their strengths. As long as he stays healthy, Waddle is going to smash this year.