Justin Boone wins FantasyPros title Most Accurate Expert Award In 2019, eight top-10 finishes in competition. After joining the Yahoo Fantasy team as an analyst, he now brings his rankings acumen to the Yahoo Fantasy audience.
Below you can see his early work 2026 Season Fantasy Rankings. More expanded rankings, including PPR scores and rookies, will be available in future updates.
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Early 2026 Fantasy Rankings
Key takeaways from WR’s early rankings
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pukanacua Earn the No. 1 spot in a fierce competition with my Receiver Rankings Jamal Chase and Jaxon Smith-Njiba. Nacua leads all receivers in fantasy points this year, averaging 19.3 points per half PPR, a full point more than second-place JSN. While there are concerns that soon-to-be 38-year-old Matthew Stafford might retire after the season, Nakua has shown that he will be the focal point of Sean McVay’s passing attack no matter who is under center. His 2025 season is even more impressive when you remember that his teammate, Davante Adams, scored 14 touchdowns playing alongside him. There are no bad draft picks among the top three receivers, but Nacua has early upside in the 2026 draft.
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I’m very curious to see where the ADP of the star receivers who missed big games this year will be. Lashe Rice He was suspended six games and missed the final three weeks with a concussion, but during that time he ranked third at his position in scoring with 15.5 points per game. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Patrick Mahomes’ health heading into the 2026 season, Rice remains a solid WR1. Malik Nabors He suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in late September and will need to be monitored throughout the offseason to see if he can return to WR1 status by Week 1. Garrett Wilson He missed half the season due to a strained knee. His fantasy ceiling will depend on whether the Jets can figure out their quarterback situation. and Terry McLaughlin Due to a contract dispute over the summer, the team missed seven games due to injury, which ended the season. When healthy and at full strength, McLaurin is a fantasy WR2 with WR1 upside. With the season incomplete, all four receivers are likely to be undervalued next season.
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There are several crowded receiver rooms that will need more work in the offseason before I can truly feel comfortable with my projections for them. The first is the Buccaneers, who started the season hot but limped to the finish line and ultimately missed the playoffs. Mike Evans He turns 33 this year and his future is still up in the air. Chris Godwin Jr. Hopefully a year back from injury will bring him closer to his peak form. Emeka Egbuka He’ll be trying to recapture what made him a top-10 fantasy selection earlier in the year before being held to less than 50 yards in seven of his past nine games. even Jaylen McMillan Will be a sneaky fantasy sleeper depending on what happens with Evans. The Jaguars are in a similar situation, signing Jacoby Meyers Traded him during the season and then lost the extension Travis Hunter Season reimbursed due to injury, hard work earned Brian Thomas Jr. Join Liam Cohen’s Attack and Watch Parker Washington Stepped up many times. Unlocking value from both receiving teams, but identifying the best players on those teams will take more time.
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It is undeniable Michael Wilson Is a fantasy option to be more successful than his teammates in 2025 marvin harrison jr. Maybe we’d look at this in a different light if Harrison hadn’t been injured and missed the second half of the season, but it’s hard to deny the impact Wilson made under center Jacoby Brissett. Harrison was the 28th WR in FPPG, finishing in the top 24 five times in 10 games before being significantly limited by injury. Meanwhile, starting in Week 9, Wilson became the WR7 in FPPG, finishing in the top 24 in six of the final nine games of the fantasy season. Wilson also has four top-10 finishes this season, while Harrison has just two. Beyond the numbers, Wilson has looked to be a more dominant No. 1 receiver every time he’s been on the field. The problem is that the organization is more invested in Harrison from a draft capital perspective, and a new coach and potentially a new quarterback could completely change the look of the offense. Both players will be intriguing fantasy draft picks next year, but we can’t be certain of their projections until we know who will be calling the plays and passing the ball in 2026.
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It’s always fun to look for sleepers at receiver, and while we’re looking at this early, there are already a few names that stand out. Jalen Kirk Over the final six weeks (if we include Week 18), WR29 has played a larger role in the offense in FPPG. Coker has finished as a top-24 receiver in three of five games during that span and is expected to continue that momentum into 2026 as the Panthers’ second option in the passing game. Josh Downs With Alec Pierce hitting free agency, the Colts offense has a chance to take a step forward. Towns finished the year with at least 60 yards or a touchdown in three of his past four games. I’d also invest in a second-year receiver who had a strong rookie season, even though the high-end numbers may not be there. This includes deeper goals such as Pat Bryant and Trey HarrisI’ll definitely be talking and writing more about him as the offseason goes on.
