RELATED: See 3 ADP Traps at WR
In this passing era of the NFL, wide receivers are the backbone of a fantasy football team, especially in formats that start three wide receivers plus a flex. True No. 1 wide receivers with immense target volume can be weekly set-it-and-forget-it players, and deep threats can add immense value on even just a few targets per game. Here are a few best ball steals to target at the wide receiver position for the 2026 season.
Ladd McConkey (Underdog ADP: WR19, 40.2 overall)
I've already detailed why I think Justin Herbert could have an MVP-caliber season in 2026, so it only makes sense that if that comes to pass, he would bring a wide receiver along for the ride. That wide receiver could very well be Ladd McConkey.
Last season, the entire Chargers offense struggled, in part due to injuries to the offensive line. With both Pro Bowl tackles out for most or all of the season, Los Angeles was woefully undermanned at the anchor positions, fielding a bottom-three offensive line per Pro Football Focus (PFF). As a result, Herbert was often off-rhythm from the snap, which limited the time for plays to develop. This, in turn, reduced targets for McConkey on intermediate routes, where he excelled as a rookie.
With both starting tackles expected to be back fully healthy for Week 1, the Chargers' offense should be able to effectively implement a wider variety of plays this year. But that's not the main reason for excitement. A healthy offensive line only helps return McConkey to his baseline production in 2024 as a rookie. The really impelling factor to drafting McConkey is the addition of Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
In four seasons with McDaniel, the Dolphins' offense ranked in the top 10 in yards per game, points per game, and scoring efficiency. And in 2022 and 2023, when both Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill were healthy, Hill was a top-2 wide receiver in expected points added (EPA) and led the league in yards per route run (YPRR) in each of those seasons. Granted, McConkey is not Hill, but he does have similar 4.39 speed, which has kept him in the top-20 wide receivers in yards after the catch in each of the last two years.
If there's one thing McDaniel's scheme excelled at, it was getting his playmakers into space and allowing them to create after the catch. He utilized Hill on a lot of crossing routes in Miami, and we can reasonably project McDaniel to scheme up McConkey in similar ways. There's ample reason to believe that McConkey can return to rookie form, when he was the 11th-best wide receiver in first downs per route run and 6th-best in YPRR.
McConkey is among the top priority early-round best ball steals right now. Fantasy managers should look past a rough 2025 campaign and remember that McConkey was the WR19 in 0.5 PPR points per game (PPG) as a rookie in 2024. With Greg Roman ousted and a healthy offensive line providing time for passing plays to develop, McConkey's current WR19 ADP is his floor. His ceiling is a top-5 fantasy wide receiver in 2026, and while I'm not crazy enough to rank or draft him as such, I do have McConkey ranked as a top-12 wide receiver heading into the season.
