This year, we're seeing wide receivers on discount in fantasy drafts. Running backs have moved up a bit compared to years past, and that's opening up values for high-end receiver talent to fall deeper than we'd expect. While drafters are still paying up for Puka Nacua, Ja'Marr Chase, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, guys like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Justin Jefferson, and CeeDee Lamb are falling late in Round 1, and sometimes Round 2. Drake London, Malik Nabers, A.J. Brown, and Rashee Rice are settling in even later, near the 2/3 turn. Rounds 3 and 4 are rich with talented players who should lead their teams in targets. As I noted in last week's running back article, the shifting ADP landscape has opened up opportunities to deploy a bevy of strategies this season.
Personally, I prefer taking the receivers early this year. All of the guys going into the first two rounds have the ability to generate a 20-point-per-game season. The guys going in Rounds 3-5 are often dripping with upside as well. And while it makes sense to mix in a running back or two early, the mid-round running back values far outweigh the receivers you're getting in the same range.
For the sake of this article and the Average Draft Positions (ADPs) I reference, assume this is a single-quarterback half-PPR league with two running back slots, two wide receivers, a tight end, and a flex. For rankings more specific to your league, check out our Rankings, which allow league syncing and create customized rankings for every league you're in.
Let's start from the top down, covering over 120 receivers who should be on the fantasy radar going into 2026.
Fantasy Football WR Rankings
The Elites
I'm drafting Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson over these guys, but I understand why some drafters might prefer the receivers here. Looking at how ADP shakes out this year, starting RB-WR with a top-two pick feels like the best way to accrue value. But if you're picking third or fourth, you might find yourself willing to start WR-WR and push your starting RB down the board. We'll talk about those Round 2 receivers to target in the next tier, but Nacua and Chase shouldn't fall outside of the top four in any draft this year.
- WR1 - Puka Nacua - The top-scoring receiver since coming into the league, Nacua still feels like he has room to grow if his upward touchdown trend continues.
- WR2 - Ja'Marr Chase - Chase has as good a claim as anyone to the WR1 title, and preferring him or Nacua is a defensible personal decision.
Strong WR1s
This tier should all be going inside of Round 1, but drafters are placing a preference on running backs this year instead. All of these players have elite upside and safe floors. ADPs range from the late first to the late second, but this is a tier I'm willing to comfortably move ahead of the running backs going in similar ranges. The upside case for the running backs is obvious, and I understand it, but the receivers should offer more stability and less injury risk, despite last year's wonky results.
- WR3 - Amon-Ra St. Brown - Three straight years as a top-three receiver make it really hard to rank St. Brown outside of my top three receivers.
- WR4 - Jaxon Smith-Njigba - After a breakout season, concerns about regression and a low-volume offense make me prefer St. Brown, even though Smith-Njigba is a safe pick.
- WR5 - Justin Jefferson - A dominant WR1 with every quarterback besides J.J. McCarthy, Jefferson has plenty of hope for a rebound in 2026.
- WR6 - CeeDee Lamb - An early-season injury has caused many fantasy managers to forget how dominant a healthy and active Lamb is, potentially making him one of this year's best values.
- WR7 - Drake London - A six-game stretch between injuries last year showed London has the ability to be one of fantasy's best scorers, but injuries and inconsistent quarterback play have made his young career frustrating.
Fringe WR1s
This is the first tier where we start to get some question marks. Is Nabers actually as healthy as he looks in camp clips? Can Brown rewind the clock with the Patriots? Will Rice's offseason impact his on-field play? Can Nico Collins stay healthy? All of those question marks will keep these receivers from being drafted well before their ceilings, making them solid investments in your fantasy drafts.
- WR8 - Malik Nabers - Nabers appears well ahead of schedule in his recovery from last year's torn ACL, and he's rising quickly up draft boards after every new clip circulates from Giants' camp.
- WR9 - A.J. Brown - A trade to New England sets Brown up to be the clear WR1 in a high-powered and efficient offense, setting up a potential career year.
- WR10 - Rashee Rice - Rice's offseason has been tumultuous, but he's been a steady WR1 since the second half of his rookie season, and there's no reason to expect differently now.
- WR11 - Nico Collins - Collins seems to pick up nagging injuries every year, but has proven to be a reliable WR1 when healthy and catching passes from C.J. Stroud.
WR2s With Elite Upside
This is where I start to mix in some running backs, as these receivers have similar ADPs to Javonte Williams, Breece Hall, and some of my other favorite targets from my running back rankings. But there's still a lot to like among the receivers here. Smith and Moore are the oldest guys in this tier, but still on the right side of 30 and in arguably the best situations of their careers. Everyone else is young and ascending. If this year's overall WR1 came from this tier, it wouldn't come as a huge shock to anyone.
- WR12 - Zay Flowers - Flowers has shown steady improvement every year in the league and could ascend further under a new offense that should have influences from Sean Payton and Ben Johnson.
- WR13 - DeVonta Smith - With A.J. Brown now a Patriot, Smith will finally have a full season atop his team's depth chart, making a career year a very possible outcome.
- WR14 - Chris Olave - Olave's touchdown rate spiked last year, turning his steady production into high-end fantasy production and establishing a newfound ceiling for the talented receiver.
- WR15 - George Pickens - Pickens took full advantage of Lamb's injury last year, posting dominant weeks in his absence and maintaining that form upon Lamb's return, but his late-season falloff shows the downside.
- WR16 - Garrett Wilson - Injuries last year kept Wilson from logging his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season to start his career, but a clean bill of health and Geno Smith should get him back on track.
- WR17 - DJ Moore - Moore's production and efficiency have waned over the last few seasons, but Josh Allen's complementary skill set makes a bounce-back easy to envision.
- WR18 - Tee Higgins - Higgins has hauled in double-digit touchdowns in back-to-back seasons, proving to be a big-play weapon alongside Ja'Marr Chase.
