Fantasy Football Rankings: My Guys From Our 2026 Expert Fantasy Rankings

• Justin Herbert | QB | Chargers
• Brock Purdy | QB | 49ers
• Kyler Murray | QB | Vikings
• Jordan Love | QB | Packers
• James Cook | RB | Bills
• Kenneth Walker | RB | Chiefs
• Jonathon Brooks | RB | Panthers
• Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | Commanders
• Malik Nabers | WR | Giants
• DeVonta Smith | WR | Eagles
• Jaylen Waddle | WR | Broncos
• Christian Watson | WR | Packers
• Parker Washington | WR | Jaguars
• De'Zhaun Stribling | WR | 49ers
• Colston Loveland | TE | Bears
• George Kittle | TE | 49ers

We've already hit on Walker, Smith, Brown and Loveland, so let's run through the rest of Dwain's list of My Guys with some quick hitters:

• Justin Herbert: Similar to the rationale on McConkey, Herbert is going to operate under Mike McDaniel, who somehow made Tua Tagovailoa a fantasy-relevant QB. Losing his starting center for the year is a big loss, but if his O-line can maintain health otherwise, we could see a career year from Herbert.
   
• Brock Purdy: Annually underrated, Purdy was the QB6 (18.8 ppg) last season despite rarely operating with a fully healthy offense. Adding Mike Evans and De'Zhaun Stribling to the mix will give him more weapons, and if George Kittle can return to his usual self, that will only heighten his floor/ceiling combo at an inexpensive price tag.
   
• Kyler Murray: It's hard to find dual-threat upside at QB late in drafts, but Murray offers just that in 2026. With Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Kevin O'Connell on his side, it's hard to envision Murray not outperforming his ADP given how many outs there are at his price tag.
   
• Jordan Love: Jacobs landing on the exempt list only strengthens the belief that the Packers are going to lean into their passing attack this season. We've seen the upside (4,100+ yards, 32 TDs in first season as a starter) and his air yards per attempt have only gotten better (8.1 last year versus 7.4 previously). He gets a healthy WR1 (Christian Watson) and has playmakers all over the field—another great late-round QB option.
   
• James Cook: Cook is everything you want in a running back as a runner, but has left something to be desired as a receiver. That said, pass-catching RB Ty Johnson is still on the mend, and that could mean more receiving work for Cook in what Freedman projects as the No. 1 offense in the NFL this season. Sign me up.
   
• Jonathon Brooks: Brooks was a mid-second-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and hasn't yet had the opportunity to showcase why. Two ACL tears and a healthy offseason later, he now has the chance alongside a lame-duck RB in Chuba Hubbard (under 4.0 ypc last season), and the Panthers were confident enough in Brooks to let Rico Dowdle walk away despite him outplaying Hubbard last season.
   
• Jacory Croskey-Merritt: JCM has gotten bullish reports from local beats throughout the summer, and there has even been talk of an expanded role in the passing game. With Jayden Daniels healthy, this offense should produce more than last season, and Dwain currently has them projected as a top-10 unit in rushing yards per game. He's too cheap for the potential role on tap.
   
• Malik Nabers: Speaking of bullish offseasons, Nabers avoided the PUP in training camp and shed his non-contact jersey last week in practice. His Week 1 status is still up in the air, but his ceiling is tiers above that of the receivers around him (Nico Collins, Rashee Rice, etc.). He's one of my favorite WR targets in the late second/early third round.
   
• Jaylen Waddle: The change in situation for Waddle couldn't get much better—he gets to work as the WR1 under Sean Payton in a role where "he will play every position except offensive line" on a team that is a shoo-in to throw the ball 600-plus times. Yes, please.
   
• Christian Watson: Over the last two seasons, Watson ranks third in yards per route run (2.66), has a fully healthy offseason under his belt and is in line for the most voluminous role of his career. There is legit WR1 upside here at a massive discount. Smash.
   
• Parker Washington: See analysis under Zain Dhanani's My Guys below.
   
• De'Zhaun Stribling: From second-round reach to preseason darling, Stribling is one of the only young/healthy bodies on the Niners offense with Mike Evans past the age cliff, Ricky Pearsall out for the season and George Kittle returning from an Achilles tear. He was a preseason star, logging 11 catches for over 100 yards across 2 preseason appearances, and has gotten nothing but rave reviews out of 49ers camp.
   
• George Kittle: Speaking of Kittle, he may get off to a slower start because of the injury, but his price tag is in a range that no tight end with top-three upside belongs. The age and injury concerns are real, but Kittle showed no signs of slowing down last season, posting a 23% TPRR and 85 Utilization Score.

Freedman's My Guys From His 2026 Fantasy Rankings

• Drake Maye | QB | Patriots
• Ja'Marr Chase | WR | Bengals
• James Cook | RB | Bills (see Dwain's My Guys)
• Derrick Henry | RB | Ravens

It feels like the masses have been quiet on Drake Maye this summer, despite coming off of an MVP-runner-up season and adding A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs to his assortment of weapons. His downfield game (9.3-yard aDOT) gives him massive upside in the passing game if Brown shows he's still an alpha and his rushing production solidifies a rock-solid floor. A harder schedule could mean he's pushed more in games and playing from behind, too.

As for Ja'Marr Chase, there really isn't anything that needs to be said. Since 2024, he's logged the most targets (360), catches (252), yards (3,120) and touchdowns (25). He's Freedman's No. 1 overall player, above both Gibbs and Robinson.

Derrick Henry is the gift that keeps on giving, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared that this is the year it falls apart. Either way, he's had 34 touchdowns in 34 games with the Ravens and the reports are that he's fully expected to maintain his heavy workload (280+ carries in six of his last seven seasons). The downside here, outside of age, is virtually zero involvement in the receiving game.

Kendall's My Guys From Her Fantasy Football Rankings For 2026

• Joe Burrow | QB | Bengals
• Jordan Love | QB | Packers (see Dwain's My Guys)
• De'Von Achane | RB | Dolphins
• Breece Hall | RB | Jets
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | Seahawks
• Ladd McConkey | WR | Chargers (see Matthew's My Guys)
• Isaiah Likely | TE | Giants

We talked about both Chases in Cincinnati, so why not their QB? Joe Burrow has posted QB3 and QB4 overall finishes in his last two healthy seasons and averaged 20.6 fantasy points per game from Week 13 onward last season, a QB3 position during that span. If he's on the field, he's an elite option surrounded by elite talent.

De'Von Achane and Breece Hall are two do-it-all running backs in murky (read: dreadful, for Achane) situations, but the workload should be there. Jets OC Frank Reich called Hall a bellcow in a recent interview, and Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley said that he might need to carry Achane to the locker room because of how tired he's going to be from getting so many touches after games. I'm much more into Hall given the near-two-round discount, and frankly, Achane has been a fade for me this season, but there's certainly an upside case based on talent and workload alone.

Seeing Jaxon Smith-Njigba here isn't surprising (homerism!!), but I also love Kendall planting her flag here. He logged nearly 1,800 receiving yards last year, and while his 35% target share is going to be very hard to replicate, maybe he's just that good. As for Isaiah Likely, there's a high likelihood he's the No. 2 pass catcher in this Giants offense where the No. 1 pass catcher (Nabers) is likely to get off to a slow start recovering from his knee injury. Coming to NY with Todd Monken, who's showcased Likely's upside in Baltimore, gives him familiarity with the coaching staff and should provide week-winning upside at the position if his snap share stays high enough.

My Guys From Zain Dhanani's Fantasy Rankings

• Chase Brown | RB | Bengals (See Matthew's My Guys)
• Jaylen Waddle | WR | Broncos (See Dwain's My Guys)
• Parker Washington | WR | Jaguars
• Stefon Diggs | WR | Commanders

To quote Zain himself, "Washington posted a 21.4% TPRR, No. 24 among the 76 WRs with at least 300 routes, per PFF. He also had 2.06 YPRR and an 18.0% target share on the season, plus 14.6 PPR FP/G from Week 10 on. The Jaguars entered 2025 believing Brian Thomas could handle a more complete route tree, but that's not how the season ended. BTJ's aDOT climbed from 11.9 to 14.8 yards, his YPRR fell from 2.45 to 1.50 and his scoring dropped from 16.7 to 9.9 PPR FP/G. The market recently moved Washington ahead of BTJ, but they're still close to each other, and Washington is by far the Jaguars WR I want."

Stefon Diggs' price continues to rise, and for good reason. Despite running only 71% of the routes in New England last season, Diggs topped 1,000 yards on 85 catches while showing he can still earn targets (24% TPRR; WR19). The question here is whether this part-time role is a new norm, or if he's positioned for a full-time role. The spike-week upside is there, and if a full-time role is what we get, every-week starter treatment will be there too.

Alex Cupps' Favorite Players In His 2026 Fantasy Football Rankings

• Kyler Murray | QB | Vikings (See Dwain's My Guys)
• Ashton Jeanty | RB | Raiders
• Mike Evans | WR | 49ers
• KC Concepcion | WR | Browns
• Harold Fannin | TE | Browns
• Oronde Gadsden | TE | Chargers

Ashton Jeanty being on this list is the most on-brand selection of all of these My Guys for Cupps, as he's got him as his RB6 this season. His "disappointing" rookie season was still accompanied by over 1,300 scrimmage yards and 10 TDs, and he will now operate in what should be an improved offense.

In theory, Mike Evans in a Kyle Shanahan-led offense is exciting ... but health is going to be huge, as he's already battling quad and groin injuries throughout camp. The two Browns pass catchers here are PPR-upside options in an offense that should consolidate around them both in the passing game. KC Concepcion should be the recipient of schemed touches and even additional rush attempts, while Harold Fannin posted the same TPRR (24%) as last season's TE1, Trey McBride.

The one on this list I simply can't get on board with here is Oronde Gadsden, given the question marks surrounding his playing time, but he's one injury away from being a week-winning tight end in a Mike McDaniel offense.