The 2026 Wide Receiver Draft Guide

Top round two wide receiver option ranked ahead of Nico Collins; the source ranks AJ Brown then Nico with only a one-point projection difference between them. Source emphasizes both have 'amazing floor and ceiling weekly and season-long' and are the two wide receivers source feels confident are actually worth a round two pick. In three-wide-receiver leagues or full PPR, source is okay bumping AJ Brown higher into the middle of the running back grouping, suggesting he doesn't have to wait until all running backs are gone to take him. Also noted as a round two wide receiver alternative if breaking from the ideal running back strategy.

Ranked as a round one wide receiver target; the source states 'I am fine breaking from that to grab Ja'Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, and Amon-Ra St. Brown.' The source expresses love for Amon-Ra but still prefers Chase and Puka over him. The source grabbed Amon-Ra in round one at 1.07 in a 14-team full PPR league with two flex spots. If taking Amon-Ra in round one, the source would not want to follow with Nico Collins or AJ Brown in round two; instead preferring to draft one of the round three running backs.

Listed as one of five ideal round one running back targets. The source explicitly states 'I would like to get one of Gibbs, Bijan, CMC, JT, or James Cook' as the primary draft strategy for round one.

One of four very good round three running back picks alongside Jeremy Love, Kyren Love, and Javonte Williams. Source emphasizes these running backs are reliable round three targets that will likely be available, allowing flexibility in round two wide receiver selections.

The source targets Brian Thomas Jr. as a preferred wide receiver in rounds 7-8, particularly if you don't love your receiver room or drafted Malik Nabers early and need a fill-in option. He's part of an eight-player core (Parker, Christian Watson, Odunze, Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Jonathan Brooks, Stevenson, Tucker Kraft) the source wants to draft the majority of the time in this range, with ADPs spread out enough that drafters can likely land multiple players from this group.

Ideal round two running back target; the source states 'Round two, my ideal outcome is again running back. I want one Saquon, Ken Walker, Chase Brown, Cam Akers and Henry or Derrick Henry.'

Ideal round two running back target; the source lists him among the preferred round two RB options: 'I want one Saquon, Ken Walker, Chase Brown, Cam Akers and Henry or Derrick Henry.' Also cited as a strong pairing option for RB-RB draft starts—pairing Chase Brown with another quality running back like Jonathan Taylor 'opens everything up' and provides flexibility for later rounds.

Young, athletic wide receiver on a very good team positioned as a round 13+ ceiling play with good odds of outperforming ADP; however, has thin odds of reaching WR1 or high-end WR2 status. Listed in the WR60 range as a high-upside lottery ticket for late-round drafts.

Round 3 WR option listed as one of three preferred choices alongside Malik Nabers and DeVonta Smith. Strong early-season target share advantage due to Jordan Addison's absence, meaning Olave will command massive target share in the first month. Has ceiling to be a top-five overall WR for the entire season.

Chris Rodriguez is listed as a relatively high upside running back option available in the later rounds (rounds 11–12 range and beyond), offering an alternative to wide receiver targets if those six receivers are gone; the source positions him as a better ceiling option than WR selections at the same ADP.

Ranked as a top-three round one option; the source states 'I'd be fine with McCaffrey third overall.' The source's wife drafted McCaffrey at 1.03 in her league and preferred her team composition with running back first and wide receiver in middle rounds.

The source identifies Christian Watson as a preferred wide receiver target in rounds 7-8, part of an eight-player core (Parker, Christian Watson, Odunze, Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Jonathan Brooks, Stevenson, Tucker Kraft) the source wants to draft the majority of the time in this range. Watson is positioned as having top-10 wide receiver upside this season, unlike receivers in rounds 9-10.

Loveland is mentioned as a tight end option the source would consider taking early (round six or earlier) to gain a positional advantage; if taking an early tight end like Loveland, the source would still aim to hit running back in round seven and grab an extra wide receiver, allowing flexibility in the draft strategy.

Young, athletic wide receiver on a very good team positioned as a round 13+ ceiling play with good odds of outperforming ADP; however, has thin odds of reaching WR1 or high-end WR2 status. Listed in the WR60 range as a high-upside lottery ticket for late-round drafts.

Moore is the source's lean in round six if Adams or Evans fall; he is projected to lead his team in receiving on an elite offense. While he has less touchdown upside than Adams and Evans, being the number one pass catcher on an elite offense in round six is described as a 'no-brainer' value proposition. Moore is listed among great receivers with significant upside this season in the round six-seven range; receiver talent drops significantly after round six, making Moore a valuable target in this window.

Swift is presented as an acceptable round five running back option if he falls to the source's pick; the source states willingness to take Swift or Montgomery at running back in round five if either is available, indicating both are viewed as acceptable value at that stage.

Adams is a round five receiver option with 17 touchdown upside in the range of outcomes; he has an elite play caller and plays on a consolidated offense where the ball is not spread around, providing high certainty of studs production when healthy. However, he is valued late due to increased injury risk—the source estimates both Adams and Evans will miss approximately 3.5 games this season. Despite this, Adams should be valued at the 2-3 turn if guaranteed healthy for 15 of 17 games, making round five pricing a discount that more than accounts for injury risk. Adams is also listed among great receivers with significant upside this season in the round six-seven range.

Montgomery is presented as an acceptable round five running back option if he falls to the source's pick; the source states willingness to take Montgomery or Swift at running back in round five if either is available, indicating both are viewed as acceptable value at that stage.

De'Von Achane is a round 14-16 option with early-season production potential, but the source expresses hesitation about his long-term role and bench utility. While Achane could see meaningful usage if Jermaine Tyson is unavailable for an extended period, the source notes that late-round WR/RB picks are typically bench depth unlikely to start unless injury occurs. The source prefers other bench options like Concepcion or Shribling to start the season over Achane, suggesting the odds favor those alternatives despite Achane's ceiling-play appeal.

The source explicitly states 'I hate Deebo' and groups him with receivers that won't matter this season; he should not be drafted in this range to avoid clogging the bench.

Young, athletic wide receiver on a very good team positioned as a round 13+ ceiling play with good odds of outperforming ADP; however, has thin odds of reaching WR1 or high-end WR2 status. Listed in the WR60 range as a high-upside lottery ticket for late-round drafts.

Listed as an ideal round two running back target but ranked last in that tier, especially in full PPR scoring; the source states 'Henry for me definitely being last someone that tier and definitely last in full PPR.'

Round 3 WR option listed as one of three preferred choices alongside Malik Nabers and Chris Olave. Strong early-season target share advantage due to Quez Watkins missing most of OTAs and training camp, meaning he will be ramped up. DeVonta Smith will command massive target share in the first month with ceiling to be a top-five overall WR for the entire season.

Dontayvion Wicks is avoided because he will lose role share to Rakim Jarrett as the season progresses; the source explicitly states 'I don't want someone who's got more value starting and going to lose it,' making Wicks an unattractive late-round target despite early-season opportunity.

Taking Drake Maye in round six is described as 'a totally fine pick to make,' but the source prefers waiting until round seven, eight, or nine for Trevor Lawrence or Justin Herbert instead. The rationale is that waiting provides better value—still getting an amazing quarterback with great upside—while avoiding the opportunity cost of taking a quarterback in round six when receiver talent drops significantly after round six, making those later-round quarterbacks better value despite similar quality.

Wilson is explicitly excluded from the source's round four receiver recommendations despite being described as a star and great player; the exclusion is due to quarterback attachment concern—the source avoids attaching to bad quarterbacks at wide receiver in round four, noting that at the position, receivers are more tied to quarterback quality than running backs, and Wilson's attachment to the Jets' poor quarterback situation makes him less desirable than receivers on better offenses. At wide receiver, you can only be so efficient if the targets are straight up not catchable sometimes.

George Kittle is mentioned as a potential late-round fall option in the round 13+ range; positioned as a superior alternative to wide receiver selections at this ADP tier, offering better ceiling potential than WR options available at the same draft stage.

Golden Tate goes in the 140s ADP range on the source's platform, making him available later than Addison in the same tier; the source recommends prioritizing Addison over Tate when both are available, despite personal preference for Tate, to play the ADP game effectively.

Ranked as the source's top choice among round one wide receivers. The source prefers Chase over Puka Nacua and Amon-Ra St. Brown because suspension risk is 'relatively low.' The source is not worried about Chase's knee hyperextension. Chase has record-breaking ceiling potential, including the possibility of breaking the touchdown record. The source would take Chase over the fourth and fifth running backs.

Jalen Guyton (Golden) is among the preferred late-round wide receiver targets for 10-team and 12-team leagues; the source recommends finishing off the wide receiver position with at least one player from the grouping of Diggs, Addison, Downs, Golden, Shribling, and Concepcion rather than reaching into the WR60+ range.

Listed as one of five ideal round one running back targets; the source explicitly states 'I would like to get one of Gibbs, Bijan, CMC, JT, or James Cook' as the primary draft strategy for round one. Also noted as a strong running back pairing option for a running back-running back draft start; pairing James Cook with another quality running back like Amari or Hampton opens up the rest of the draft and sets up flexibility for later rounds.

Round 3 running back option listed alongside Kyren Love and Breece Hall as part of the source's preferred RB pool for that round. The source emphasizes these are reliable round three targets that will likely be available, allowing flexibility in round two wide receiver selections and enabling a draft strategy where two quality RBs are secured by the end of round three.

Round 4 WR option in the source's preferred grouping alongside Dalton Kincaid, Zay Flowers, Emeka Egbuka, and Luther Burden. All players in this grouping are on good offenses with high weekly and season-long ceilings and are 'very, very good.' If personally favoring Waddle over Zay Flowers, it's acceptable to take him despite ADP disadvantage, though taking Zay Flowers first increases odds of landing two from the grouping in Rounds 4-5.

John Metchie is listed as a relatively high upside running back option in the rounds 11–13 range, offering better ceiling potential than wide receiver selections at this ADP tier. The source groups him among several RB targets as alternatives to reaching into the WR60+ range.

Mingo is used as an ADP reference point in round four receiver discussions; the source notes that Flowers consistently goes before Mingo in draft order, establishing Mingo's relative draft position within the round four receiver tier.

Strong running back pairing option for a running back-running back draft start. The source uses Jonathan Taylor paired with Chase Brown as an example of quality RB combinations that open up the rest of the draft and provide flexibility for later rounds.

The source identifies Jonathan Brooks as a preferred running back target in rounds 7-8, grouped with Stevenson as the RB options within an eight-player core (Parker, Christian Watson, Odunze, Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Brooks, Stevenson, Tucker Kraft) the source wants to draft the majority of the time in this range. ADPs are spread out enough that drafters can likely land two of these eight players.

Jordan Mason is listed as a relatively high upside running back option available in the later rounds (rounds 11–12 range and beyond), offering an alternative to wide receiver targets if those six receivers are gone; the source positions him as a better ceiling option than WR selections at the same ADP.

Target Josh Downs as one of six wide receivers (Diggs, Addison, Josh Downs, Matthew Golden, Jean Shribling, Casey Conception) in rounds 9–10. The source wants two of these six in this range. These receivers have lower weekly floors and season-long ceilings compared to earlier-round receivers like Watson, Doubs, and Parker, with odds very much against them finishing as top-10 wide receivers.

Herbert is the source's preferred round seven-nine quarterback option over round six alternatives like Drake Maye. The source would rather wait until round seven, eight, or nine for Herbert, as he still provides an amazing quarterback with great upside while avoiding the opportunity cost of taking a quarterback in round six when receiver talent drops significantly after round six, making those later-round quarterbacks better value.

Young, athletic wide receiver on a very good team positioned as a round 13+ ceiling play with good odds of outperforming ADP; however, has thin odds of reaching WR1 or high-end WR2 status. Listed in the WR60 range as a high-upside lottery ticket for late-round drafts.

Keaton Mitchell is positioned as a relatively high upside running back option in the rounds 11–13 range, offering better ceiling potential than wide receiver selections at this ADP tier. The source groups him among several RB targets (Jordan Mason, Chris Rodriguez, Mike Washington, John Metchie, Coleman) as alternatives to reaching into the WR60+ range.

Round 4 WR option listed last in the source's preferred grouping by ADP ranking, though the source emphasizes he's very close in talent to Zay Flowers. There's roughly a round difference in ADP between Burden and Flowers across platforms. If personally favoring Burden, it's acceptable to take him over Zay Flowers, though taking Zay first increases odds of landing two from the grouping in Rounds 4-5. Part of a five-player core (Dalton Kincaid, Zay Flowers, Emeka Egbuka, Jaylen Waddle, Luther Burden) all on good offenses with high weekly and season-long ceilings.

Round 3 WR option listed as one of three preferred choices alongside DeVonta Smith and Chris Olave. Despite early-season injury concerns (potential week one unavailability), the source argues Nabers should be evaluated on full-season value rather than early starts. He's a round one talent whose ceiling justifies the pick if healthy by weeks 7-9 when making the fantasy playoffs is the only requirement. Pairing him with early RBs unlocks 'crazy' ceiling with two RB starts plus a top-three WR returning to full health; early season weeks are easiest to replace when no one is on bye or heavily injured, making the projection hit from potential early absence manageable.

Matthew Golden goes by far the latest in ADP among the rounds 9–10 wide receiver tier, sometimes in the 140s on various platforms, making him a potential value play. Many drafters hate him or won't draft him, creating opportunity to get him in rounds 11–12 despite higher average ADP on different sites. The source wants to target him in this range and would love to get two or three receivers from this tier.

Evans is a round five receiver option with 17 touchdown upside in the range of outcomes; he has an elite play caller and plays on a consolidated offense where the ball is not spread around, providing high certainty of studs production when healthy. However, he is valued late due to increased injury risk—the source estimates both Evans and Adams will miss approximately 3.5 games this season. Despite this, Evans should be valued at the 2-3 turn if guaranteed healthy for 15 of 17 games, making round five pricing a discount that more than accounts for injury risk. Evans is listed among great receivers with significant upside this season in the round six-seven range; receiver talent drops significantly after round six, making Evans a valuable target in this window.

Mike Washington is identified as a relatively high upside running back option in the rounds 11–13 range, offering better ceiling potential than wide receiver selections at this ADP tier. The source groups him among several RB targets as alternatives to reaching into the WR60+ range.

Top round two wide receiver option ranked just behind AJ Brown; the source ranks AJ Brown then Nico with only a one-point projection difference. Source emphasizes both have 'amazing floor and ceiling weekly and season-long' and are the two wide receivers source feels confident are actually worth a round two pick. In three-wide-receiver leagues or full PPR, source is okay bumping Nico Collins higher into the middle of the running back grouping.

Omar Cooper is explicitly avoided by the source; he will start the season with limited snap share and slow production, making him a likely drop candidate when a better free-agent option emerges. The source prefers to draft players who might break out early rather than those who start slow.

Washington is the source's lean in round six if Adams or Evans fall; he is projected to lead the Jaguars in receiving on a team the source hopes will be elite this season. While he has less touchdown upside than Adams and Evans, being the number one pass catcher on a very good to elite offense in round six is described as a 'no-brainer' value proposition. Washington is listed among great receivers with significant upside this season in the round six-seven range; receiver talent drops significantly after round six, making Washington a valuable target in this window.

Young, athletic wide receiver on a very good team positioned as a round 13+ ceiling play with good odds of outperforming ADP; however, has thin odds of reaching WR1 or high-end WR2 status. Listed in the WR60 range as a high-upside lottery ticket for late-round drafts.

Ranked as a top round one wide receiver option. The source notes suspension risk is unknown due to new allegations, which could justify placing him fifth overall if concerned. However, the source is not worried about Puka's knee hyperextension injury, stating 'he's basically already back from' what he's working back from. Puka has record-breaking ceiling potential for receptions and yardage, and could break the touchdown record if Davante Adams gets hurt. The source would take Puka over the fourth and fifth running backs.

Rakim Jarrett is positioned to gain role share from Dontayvion Wicks as the season progresses; his ramp-up is already occurring at the start of the year, making him a more attractive target than Wicks who will see declining opportunity.

Shaheed is grouped among young, athletic wide receivers on very good teams expected to outperform ADP in the WR60 range; the source notes these players have thin odds of reaching WR1 or high-end WR2 status but represent value in late rounds.

Young, athletic wide receiver on a very good team positioned as a round 13+ ceiling play with good odds of outperforming ADP; however, has thin odds of reaching WR1 or high-end WR2 status. Listed in the WR60 range as a high-upside lottery ticket for late-round drafts.

Listed as the top ideal round two running back target; the source states 'Round two, my ideal outcome is again running back. I want one Saquon, Ken Walker, Chase Brown, Cam Akers and Henry or Derrick Henry' with Derrick Henry noted as last in that tier, especially in full PPR.

Target Stefon Diggs as one of six wide receivers (Diggs, Addison, Josh Downs, Matthew Golden, Jean Shribling, Casey Conception) in rounds 9–10. The source wants two of these six in this range and recommends finishing off the wide receiver position with at least one player from this grouping rather than reaching into the WR60+ range. These receivers have lower weekly floors and season-long ceilings compared to earlier-round receivers like Watson, Doubs, and Parker, with odds very much against them finishing as top-10 wide receivers.

Young, athletic wide receiver on a very good team positioned as a round 13+ ceiling play with good odds of outperforming ADP; however, has thin odds of reaching WR1 or high-end WR2 status. Listed in the WR60 range as a high-upside lottery ticket for late-round drafts.

Lawrence is the source's preferred round seven-nine quarterback option over round six alternatives like Drake Maye. The source would rather wait until round seven, eight, or nine for Lawrence, as he still provides an amazing quarterback with great upside while avoiding the opportunity cost of taking a quarterback in round six when receiver talent drops significantly after round six. Lawrence is also identified as part of an eight-player core (Parker Washington, Christian Watson, Odunze, Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Jonathan Brooks, Stevenson, Tucker Kraft) the source wants to draft the majority of the time in rounds 7-8; ADPs are spread out enough that drafters can likely land two of these eight players.

The source identifies Tucker Kraft as the preferred tight end target in rounds 7-8, part of an eight-player core (Parker, Christian Watson, Odunze, Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Jonathan Brooks, Stevenson, Tucker Kraft) the source wants to draft the majority of the time in this range. ADPs are spread out enough that drafters can likely land two of these eight players.

Round 4 WR option listed first in the source's preferred grouping by ADP advantage. Zay Flowers consistently goes before Jonathan Mingo and other peers on most platforms. Taking Zay Flowers (earliest ADP in the grouping) increases the chance of landing two players from the Round 4 WR/TE grouping in Rounds 4 and 5, making him the strategic pick if planning to go WR again in Round 5. Part of a five-player core (Dalton Kincaid, Zay Flowers, Emeka Egbuka, Jaylen Waddle, Luther Burden) all on good offenses with high weekly and season-long ceilings.

Jones is presented as a round four receiver option; the source's ADP-based strategy suggests taking the earliest option in the round four receiver tier to maximize the chance of landing two receivers from that group, implying Jones is available later in the tier than some alternatives.