5 MUST-DRAFT Fantasy Football WRs You NEED!
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10 min
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Jul 17, 2026
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Fri, July 17, 2026
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Full transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00Alright, yesterday we talked about running back locks, the guaranteed volume running backs you need to draft.
0:05Today I want to talk about wide receiver must drafts, but this is a very interesting episode because I got some very
0:12interesting information about the wide receiver position and drafting them in 2026, okay?
0:15It's not what you think. You may think some of these guys are locks, but drafter beware.
0:20I'm ready to dive into these 5 players that are almost guaranteed and give you guys some really, really good thought process
0:27on drafting wide receivers for 2026 and some things you really need to look out for because the landscape has completely changed.
0:33Now, if you're new to the channel, subscribe, hit the thumbs up, smash it, tap, just a second of your time, just
0:40interact with the video, drop a comment, who's a wide receiver you must have.
0:44This is very important and secure the solution, guys.
0:47If you're drafting without 16 rounds, you will lose.
0:49If you don't have 16 Rounds, you will lose.
0:52I'm telling you guys right now. So grab it below.
0:55I have a link to it below. Head on over to thefantasyfootballcouncil.com.
0:59That's all the answers to the draft. All my optimal players.
1:02You get everything in one spot. All the players to avoid.
1:05Full mock drafts. Principal cheat sheet. Update until the season starts.
1:08Everything. Grab 16 rounds. Pinned comment. Do not draft without it, okay?
1:12So let's talk about the wide receiver landscape. Who are these 5 must draft wide receivers and what do you got to be cautious about, okay?
1:20Now, when I was doing the research for this episode, I literally looked at every single team.
1:25And what I've noticed over the past 4 to 5 years is that there's a significant drop-off in regards to volume for wide receiver ones, okay?
1:32Target volume has gone down. Distribution has been really spread thin across multiple wide receivers.
1:37And you look at certain depth charts and you're like, I don't even know who the wide receiver one is.
1:43That was never a question before. I remember playing Fantasy 5, 10, you know, 15 years ago, whatever it was.
1:49I would look at a wide receiver. Colts, T.Y.
1:51Hilton, you know, Falcons, Julio Jones, you know, Steelers, Antonio Brown, and so on and so forth.
1:56You know, it would always be a clear-cut one.
1:59I mean, sometimes there was situations where, you know, the two really stepped up.
2:03And I get it. I remember the Bears. I think it was Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey had a good season one year.
2:10Like, there's certain things, like certain situations where certain wide receiver two stepped up.
2:14But overall, now, it's a disaster. Let me give you an example here right now, okay?
2:19Green Bay Packers. They just paid Watson to be the wide receiver one.
2:23The guy can't receive more than 800 yards to save his life or have double digit touchdowns.
2:28He had four years to prove it. Hasn't done it.
2:31They drafted Matthew Golden round one. There's a good chance that Golden could be the one or just target distribution.
2:37They got Reed there, right? What's going on? They got Tucker as well.
2:40You know, so there's a huge mess there, right?
2:43Then you look at the Lions. Amonra is pretty consistent, but Laporta has the ability to step up.
2:48Jameer Gibbs is going to be involved more in the passing game.
2:52And you got Jamison Williams who had an increase in volume last year.
2:56So there's a lot of target dilution there. Then you look at the Chiefs, like Ross Ureis with off-field issues.
3:02Like, he's not consistent. He hasn't done anything amazing, right?
3:05They got Worthy. They got Kelsey. It's just a disaster.
3:08They got Walker. And they're talking about, believe it or not, making Justin Fields, the quarterback, a running back.
3:13So look out Kenneth Walker, fantasy owners. That's going to be really annoying too, right?
3:18And then you got the Eagles. They draft Lemon first round, right?
3:21They got Smith who's always a two. There's no clear-cut one there.
3:25So there's a lot of situations now where you shake your head and you're like, what do I do?
3:31And this is why I draft wide receiver there.
3:33This is why I wait on wide receiver. Do you understand?
3:36So you need to understand this context as we get into these wide receiver ones, all right?
3:41So, and these must drafts. So the first one is Jamar Chase.
3:45Now, he's in a pretty good situation because what you see is what you get.
3:49We saw a ton of volume and a ton of targets last year.
3:53That should continue. What you see is what you get.
3:56Now, Tee Higgins, a lot of people draft him in the third round.
4:00I think that's a huge waste. He peaks at about 110 targets.
4:04He will not exceed that. It's going to be the Jamar Chase show.
4:08Mind you, I do see a regression for Jamar Chase coming off that astronomical year yet again.
4:13So when you're looking at him, he's still the alpha dog, regardless of who else is there.
4:18Okay? Like, he's the man, you know? I mean, there's got to be a Joe Burrow injury or something like that for him to really get derailed here.
4:26But when you look at a secure guy, a talented guy, a guy that gets the volume and is ultra elite, you look no farther than Jamar Chase.
4:34All right? That's kind of a given. Now, let's dive into some other players.
4:38The last one is not a given, but I'm going to give it to you anyway.
4:43All right. Number two here. I think this is a lock here is Ladd McConkie.
4:47He's going to be the go-to guy for Justin Herbert.
4:50They added Mike McDaniel, offensive coordinator. He's going to get fed more.
4:54Last year, McConkie, I projected a decline. A big part of that was because Keenan Allen was there.
4:59Keenan Allen stole 110 targets. See, that helped nobody.
5:02It didn't help Keenan. You shouldn't own Keenan Allen in fantasy anyway, because he produced lackluster numbers.
5:07Then McConkie was hurt because of those numbers. So it just hurt everybody's value.
5:11So now at the time of this recording, Keenan Allen is not signed on.
5:15They want to use their younger guys. McDaniels wants to use the youth.
5:19And Lad McConkie has a huge opportunity here to really shine as the one and become an absolute PPR monster.
5:25That's what we want. We want Lad McConkie to really shine this year.
5:29So he's in a great situation to absolutely thrive.
5:32Ladd McConkie, let's get it. Now, QJ, Trey Harris could get some work as well.
5:36But when you look at the overall talent over the past couple of years, he's the alpha dog, right?
5:42Number three, you know, again, another situation where it's kind of muddy.
5:45You know, it's the Rams. They drafted Max Clear.
5:48They got other guys like Ferguson there. They got Kyron out of the backfield.
5:52And they've got Adams, who's a touchdown monster. I just saw him, you know, bench pressing.
5:57He had 110-pound bars. And he's lifting. So the guys don't shape.
6:00Adams is. And that's a lot to lift. I can lift 70 pounds comfortably.
6:04And I think that's pretty good. I haven't done Max for a while.
6:08If I had to lift 110 each side, I could probably do it.
6:12But it's been a while. But the fact that a wide receiver is lifting 110 barbells on each side is pretty impressive at his age.
6:20So, I mean, Puka's there. So the guy I'm talking about is Puka as a guaranteed thing.
6:25Because he's young. He's dynamic. He's the guy. He's the go-to guy.
6:28He's the man with the Rams. Now, again, is Adams going to get his share?
6:33I still think he's going to be annoying. He's going to be a pest, especially with the touchdowns.
6:38But you cannot deny Puka being the alpha dog, barring any injury, as a sure thing.
6:43Okay? So I'm just trying to look at everybody that is a sure thing.
6:47And there's more than these guys, right? There's, I think Drake London's another one I'm not mentioning.
6:52There's just a ton of other guys that are the alpha dogs on their team.
6:56Right? I just picked five. Right? Another lock here who wasn't a lock last year, which means he's trending up.
7:02But I'm personally not drafting. I just want to make that clear.
7:06Is Justin Jefferson. Similarly to Jamar Chase, you know what you're getting.
7:09There's nobody that's going to come into that situation and become the one.
7:13You know what I'm saying? There's a ton of situations where, example, the Colts.
7:17Alec Pierce is paid as the one. But anyone else can just come in.
7:21Stephon Diggs can come in. He's, you know, he's a two.
7:25But Stephon Diggs can come in and just steal that one spot from Alec Pierce potentially.
7:29Right? But like no one's ever going to come in as of right now, this time and day, and steal volume from Jamar Chase, Puka, or Justin Jefferson.
7:38All right? So Justin Jefferson, though, had a bad year.
7:41Finished outside the top 20 last year. I told you not to draft him.
7:45You got to go running back round one. Because with running backs, it's more of a lock.
7:50With wide receivers, you're getting this uncertainty. That's what I'm trying to clarify.
7:54That's why I wait on wide receiver. If I have uncertainty at wide receiver in the early rounds, why not get a wide receiver later?
8:01That's why I drafted Ladd McConkie and Brian Thomas Jr.
8:04two years ago, round seven and nine. I don't like the Kyler Murray.
8:08I think it is a slight upgrade from last year, but I just don't like Kyler Murray as the quarterback.
8:14The last time he produced a top four quarterback was DeAndre Hopkins in 2020, I believe, or 2021, give or take a year.
8:21That year. And it's like, he just does not produce at all.
8:24Kyler Murray sucks. Like, so I don't know. That's my concern with Jefferson.
8:28But regardless, whoever is throwing the ball in this under center is going to be feeding the ball to Jefferson consistently.
8:34So that's why he's a lock. And the last one who I personally feel the most warm and fuzzy about out of
8:41all people and I'm wearing the hat is Emika Egibuka.
8:44That's how you pronounce it with a G. Can't ignore the G.
8:47Some people call it Ibuka. Like, I'm like, there's a G in there.
8:51You just don't. You don't call eggs like, you know, I can't.
8:55Eggs. S. You know, like, eggs. Gigs. Right? Like, there's a, you know what I mean?
8:59You don't just cancel the G. I can't even talk right now.
9:03Right? Eggs. S. That's what I was trying to say.
9:06You don't take the G out. So it's Egibuka.
9:09All right? And why do I feel the most confident about him?
9:12It's very simple, guys. There's no competition for him.
9:15Like, there's nobody else there. They got Godwin. Right?
9:18They've got, who else? That's it. Kate Auden. Bucky Irving.
9:20So Emika is the alpha dog. He's going to step up this year.
9:24He's hungry. And he's great. I don't have to spend.
9:27Listen, I don't got to spend a first round pick.
9:30We'll look for his ADP to rise up as we get close to the end of August.
9:35But man, oh man, I love my Egibuka this year.
9:38All right? So those are my locks. Egibuka, Jefferson, Puka, Ladd, and Jamar Chase.
9:42Listen, wait on wide receiver. When you're talking strategy, do not draft wide receivers early.
9:47Running back is the way to go. You're more secure with those running backs.
9:51You know the volume and the potential they're going to get.
9:54All right? Grab 16 Rounds. Make sure you guys secure the solution.
9:58And I will see you guys in the next video.
10:01Daily content coming your way. And have a great Friday.
10:04Bye-bye.
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