The largest fantasy soccer draft weekend of the 12 months is upon us as we prep for the 2026 NFL season, which begins subsequent Wednesday. You’ve doubtless been consuming as a lot content material as humanly attainable to be in one of the best form going into your draft. However there’s at all times extra! If there’s one factor you do at your draft, it’s choose these gamers. Yahoo analysts Chris Allen, Hayden Winks, Josh Norris, Scott Pianowski, Joel Smyth, Justin Boone, Matt Harmon and Ray Garvin provide you with their one must-draft participant for 2026.
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D’Andre Swift, RB, Bears
Chicago’s passing recreation has garnered most of our consideration all offseason. And rightfully so, with 12 months 2 of the Ben Johnson-Caleb Williams connection upon us and the rise of Luther Burden III. However D’Andre Swift’s function in all of this has gone under-discussed. Swift had a profession 12 months after being reunited together with his previous OC. Most would take a look at 1,386 regular-season all-purpose yards as a “mid” end result. However a glance below the hood tells a greater story. Amongst all RBs in 2025, Swift’s 51.0% dashing success charge ranked fourth. Coupled with top-12 marks in adjusted yards after contact per try and explosive play charge, Swift had the base-down work safe. Plus, solely six different RBs took extra carries from contained in the five-yard line than Swift. All of this got here whereas taking part in by way of a number of lower-body accidents, which solely brought on him to overlook one recreation. So now, Swift is (principally) wholesome, Johnson considers Kyle Monangai’s knee hyperextension a week-to-week challenge, and there’s much less uncertainty across the offense. If we’re going to deal with the entire pass-catchers as early-round picks to focus on, Swift deserves the identical consideration. — Chris Allen
Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Saints
After about 200 drafts, my most drafted participant is Etienne with a private ADP of fortieth general. On Yahoo, Etienne is a consensus fourth-round choice with an ADP of forty second general because the RB18. I rank him thirty third general, so it’s a full spherical of worth early in drafts. Etienne is coming off an RB11 per-game end on RB14 utilization. That was whereas splitting work in Jacksonville, and we’ll see simply how a lot Alvin Kamara can play as a 31-year-old with a coaching camp multi-week knee damage. Etienne will safely be the goal-line again and has a pass-catching historical past on early downs relationship again to school. This Saints staff quietly gives one of the best atmosphere he’s had for fantasy factors. Head coach Kellen Moore was first in impartial tempo charge final 12 months, and the offensive line options two high quality first-round tackles, a newly-signed veteran LG and two long-time teammate inside gamers. It’s an above-average unit, and Etienne is used to bottom-10 OLs from Jacksonville. He’s cleared 1,399 complete yards in three of 4 wholesome seasons, and I believe he’ll do it once more. — Hayden Winks
Parker Washington, WR, Jaguars
My season rides on a handful of gamers. Particularly: Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Walker III, De’Zhaun Stribling and Parker Washington. Merely put, the Jaguars WR1 has been undervalued all summer season lengthy. Washington is at present being drafted 74th general on Yahoo, when his actual value must be nearer to fifty fifth. With Washington, Jakobi Meyers and Brian Thomas Jr. on the sphere collectively final season, PW had a team-high 31% goal share with 3.17 yards per route run. So when you have any questions on how this “loaded” receiver room goes to play out — we have already got our reply. In that very same part of the season, Washington performed 63% of his snaps from the slot when all three receivers had been on the sphere collectively. That’s precisely what we would like, as he assaults the exact space that Liam Coen’s offense emphasizes: 10-20 yards over the center of the sphere. Washington wins small together with his athleticism. He wins huge on tight-window targets. And if he had been a second-round decide within the NFL Draft quite than a sixth, Washington’s ADP could be a number of rounds earlier. — Josh Norris
Ladd McConkey, WR, Chargers
McConkey was a dominant participant >, however every thing fell aside in 12 months 2. I’ll write that off as an excused absence – the offensive line collapsed, the play calling went stale and the goal tree was crowded. Mike McDaniel steps in as the right OC – a artistic schemer who will put McConkey in movement and discover YAC-producing routes downfield. Keenan Allen is gone, so the goal tree is trimmer. QB Justin Herbert is usually a expertise elevator, particularly now that the road is fortified once more (regardless of the lack of beginning middle Tyler Biadasz). McConkey remains to be accessible outdoors of Choose 40 in Yahoo leagues, a pleasant shopping for alternative for the ultimate draft weekend. — Scott Pianowski
Omarion Hampton, RB, Chargers
Spherical 2 has loads of RBs accessible, and my favourite at ADP is Omarion Hampton at 18th off the board. Gifted RBs going into their second season are persistently fantasy gold. In truth, of the primary 11 RBs drafted contained in the top-25 since 2015, all 11 of them had a fantasy RB1 season by their second 12 months. Ashton Jeanty and Hampton are up subsequent. When wholesome, the Chargers’ RB was a pressure as a rookie, posting RB1 fantasy numbers in an general poor state of affairs. I really like the teaching change as a lot because the expertise. Mike McDaniel has had a top-seven fantasy RB in three consecutive seasons, and even with the Eleventh-best scoring offense since 2022, has the third-most RB fantasy factors. If a 31-year-old Raheem Mostert is usually a top-five fantasy RB with McDaniel, I’m betting Hampton can, too. He’ll get the goal-line work and confirmed nice receiving chops as a rookie to the purpose the place the Chargers solely threw to RBs when he was on the sphere. Wholesome offensive tackles and FB Alec Ingold will help the run recreation enhance within the new system. There are some that fear about Hampton’s quantity, however I belief he’ll get the touches that matter most and loads of work in an offense that I’m shopping for in 2026. — Joel Smyth
DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles
Smith is lastly out of A.J. Brown’s shadow and able to show he might be the Eagles’ No. 1 receiver. During the last two seasons, there have been three video games the place Brown was sidelined and Smith performed a full complement of snaps. The outcomes had been stat strains of 6-84-0, 7-79-0 and 7-76-1 whereas averaging slightly below 10 targets per recreation. Even with Brown ending as a top-12 fantasy wideout lately, Smith nonetheless produced because the WR17 (2024), WR21 (2023) and WR16 (2022) on a per recreation foundation earlier than this previous season, when he was because the WR33 amid some general struggles within the offense. Fortuitously, there are many indicators pointing to the Eagles having a bounce-back marketing campaign, together with their new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, some higher offensive line well being and a really tender schedule. The 27-year-old (turns 28 in November) will benefit from the >. Don’t be shocked when Smith finishes as a fantasy WR1. — Justin Boone
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Broncos
Ever for the reason that NFL Draft closed and we filed our first go of rankings, I’ve had Waddle as my WR12 or 13 and a top-30 general participant. Whereas I’ll grant you that Waddle has a irritating damage historical past, to me, that’s the one gap in his profile. There’s a lot the fantasy business doesn’t perceive about Waddle and the state of affairs change he’s about to expertise. Waddle ranks 18th in yards per route run and thirteenth in first downs per route the final three seasons. The one motive he didn’t pop off final 12 months with out Tyreek Hill for a lot of the 12 months was the Dolphins ranked thirtieth in impartial dropback charge and thirty second in performs per recreation. Denver ranked sixth and fifth—there can be way more uncooked alternative awaiting, together with a quarterback improve. The opposite often-missed variable is that Waddle has lengthy been taking part in out of place as an out of doors on-ball receiver in Miami to permit for role-catering for different gamers. Going to Denver with Courtland Sutton established because the X-receiver and Pat Bryant rising as the large, on-ball slot, > for the primary time in years. I can’t even say how a lot of a game-changer that is going to be for the brand new Broncos receiver. He’s going to run extra breaking routes and get a ton of layups operating routes off the road. He can be a giant hit participant as a Spherical 4 decide that returns WR1 worth. — Matt Harmon
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Panthers
I’m betting on the 12 months 2 leap with Tetairoa McMillan. As a rookie, he confirmed that he might be the clear No. 1 receiver in an NFL offense, and there’s no query who one of the best wideout in Carolina is. Sure, there are considerations with Bryce Younger and the offensive line, however McMillan ought to proceed to command a large share of this passing recreation, regardless. He earned a 25% goal share as a rookie and accounted for 43% of Carolina’s air yards. Now I need to see the Panthers make life simpler on him. If Jonathon Brooks can provide them a respectable operating recreation, that ought to create higher alternatives off play motion, and I’d like to see McMillan used extra from the slot to fabricate simpler seems to be. All indications level to Carolina doing precisely that with him within the offense. > and 1,250 yards. At a Spherical 4 value, I’m shopping for the expertise, the amount and the 12 months 2 breakout. — Ray Garvin
Evaluation from one of the best within the enterprise
The Playbook is powered by a few of fantasy soccer's most-trusted analysts: Justin Boone (the top-ranked in-season ranker of 2025), Matt Harmon, Josh Norris, Joel Smyth, Scott Pianowski and Hayden Winks. This isn't one analyst's opinion. It's a consensus of the sharpest minds in fantasy soccer, that includes recommendation you possibly can depend on.
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