In July, Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, and I are all releasing our Fantasy Football Tiers for quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end. To try to make mine a little bit different, my tiers are based almost exclusively on my 2026 projections. I say almost, because at wide receiver I have adjusted Malik Nabers down for injury risk while I move A.J. Brown due to his upside that doesn’t show up in my projections. There are a couple of other tweaks, but for the most part I will tell you below where these guys project and when I would draft them. Let’s jump right in.
Jamey and I discussed our wide receiver tiers with Adam Aizer on the Fantasy Football Today podcast. Check it out:
Tier 1
Ja’Marr Chase
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Puka Nacua
I could have put Chase in his own tier, as he projects a full point per game higher than the other three wide receivers in this tier, but these are the four wide receivers I have projected for more than 18 Fantasy points per game this season. It’s fair to wonder if St. Brown has the same upside as the other guys in this tier, but he may also have the highest floor of the group. He has been a top four wide receiver in full PPR leagues each of the last three seasons. We all have all four of these receivers ranked in our top seven overall and I think they should be the next four picks after Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson have been taken.
Tier 2
CeeDee Lamb
Drake London
Rashee Rice
George Pickens
Justin Jefferson
These receivers project between 15.8 and 17.7 PPR FPPG. London, Rice and Pickens are much closer than that in my projections and are basically interchangeable, if stylistically dissimilar. Pickens was actually better than Lamb in the second half last year, but Lamb had some pretty terrible touchdown luck. Jefferson was in my busts column, but only because he has a first-round ADP, above all the receivers in this tier but Lamb. I project Kyler Murray will be better for him than J.J. McCarthy was, but I don’t believe Murray will provide the volume Jefferson needs to be a Round 1 wide receiver. Rice had another adventurous offseason, but as of mid-July it doesn’t seem like his jail stint will have any impact on his Fantasy availability.
Tier 3
Zay Flowers
Nico Collins
Chris Olave
Tee Higgins
DeVonta Smith
While Tier 2 bleeds from Round 1 to Round 2, Tier 3 wraps up my Round 2 wide receivers. This is a close-knit tier with all five wide receivers projecting within a half a point of 15 PPR FPPG, so feel free to pick your favorite. Higgins, Olave, and Collins all carry at least moderate risk of injury based on their past and I will be watching camp reports closely to see if Olave’s blood clot issues limit him in training camp. Smith is getting a chance to be a WR1 with A.J. Brown sent off to New England, and we absolutely believe Smith has the ability to do just that. If you told me any of these receivers finished top 12 in 2026, I would not be surprised. It may just come down to who stays healthy.
Think I am too high on Zay Flowers? Jacob Gibbs and I did a 20-minute profile of Flowers on Beyond the Box Score. Listen to why we both rank him as a top 12 wide receiver:
Tier 4
Malik Nabers
Luther Burden
Emeka Egbuka
Tetairoa McMillan
A.J. Brown
If you were looking for a low-confidence tier, this would be it. I have these guys projected right around 14 PPR FPPG and I am drafting them in Round 3 but it truly feels like all five could be just about anything. That probably makes more sense with the second-year wide receivers, but it is particularly true with Nabers and Brown. Nabers is coming off a torn ACL and there have been some mixed messages about his availability at the start of the season. Brown has knee concerns of his own, at least if you believe some teams’ evaluations, and he is coming off of a down year. But when he’s right, he’s still one of the best wide receivers in football and the passing environment should be better in New England this year than it was in Philadelphia last year. If you’re looking for a safe pick, it’s probably McMillan, but I also think he has the lowest ceiling in the tier.
Tier 5
Terry McLaurin
Ladd McConkey
Garrett Wilson
DJ Moore
Jaylen Waddle
Davante Adams
These are borderline WR2s that project for between 12.5 and 13.5 PPR FPPG. You should start looking for them in Round 4. McLaurin may be in a higher tier if Stefon Diggs and Keenan Allen sign somewhere else. He has top 12 upside in his current situation but all offseason it has seemed like the Commanders planned on adding someone else. Moore and Waddle have the opportunity to be the No. 1 wide receiver on their own team in their new locations but I am afraid Joe Brady and Courtland Sutton will have something to say about them hitting their target ceiling.
Tier 6
Jameson Williams
DK Metcalf
Brian Thomas Jr.
Parker Washington
Rome Odunze
Marvin Harrison Jr.
Christian Watson
Jordyn Tyson
Courtland Sutton
Alec Pierce
Quentin Johnston
Carnell Tate
Josh Downs
Jordan Addison
Jakobi Meyers
Mike Evans
Welcome to the mega tier. All 16 of these wide receivers project for between 10.7 and 12 PPR FPPG. Well, that’s not exactly true. I expect Evans and Watson to score more than that, but I am not confident they will still be healthy when they are needed most. There is something for everyone in this tier, from high aDOT wide receivers like Evans, Harrison, and Pierce to short area specialists like Downs and Meyers. One of these Jaguars wide receivers is probably too low and we’ll be scouring training camp reports to try to discern which one. The same goes for the Colts in this tier, though it could be that Tyler Warren is the leading target earner and Pierce and Downs are both WR3s.
Tier 7
Chris Godwin
Xavier Worthy
Michael Pittman
Khalil Shakir
Tre Tucker
Michael Wilson
Makai Lemon
Antonio Williams
Romeo Doubs
Ricky Pearsall
These are my 10 FPPG wide receivers; I thought they would do it in a variety of ways. Chris Godwin is the most expensive in drafts, and I could be too low on him, but I am skeptical of yet another offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay and I am a little concerned Godwin has had one too many injuries. If you prefer Jalen Nailor as the Raiders‘ WR1, you could rank him here, but I am more excited by Tucker. Williams currently looks like the Commanders’ WR2, but that could change at any moment. I wouldn’t draft anyone in this tier before Round 8.
Tier 8
Malik Washington
Jayden Reed
Wan’Dale Robinson
Tank Dell
KC Concepcion
Keon Coleman
Denzel Boston
Matthew Golden
Remember, these tiers are based on projections, not ranking. Someone has to lead the Dolphins wide receivers in catches, and right now I am projecting that to be Washington. But I am more excited to draft the young guys like Dell, Concepcion, Boston, and Golden. Golden in particular should have a huge opportunity with Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks gone, but there have been very few wide receivers as unproductive as he was as a rookie who turn into Fantasy difference makers.
Tier 9
Stefon Diggs
Deebo Samuel
Keenan Allen
Old dudes with no team or projection as of mid-July. I am most excited about Diggs, pending landing spot. I am not drafting any of these guys in the single-digit rounds. I am not sure that will change when they sign.
Tier 10
Adonai Mitchell
Jalen Coker
Jayden Higgins
Omar Cooper
Caleb Douglas
Chris Bell
Jalen Nailor
They’re behind the old guys with no teams or projections. You do the math. I will say, if you have IR spots in your league, I would like to add Chris Bell in the final round of your draft. He’s coming off a torn ACL and may not be himself until mid-season, but if he hadn’t suffered that injury, he may have been a first-round pick in the NFL Draft and rookie drafts. He could be the Dolphins best receiver in the second half and perhaps a boom-bust flex in Fantasy.
