As the 2026 NFL season approaches, fantasy football managers are navigating crucial draft decisions across quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end positions. Major fantasy analysts and computer models have released updated rankings, sleepers, and positional tiers to prepare rosters for late-summer drafts.
Josh Allen and Elite Quarterback Strategy for 2026
Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills
As fantasy drafts enter their final stretch before the season opener, quarterback strategies continue to take center stage. Computer modeling and expert rankings consistently place Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills at the very top of the position. Despite recording his fewest passing yards and passing touchdowns over a six-year span last season, Allen secured the overall QB1 finish due to his unmatched rushing floor, highlighted by 41 rushing touchdowns over the last three seasons according to the source. Top Running Back Battles and Injury Impacts
Bijan Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons
The running back landscape at the top of drafts features a clear tier before clarity fades. The source reports that Bijan Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons, Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions, and Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers occupy the consensus top three running back spots and overall draft picks. Robinson led the NFL with 2,298 scrimmage yards last season and enters his campaign under new head coach Kevin Stefanski as detailed by the source.
Meanwhile, backfield changes create ripple effects across depth charts. With David Montgomery moving to Houston, the source notes that Jahmyr Gibbs faces less competition for touches, though Isiah Pacheco is set to miss at least the first four games after landing on injured reserve due to a back injury.
Expert My Guys and Mid-Round Value Targets
Matthew Berry’s My Guys in his fantasy football rankings for 2026
Draft guides from major platforms also highlight targeted breakouts and bounceback candidates. The source outlines Matthew Berry’s preferred targets, which include Kenneth Walker with the Chiefs, Chase Brown with the Bengals, and DeVonta Smith with the Eagles. Among tight ends, Colston Loveland of the Bears emerges as a key target, sitting significantly cheaper in drafts than top peers while operating in an offense designed by Ben Johnson according to the source. Draft kits across Yahoo Sports, ESPN, and Sporting News provide managers with tier-based cheat sheets to navigate injuries and training camp updates as the opening kickoff approaches. The NFL preseason and roster cuts are now in the books, with just eight days remaining before the 2026 NFL season kicks off. With approximately 15 rounds to navigate, there are a lot of tough Fantasy football decisions to make when building a roster. Before crafting your 2026 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2026 Fantasy football positional rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine. Last year, the model accurately predicted Daniel Jones’ huge season in his first year in Indy. It also called Terry McLaurin’s down year, predicted Tetairoa McMillan’s breakout campaign and projected De’Von Achane to be one of Fantasy football’s elite running backs in 2025. The 2026 Yahoo Fantasy Football Draft Kit is being updated daily and we’ll continue to add new content all the way up until the season kicks off. So, whether you’re playing fantasy football for the first time or a seasoned veteran looking to add another title to your trophy case, our draft kit will provide all the rankings, sleepers, fades, positional advice and expert analysis you need to win. You can up your game with a Yahoo Fantasy Ultra subscription, which includes a downloadable 150+ page draft Playbook created by Yahoo Fantasy experts. Whether it’s the Ashton Jeanty injury scare or Josh Jacobs landing on the commissioner’s exempt list, the experts at the source have reacted in real time to make sure their rankings and player tags are as up-to-date as possible. Speaking of player tags, each of our experts has signaled their favorite players—their My Guys—for the season in our fantasy football draft guide. Matthew Berry’s My Guys in his fantasy football rankings for 2026 feature Kenneth Walker as RB for the Chiefs, Chase Brown as RB for the Bengals, DeVonta Smith as WR for the Eagles, Ladd McConkey as WR for the Chargers, and Colston Loveland as TE for the Bears. While DeVonta Smith ultimately took home the title of Matthew Berry’s Ride or Die for 2026, all five are priority targets in this week’s drafts. As always: It’s a great day to be great. You can check out all of Ian’s rankings and content with a premium RotoWire subscription by using code “Ian35” for 35% off. Tier 1 features Josh Allen with a consensus ADP as QB1, recognized as the all-time leader in QB career fantasy points per game.
The source has ranked the top 40 running back options
Behind the obvious top four heading into 2026, the rankings lose some clarity. The source has ranked the top 40 running back options in order for fantasy football draft help, starting with Bijan Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons at the top spot. Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts rounds out the top four in most running back rankings behind Robinson, Gibbs, and McCaffrey.
Worth a look
