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Rob's must-draft fantasy football wide receivers and potential league-winners for 2026. His undervalued WRs and value picks with upside, including Jordan Addison.
This is the final entry into this three-part series. You can read the first entry here and the second entry here. One thing you'll notice if you've read them both is that we're continuing to move down the receiver rankings in terms of ADP. By doing so, your chances of finding a "league-winner" decrease.
That's okay; we don't need a league-winner with all of our picks, as awesome as that would be. Two of these receivers have the potential to break into that mold, while the other two are more likely to provide a strong return on your investment, even if that doesn't necessarily translate to being a true league-winner.
In the later rounds, like where these receivers are drafted, fantasy managers should be thrilled when our selected players outplay their pre-rankings. That's what these receivers can do for you despite being mid-to-late round picks. As a reminder, please use promo code "BOOM" at checkout for 10% off any premium purchase.
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Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars
While most of the fantasy community has their heels dug in on one of these two players - either Team Thomas or Team Washington - I'm of the mind that fantasy managers should be incredibly open to the idea of selecting either one. While I have a preference and we'll get to that, both of these players have displayed elite upside at a fraction of their cost.
Let's start with Thomas because he may be the tougher sell. There's no denying that 2025 was a down season for him after his electric rookie season, but there were several events that may have played a role in that.
For starters, his close friend, Kyren Lacy, committed suicide in April, just a few months before the start of the season. As much as we look at these players as machines who are nothing but football, they're people, just like you or me. Such a traumatic incident could easily and quite understandably have had an impact.
On top of that, he was trying to play through what head coach Liam Coen called a "nagging" wrist injury. We'll never know just how much either of these factors impacted Thomas, but it'd be silly to assume that they didn't play a role. The question is how much, and can he bounce back?
Betting on a player of Thomas's caliber, especially one who had the kind of rookie season he did, would seem like a good bet. Luckily, for fantasy managers, the bet is relatively low-cost. You can draft him at WR31 in the sixth round.
#Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. didn't have the 2025 season many envisioned.
"Something was wrong. I don't know if we'll actually ever know what it was."
But...
"Ever since OTAs, minicamp, and now training camp, he looks like a completely different wide receiver. He looks better… https://t.co/xNY6apoRFL pic.twitter.com/h0Akg2sGvG
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 5, 2026
"He looks better than he did in his rookie season." That's a pretty big statement considering Thomas was one of the best receivers in the NFL that year, but what if it's true? It seems foolish to think this former first-round talent who had one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory just forgot how to play football, so let's talk about what he did as a rookie.
- 1,522 Air Yards (11th out of 85 receivers with at least 50 targets)
- 7.6 Targets Per Game (21st)
- 23.6% Target Share (19th)
- 26% Target Rate (19th)
- 75.4 Yards Per Game (10th)
- 2.56 Yards Per Route Run (10th)
- 9.94 Yards Per Target (13th)
- 14.74 Yards Per Reception (18th)
- 6.57 Yards After the Catch Per Reception (10th)
- 0.48 Fantasy Points Per Route Run (19th)
- 14.1 Half-PPR PPG (11th)
The argument for Thomas is simple - 2024 is the more accurate indicator of who he is as a player than 2025. It really is that simple. The Jaguars certainly seem to believe that too. As loud as the drum beat has been for Washington, it's been loud for Thomas too, which is why I'm recommending buying both.
Jaguars:
*Brian Thomas a 'different dude' in '26. 'When BT's hooping, it changes our season.'
*The Travis Hunter offensive packages
*Coen-Gladstone eye sustained success
*Jax's plans for a 'dirty' running game
*Anton Harrison has star potential
*Jarrian Jones balling… pic.twitter.com/88rlHLDBki— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 4, 2026
The Washington hive will be quick to point out that most of Thomas's 2024 production came with Mac Jones under center rather than Trevor Lawrence. They'll also point out that offensive coordinator Press Taylor called the plays because Coen was still with Tampa Bay. Both things are true.
While Coen has a long history of getting the most out of his slot receivers, Mike Evans averaged 7.9 targets, 5.3 catches, 71.7 yards, and 0.79 touchdowns per game with Coen calling the shots. Those numbers come out to 134 targets, 90 receptions, 1,219 yards, and 13 touchdowns.
Now, that was also the season Chris Godwin went absolutely bonkers en route to a WR2 finish in half-PPR PPG in seven games before a dislocated ankle ended his season. Coen's history with slot receivers is well-documented.
In 2022, he was the offensive coordinator for the Rams when Cooper Kupp had 98 targets, 75 catches, 812 yards, and 6 touchdowns in nine games before his season ended with a high ankle sprain. Back in 2021, when Coen was the offensive coordinator for the Kentucky Wildcats, Wan'Dale Robinson had 104 catches, 1,334 yards, and seven touchdowns. It's not just Coen, either, who favors the slot receiver.
Trevor Lawrence Slot %
- 2025: 30%
- 2024: 35%
- 2023: 37%
- 2022: 35%
- 2021: 33%League avg in that span in 30%. Lawrence clearly throws to slot at a high rate, but first year with Liam Coen was a career low
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) August 4, 2026
Lawrence has targeted his slot receivers at a top-5 rate for five straight years. Christian Kirk had a career year in Jacksonville. The same goes for Evan Engram. Washington was well on his way in the second half of last season to doing the same. This is one of the biggest things working in Washington's favor.
“[Parker] Washington has routinely been the top target for Trevor Lawrence during camp, and it’s easy to see why. He is catching everything thrown his direction and it seems like he is getting consistent separation regardless of which CB the Jags place in front of him on the rep” https://t.co/0ZV4JYb9Fw
— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) August 2, 2026
It's just impossible to ignore the kind of production Washington put on display late last season. Consider this: in 25 games with Lawrence, Thomas has one 100-yard game and just two games with more than five receptions. In Washington's last five games with Lawrence last year, Washington had three 100-yard games and three games with five receptions.
From Week 7 through the Wild Card round, Washington averaged 7.0 targets, 4.7 receptions, 72.6 yards, and 0.45 touchdowns per game. Over 17 games, that would come out to 119 targets, 80 catches, 1,234 yards, and 8 touchdowns. During this 11-game stretch, Jakobi Meyers played in all 11 games with Washington, but Thomas missed two and Brenton Strange missed three.
In the final five games of the season, including their Wild Card loss, all four players - Washington, Thomas, Meyers, and Strange - were active. During this stretch, Thomas, Washington, and Strange all ran between 135 (Strange) and 147 (Thomas) routes. Washington was at 145 while Meyers was at 174. However, it was Washington who was the undisputed top receiver.
| Air Yard Share | Targets Per Game | Target Share | Target Rate | Yards Per Game | YPRR | Half-PPR PPG | |
| Washington | 37.8% | 8.4 | 25.1% | 30% | 101.4 | 3.65 | 16.6 |
| Thomas | 23.0% | 4.4 | 13.2% | 15% | 38.6 | 1.31 | 7.9 |
| Meyer | 22.4% | 6.6 | 19.8% | 19% | 42.2 | 1.21 | 6.1 |
| Strange | 10.0% | 4.8 | 14.4% | 18% | 36 | 1.33 | 7.7 |
You might be wondering what took Washington so long to produce like this. In 2023, he was a rookie. Calvin Ridley, Kirk, Engram, and Travis Etienne Jr. all had more than 70 targets. Ridley and Engram both had more than 135. Sometimes, it takes a coaching change to elevate a player's talent. From 2023-2024, Doug Pederson and Press Taylor called the shots offensively.
Last season was the first Coen was in charge, and much like Luther Burden III, we saw a massive surge in route involvement for Washington. In Weeks 1-6, Washington's route share was at 40.3%. For the final 11 games, it was at 75.4%. Look at where Washington's stats from that second-half stretch would've ranked among the 76 receivers who had at least 50 targets last year:
- 7.0 Targets Per Game (21st)
- 25% Target Rate (19th)
- 72.6 Yards Per Game (10th)
- 2.59 Yards Per Route Run (8th)
- 15.37 Yards Per Reception (Fifth)
- 0.110 First Downs Per Route Run (15th)
- 0.44 Fantasy Points Per Route Run (Ninth)
- 12.4 Half-PPR PPG (11th)
Both of these players have the talent to significantly outplay their current ADP and positional rankings. We saw Washington do it during the second half of last season, and we saw Thomas do it in 2024. Betting on either player, given their cost, is a sound strategy.
Notes and unofficial stats from the Jaguars' Teal & White mock game (Teal won 19-12):
QB Trevor Lawrence was 15 of 29 passes for 212 yards and 3 TDs. Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., and LeQuint Allen had TD catches. Washington had six catches for 118 yards and TD.
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) August 7, 2026
If forced to choose, however, the answer appears to be Washington because of Coen's and Lawrence's historical use of the slot receiver position. Most of Thomas's production came with Doug Pederson and Mac Jones, whereas Coen and Lawrence unlocked Washington.
Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
Addison is routinely ranked in the mid-40's for receivers and can be drafted in the ninth round. This is despite the fact that in 2023, his rookie season, Addison finished as the WR27 with an 11.0 half-PPR PPG. Then, in 2024, Addison was WR21, averaging 12.1 half-PPR PPG.
Last season was the year of J.J. McCarthy, and while Justin Jefferson is seemingly getting a pass for his down season, Addison is getting nothing of the sort. One reason is that Addison isn't Jefferson. Another may be that Addison was suspended for 2025 for reckless driving.
Addison was the WR46 last year, just barely behind his incredibly discounted 2026 price. This makes him such an easy selection so late in your drafts, considering that in his first two seasons, when his quarterback was adequate, he was a top-30 receiver and trending up.
We saw some of this last season when Carson Wentz was under center for the Vikings. He started from Weeks 3-8, which included a bye week. With Addison's suspension, Addison played four games with Wentz. In those contests, this is what Addison did:
- 33.7% Air Yard Share
- 7.30 Targets Per Game
- 5.25 Receptions Per Game
- 77.25 Yards Per Game
- 0.50 Touchdowns Per Game
- 2.09 YPRR
- 14.71 Yards Per Reception
- 0.36 Fantasy Points Per Route Run
- 13.4 Half-PPR PPG
All of these numbers represent a top-20 receiver. His per-game stats over 17 games would result in 124 targets, 89 receptions, 1,313 yards, and 8 touchdowns. In 36 career games that were not started by either McCarthy or Max Brosmer, Addison averaged 11.7 half-PPR PPG. That would've been the WR17 last season.
#Vikings QB Kyler Murray and WR Jordan Addison have been working out together for the past 2 months in Dallas.
Both players reported to Minnesota early this week to prepare for the start of training camp, with hopes of a big year ahead 🚀 pic.twitter.com/HWQ9HfrtoY
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 24, 2026
By all accounts, Kyler Murray will be the starting quarterback for the Vikings this season, and on top of that, we know that Murray and Addison have been working out privately. Addison won't be a top-12 receiver, not with a healthy Jefferson, but given his price tag, there is plenty of upside for fantasy managers to get a really solid return on investment.
Stefon Diggs, Washington Commanders
Diggs' ADP has changed mightily since signing in Washington, but it's still not enough, currently sitting at WR43. He's available in the 10th round. That will certainly increase, but how much? It seems very reasonable to assume that Diggs is going to continue to be a bargain and someone who will easily outplay his preseason ranking.
- 2016 - WR17 (11.7 half-PPR PPG)
- 2017 - WR13 (11.9)
- 2018 - WR11 (14.4)
- 2019 - WR25 (12.0)
- 2020 - WR3 (16.6)
- 2021 - WR9 (13.8)
- 2022 - WR5 (15.7)
- 2023 - WR15 (13.0)
- 2024 - WR19 (12.3)
- 2025 - WR28 (10.0)
The dude is really good at football. You have to go back to 2015, the last time he didn't finish in the top 30 for half-PPR PPG. While you may look at 2025 and see that it was his worst finish in recent memory, context can begin to explain why.
In 2024, Diggs played with arguably the worst quarterback of his career in C.J. Stroud. He still managed a top-20 season but tore his ACL, causing him to miss the rest of the season. In 2025, he signed with the Patriots, but was under load management. He logged just 55% of the snaps and had a route share of just 65%.
In 2024, Diggs had a 79% route share. Fantasy managers should expect his snap and route share to climb in 2026 now that he's with the Commanders. Their depth chart will require it. It's Terry McLaurin, Diggs, and then an assortment of rookies, journeymen, and ineffective veterans. Diggs should be viewed as a lock to finish as one of the top two targets.
Despite Diggs being on another new team in 2025 and coming off a torn ACL, he was still incredibly effective for the Patriots. That should give fantasy managers a great deal of optimism as we look to 2026, now that he's a full year removed from the injury. Just look at where he ranked in several key efficiency metrics last year among 76 receivers with at least 50 targets:
- 65.4% Route Share (56th)
- 19.9% Target Share (28th)
- 25% Target Rate (19th)
- 59.6 Yards Per Game (19th)
- 2.54 Yards Per Route Run (Eighth)
- 10.13 Yards Per Target (10th)
- 0.16 Missed Tackles Forced Per Reception (19th)
- 0.127 First Downs Per Route Run (Eighth)
- 0.42 Fantasy Points Per Route Run (11th)
- 10.0 Half-PPR PPG (27th)
Last year, Washington attempted 525 passes. If we assume Diggs runs a route on just 72% of those, not quite to his 2024 levels, but higher than last season, he'd finish with 378 routes. If he maintains his last year's efficiency of 2.54 yards per route run, he'd finish with 960 yards.
Deebo Samuel ran a high percentage of his routes in the slot with the Commanders. That’s where Stefon Diggs was deployed with the Patriots last season.
Diggs flashed an above-average Average Separation Score, yards per route run (2.71), and a high-end 27% route win rate against… https://t.co/nnDFdvcAob pic.twitter.com/K4vVL0aCOk
— Corbin (@corbin_young21) August 5, 2026
Diggs won't be a league-winner in the sense that he'll finish top-12, but he's someone who can vastly out-play his current ranking and provide significant value. Don't be surprised if Diggs does to McLaurin what Keenan Allen did to Ladd McConkey last season.
In terms of age and recent production, there isn't a good argument that Diggs isn't viewed in the same manner as Evans, but their rankings could not be any more different. Fantasy managers can easily capitalize on this and draft a WR3 with WR2 upside in the 13th round.
Who Should I Draft Fantasy Football Tool
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2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, Jordan Addison, Stefon Diggs. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football drafts.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Draft? button to see who the recommended draft picks are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
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Popular Draft Searches. Curious to see some tough draft decisions for 2026? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Draft? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
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