The #1 Overall Wide Receiver for 2026 Fantasy Football - Six Candidates for WR1

February 12, 2026

Who will finish as the #1 overall fantasy football wide receiver in 2026? Andy discusses six sneaky breakout wide receiver candidates to finish as WR1 in 2026.

With the 2025 NFL season officially in the books with the conclusion of Super Bowl LX, it's time to put our eyes toward 2026. This season, the wide receiver position was not as consistent as it has been in years past, but it still featured some of the league's top assets.

The overall WR1 in Puka Nacua was a fantasy cheat code and almost guaranteed you a playoff spot if you selected him at the back end of the opening round. Additionally, Seattle WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba was one of the best values at his Round 3 ADP. Now, it is time to look into our crystal ball and project the WR1 for the 2026 season.

However, a small disclaimer, we will not view Smith-Njigba and Ja'Marr Chase (last year's WR2 and WR3 based on PPR PPG) as potential candidates since they are the "obvious candidates" to take the title from Nacua. Instead, let's dig deeper and find the 2026 WR1. Be sure to also check out our #1 overall running back candidates for RB1 in 2026!

Drake London, Atlanta Falcons

Drake London turned in a massive Year 3 breakout in 2024. With Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. under center, London would bring in 100 receptions, 1,271 yards, and nine touchdowns. He would finish the season as the WR5 in total fantasy points and the WR14 in FPTS/G. However, his 2025 campaign would not be as dominant.

This past season, London caught just 68 passes for 919 yards and seven touchdowns. While his TD total remained high, London caught nearly 30 fewer passes due to the inconsistencies at the QB position and, more importantly, his injuries.

Despite the missed time, a look under the hood suggests London may have flirted with another WR1 campaign if he stayed on the field. In 2024, London averaged 9.3 targets per game with 16.5 PPR points per game. This past season, London saw 9.3 targets per game with an even higher 16.8 PPR points per game.

With the Falcons hiring offensive-minded head coach Kevin Stefanski to lead the offense, and the potential to see some improved QB play from either Penix or a free-agent acquisition, London should be poised to not only return to his top-5 WR pedigree, but make a strong push for the positional crown.

Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs

Rashee Rice was on pace to finish as nearly the overall WR1 in 2024 before suffering a torn LCL in Week 4. Over his first three games of the season, Rice would tally 21.6 PPR points per game, which would have placed him second at the position, trailing only Chase.

While he had a delayed start to the 2025 campaign, Rice picked up right where he left off. From Week 7 through Week 15 (the eight games he played in), Rice totaled 18.5 PPR points per game, which placed him fifth at the position. However, over his last two games, he totaled just 8.5 PPR points, which significantly hindered his output.

Even though his QB, Patrick Mahomes, may have a slight delay in the 2026 season while recovering from a torn ACL, Rice has the overall WR1 in his outcome, given his dominance on a per-game basis.

Rashee Rice has another touchdown

LVvsKC on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/y0dUWnaeLz

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

The team's No. 2 WR, Xavier Worthy, took a significant step back in his development in his second season and may only be a primary deep threat going forward. Additionally, Travis Kelce is considering retirement, which would open up even more targets for Rice.

Rice was targeted on an elite 27.7% of his routes, which placed him in the 95th percentile among WRs. His floor is one of the safest at the position, but his ceiling is just as high, given his red-zone usage. Rice placed sixth at the WR position in red-zone targets, despite only playing in eight games.

Over a full 17-game season, Rice has a clearer path than most to claim the WR1 throne.

Malik Nabers, New York Giants

The next WR on our list will have his WR1 outcome determined in training camp. Nabers suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee in Week 4 of the 2025 season, but he appears to be trending in the right direction. Per recent reports, Nabers could be fully cleared at the start of springtime workouts, which will set him up to be a full-go for Week 1.

Malik Nabers Says his Rehab has Been "Phenomenal"https://t.co/EjTzEZVUt9

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) February 6, 2026

However, any minor setback can derail his season.

As a rookie, Nabers emerged as a legit WR1 despite having some of the worst QB play in the sport. In 2024, Nabers saw the second-most targets in the sport, trailing only Chase, and tallied an elite 18.2 PPR points per game, placing him seventh among all WRs.

In 2025, Nabers had quiet showings in Weeks 1 and 3, but flashed his elite ceiling in Week 2 when he caught nine of his 13 targets for 167 yards and two touchdowns.

With Jaxson Dart now the team's QB, the Giants offense looks more formidable than it has in almost a decade. From Week 6 through Week 17, Wan'Dale Robinson was a solid WR2 in PPR scoring, further suggesting how immense Nabers' ceiling could be in 2026 in this same environment.

While his early-season health could be a concern, on a points-per-game basis, Nabers may make a strong case for the title.

Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers

While McConkey's path to the "overall WR1" is quite difficult when looking at his competition, he has a viable path to being a legit top-5 option, which will earn a spot on our list.

After totaling just 10.4 PPR points per game over his first six games in his debut campaign back in 2024, McConkey would emerge as a low-end WR1 (11th-most PPR points per game) over the last half of the season, as he tallied 18.0 PPR points per game with 87.7 yards per game and five touchdowns.

He had high expectations heading into his Year 2 NFL campaign, but was one of the biggest busts at the position, along with Jefferson.

McConkey would finish as the WR30 in total fantasy points and bring in only 66 receptions for 789 yards, a stark drop from the 1,149 yards he tallied as a rookie. The former Georgia Bulldog faced stiff competition for targets as Quentin Johnston emerged as a reliable option and Keenan Allen took on a surprisingly prominent role in the slot.

Ladd McConkey has the first touchdown of the game!

PITvsLAC on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/ah5aQbgF74

— NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2025

However, with Mike McDaniel taking over OC duties, this Chargers offense could be much more effective in 2026. McDaniel's Miami offense averaged fewer points over the last two seasons, but it ranked 11th in the league in 2022 and second in 2023.

Tyreek Hill turned in multiple high-end seasons in this scheme, and Jaylen Waddle averaged a strong 14.1 PPR points per game (from Week 2 through Week 14) despite having subpar QB play.

McConkey was a WR1 for most of his rookie season. With Allen headed to free agency, McConkey has a path not only to return to his low-end WR1 level of production but also to take on an even higher target share in an improved scheme. The 24-year-old is set up well for a significant bounce-back campaign and could very well finish as a top-5 WR.

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

One of the most disappointing players in 2025 fantasy football was Justin Jefferson. After being a WR1 throughout the first five seasons of his career, the former LSU standout finished as the overall WR21 in total PPR points and the WR30 in FPTS/G.

The 26-year-old proved he was QB-proof, winning fantasy leagues and catching passes from a mix of Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, and numerous backup QBs. However, with J.J. McCarthy under center for most of the season, Jefferson was unable to find his footing.

Over the first five weeks, Jefferson averaged an elite 16.1 PPR points per game but would become a lineup landmine over the remainder of the season, tallying just 10.1 PPR points per game from Week 7 through Week 18.

Despite seeing 8.3 targets per game over this stretch, Jefferson would only catch 4.6 passes per game and find the back of the end zone once. While managers often considered benching Jefferson at many points in the season, he should be trusted heading into 2026.

In Week 18, Jefferson showed some growth with McCarthy as he brought in eight of his 11 targets for 101 yards, the most he had in a single game with McCarthy as the starting QB.

While a full offseason will only help this duo, there are significant rumblings about the Vikings looking to address the QB position in the offseason. If they were to add a Kyler Murray or Jacoby Brissett, Jefferson's floor and ceiling would be significantly higher.

He has been an elite top-3 WR for most of his career. With improved QB play, expect a resurgent campaign from the 26-year-old next fall.

CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

Let's end with the obvious candidate. Since finishing as the WR1 back in 2023, CeeDee Lamb has fallen short of preseason expectations. In 2024, Lamb would tally the eighth-most total points at the position and finish eighth in overall FPTS/G in PPR scoring. However, his upside was limited this past season with Dak Prescott missing nearly half the campaign.

In 2025, the Dallas offense was one of the best in the sport, but Lamb was unable to emerge as the legit WR1 on the offense, as he shared targets with George Pickens, who turned in a breakout season. Lamb would play in 14 games (missed three games due to an ankle injury) and would total the 12th-most FPTS/G and the 22nd total points at the position.

He caught just 75 passes, which was the lowest mark since his rookie campaign. Additionally, his catches marked the first time since 2021 that he fell under the century mark in that statistic.

He also scored only three touchdowns, the lowest of his career. His touchdown count is surprisingly low, given the fact that Prescott finished fourth among QBs in passing scores. Lamb should see a significant positive regression in this department in 2026.

DEEEEP TO CEEDEE 🎯

📺: #WASvsDAL on FOX
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/RmDxAeCG4M pic.twitter.com/KMAqknMDym

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 19, 2025

However, with Pickens' long-term future with the club unclear, Lamb may not only reclaim full WR1 duties but also return to his 2023 status.

According to reports by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Cowboys could look to sign Pickens to the franchise tag, but then opt to trade him to open cap space. While the likelihood is that Pickens returns to Dallas in 2026, there is a chance he leaves, which would provide a massive boost to Lamb's outlook.

Even if Pickens returns, Lamb would still hold mid-end WR1 upside in this offense that will continue to play from behind due to the below-average defense. If Pickens were to play elsewhere, Lamb would quickly shift from "dark-horse" WR1 to "likely" WR1.

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