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Craig Rondinone's five fantasy football wide receivers who could dethrone Ja'Marr Chase as the dynasty WR1 in 2026. His list includes Justin Jefferson, Puka Nacua, and more.
Cincinnati Bengals top target Ja'Marr Chase is the No. 1-ranked wide receiver in dynasty fantasy football leagues heading into the upcoming NFL season. Case closed.
And why shouldn’t Chase be numero uno? In the last two seasons, he has racked up 252 receptions for 3,120 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns. He led the league in targets in 2024 and 2025. He is only 26 years old, and he has franchise superstar Joe Burrow tossing pinpoint passes to him. Plus, Chase has only missed a handful of games over his five years in the NFL.
Yet with all this on the back of Chase’s football card, he could be kicked out of the catbird seat in 2026. There are plenty of talented wide receivers who could put up better numbers this season (and possibly did last season) and usurp Chase from being fantasy football’s top dynasty receiver. Here is a look at five prime candidates.
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Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Remember this guy? It was not so long ago that Justin Jefferson was thought of as the No. 1 man at the receiver position in fantasy football. He averaged 1,600 yards a year during his first three professional seasons and topped the 1,400-yard mark in four of his first five campaigns.
Jefferson was on the verge of being the most productive receiver of all time with the way he jumped out of the gates. Then Jefferson had to deal with J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer throwing dying quails at him last year, and his fantasy value tumbled like an Olympic gymnast.
Jefferson posted 84 receptions for 1,048 yards and two touchdowns last year, which was the worst of his sterling six-year career. Jefferson was one of the most disappointing players in fantasy football despite still cracking the 1,000-yard plateau. His past successes should not be dismissed, though. That would be as foolish as letting Sam Darnold go because you thought McCarthy could be a better quarterback.
I am proud to say I bought a box of Jefferson’s cereal this offseason, and even though it was purchased at the Dollar Tree, it tasted better than Count Chocula. I am also here to say Jefferson will bounce back big time if newly signed Kyler Murray is running Minnesota’s offense, or if an improved McCarthy is. He can definitely reclaim his throne as the king of fantasy football receivers in dynasty leagues in 2026.
Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
Puka Nacua has everything lined up for him to be the WR1 in dynasty leagues in 2026 and beyond. He is coming off a superb season in which he led all receivers with 129 catches, ranked second with 1,715 receiving yards, and tied for third with 10 touchdowns.
The kid is 25 years old, has offensive genius Sean McVay drawing up plays to get him open, and has future Hall of Famer Matthew Stafford rifling perfect passes into his bread basket. There is no doubt that when Nacua has his head on straight and stays out of nightclubs and away from social media influencers, he is arguably the most unstoppable receiver in the NFL.
Nacua went to rehab this offseason to straighten up. If that was a wake-up call and he embraces a quieter life with nerdier friends (maybe less partying, more Dungeons and Dragons?), he should be ready to repeat his 2025 numbers in 2026.
Nacua bested Chase in receptions, yards, and touchdowns last season despite Chase being targeted 19 more times. As long as Nacua stays on the straight and narrow path, there is no reason to think he cannot do it again. That, and being younger, would propel Nacua to being the WR1 in dynasty rankings.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
Not much more could have gone right for Jaxon Smith-Njigba during his magical and historic 2025 campaign. The young superstud topped all receivers with 1,793 receiving yards on 119 receptions while scoring 10 touchdowns. He turned a journeyman quarterback (Darnold) into a fantasy force and helped Seattle win the Super Bowl.
Smith-Njigba now has to prove he has what it takes for an encore. The good news is Seattle did not upgrade its receiver room, so Smith-Njigba will get 90 percent of Darnold’s targets while Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, and tight end AJ Barner again fight for the scraps left over.
Smith-Njigba showed he can catch double-digit passes per game, whether double-teamed, triple-teamed, or covered by a lockdown Pro Bowl corner. He is unstoppable. His role in Seattle’s offense will not change. He will be the centerpiece of the offense, not just the passing attack, especially since Super Bowl hero running back Kenneth Walker III took his talents to Kansas City, and the running game might take a step back.
Considering he’s 24 and his fantasy value has risen faster than the stock of a hot technology company, Smith-Njigba might be the odds-on favorite to toss Chase out of the WR1 spot in dynasty rankings. He just needs Darnold not to revert to the version who was a disaster during his New York Jets days.
JSN across the field for six 🙌
SEAvsATL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/syCku8iLc5
— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2025
Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
How did this guy get here? Did Craig get too much of a food high because he wrote this article right after spending two hours at a Taco Tuesday? No, I truly believe Garrett Wilson is a dark horse to finish as the top receiver in fantasy football when the 2026 season concludes. Now feel free to take my temperature.
Wilson stacks fantasy points for his managers when he is being peppered with passes, and it does not matter how marginal the quarterback throwing to him is. He was able to amass 33 receptions for 382 yards and four touchdowns in the first five games of last season with Justin Fields throwing to him, around him, over him, and under him.
Wilson also started his career with three consecutive 1,000-yard years despite being stuck with quarterbacks like Zach Wilson, Mike White, Trevor Siemian, Tim Boyle, Tyrod Taylor, and veteran Aaron Rodgers.
The Jets loaded up with young pass-catchers in the early rounds of the past two drafts, but that should help Wilson get open more often and not take too much from his target share. He has never had 1,200 yards or 10 touchdowns in a season, but as he turns 26 in July and finally has a decent QB in Geno Smith, Wilson is a super sleeper to end up being the WR1 in dynasty by season’s end.
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
CeeDee Lamb was easier to like in fantasy when the likes of Michael Gallup, Noah Brown, and Brandin Cooks were the WR2 or WR3 lined up outside with him.
Lamb got more attention from quarterback Dak Prescott. When Lamb tattooed secondaries for 135 receptions, 1,749 yards, and a dozen scores in 2023, it looked like he would be the perennial WR1 in fantasy football for a long while.
Lamb’s 2025 season was underwhelming, though, due to missing three games with an injury and having to split targets with another talented receiver, George Pickens. When both receivers were on the field, Pickens was more productive. Meanwhile, Lamb had a career-low three touchdowns and finished with his lowest receptions-per-game average since 2021.
Lamb and Pickens will have to find a way to share Prescott’s passes again since Pickens was not traded in the offseason. Pickens should be fine with the arrangement. He set career highs across the board last year with 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine TDs.
But Lamb is ready to re-establish himself as the top wrangler in Dallas’ passing attack, and Prescott is going to want to keep his main man fed with plenty of passes.
These Ceedee Lamb catches... whew 😮💨@dallascowboys | @_CeeDeeThree pic.twitter.com/YVG4WQUFqp
— NFL (@NFL) June 8, 2024
Lamb could definitely turn back the clock and repeat his 2023 performance. Any of the super-skilled pass-catchers in this piece could unseat Chase as the best receiver to roster in dynasty fantasy football leagues. Only time will tell.
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