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Michael Florio's elite fantasy football targets for RBs and WRs to put up video game numbers and explode in 2026. Which RBs and WRs are league winners?
Every year, there are a handful of fantasy football players who put up video game numbers. At times each season, it feels like if you do not have one of those players, you are not going to win. Everyone is chasing those players who can truly lap the competition at their position, like what Trey McBride did last year or Ja'Marr Chase the year prior.
The goal of all fantasy managers is to find those players and get them on their teams. If we could identify these players with certainty, they would be the first picks in every draft. That is why those who go early in the first round have a higher chance of being one of those players. However, the early rounds are littered with players with this upside.
What does one of these players look like? For a running back, they need volume, but more so, they need to be involved in the passing game and see goal-line work. Receivers need to have a high target share, but it often involves being used downfield and in the red zone. The biggest thing for each position is they likely need to be tied to a good offense that provides scoring chances.
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Fantasy Football Running Backs Who Could Put Up Video Game Numbers
Jahmyr Gibbs does not need much explanation. He led all RBs in fantasy points per opportunity the last two years. That could even improve with the touchdown vulture, David Montgomery, no longer in Detroit. Even though he has scored the most TDs since he entered the NFL, he was outside the top 20 in goal-line carries in 2025.
Gibbs is a constant big-play threat and had a career-high in receptions last year. He is tied to one of the best offenses in football as well. It is very easy to envision him putting up video game numbers, especially since we have seen him do so already.
Bijan Robinson is similar to Gibbs in the sense that he will be a top-2 pick in every draft and needs little explanation here. Last season, Robinson was top three in the NFL in explosive runs (10-plus yards), running back targets, touches per game, red-zone target share, and YAC per catch. He has been a top-3 fantasy running back each of the last two years.
Much like Gibbs, his touchdown vulture is no longer there, meaning we could get even more touchdowns out of Robinson. He is a successful goal-line runner; he just needs the opportunities. Plus, Tua Tagovailoa has thrown to RBs at the second-highest rate in the last two seasons. Robinson easily could be the runaway player in fantasy football this season.
Ashton Jeanty has perhaps the most elite volume share in the NFL. He was the only player in the NFL last year to score every one of his team's rushing touchdowns. He was top two in percentage of a team's carries and rushing yards. He played the fourth-most snaps (78 percent) and saw the second-highest rate of a team's goal-line attempts. He was fourth among backs in red-zone target share, and the list goes on. On top of that, he finished as an RB1 in a league-worst situation.
Flag planting season!
Who outscored CMC? A sneaky Top 12 QB? A new starting RB emerges? pic.twitter.com/HQRGfjrKmu
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) July 16, 2026
Last year, 89 percent of his rushing yards came after contact. Not only did the Raiders go out and improve their offensive line, but they also brought in Klint Kubiak, who showed he can elevate a run game with line concerns last season in Seattle. The Raiders also improved their QB room, or at least the upside it brings. After the top-2 RBs, there is an argument Jeanty brings the highest combination of floor and ceiling at the position.
Christian McCaffrey’s upside is clear. We have already seen him finish as the RB1 three times in his career. There have been numerous seasons where, if you do not have CMC on your roster, your chances of winning go down dramatically. We know the risk as well, but let's focus on the upside here.
McCaffrey has four of the top five scoring RB seasons since he entered the league. He had the highest red-zone target share among all backs last year. No one sees more elite usage when on the field than McCaffrey. It’s a risk-reward pick, but the upside is clear.
Jonathan Taylor has shown us his upside before. He has one overall RB1 finish under his belt and last year looked like the runaway at the position until the Colts offense fell apart. He averaged nearly 24 fantasy PPG with Daniel Jones. That would put him on pace to score over 400 fantasy points, something only McCaffrey did in 2025.
He is extremely explosive, plays an elite snap share, and set new career highs as a receiver last season. We have already seen numerous stretches where he puts up video game numbers. He is extremely safe in the first round.
James Cook III won the rushing title last year and has scored 32 touchdowns in the last two seasons combined. His usage continues to climb, and so have his fantasy points every season. Cook has already dominated on the ground, yet he has never finished as a top-5 fantasy RB. That is due to his declining pass game role.
Last season, he was outside the top 15 among RBs in targets, catches, and receiving yards. The chatter out of camp, though, is that Cook will be featured much more often in the passing game this season. If that were to happen, there is a clear path for Cook to put up video game numbers.
Omarion Hampton is a favorite of mine this year. He was performing like an RB1 last season before getting injured. Plus, the Chargers O-line should be vastly better. The biggest reason I am in, though, is new OC Mike McDaniel. His lead back has finished top five in fantasy in each of the last three seasons.
Plus, McDaniel has dialed up outside zone runs on 61 percent of the plays while he was in Miami (compared to 47 percent for Greg Roman). Hampton averaged 5.5 yards per carry on outside runs, sixth best among all RBs. Hampton should handle goal-line work on an offense that should score plenty of points. If he’s utilized in the passing game, his ceiling is extremely high.
Chase Brown is a dual-threat option who sees goal-line work on one of the best offenses in football. Last season, he was the RB5 from Week 6 on (after moving on from Jake Browning). He scored plus-PPR points in 10 straight games, showing that he has one of the best weekly floors in the game.
What I love most is that he became more used as a receiver down the stretch. He averaged over six targets per game from Week 9 on. A target is 2.5 times more valuable than a carry for backs in PPR. Brown has sneaky overall RB1 upside.
Quick Hits: Saquon Barkley is two years removed from one of the best RB seasons of all time. He is on an offense that should be improved from last year. Kenneth Walker III is extremely explosive and finally in a position to handle three-down work. The upside is clearly there. Derrick Henry has put up monstrous numbers on the ground, but his ceiling has been held back by a lack of pass game usage. Still, the upside in this offense is sky high if he can fight off the age cliff another season.
Dark Horse Options: Cam Skattebo sees elite volume when healthy. He was a top-5 back before getting injured. His play style leads to injury concerns, but he has upside matched by few.
Joined The Insiders to discuss my favorite mid-round RB targets!
One is more in the later rounds than middle but still like drafting him pic.twitter.com/VOnJXEUoIB
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) July 28, 2026
Bhayshul Tuten plays in a system that has produced league winners in three straight years. He is extremely explosive, has been talked up as a short-yardage runner, and has three-down back potential. The upside is sky high.
TreVeyon Henderson averaged over 20 PPR PPG when he had 15 or more touches last year. The explosiveness is evident. He showed to be a reliable goal-line runner down the stretch. If he can see more consistent usage, he has tremendous upside.
Fantasy Football Wide Receivers Who Could Put Up Video Game Numbers
Ja'Marr Chase brings clear video game upside. In fact, we have already seen it when he won the Triple Crown and was the runaway WR1 in 2024. He is the only player with at least 1,400 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons. To no surprise, his numbers remained elite with Joe Burrow, but took a hit without him.
If both Burrow and Chase are able to stay healthy, there is an easy path to him returning to his 2024 form. Especially considering the Bengals could still be in a bunch of back-and-forth high-scoring games due to their defense. The most talented WR in the NFL has the highest ceiling at the position.
Puka Nacua went pure video game mode last year when he averaged over two more PPR PPG than any other receiver. He had the highest scoring game by any receiver last season. He scored the most points in the fantasy playoffs in six seasons. On top of everything, his usage and production have increased every season he’s been in the NFL.
Oh, and the best part? Not much has changed for the Rams offense. It is the same play-caller, QB, and weapons. Nacua is in a clear situation to go off once again.
Amon-Ra St. Brown is the safest WR in fantasy football. Both year-over-year and week-to-week. He has been the WR3 overall in three straight years. Last season, he scored 15-or-more PPR points in 11 games. He had a 42 percent target share in the red zone, by far the highest in the NFL.
The one way he could reach a new level is with some more downfield usage. He is consistently great, but if he ever had a career-year type of jump, he would be the runaway WR1.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba put up video game numbers last year. He recorded 44 percent of his team's receiving yards, the largest individual share since 2013. I am skeptical he can duplicate that success given the change in play-caller, but JSN remains one of the most efficient and talented WRs in the NFL. The ceiling is clearly extremely high.
A.J. Brown is an elite option. Not was, very much so still is. He continued to thrive against man and press coverage last year. He looked like himself later in the season after being hampered by a hamstring injury early on. The biggest area of decline for Brown was on downfield production, but he continued to get open at a high rate.
He is going from Jalen Hurts, who completed 38 percent of deep passes, to Drake Maye, who completed 52 percent of those passes. Brown, who will be the clear focal point of his offense, brings scary upside with an improved deep-ball thrower.
More Flag Plants!
- Brock Bowers breaks fantasy
- Bhayshul Tuten how high?
- AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith both thrive separately
- Jaxson Dart over some big names pic.twitter.com/VCnDslLKm0— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) July 24, 2026
DeVonta Smith has the talent to be a WR1 in the NFL. The issue has been that he has been sharing the field with another target vacuum in Brown. Over the last three years, Smith has averaged seven catches for 87 yards in games he saw nine-plus targets.
He is a great field-stretcher, so big plays will be in his profile. Now, he should see one of the higher target shares in the NFL. If the Eagles offense can return to what it was in prior years, Smith has league-winning upside.
Malik Nabers is one of the most talented receivers in the league. Full disclosure, his injury likely holds him back from reaching video game numbers in 2026, but watch out in 2027! Still, Nabers can put up points in chunks due to his field stretching and red-zone abilities. He has seen one of the highest target shares since entering the NFL. Limited usage may hold him back early on, but he has league-winning upside down the stretch if healthy.
Dark Horse Options:
Emeka Egbuka was the WR6 through Week 7 last year. Then, both he and Baker Mayfield dealt with injuries, which led to one of the highest rates of uncatchable targets in the NFL. Getting to play the Z is huge for him. I believe the real Egbuka is who we saw early on, and if so, the upside with added volume is very high.
Florio’s Flag Plants!
- One Bucs player breaks out and one who busts
- DJ Moore top __ WR?
- Jayden Daniels and Isaiah Likely how high at their positions?Plus, @MikeGarafolo and @RapSheet plant a flag of their own! pic.twitter.com/aLrYyz6zBj
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) July 22, 2026
DJ Moore was the Bears' leading receiver when the ball was held for longer than 2.5 seconds. Josh Allen has never averaged less than 2.9 seconds to throw. Moore also led all their receivers in the playoffs and was often who the ball went to in got-to-have-it situations. He also is a great improviser, which fits Allen’s style. Upside is likely more of a WR1 finish than video game numbers, but given his QB, it cannot be ruled out.
Terry McLaurin was the WR7 with rookie Jayden Daniels. We all know the talent he has, but he could see a career high in targets due to a lack of receiver options on the Commanders. If Daniels stays healthy, McLaurin has WR1 upside.
Luther Burden III has received praise from Bears HC Ben Johnson. He is a great fit in an offense that highly features the slot receiver and relies on catch-and-run ability. Burden posted the second-best yards per route run by a rookie since 2016. He brings a WR1 ceiling as if he is indeed the Bears' No. 1 receiver.
Jaylen Waddle has posted a WR1 season prior to teaming up with Tyreek Hill. I am hesitant to fully trust Sean Payton given all the receiver options he has on the Broncos. However, if Waddle were to see Michael Thomas-like volume and usage, his upside is very high. Like top five high.
Christian Watson has shown us he can play at a very high level. He has exploded for some huge games, but has been held back by both injuries and the Packers' run-heavy style. There has been talk that the Packers want to both throw more and run a faster-paced offense. Their defense may force their hand there this year. With fewer options at receiver, Watson should be an every-snap kind of player. Tied to a very good QB, all he needs is volume. And, well, to stay healthy.
Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio.
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2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players -- Omarion Hampton, Chase Brown, Ashton Jeanty, Chase Brown, Bhayshul Tuten, DeVonta Smith, Luther Burden III, DJ Moore, Jaylen Waddle. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football drafts.
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