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Who should I draft for fantasy football in 2026? Fantasy football outlooks for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Bijan Robinson, Tetairoa McMillan, Michael Pittman Jr., Quinshon Judkins, Matthew Golden, Josh Downs, Kenneth Walker III, Terry McLaurin, Josh Jacobs.
Who Should I Draft? Use this tool to assist you with some common 2026 fantasy football draft decisions regarding players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Bijan Robinson, Tetairoa McMillan, Michael Pittman Jr., Quinshon Judkins, Matthew Golden, Josh Downs, Kenneth Walker III, Terry McLaurin, and Josh Jacobs. We are here to help make these calls and build winning teams in 2026. Draft your optimal fantasy football teams for 2026 with our Who Should I Draft? tool. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to draft... all free!
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Fantasy Football Draft Outlooks
Below are some fantasy football outlooks written by our NFL team here at RotoBaller, bringing you their fantasy football analysis and advice on which players to consider drafting in 2026:
Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (ankle) had an eventful rookie season that, somehow, still left a major imprint in fantasy football. Judkins overcame tribulations stemming from a July arrest related to a domestic violence charge - from which he was cleared - to join Cleveland's backfield in Week 2, and he handled 230 of the Browns' 353 total running back carries despite breaking his leg in Week 15 against the Bills. The team's struggling passing game required Judkins to face a stacked box on a whopping 45.2% of snaps, so his first-glance efficiency metrics don't tell the full story as much as ranking fourth in rushing yards against stacked boxes (356), per NFL's Next Gen Stats.
The 22-year-old underwent surgery in late December to address a dislocated right ankle he suffered in Week 16. Cleveland went to work improving its offensive line and wide receiver corps in both free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft, drafting rookie WRs Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion, and OL Spencer Fano, creating a better situation for Judkins and whichever Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders gets the nod at quarterback.
Likely due to Judkins' positive prognosis for returning to full football activities in June, the Browns did not add a running back despite losing Jerome Ford to Washington in free agency, suggesting the sophomore's monopoly on early-down and goal-line touches should remain, even with a new coach, Todd Monken, calling plays.
The running back's sixth-round ADP (63 overall) on Sleeper could be far too late if the offensive improvements manifest in an opportunity to produce double-digit touchdowns, and his role on passing downs could always increase. Dylan Sampson isn't deemed to be as effective in that role as hoped, and Judkins should be the bellcow in Cleveland's offense as long as he's healthy. RotoBaller has Judkins ranked 56th overall, making him a value pick at his current Sleeper ADP.
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson turned in a stellar 2025 campaign, totaling nearly 2,300 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns. While it may be difficult to envision a significant leap from those numbers, there are still reasons to believe the 24-year-old's best football is ahead of him. Former backfield mate Tyler Allgeier, now a member of the Arizona Cardinals, logged at least 135 carries in each of the past three seasons and scored eight rushing touchdowns in 2025 compared to Robinson's seven.
Atlanta did add veteran running back Brian Robinson Jr. this offseason, but his one-year, $2.5 million contract indicates that he will, at most, occupy the change-of-pace role vacated by Allgeier. Additionally, the Falcons will be led by two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski in 2026. During Stefanski's tenure in Cleveland, Nick Chubb finished as a top-12 fantasy option three times despite offering limited value as a pass-catcher. Robinson's versatile three-down skill set should allow Stefanski to maximize his usage, especially considering the coach's willingness to involve running backs in the passing game.
There's a strong argument for Robinson to be selected first overall in drafts across all formats, so fantasy gamers should be ecstatic whenever they have the opportunity to draft him.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba signed a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension with the Seahawks during the offseason, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. The 24-year-old won Offensive Player of the Year, won a Super Bowl ring, and had great chemistry with quarterback Sam Darnold. JSN caught 119 of 162 targets for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns, while rushing for 36 yards on seven attempts in 17 games in 2025. The 24-year-old owned 35.7% of the team's targets, 106.2 air yards per game, and averaged 4.6 yards after the catch.
What's even more amazing about JSN's season is that the Seahawks ranked 29th in passing attempts last year. Seattle's offense could take a step back as Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III signed with the Chiefs during free agency, and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is now the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. The Seahawks have most of their offense returning with Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, Zach Charbonnet (knee), and the team selected running back Jadarian Price in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
JSN will look to make it back-to-back seasons as one of the top wideouts in fantasy and is currently going fifth overall on Sleeper, which aligns perfectly with his fifth overall ranking at RotoBaller.
Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and was immediately pushed into the WR1 role in the Carolina offense. In his debut campaign, McMillan saw 122 targets and brought in 70 of them for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. His lower reception total gave him a slight boost in half-PPR scoring as he finished as the WR15, compared to the WR16 in PPR leagues.
In the offseason, the Panthers did not make any major additions to the wide receiver room, leaving the Arizona product as the clear WR1, as he will share the field with unproven options such as Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette. While both have shown upside at times, they have yet to operate as a true complement in this offense over a full 17-game season. While his target share should keep his floor stable, McMillan's ceiling could be much higher in his second season.
Down the stretch, his QB, Bryce Young, showed steady progression as he averaged 214 yards per game over his last seven contests, compared to the pedestrian 166 yards per game over the first nine games. Even though McMillan carries a high price tag in relation to his rookie performance (WR15) at an ADP of 33.0 in PPR Sleeper drafts, his massive projected volume and improving quarterback will set him up to contend for a WR1 campaign.
Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs
After being named the MVP of Super Bowl LX while playing for the Seattle Seahawks last season, running back Kenneth Walker III inked a three-year, $43 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. Walker III was a productive player during the 2025 regular season as well, recording 1,309 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns on 252 touches across 17 games. However, his rushing and red zone production were limited by the presence of fellow Seahawks back Zach Charbonnet, who finished the year with 730 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.
In stark contrast, Walker III now profiles as the unencumbered lead back in Kansas City and could have a chance to surpass 17 touches per game for the first time in his NFL career. The quality of the offensive environment around Walker III in Kansas City hinges on the health of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is currently working his way back from the ACL tear that ended his 2025 campaign.
As long as both he and Mahomes stay on the field, Walker III profiles as a solid RB1 with a clear path to posting his most productive fantasy season, as he should be Kansas City's clear workhorse back.
Who Should I Draft - Fantasy Football Tool
Read more about the Who Should I Draft tool here:
2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Bijan Robinson, Tetairoa McMillan, Michael Pittman Jr., Quinshon Judkins, Matthew Golden, Josh Downs, Kenneth Walker III, Terry McLaurin, Josh Jacobs. 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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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.
Improvements For Who Should I Draft? You may have noticed our Who Should I Draft? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your 2026 fantasy football drafts. You'll see NFL player tiles with bye weeks, stats and projections, ADPs, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their preseason fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research, and update it constantly throughout the preseason. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players that are ranked.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
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.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Draft
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Draft tool for 2026 drafts for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Bijan Robinson, Tetairoa McMillan, Michael Pittman Jr., Quinshon Judkins, Matthew Golden, Josh Downs, Kenneth Walker III, Terry McLaurin, Josh Jacobs:
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