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Who should I draft for fantasy football in 2026? Fantasy football outlooks for Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez Jr., Kyle Monangai, Dk Metcalf, Ja'Marr Chase, Caleb Douglas, Rachaad White, Kenny Gainwell, Michael Wilson.
Who Should I Draft? Use this tool to assist you with some common 2026 fantasy football draft decisions regarding players like Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez Jr., Kyle Monangai, DK Metcalf, Ja'Marr Chase, Caleb Douglas, Rachaad White, Kenny Gainwell, and Michael Wilson. 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:
DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf has failed to return ADP value in each of the past two seasons. Most recently, in his first year with the Steelers, he finished as the WR26 after coming off the board around WR20. Heading into 2026 as RotoBaller's WR35, he could still struggle to reverse that trend even at the lowest ADP since his 2019 rookie season.
In 2025, Metcalf was the most persistent deep threat in a passing offense that lived largely in the short to intermediate areas of the field. At 42 years old, Aaron Rodgers ranked dead last among 33 qualified quarterbacks on intended air yards per attempt, finishing 1.6 yards below the league average. With Rodgers back in the fold for his 22nd and final professional season and the Steelers spending the offseason surrounding him with low-ADoT targets such as Michael Pittman Jr. and second-round pick Germie Bernard, there is no reason to expect a more aggressive downfield approach in 2026.
In addition to adding more target competition, a philosophical shift to the Steelers' offense could create further obstacles to Metcalf's fantasy success. With Arthur Smith still running the offense in 2025, only the Baltimore Ravens deployed three-receiver sets at a lower rate, which allowed Metcalf to reach a 33.5% first-read target share. With new head coach Mike McCarthy having last run a Dallas offense operating out of 11-personnel on more than 70% of their 2024 snaps, both Pittman and Bernard are likely to be on the field regularly, earning targets.
Metcalf is still the most naturally talented receiver on the roster, but in an environment not necessarily set up to take advantage of his skill set, he's fallen into the seventh round of 2026 drafts, and even at that range, the upside case is surprisingly difficult to make for a 6'4", 229-pound receiver who has three times topped 1,000 yards in a season.
Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals Ja'Marr Chase was one of the top players in fantasy football last season, catching 125 of 185 targets for 1,412 yards, eight touchdowns, and adding 14 rushing yards on three attempts across 16 games. He owned 30.5% of the team's targets and 34.8% of the team's air yards, but his average depth of target was only 8.3%.
The Bengals offense will be explosive again, and with a defense expected to be at the bottom of the league, it's a recipe for fantasy gold. Key pieces such as wide receiver Tee Higgins and running back Chase Brown are returning in 2026. Chase's fantasy value relies on the health of star quarterback Joe Burrow, who was limited to eight appearances last year due to a toe injury. However, he did have great chemistry with Joe Flacco when he was filling in for Burrow, racking up a whopping 72 targets in over five games.
Flacco is also returning to the Bengals and signed a one-year deal this offseason. With Burrow healthy and Flacco coming back, Chase is set to have another monster season in 2026 and is a top-three pick in fantasy as his Sleeper ADP is currently third overall heading into fantasy football draft season.
Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson enters 2026 as a flex-range target after a productive third season. Wilson played 17 games and started 13 in 2025, catching 78 of 126 targets for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 12.9 yards per reception. He became the first Cardinals wide receiver to top 1,000 receiving yards since DeAndre Hopkins in 2020, and his 15-catch, 185-yard performance against San Francisco in Week 11 showed his ceiling when given volume.
The concern is that much of Wilson's late-season surge came while Marvin Harrison Jr. was dealing with injuries, making it difficult to treat that production as a clean 2026 baseline. Arizona still has star tight end Trey McBride as a dominant target earner, Harrison remains the projected WR1 if healthy, and Kendrick Bourne adds another veteran option from the slot. The Cardinals also moved on from Kyler Murray, with Jacoby Brissett the likely bridge starter, with Gardner Minshew II and rookie Carson Beck also in the room.
Arizona also hired former Rams OC Mike LaFleur to be the team's new head coach. According to LaFleur, Wilson will play "closer to the core" in the Puka Nacua role as the Z receiver in 2026, while Harrison will play the Davante Adams role as the X receiver. Wilson is currently being drafted as the WR34 on Sleeper, while RotoBaller ranks him 78th overall and WR37. That cost is manageable, but Wilson needs steady volume to become more than a volatile WR3 or FLEX option.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is flying under the radar this offseason, which is the polar opposite of the hype he was receiving a year ago. Croskey-Merritt underperformed as a rookie despite rushing for 805 yards and eight touchdowns on 175 carries. That is solid production, especially for the situation Croskey-Merritt was put in.
He was a 7th-round pick who was forced to sit out his final year of college due to an NCAA clerical error regarding his freshman year at Alabama State. Additionally, Croskey-Merritt was forced to be a focal point of the Commanders' offense after Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin battled injuries all season. In 2026, his situation has drastically improved with Daniels healthy, an improved offensive line, and a new offense that favors his running style.
The Commanders did not acquire a big-name running back this offseason, which highlights their faith in Croskey-Merritt to take his game to another level. Croskey-Merritt can take his biggest fantasy jump with his touchdown production. Similar to James Cook's situation in Buffalo, there is no overwhelming red zone threat through the air in the Commanders' offense.
This gives Croskey-Merritt a clear path to hit double-digit touchdowns this season in an offense with lofty expectations. Croskey-Merritt is currently being drafted as an RB4 despite having achievable RB2 upside. After a full season back in football and being in a better offensive ecosystem, Croskey-Merritt is in a better position to live up to those high expectations from last season.
Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
As a member of perhaps the NFL's strangest running back committee with Washington in 2025, Chris Rodriguez Jr. found a way to make enough of an impact to land him a new contract. The former Kentucky tailback was 12th in the NFL in rushing yards after contact per carry (3.46), according to Pro Football Focus, and managed 4.61 scrimmage yards per touch for a Commanders offense that struggled without Jayden Daniels.
Rodriguez Jr.'s free agency ended in hours, as a familiar face, Liam Coen, likely pulled strings to make him a Jaguar after the team lost Travis Etienne to the Saints. The 25-year-old signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Jaguars this offseason. Coen was Rodriguez's offensive coordinator with the Kentucky Wildcats in 2023. With the second-year coach at the controls, it's almost certain the 224-pound thumper will have a role in short-yardage situations, but he'll still have to battle incumbents Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. for overall snaps.
RotoBaller's PPR rankings (57th overall) and Sleeper's ADP in PPR formats (60.4) expect Tuten to lead this backfield. Still, the sophomore struck out on a chance to command a hefty share of an ambiguous backfield a year ago. Plus, an injury could create immense clarity in this situation, and Rodriguez Jr. would be virtually unopposed for rushing work if he's the remaining party. Jacksonville intentionally signed the fourth-year running back to siphon valuable goal-line touches for fantasy football.
Yet, a lack of receiving upside seems to have limited him to being a late-round flier (182.2 ADP) despite a fairly realistic chance to lead the team in carries. Even bullish on Tuten's outlook, RotoBaller's rankings (127th overall) still support selecting Rodriguez Jr. at ADP.
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 - Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez Jr., Kyle Monangai, Dk Metcalf, Ja'Marr Chase, Caleb Douglas, Rachaad White, Kenny Gainwell, Michael Wilson. 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 Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez Jr., Kyle Monangai, Dk Metcalf, Ja'Marr Chase, Caleb Douglas, Rachaad White, Kenny Gainwell, Michael Wilson:
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