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Jackson's college fantasy football draft targets and league-winning picks for 2026. His top CFB breakout candidates include Kamario Taylor, Tanook Hines, and more.
Fantasy college football draft season is here, and it's time to build those winning lineups! College football depth charts and roles are in flux every preseason, and making moves on the waiver wire will be critical for chasing a championship. However, nailing your early-round picks is key to giving your team the highest ceiling possible. In this article, we'll highlight three running backs, three wide receivers, and one quarterback you should be targeting in your upcoming Yahoo CFB fantasy draft.
Keep in mind that Yahoo leagues only include the 67 Power 4 (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC) teams plus Notre Dame. We won't discuss players who are consensus top-5 at their position, but we also aren't going to go too deep into the weeds. Again, college fantasy drafts will be about smashing your early picks with studs and working the waiver wire to fill in the gaps later on. That said, these picks all present value, meaning they could smash their cost in drafts.
Read on to see why these players, such as Kamario Taylor, Jordon Davison, Carson Hansen, and more, are highlighted as "must-have" players for 2026.
Antwan Raymond, RB, Rutgers
Yahoo ADP: 12.0
Needless to say, Raymond is not a sleeper pick since he's going at the end of the first round. But after breaking out big-time in 2025 behind 1,466 total yards and 15 touchdowns, there could be more on the table for him in 2026. Rutgers is breaking in new quarterback Dylan Lonergan and will lean heavily on Raymond in his junior campaign.
48 YARDS TO THE END ZONE! @RFootball's Antwan Raymond for SIX! pic.twitter.com/oSxgNAMJVs
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 11, 2025
Running backs selected in front of him include West Virginia's Cam Cook and Duke's Nate Sheppard. Cook led the country in rushing last season at Jacksonville State, but his team will be outmatched at the line of scrimmage in many of their Big 12 games, something he didn't face in 2025 in the Conference USA.
In Cook's first two collegiate seasons at TCU, he averaged under four yards per carry. His success from last season might translate, but that's a big might.
Meanwhile, Sheppard flashed as a freshman last season, but Duke's offense is likely to take a big step backward following the departures of quarterback Darian Mensah and leading receiver Cooper Barkate. San Jose State transfer Walker Eget is set to take over the QB1 role, and the Blue Devils will be relying on a lot of unproven offensive weapons in 2026. All of these factors could mightily impact Sheppard's efficiency.
Raymond's offense has a new quarterback, too, but star wideout KJ Duff is back for the Scarlet Knights, and Rutgers is relying on zero transfers on its offensive line. In the first round of drafts, you should go for the safe play, with all things equal otherwise. That's Raymond among running backs in the back half of Round 1.
Jordon Davison, RB, Oregon
Yahoo ADP: 40.7
A season ago, Davison was the only player in the country to score at least 11 rushing touchdowns on fewer than 100 rushing attempts in the regular season. He scored 13 on 88 total carries.
With last year's leading rusher, Noah Whittington, gone to the NFL, Davison is expected to operate as the Ducks' lead back. He already dominated the team's goal-line back role as a freshman, and now he'll likely lead the team in total touches. Expect the Ducks to run often, as their projected win total is set at 10.5.
The preseason No. 2 team in the nation, Oregon will likely be heavily favored in at least 10 of its 12 games. The Ducks do not face Indiana in 2026, so the most challenging games on the schedule look to be at Ohio State and at USC. Matchups against Washington and Michigan come at home, where they have won 22 of their last 23 games. That means more rushing attempts with big leads, and more touchdowns.
TOUCHDOWN DUCKS 🦆@oregonfootball True freshman Jordon Davison runs this one in for the first score of the game 👏 pic.twitter.com/X9Uj3Dqaoi
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 26, 2025
The 236-pound Davison averaged 5.9 yards per carry last season, proving he's more than just a short-yardage bowling ball. Although he is the "Thunder" in Oregon's backfield, he has real speed and agility to complete his all-around skill set.
After recording just two games with double-digit carries last season, expect that to be a weekly workload this year. With Dante Moore back to run the offense, it would be a shocker if Oregon wasn't among the most high-powered units again.
At his RB23 price tag, behind his own teammate Dierre Hill Jr., I'm all in.
Carson Hansen, RB, Penn State
Yahoo ADP: 105
After pick 100, we're smashing the draft button on Hansen, who is expected to lead the Penn State rushing attack after transferring in from Iowa State. The former Cyclone followed his quarterback, Rocco Becht, head coach Matt Campbell, and nine other Iowa State starters to State College.
Hansen led Iowa State with 952 rushing yards and six touchdowns last season, and he caught 19 passes. The team's second-leading rusher Abu Sama III is now at Wisconsin.
Ohio State transfer James Peoples is expected to have a role in the Nittany Lion backfield, but Hansen projects as the clear RB1, and he'll be working with a familiar supporting cast at a new school. Becht is one of the best and most experienced quarterbacks in college football, so we can expect the offense to move the ball from Day 1.
Speaking of Day 1, Penn State's early-season schedule is laughable and should give Hansen plenty of opportunities to pile up yards and scores.
Penn State's first five games come against Marshall, Temple, Buffalo, Wisconsin, and Northwestern. Purdue, Minnesota, Rutgers, and Maryland are also on the schedule. Despite Penn State winning just seven games last year, their win total is set at 8.5 with practically a brand-new roster. That's how soft the schedule is. Again, this means we'll likely see a lot of Penn State leads and plenty of rushing attempts.
We're looking at a potential workhorse back who should be in tons of positive game scripts.
Tanook Hines, WR, USC
Yahoo ADP: 67.9
Lincoln Riley's offense always produces big-time production from its WR1. Do the names CeeDee Lamb, Jordan Addison, Hollywood Brown, Makai Lemon, and Tahj Washington ring a bell? They all had nuclear seasons in Riley's system, and Hines looks to be next in line.
Despite sharing the field with Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane last season as a freshman, Hines tallied 34 receptions for 561 yards and two touchdowns. With Lemon and Lane now in the pros, he's the clear go-to option in the passing game led by rising quarterback Jayden Maiava. In fact, USC's other top five receivers from last year are no longer with the team.
USC receiver Tanook Hines led all Big Ten freshman in yards per catch in 2025 pic.twitter.com/ZwDdl0rOmO
— Kendell Hollowell (@KHollowell_) May 21, 2026
Unlike some other Big Ten teams we have touched on in this article, USC should be in a lot of competitive games, meaning they can't turn to simply riding the clock via the run. The Trojans are expected to be underdogs against Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon. Matchups at Penn State and versus Wisconsin will likely be close calls. Even in blowout conditions, Riley loves to air it out regardless of the situation, so volume should not be a concern.
As the 20th wide receiver off the board in Yahoo drafts, he's a clear candidate to be a league-winner. His upside is finishing No. 1 at the position, but a top-10 finish is well within reach.
Yamir Knight, WR, SMU
Yahoo ADP: 85.6
After ranking second among SMU pass-catchers in receptions during his first year with the Mustangs, Knight is primed to take the WR1 role in 2026. The program lost four of its five leading receivers from last season, with Knight being the only holdover.
SMU didn't make any splashy moves in the transfer portal to address the WR spot, so this passing offense led by third-year starting quarterback Kevin Jennings looks like it will run through Knight. Knight hauled in 107 passes for 1,242 yards and nine touchdowns over the last two seasons.
Jennings is a legitimate dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate in 2026 after leading the team to 18 wins and a College Football Playoff appearance behind nearly 7,000 passing yards and 58 total touchdowns since taking over as a full-time starter in 2024.
Yes, I want his WR1 at this spot in the draft.
Braylon Staley, WR, Tennessee
Yahoo ADP: 111.9
Staley won the SEC's Offensive Freshman of the Year Award last season after snagging 68 receptions for 873 yards and six touchdowns. A relative unknown heading into the 2025 campaign, he burst onto the scene in Week 1 against Syracuse, catching a 73-yard touchdown pass from Joey Aguilar.
JOEY AGUILAR. LEARN THE NAME.
pic.twitter.com/PyjbOUjrrb— Barstool Rocky Top (@BarstoolTenn) August 30, 2025
Entering 2026, he's set to catch passes from five-star true freshman Faizon Brandon, and although there is some risk baked into relying on an 18-year-old to feed him the ball, he's a low-risk, high-upside pick in this range of the draft.
Chris Brazzell II, who led the team with 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns, is now with the Carolina Panthers, leaving Staley and Mike Matthews to battle for the WR1 role in Josh Heupel's offense, which has been a highly productive position to be in.
Tennessee has had three 1,000-yard wide receivers (Brazzell, Cedric Tillman, Jalin Hyatt) since Heupel arrived five years ago, and Staley could be next in line operating out of the slot. Brandon will likely target him early and often in the middle of the field, but he also has quick-strike touchdown ability and real YAC skills.
Staley coming off the board at the WR33 spot doesn't quite add up. Matthews is picked a few spots ahead of him despite logging 15 fewer receptions, 24 fewer yards, and two fewer touchdowns than him last year. Both have high upside at cost, but we'll take the cheaper Vols receiver who produced a bit more last year.
Kamario Taylor, QB, Mississippi State
Yahoo ADP: 83.2
If you target just one player in this article, please make it Kamario Taylor. As a true freshman last year, Taylor was in the backup role behind Blake Shapen for much of the season. However, he entered the game in special packages, compiling 219 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns before ever starting a game.
In his first career start against No. 6 Ole Miss, Taylor flashed his elite rushing upside, posting 173 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
KAMARIO TAYLOR MADE 'EM MISS AGAIN AND AGAIN 🐶@HailStateFB x 📺 ABC pic.twitter.com/njd9nFZxod
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) November 28, 2025
He is a bit of a work-in-progress as a passer, but an offseason and preseason as the team's QB1, and extra work with offensive guru Jeff Lebby, should pay off big heading into his first full year as a starter. The Bulldogs haven't won a lot of games in recent years, but they have put up points in the Lebby era, including over 30 points per game last season.
If Taylor develops into just a decent passer, he could take the offense to greater heights and threaten to be the overall QB1 in college fantasy football. Mississippi State is projected to win just 4.5 games, so the Bulldogs will have to keep their foot on the gas in the majority of their contests.
The 6'4", 230-pounder has a rocket arm, a massive frame, and legit speed to be a difference-maker in the SEC. If you're familiar at all with any level of fantasy football, you know rushing upside is game-changing at the QB spot. It would not be a surprise if he rushed for over 1,000 yards this season.
He's the No. 8 quarterback off the board based on Yahoo ADP, but I'm willing to pay that price for a player who could potentially carry your team to a title.
Undervalued CFB Fantasy Team Defenses
- Clemson Tigers (DEF7 ADP)
- Oklahoma Sooners (DEF15 ADP)
- Penn State Nittany Lions (DEF16 ADP)
Undervalued CFB Fantasy Team Offenses
- Oklahoma State Cowboys (OFF13 ADP)
- Tennessee Volunteers (OFF24 ADP)
- SMU Mustangs (OFF27 ADP)
