Early 2026 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings: Redraft

January 22, 2026

RotoBaller's early 2026 fantasy football rankings for wide receivers in redraft leagues. 2026 tiered rankings give an early look at 2026 drafts at WR.

The wide receiver spot is always volatile in fantasy football, but there are always mid-and late-round values that end up presenting league-winning upside. The 2026 fantasy football season might seem far away, but it's never too early to take a look at the early WR pecking order. Let's kick things off with our early 2026 fantasy football wide receiver rankings. Below, check out where key WRs like CeeDee Lamb, Rashee Rice, Malik Nabers, Justin Jefferson, Tee Higgins, Chris Olave, Luther Burden III, Rome Odunze, and Travis Hunter stand, among all others.

These 2026 fantasy football WR rankings are put together by Nick Mariano, a top-accuracy industry ranker and the lead forecaster here at RotoBaller. The 2026 NFL rookies are not included in these rankings, but they will be added as updates are made constantly up until the NFL Draft, and after the draft as well.

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2026 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings: Redraft

2026 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Outlooks, News

Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch had nothing but good things to say about wide receiver Jauan Jennings, and the team is interested in re-signing him after he becomes an unrestricted free agent in March. "Always plays with passion we can count on. We can move him around the way he blocks. He plays the right way.

It frustrated other people. We'd love to have him back. We'll work to get that accomplished," Lynch said. Jennings caught just two passes for 23 yards in the Divisional Round loss to the Seattle Seahawks and didn't score in any of his final three games, but he was a big contributor in the regular season, especially when tight end George Kittle and receiver Ricky Pearsall missed time with injuries. The 28-year-old caught 55 of 90 targets for 643 yards and a career-high nine TDs in 15 regular-season games. If Jennings returns in 2026, he'll be a trusted target for quarterback Brock Purdy.

Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Wednesday that "it's safe to say" that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee), who missed the entire 2025 season, has "played his last snap as a Niner," according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. The 27-year-old has been trying to get the 49ers to release him for a while, and it was essentially a done deal when the team voided guarantees in his contract. An official transaction releasing Aiyuk will probably come in the weeks following the Super Bowl.

The former 25th overall pick in 2020 out of Arizona State had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023 before signing an extension with the team before the 2024 campaign. Aiyuk wasn't living up to expectations that year before tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 7. In addition to concerns about whether he can return to his pre-injury form, Aiyuk's fantasy value going forward will depend largely on where he ends up.

DJ Moore, Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson said that he had a "really good" exit interview with wide receiver DJ Moore and called him a key guy who helped the team get as far as they did this season, according to Jasson Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times. Johnson called Moore a "huge contributor." Moore certainly finished on a high note, scoring in both of the team's playoff games and finding the end zone five times in the final six contests.

However, the 28-year-old finished the 2025 campaign with career lows in receptions (50) and receiving yards (682) while finding the end zone six times in 17 games played. He definitely stepped up when Rome Odunze missed the final five regular-season games with a stress fracture in his foot, but for most of the year, he was hit or miss and extremely inconsistent for fantasy managers. Going into 2026, it could be more of the same for Moore, especially if Odunze gets over his foot ailment.

Tank Dell, Houston Texans

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) is on schedule to participate in offseason workouts, according to general manager Nick Caserio. "Tank is doing awesome. We would anticipate him being ready for the start of the offseason program," Caserio said. Head coach DeMeco Ryans also said earlier this week that he was excited to see Dell return next season. Dell was on the Physically Unable to Perform list for the entire 2025 season after he tore his ACL, MCL, and LCL in Week 16 of the 2024 season.

The 26-year-old needed multiple surgeries to fix his knee, although he appears to be making notable progress and could be ready for the start of the 2026 regular season this fall, depending on how he progresses during the offseason. The Texans are optimistic that Dell will be able to contribute next year, but in what could be a crowded WR room in Houston, fantasy managers should pump the brakes on Dell returning to fantasy relevance immediately.

Malik Nabers, New York Giants

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen said on Tuesday that the hope is for wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) to be ready for the start of training camp at the end of July, according to SNY. Nabers was less optimistic about his timeline to return from a torn ACL when he talked to the media after the Week 18 season finale, and Schoel also admitted that "things can change." The 22-year-old tore his right ACL back on Sept. 28 and didn't have surgery until late October.

Nabers is one of the best and most dominant young receivers in the game, and his fantasy upside is buoyed by the fact that he has a young, rising quarterback to work with for years to come in Jaxson Dart. However, fantasy managers may be hesitant to use a high draft pick on a player coming off a torn ACL, especially if he's not a full-go for the start of the regular season this fall. We'll keep very close tabs on Nabers' recovery all offseason.

Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings

Charges will not be filed against Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison, according to his agent. Addison's agent told Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network that Addison will now prepare for the filing of a civil claim arising from the alleged wrongful arrest. The 23-year-old pass-catcher was facing a misdemeanor trespassing charge from his Jan. 12 arrest in Tampa. Addison, who had a speeding incident in 2023 and a DUI charge in 2024, most likely won't face any additional punishment from the league after charges were dropped.

Still, his off-the-field incidents could play a factor in whether the Vikings decide to pick up his fifth-year option, which would guarantee him around $17.5 million for the 2027 season. The former 23rd overall pick in 2023 out of USC had his worst year in 2025, catching 42 passes for 610 yards and three touchdowns with quarterback J.J. McCarthy struggling with consistency and injuries. Addison's fantasy stock is down heading into his fourth NFL season.

Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (foot) reiterated that he will not need offseason surgery on his foot, according to Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times. Odunze had a stress fracture in his foot that caused him to miss the final five games of the regular season. He returned for Chicago's two playoff games to catch exactly two passes for 44 yards in both contests. The 23-year-old second-year wideout was a popular breakout candidate in fantasy going into the 2025 season, and he was well on his way to fulfilling that with five touchdown catches in the first four games.

However, Odunze quickly cooled off and scored only one more time in his final 10 games. His foot injury likely had something to do with that. Odunze will look to bounce back in 2026 with better health, but his fantasy ceiling could be capped with the emergence of young receiver Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland.

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