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Who should I draft for fantasy football in 2026? Fantasy football outlooks for Kenneth Walker III, Travis Etienne Jr., Kyren Williams, George Pickens, Parker Washington, Omarion Hampton, Malik Nabers, Jonathon Brooks, Mike Evans, De'Zhaun Stribling.
Who Should I Draft? Use this tool to assist you with some common 2026 fantasy football draft decisions regarding players like Kenneth Walker III, Travis Etienne Jr., Kyren Williams, George Pickens, Parker Washington, Omarion Hampton, Malik Nabers, Jonathon Brooks, Mike Evans, and De'Zhaun Stribling. 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:
George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens put together his long-awaited breakout campaign in 2025. After showing flashes of immense upside with the Steelers over the first three seasons of his career, he took a massive step forward when joining forces with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys. During his first campaign in the NFC East, the former George Bulldog caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine scores. Overall, Pickens was the WR6 in PPR scoring and finished third at his position in total receiving yards, making him one of the best values on the board in 2025 fantasy drafts.
In the offseason, there was some growing speculation that the Cowboys could consider moving on from Pickens, but both sides agreed to the franchise tag, which keeps him under contract for the 2026 campaign. As a result, the 25-year-old enters the 2026 campaign as a borderline WR1 given that his situation has remained fairly constant. Even though he will be sharing the field with another superstar wideout in CeeDee Lamb, Prescott is able to support both of them, given the nature of the games the Cowboys play.
In 2025, the Cowboys surrendered 30.1 PPG (the most in football), which forced them to drive the ball downfield. While they did take strides in improving this unit, managers should not expect a drastic shift in just one season.
Given his role in the Dallas offense that threw the ball the third-most times in football last season, fantasy managers should feel comfortable selecting Pickens at his current Sleeper ADP of 23, going off the board as the No. 10 WR.
Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams Kyren Williams has served as the lead back in one of the game's most consistent offenses since his second season in the NFL (2023). From 2023 through 2025, the former Notre Dame standout has punched in double-digit rushing scores in each campaign, totaling at least 1,100 rushing yards in each season. He has been highly involved in the passing game as well, catching at least 30 passes in each season.
While Williams opened the 2025 season as a clear workhorse as expected, his usage began to drop in the second half following the emergence of Blake Corum. From Weeks 1 through 9, Williams looked like his typical self, taking 16.5 attempts per game while drawing 3.3 targets per game. However, from Weeks 10 through 17, Williams would take 14.5 attempts per game with 2.4 targets per game. During this eight-game stretch, much of his workload was skewed by an outlier 23-carry game in Week 16. In this noted stretch, Corum took 10.1 rushing attempts per game.
While Williams remains the "1A" in this backfield, Corum is beginning to close the gap, which will drastically lower Williams' floor. While the Los Angeles offense projects to be as potent as it was in 2025 with the return of Matthew Stafford, Williams could fall into the low-end RB1 tier with a smaller workload. Managers have already begun pushing the 25-year-old down early draft boards as he is going off the board as the RB17 (36.0 ADP) on Sleeper, making him an intriguing value play for those who trust his ability to find the back of the end zone.
However, there is still inherent risk in this selection, even at a lower cost, as a large role for Corum could make Williams a mid-end RB2 on a weekly basis in 2026.
Travis Etienne Jr., New Orleans Saints
Running back Travis Etienne Jr. was one of the top players in the free agent pool this spring and inked a massive four-year, $52 million contract with the emerging New Orleans Saints. After spending the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Jaguars, Etienne is set to operate as the lead running back on a Saints team that hopes to take a step forward in 2026. Following a down season in 2024, when Etienne ran for a career-low 558 rushing yards and just two touchdowns, the running back bounced back in a big way in 2025.
Entering the season, the former Clemson standout was not guaranteed the starting job, but quickly reclaimed the role, totaling 1,107 yards on the ground, the second-highest mark of his career, and adding seven rushing scores. Through the air, Etienne brought in another 36 catches (52 targets) for 292 yards and another six touchdowns. Last season, the Saints' major weakness was their rushing attack, as veteran Alvin Kamara struggled to find much traction, and the team posted the 10th-fewest rushing yards per game.
As a result, the team views Etienne as not only the future of the backfield but also the answer to this short-term weakness. While Kamara is still on the roster, Etienne figures to operate as the lead option with the veteran reverting to a change-of-pace role. Given that young quarterback Tyler Shough averaged a strong 260.0 passing yards per game over his last eight games, this offense could take a massive step forward with a stable rushing game. Etienne carries surprising value as a high-end RB2 despite his newly signed contract, as he is being selected as the RB18 in current PPR Sleeper drafts at an ADP of 39.0.
Etienne should contend for another double-digit touchdown campaign while seeing ample targets, making him one of the best values among RB2s on the draft board. While it appeared Kamara would share third-down work with Etienne, the veteran back suffered a knee injury and is slated to miss at least one month of action. Etienne now has a clear path to serve as an every-down option in this offense for the early part of the regular season.
Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton showed flashes of high upside at times during his rookie season but was unable to fully match preseason expectations. Hampton began the season operating as the "1B" in the offense alongside Najee Harris, but after Harris suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 3, Hampton was set up for a heavy workload. Unfortunately, a fractured ankle kept the former North Carolina standout on the shelf for eight straight weeks.
However, when on the field, Hampton was quite effective, averaging 15.1 PPR points per game over his first nine NFL contests with a solid 4.4 YPC. He punched in five scores with four of them coming on the ground and was a reliable option in the passing game, drawing 3.9 targets per game. Hampton showed promising underlying metrics, averaging 3.1 yards after contact despite playing behind a Chargers offensive line that was battling several injuries to key contributors. In the offseason, the Chargers added some depth to the backfield with Keaton Mitchell joining Kimani Vidal as the No. 2 and No. 3 options behind the former 22nd overall pick. However, the key factor driving a potential breakout season is the addition of new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
Even though his time in Miami did not end on a high note, he spearheaded the Miami offense in 2022 and 2023, which finished in the top six in yards and at least the top 11 in total points. This improved play-calling and scheme should help this offense reach a new level in 2026 after averaging a modest 21.6 points per game last fall. While Mitchell and Vidal could occasionally draw opportunities away from Hampton, the 23-year-old projects to see a large workload in one of the game's top offensive units.
He is a prime breakout pick going off the boards at pick 17 on Sleeper, making him a low-end RB1 with potential league-winning upside.
Mike Evans, San Francisco 49ers
After spending the first 12 years of his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, veteran wide receiver Mike Evans is entering his first season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2026. Evans battled through an injury-marred campaign in 2025, missing nine games with hamstring and collarbone issues and finishing the season with 30 receptions for 368 yards and three touchdowns on 62 targets.
However, the 32-year-old has a long history as one of the most consistent wide receivers in the NFL, averaging 74 receptions, 1,084 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns per season between 2020 and 2024. Evans should have a chance to reclaim his status as a lead wide receiver in San Francisco following the offseason departures of former 49ers wideouts Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk. While the 49ers have a pair of high-volume target earners in running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle, Evans brings a different element to the team's offense as a true X receiver on the outside.
Given his injury issues in 2025 and his age, Evans' profile is not without risk for fantasy managers. Still, his ability to make plays down the field and in the red zone should provide him with a stable production floor, particularly in a strong offensive environment in San Francisco. Managers should keep an eye on him as he is currently tending to a groin injury, but when on the field, he possesses high-end WR3 upside.
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 - Kenneth Walker III, Travis Etienne Jr., Kyren Williams, George Pickens, Parker Washington, Omarion Hampton, Malik Nabers, Jonathon Brooks, Mike Evans, De'Zhaun Stribling. 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 Kenneth Walker III, Travis Etienne Jr., Kyren Williams, George Pickens, Parker Washington, Omarion Hampton, Malik Nabers, Jonathon Brooks, Mike Evans, De'Zhaun Stribling:
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