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Who should I draft for fantasy football in 2026? Fantasy football outlooks for Omarion Hampton, Breece Hall, Bucky Irving, RJ Harvey, Kenneth Gainwell, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, J.K. Dobbins, Kyle Monangai.
Who Should I Draft? Some common 2026 fantasy football draft decisions are regarding players like Omarion Hampton, Breece Hall, Bucky Irving, RJ Harvey, Kenneth Gainwell, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, J.K. Dobbins, Kyle Monangai. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning teams in 2026. Draft your optimal fantasy football teams for 2026. Our free Who Should I Draft? tool will help make your fantasy football draft decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to draft... all free! Make the right decisions.
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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:
Breece Hall, New York Jets
New York Jets running back Breece Hall enters 2026 as a strong bounce-back candidate after handling 243 carries for 1,065 yards and four touchdowns across 16 games in 2025. He also caught 36 of 48 targets for 350 yards and another score, finishing as the PPR RB19 while averaging 13.0 fantasy points per game. The overall production was solid, but the Jets' offensive struggles kept Hall's weekly ceiling inconsistent and limited his touchdown chances. Hall signed a three-year, $45 million contract extension with the Jets this offseason.
New York's move to Geno Smith at quarterback and Frank Reich at offensive coordinator should give Hall a cleaner offensive environment. At the same time, Garrett Wilson, Kenyon Sadiq, and Omar Cooper Jr. can help pull defensive attention away from the box. The concern is that Hall's receiving usage dropped sharply from 95 targets in 2023 to 48 in 2025, and Braelon Allen's return could create some goal-line competition.
On top of that, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn plans to use Hall, Allen, and Isaiah Davis as a three-headed monster in the team's backfield. Despite the committee concerns, Hall is the focal point of the Jets offense and is currently going 38th overall on Sleeper, which aligns closely with his 36th overall and RB18 ranking at RotoBaller. Hall is locked in and is a fair-cost RB2 with real bounce-back upside.
Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers second-year running back Omarion Hampton said that offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel told him he reminds him of Denver Broncos Hall of Fame RB Terrell Davis, according to Alex Insdorf. The Bolts took the 23-year-old with the 22nd overall pick in last year's NFL draft out of the University of North Carolina.
He was set up for a major role earlier than expected in L.A. when Najee Harris suffered a torn Achilles in Week 1, but then Hampton missed seven weeks with a fractured ankle, ultimately finishing with 545 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 124 carries (4.4 yards per carry) while adding 32 receptions for 192 yards and another score in nine regular-season games (six starts). Comparing Hampton to Davis is high praise from the new OC, but if healthy, Hampton has clear Year 2 breakout potential.
With better health, an improved Chargers' offensive line, and more usage in McDaniel's system, Hampton has obvious RB1 upside going into his sophomore campaign. RotoBaller has Hampton ranked as the No. 11 fantasy RB for the upcoming 2026 season.
Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (shoulder) enters 2026 with rebound appeal, but his draft cost is aggressive after an injury-hit sophomore season. The 23-year-old played 10 games and started nine in 2025, rushing 173 times for 588 yards and one touchdown while adding 30 receptions for 277 yards and three more scores. That was a major step back from his rookie year, when he rushed for 1,122 yards, averaged 5.4 yards per carry, and finished as a strong fantasy starter.
Irving missed seven games last season and is working back from offseason shoulder surgery, which adds another layer of risk entering the summer. Irving participated in OTAs and might not be a full go for training camp, but is expected to be ready for Week 1.
Tampa Bay also changed the backfield around him. Rachaad White is with the Commanders now, but Kenneth Gainwell signed with the Buccaneers and should threaten passing-down work, while Sean Tucker remains a factor near the goal line. Irving still has talent and a path to useful volume under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, but the workload is no longer clean. He is currently going 45th overall as the RB17 on Sleeper, ahead of his RB26 ranking at RotoBaller, making him a risky bet at cost despite his bounce-back appeal.
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.
J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey stepped up as a rookie, notching 12 total touchdowns with 146 carries for 540 rushing yards alongside another 356 yards through the air on 47 catches. Even before J.K. Dobbins was lost for the year to a foot injury, Harvey had scored six TDs on 75 touches through 10 weeks, operating as a change-of-pace back. After Dobbins went down, Harvey tallied 96-326-5 on the ground (3.4 YPC) with another 22-181-1 receiving, so we saw more volume rather than big plays.
But this did result in four top-12 RB weeks (half-PPR) between Weeks 13-17. He then tore his labrum in the AFC Championship Round and required shoulder surgery, which has limited his offseason involvement. Dobbins is now healthy, and Denver also took Jonah Coleman in the fourth round, so there's pessimism around the sophomore RB who relied on volume and TDs to pop. He may slide from his June half-PPR ADP of the RB30, going around overall pick 80, as a result. Our RotoBaller ranks have him closer to pick 90.
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 - Omarion Hampton, Breece Hall, Bucky Irving, RJ Harvey, Kenneth Gainwell, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, J.K. Dobbins, Kyle Monangai. 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 headshots and 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 circle), 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 this. 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 Omarion Hampton, Breece Hall, Bucky Irving, RJ Harvey, Kenneth Gainwell, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, J.K. Dobbins, Kyle Monangai:
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