The 2026 NFL Draft is just over two weeks away as the last remaining big change to rosters. But through free agency and most of the trades that’ll occur before the season, we have a clearer picture of how rosters will look this year. These guys should be big winners from a fantasy football perspective.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
I wouldn’t have felt good taking Justin Jefferson as an early first-round pick like where he was going in 2025 fantasy drafts. The quarterback situation—with the inexperienced and somewhat raw J.J. McCarthy taking over after missing his entire rookie season with a knee injury—was difficult to trust for taking someone that high. There’s still uncertainty at quarterback for Minnesota from a real-life perspective, but I’m confident that new likely starter Kyler Murray—who also gets a boost from a fantasy perspective—will at least be able to get the all-world receiver the ball at a high rate. In a complete 180 from last summer, I’m now confident in Jefferson as a first-round pick for 2026.
Broncos WR Jaylen Waddle
Over the past couple of years, Jaylen Waddle is someone I shied away from as a fantasy draft selection, feeling that his statistical ceiling was somewhat limited compared to his talent level. Plus—despite overall durability and undoubted toughness as a player—he’s been frequently banged up, causing additional concern. However, I love the fit with the Broncos after they traded essentially a first-round pick and a third-round pick for him. You can check out my full breakdown of the fit in our latest YouTube video.
While he slowed down toward the end of the year, a midseason stretch with 82+ yards in five of six games last season was a showcase for the dynamic ability of the former first-round pick of the Dolphins. With the Broncos, I think we could see more consistently big performances—for both him and his new quarterback Bo Nix, who might have his arm unlocked more with Waddle in the mix.
Bears WR Luther Burden III
I want to focus on second-year weapon Luther Burden III, who Bears head coach Ben Johnson is clearly very high on; but his teammate Rome Odunze and his former teammate DJ Moore—now the top wide receiver for Josh Allen—also get boosts. As for Burden, he won many people fantasy championships as a rookie with a stellar 8/138/1 performance as the top scorer at his position versus the 49ers in Week 17. The talent is obvious. Now with a chance to be more of a consistent top target for Caleb Williams in Year 2, there’s monster upside for Burden.
Texans RB David Montgomery
You could sense the understandable frustration for David Montgomery to have his role decline with a career-low 158 carries for the Lions in 2025. Detroit did right by the bruising back, trading him to a Houston team that plays elite defense and will likely want to run the ball a ton with D-Mo. Lions head coach Dan Campbell basically said Montgomery is a stud and will do great with the Texans, who intend to utilize his skillset. The trade was more about Jahmyr Gibbs just being too dynamic to leave off the field for long. So, look for the former duo known as Sonic & Knuckles to both get a boost statistically in 2026, with Gibbs arguably being the top pick in drafts.
49ers QB Brock Purdy
Brock Purdy finished as the QB6 in 2023, with 4,280 passing yards and 31 touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions. With veteran receiver Mike Evans in the mix, Purdy has a shot to hit the 30+ passing touchdown mark for the second time in his career if he stays healthy. Like Burden as mentioned above, Purdy came through for fantasy owners in championship matchups last season—with 10 total touchdowns and over 600 total yards in Weeks 16 and 17. Basically, Purdy is an incredibly underrated quarterback, playing in a Kyle Shanahan offense—and if Evans fits seamlessly along with a group that already has Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle, he has strong QB1 upside even at a loaded position.