2026 Fantasy Football Rankings: Analysis for players ranked 13-24 in Half-PPR
This is Part II of my fantasy football top-36 overall players series. Analysis for the first 12 players went live on Monday, and I was able to sneak in Kenneth Walker III as the last on that list. He'd be the biggest surprise there, but the difference between Walker and the next half-dozen players in today's column is slim to none. Unfortunately, what is "slim to none" before the season is going to be significant during the season.
Let's get these decisions correct.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
More Rankings Analysis
Picks 25-36 (coming Thursday)
De'Von Achane, RB7, Dolphins
It's fair to assume the very peak of Achane's fantasy status is behind him. He was the RB5 on RB7 usage last year, and he's been the RB7 on RB10 usage over the past two seasons in half PPR. He's even better than that in full PPR (RB6 on RB7 usage).
Mike McDaniel is one of the best play designers in the NFL, especially for his RBs after orchestrating the Kyle Shanahan rushing offense for years. Achane has been the RB6 in rush yards over expected (+13%) over the past two seasons, while routinely getting to the edge off of fancy designs. I'm far less optimistic that new OC Bobby Slowik and his OL coach from a failed Texans stint will be nearly as effective on the whiteboard.
There's also some risk that the new staff won't give Achane (5'9"/191 lbs) the same workload as McDaniel did. It takes some out of the box perspective to do so, and it's not a guarantee that his top-16 carries per game carry over. I think it will, but it's not a given.
As important to everything else listed above is the QB change. Malik Willis will help Achane spring open rushing lanes, in similar ways Lamar Jackson has for his RBs over the years. Willis is also a threat for goal-line scores in ways that Tua Tagovailoa wasn't, and he's far less likely to check the ball down than Tua was because he can simply scramble himself.
It'd be insane to not feature Achane as a receiver, however, so the Dolphins coaching staff would have to get a near failing grade to not keep Achane in the low-end RB1 mix, especially in full-PPR. They have nobody else to throw the ball to, and Achane is a building block for the entire organization.
The underrated part of the Dolphins team is this OL. Aaron Brewer is a top-three center, LT Patrick Paul broke out last year with elite athleticism and first-round LG Kadyn Proctor is as big as a house with rare feet for his size. That is the foundation to keep Achane rolling, even if we'll miss McDaniel on the sticks.
James Cook, RB8, Bills
Cook was the RB6 on RB7 usage if we remove his Week 18 game. He did it on the most carries (19.1) and rushing yards (98.3) per game. All sustainable, too. His YPC (5.1) was great but not so high that it's not somewhat repeatable. It's just the reality of playing next to Josh Allen and behind a quality OL which returns 4-of-5 starters. Cook is also quite talented himself.
Cook also didn't run super hot with TDs. He was the RB10 in inside the five-yard line carries. He had another five scores from outside the 20-yard line, but that's expected for someone as quick as he is in an efficient offense. The Bills were third in scoring last year and are second in projected scoring in 2026, per the betting markets.
The RB depth chart is the same, and his play-caller Joe Brady was just promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach. The offense should feel nearly identical, with the only changes being DJ Moore is on the team and the OL coach is gone. That could matter on the margins, but Allen had a relatively down season last year and could be back to his MVP level self in a hurry.
It's difficult to find the legendary season from Cook because he was the RB39 in receptions per game (1.9) and Allen will steal some short-yardage TDs, but it's hard to ignore his mid-range to low-end RB1 status, especially in half-PPR or standard scoring.
Ashton Jeanty, RB9, Raiders
Everything went wrong for Jeanty as a rookie. He was the RB16 on RB11 usage in half-PPR, buoying his fantasy appeal with receptions (RB9 per game) rather than rushing yards (RB23 per game).
On tape, Jeanty is exceptional at forcing missed tackles in space by running with power. The NFL RB average is 0.16 missed tackles per carry when not contacted behind the line of scrimmage, and Jeanty was at 0.29. This was all over his Boise State tape. Unfortunately, some of his league-worst "hit behind the OL" stats are on him. He was a bit too indecisive for me, and he is nowhere near the elites in terms of foot quickness. He can get better with processing, but I have my doubts about top-end foot quickness.
So, what has changed? A lot.
The biggest change for the Raiders is coaching. Ex-OC Chip Kelly couldn't beat the "does he even want to be here" allegations last year, while new HC Klint Kubiak is coming off a Super Bowl victory with his offense ranking 10th in EPA per play, sixth in rushing yards and second in points. Kubiak calls a fast-paced (third in neutral pace last year), balanced offense (18th in neutral pass rate). That's good for Jeanty.
The OL is also welcoming top-five-ish C Tyler Linderbaum on a record-breaking contract. Solid LT Kolton Miller should play more than the four games he had last year. Free-agent veteran LG Spencer Burford will battle third-round rookie Trey Zuhn. And there's always a chance that the right side with RG Jackson Powers-Johnson and RT DJ Glaze take a step up. This won't be a good OL, but it shouldn't be an OL that led to Jeanty having a 0.6 yards before contact ranking of RB52 out of 52 qualifiers — dead last.
On the margins, the QB play between Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza should be better than 2025 Geno Smith. Same with the skill group with Brock Bowers healthy and Jalen Nailor in the mix. And finally, The defense added two new edge rushers, two off-ball linebackers and three role players in the secondary.
Jeanty will have fourth-round, crazy-athletic RB Mike Washington to complement him, but all coaching quotes suggest Jeanty is coming off the field near league-low rates. His workload will be inside the top eight this year, if not higher.
Jeanty doesn't have the elite athleticism of the Gibbs, Bijan, Saquon and Taylor tier of RBs, but he will showcase more broken tackles in 2026 with more space to operate. It'd be a surprise if he wasn't a top-10 fantasy RB now.
Derrick Henry, RB10, Ravens
Derrick Henry is the RB5 on RB13 usage over the past two seasons as a Raven in half-PPR scoring. He's priced at RB11, so the market is expecting a decline. Henry is the RB2 in EPA per carry (+0.08) over the last two years, while he was the RB1 in rush yards over expected (+27%) last season. Natural regression is reasonable to expect, but finding legit signs of decline is difficult.
On tape, he does seem like 85% of himself, with his lateral mobility feeling a little worse than his long speed. The downgrade doesn't make me lose much sleep.
Last year, Henry had the fifth-most half-PPR points in NFL history for an age-31 RB (259.4). If he did that again as a 32-year-old, then he's in the neighborhood of 195-225 fantasy points. Only Walter Peyton (ever heard of him?) and John Riggins have scored more than the 259.4 fantasy points as a 32-plus year old.
That said, this is 2026 and Henry is literally built differently. If someone is more likely to defy the odds of an older back, it's Henry. If you want to add more injury risk than other bellcows, that is fair given his crazy workload, but overselling those odds has hurt a lot more than helped.
In the betting markets, Henry's 1,239.5 rushing yards only trail Jahmyr Gibbs and Jonathan Taylor, and he has the highest rushing touchdown projection (12.5) of anyone. In half-PPR, the upside is tantalizing in the middle of Round 2.
The Ravens are fifth in projected points this season, and even RB2 Keaton Mitchell and TE2 Isiah Likely are out of the way without anyone notable sliding into those roles. We'll see if new OC Declan Doyle is an upgrade over serviceable OC Todd Monken, and if the loss of C Tyler Linderbaum versus the addition of 14th-overall OG Vega Ioane ends up mattering. I'd mostly call those changes a wash.
Chase Brown, RB11, Bengals
Brown is the RB12 on RB5 usage over the past two seasons in 21 games with Joe Burrow active, using half PPR scoring. It's even better in just 2025, when Brown was the RB5 on RB4 usage in his six games with Burrow.
His ADP sits at RB12 in the middle of Round 2, so Brown has very clear upside if this split continues. The Bengals didn't add RB competition, Brown is healthy right now and the Bengals are fourth in projected points according to the betting markets.
What's not to like in this contract year? Brown was the RB8 in rushing success rate in the Burrow games, and he was the RB2 in rush yards over expected on all of his carries with three-or-fewer yards to go with or without Burrow. While still not good, the Bengals OL and rushing scheme has improved since Brown entered the NFL. That's helped his TD chances.
Brown has always been a capable receiver and last year was no different when he was the RB6 in receptions per game (4.1). The Bengals don't throw him screens (only a 10% screen rate in Burrow games since 2024), but Burrow is quick to check things down when in a shoot out.
It's hard to find reasons why he should be ranked so far off his splits with Burrow, so Brown is a clear buy in mid-Round 2 if he makes it that far. I expect his rushing numbers to set career highs, while his receiving work takes a slight hit. That's a net win in half-PPR.
Brock Bowers, TE1, Raiders
Bowers is the next Travis Kelce for fantasy football.
Bowers' 64.6 YPG through his first two seasons are the most since at least 2000 at TE, and his five closest comps (George Kittle, Jeremy Shockey, Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham and Aaron Hernandez) averaged +4 YPG in their third NFL season. His 13-closest comps averaged +7 YPG, too. That includes HOF talents like Antonio Gates and Kelce.
The combination of Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza at QB with Super Bowl-winning OC Klint Kubiak is such a better setup than whatever we're calling Vegas from 2025. Bowers is likely to be healthier, and the Raiders are (somehow) even worse at receiver heading into 2026 if we view Jalen Nailor as a downgrade to Jakobi Meyers (I do). The defense is better but will still create garbage-time receptions for Bowers.
Any TE nearing 70 YPG is worthy of an early Round 2 selection in full-PPR redraft leagues, where the value of late-round TE is lowest. He's still a target in mid-to-late Round 2 in half-PPR best ball, however. Most sharp fantasy analysts are overweight on Bowers right now.
On top of all that, a former analytics director from the Raiders is starting to do content. He just tweeted this: "We had a goal last year in Las Vegas of single season record for catches and targets for Brock before the Week 1 injury." Adjust the ranks.
Drake London, WR7, Falcons
London is an underrated superstar. Aside from not running a 4.35 forty, London has no real holes. He has a huge frame, catches the ball cleanly, fights for extra yards, can dunk on CBs and can sink his hips. He has a case to be as high as the sixth-best WR in the NFL right now.
London was the WR5 on WR5 usage from 2024 through Week 11 of 2025 when he went down with a PCL injury. Only Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase had a higher target share (29.6%) over that span, and the Falcons only added depth in the skill group this offseason in third-round slot Zachariah Branch, Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus. Long story short, London is getting the damn rock this season.
The Falcons underwent coaching and potentially QB changes this offseason, but neither seem worrisome versus last year's reality. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is experienced and provides a real floor to the scheme, while Tua Tagovailoa can pepper London underneath and intermediate now that he's playing more slot than ever. If Michael Penix Jr. can beat out Tua coming off his third ACL, then we're back to where we were last season.
The Falcons defense could regress some, too. It's unclear if EDGE James Pearce Jr. will be eligible to play at all this season, and they didn't add much this offseason. Stud DC Jeff Ulbrich will have to work his magic again. This all helps London get targets.
London has a low-end WR1 floor baked in, and if something ever happens to Bijan Robinson or Kyle Pitts Sr., then he can flirt with the best receiving production in the NFL. He's an easy click in Round 2, especially in full-PPR where he's closer to a borderline Round 1 value. His 1124.5 yardage projection is in the neighborhood of Amon-Ra St. Brown (1199), Justin Jefferson (1149), and CeeDee Lamb (1174). They are all consensus Round 1 players.
Nico Collins, WR8, Texans
Collins is a total freak. At 6'4"/222 lbs, he showcases elite build up speed on his vertical routes, while also having the fluidity to be an asset after the catch on screens and slants. If ranking WRs based on real-life talent, I'd place him third or fourth.
Since 2023, Collins has been the WR7 on WR14 usage using PPR scoring. He's the WR3 in yards per target (10.3) and WR6 in EPA per target (+0.48) despite having incredible volume in a mediocre offense.
The hope is eventually C.J. Stroud gets his groove back. Last year, targets to Collins had a 62% catchable ball rate. That was 76% in both 2023 and 2024. He also had a 16% screen rate in those two seasons versus just 3% last year. Seems dumb, Mr. Caley!
On top of this, the Texans were 32nd in percentage of their red-zone drives finishing with a TD (32%), which is a stat that is bound for positive regression. There were 19 red zone targets that went to Collins, which resulted in 3.1 yards per target, a -8% completion percentage over expected, a 37% success rate and just three touchdowns. Shocking.
Houston's offensive coaching staff and OL deeply worry me, but Collins is too elite and Stroud has flashed too much potential to ignore a reasonable ADP of WR9. It'd be a fireable offense for him to not be a top-15 fantasy WR at this point, and if everything clicks, Collins has a very similar skillset to the Justin Jefferson, Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba tier of receivers.
I want Collins on my team.
A.J. Brown, WR9, Patriots
AJB started off and ended his 2025 season mad, but do not discount what he did in the middle of the year. In total, Brown was half-PPR's WR15 on WR17 usage, when the Eagles bottomed out to the tune of finishing 23rd in passing yards, 22nd in passing success rate, and 19th in points per game. Brown had career lows in yards per target (8.5) and success rate (50%), while playing in a very static X position in an extra boring/predictable offense.
Is this decline? Is this attitude? Is this scheme?
It's a little of everything, which makes me optimistic for 2026. Brown should be stoked to play with an MVP quarterback and his old coach. In terms of attitude, this should be a honeymoon.
Patriots OC Josh McDaniels had wild seasons with Davante Adams on the Raiders (180-100-1516-14 and 175-103-1144-8), in addition to whatever credit he gets for Brady in the previous decade and Maye last year. The Patriots averaged 42 more pass yards per game than the Eagles did. Maye was first in completion percentage over expected, while Hurts was 10th. And Maye's catchable ball rate on 10+ air yard passes was 10% better than Hurts' last year. In terms of environment, this is an upgrade, especially as he competes with Romeo Doubs for targets instead of DeVonta Smith.
The decline part is trickiest. Brown broke about two-thirds of the tackles he usually does, even though the type of routes he ran last year were almost identical to his career rates. He was a lot closer to average in his signature yards after the catch over expected metric, after being the WR4, WR14 and WR4 in the previous three seasons. An offense that calls for fewer hitches and more crossers and gos would help out, and Brown could be more energized to make plays on the margins. Let's not forget Brown had a training camp hamstring injury that really made him look lethargic in September. He's healthy right now.
That said, Brown did look maybe 10% less dynamic than his mid-career peak, at least turning the corner. There are reports of long-term issues with his knee, which makes the risk on New England's end greater the closer we get to this 2028 first-round pick. Still, Brown's elite athleticism has room to fall, and he's only 28 years old right now. Over-analyzing his decline is asking to be left off the party invitation.
Brown could match the CeeDee Lamb to Nico Collins tier if things go well, and it doesn't take a genius to say a former All-Pro WR linking with MVP runner up could pan out well. Brown is an upside low-end WR1 and easy target near the Round 2-3 border after re-examining his tape.
Omarion Hampton, RB12, Chargers
Hampton is one of the most physically gifted RBs in the NFL. His long speed is outstanding for a 220-pounder, and he has soft hands out of the backfield. Hampton has the profile to be a bellcow back, but there are some areas of concern, too, as he develops.
Hampton has bad pacing and eyes as a runner right now. He was late reading things out on some reps, and then too quick picking a hole on others. The Chargers' OL did him few favors, but Hampton's success rate would've been a tier better with better decisions. To put this into perspective, Hampton's rush yards over expected were -40% with three-or-fewer yards to go, then +21% on four-of-more yards to go. This should improve some with more experience and better coaching, but it's enough of a worry right now to cast some doubt that he'll be a no-doubter 15+ carry player.
When Hampton has space, he's electric. He carved up the Giants with pure speed. It's enough to not just win races to the 1st-down marker, but to also create 50+ yard touchdowns. This isn't surprising given his 96th percentile broad jump and 4.46 speed.
Hampton also runs tough on contact. He can drag defenders for hidden yardage and then bounce off defensive backs at the next level. He does run fairly tall, so he's not avoiding contact often, but he will deliver damage and shows plenty of effort.
Hampton's receiving ability is quite good. There were some difficult grabs and downfield routes on tape, plus he caught everything in the swing/screen/checkdown world. Unfortunately, Hampton's pass protection tape bordered on atrocious. He has the mass to be great, yet over-indexes on wanting to light everyone up instead of staying square. On top of whiffed blocks, there were misses in identification, too. He has to get better to earn more targets.
The new coaching staff must be taken into account. New OC Mike McDaniel is a run-game guru who gravitates towards speed. That's both Hampton and Mitchell. It won't be a surprise to see both of them high in explosive carries this year with hopefully healthier OTs and a clear upgrade at C with Tyler Biadasz. The ceiling is obvious if everything comes together.
Hampton's floor given his early second-round ADP is less settling because of the between-tackles tape and the quality of depth behind him. He'd be a super smash even in the third round with his upside, but the safety of Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Chase Brown is more enticing to me early in Round 2. Hampton was the RB16 on RB16 usage in half-PPR from Weeks 1-17 without Mitchell involved.
Jeremiah Love, RB13, Cardinals
With the third overall draft capital locked in, Love is confirmed as a 100th percentile prospect in my model next to the likes of Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, Christian McCaffrey, Reggie Bush, Melvin Gordon, Ashton Jeanty, Darren McFadden, Bijan Robinson, Todd Gurley, Adrian Peterson and Jonathan Taylor. Elite company.
This cohort of players ranged from 6.5 to 21.3 half-PPR points per game during their rookie seasons (huge range), with an average of 14.3. Last year, that would've made Love the RB12 (Javonte Williams), while the RB7 (Derrick Henry) averaged 16.0 and the RB5 (De'Von Achane) averaged 18.1. A realistic range has been established.
Love's skillset is ideal for fantasy football because he is an exceptional receiver out of the backfield with the 212-pound frame to project for 18+ touches per week. There is a chance the heavier and well-paid Tyler Allgeier (and even James Conner) could steal some goal-line touches from him, just like Bijan dealt with as a rookie, but there is no chance he's not their pass-game back. His protection at Notre Dame was solid, and his explosiveness and hands are on another stratosphere than his backfield competition. This Arizona defense doesn't feel any different from last year when they were 29th in scoring, so there should be garbage time receptions baked in here. Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew are certainly bad, but they are at least functional enough for garbage time numbers in 2026.
I just worry about these inevitable Carson Beck games.
It's far from an ideal landing spot this season with Arizona striking out on RTs in the early parts of the draft, but this is unlikely to reach Jeanty-Raiders bad (RB17 per game). I'd put Love firmly above the Breece Hall and Kyren Williams tier but firmly below the proven elite RB1s. He's a fringe Round 2 player depending on the format.
George Pickens, WR10, Cowboys
The offseason wasn't normal, but the dust has settled. Pickens will play on the franchise tag, which means he needs to be on his best behavior. And if he can pull off another huge season, the bag he's getting will be in the $100 million-plus guaranteed range.
So what's stopping him from being a late Round 2 pick? Dallas didn't add anyone on offense this offseason and is running back the same staff and starters around him. He was the WR6 on WR12 usage last season with CeeDee Lamb missing time.
In 13 games WITH Lamb, Pickens averaged 77 YPG en route to a WR10 per-game average on WR13 usage. His targets with Lamb active had a 63% success rate (WR4), too, because they come when Lamb is getting the shaded coverage on the other side. One-on-one to Pickens is as good as it gets.
Pickens will not be as consistent as the Drake London types in Round 2 (no screens, fewer gimme targets), but he has just as much upside if something happens to Lamb again or if Pickens is just undeniably great. He's improved on film every year and is 25 years old while playing in a contract year.
