As the NFL regular season wraps up and everyone’s focus is on the upcoming playoffs, the true fantasy football champion is already taking stock in what happened this past season and thinking about how best to apply that knowledge in 2026.
Frustrating tiebreakers and playoff criteria will likely inspire a dialogue regarding changes to league rules. Another season dominated by bell-cow running backs will certainly alter some people’s draft strategy next year. But the real focus will be on late-season player performances, which typically push some players’ ADP through the roof the following year.
The biggest name on everyone’s 2026 draft board will undoubtedly be Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III. Touted by many as a potential top rookie receiver this season, Burden’s late-season surge has everyone ready to pounce. He tantalized us with a 101-yard, one-touchdown performance in Week 3, but he spent much of the next eight weeks working behind No. 3 receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, seeing only a small handful of targets.
But when head coach Ben Johnson tired of Zaccheaus’ drops, Burden’s snap count and target share rose. He wasn’t exactly lighting up the stat sheet, but when he helped everyone win a championship with his stellar Week 17 performance, the buzz started back up once again. Though it’s difficult to imagine his ADP pushing him up to the third or fourth round, we’ve seen crazier things happen.
Other receivers to keep your eye on for next year include Arizona’s Michael Wilson and Jacksonville’s Parker Washington. Both players jumped from relative obscurity to fantasy savior status with their late-season performances, and both will be elevated on draft boards next year.
Washington’s back-to-back 100-yard efforts during the fantasy playoffs will not be forgotten, and with all the buzz around Liam Coen’s success with this team, we could see people drafting him over a disappointment like Brian Thomas Jr.
Wilson is one to be wary of, simply because we don’t know who the quarterback will be. His success came with backup Jacoby Brissett under center and while No. 1 receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was injured.
Will Wilson garner as much attention if there are changes in the Arizona offense? Impossible to tell. But people will focus on his free agent status after the 2026 season and use “playing for a contract” as a way to justify drafting him early.
Betting on the NFL?
At running back, expect a lot of attention to go Javonte Williams’ way should the Cowboys decide to retain his services, and depending on where he lands, Rico Dowdle as well. Disappointments in their early seasons, both had a year that fantasy managers who either drafted them or added them from waivers will not forget. People love to try to run it back with the same guys.
The important takeaway from this isn’t for you to add these names to your 2026 watch list. It is to keep you aware of who most mainstream fantasy managers will be targeting and, possibly, over-drafting next year. Continue to track the coaching and player movement, and be careful not to fall into the same traps where so many before you have fallen victim.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football news and advice.
