Fantasy Football 2026 Roundtable: Josh Allen Will Be QB1 And More Bold Predictions

Let’s do some quick hitters with our experts! We have 26 predictions for 2026 (and technically one is 2027, but … just play along!)

Here are our latest updated 2026 fantasy football rankings, for your enjoyment.

26 Fantasy Football Predictions for 2026

1. Jayden Daniels will finish as QB ____ in 2026

Ian: QB5. As Blink-182 famously coined, “High-volume dual-threat QBs will always be a cheat code in fantasy football land.” It was concerning to see Jayden Daniels regress as a passer last season, independent of his injury woes; just realize we’re still looking at someone *one* season removed from scoring an elite 20.9 fantasy points per game.

2. If I had $20 and I had to put it on one player to win MVP, it would be:

Dwain: Josh Allen is the favorite at +550 to +600, which makes total sense. However, we can get Caleb Williams at +1500 to +1800. The NFC North won't be easy, but the Bears had a great first year under Ben Johnson. The Bears have invested two first-round picks in pass catchers over the last two years (Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland) and a second-rounder (Luther Burden III). All of those players could be better in 2026!

3. The 2026 NFL rushing yards leader will be:

Freedman: Derrick Henry. He's No. 1 in the NFL over the past two seasons (since he joined the Ravens) with 103.4 rushing yards per game, and the last game he missed was in 2022. Bold prediction: In 2030, Henry will break Emmitt Smith's all-time career rushing record of 18,355 yards.

4. My favorite breakout for 2026 is:

Ian: Ricky Pearsall. It’s hardly been smooth sailing for the (wait for it) former first-round pick, but damnit: I’m a sucker for a good route-running highlight, and if believing in someone this silky smooth is wrong, I don’t want to be right. This passing game could be losing Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, while George Kittle (Achilles) is hardly guaranteed to be working at 100% anytime soon. The 49ers need Pearsall to be at his best in 2026. Here’s to hoping those pesky Injury Gods don’t get in the way.

5. The guy I think I’m going to grab in a lot of drafts around Round 7 is:

Dwain: Two names that stick out to me on Underdog that are Round 7 best ball picks right now are Michael Wilson and Parker Washington. While neither player has a long history as a great fantasy asset, both flashed that upside in the second half of last season. Wilson averaged 19.7 points per game in PPR formats from Week 10 through 18 with Marvin Harrison Jr. banged up. Washington averaged 17.1 points after taking over the WR3 role when Travis Hunter went down. Neither is a sure thing, but there is definitely upside at those prices.

6. Lamar Jackson will have a ______ season in 2026 than he did in 2025.

Freedman: Lamar Jackson will have a more uncertain season in 2026 than he did in 2025. Will Jackson be able to stay healthy? Will he rebound from last year's career-low 26.8 rushing yards per game? How will he do without former HC John Harbaugh and OC Todd Monken? How will new and inexperienced OC Declan Doyle fare in his first year as a playcaller? So much uncertainty surrounding the 29-year-old two-time MVP.

7. T/F: I would trade a later first-round pick in a Dynasty SuperFlex for Malik Willis right now

Ian: An insecure alleged fantasy expert would point out they proposed simply picking up Willis off waivers four days before the backup Green Bay QB made himself a LOT of money with back-to-back highly efficient performances against the Bears and Ravens. But I’m not going to do that. Instead, let me simply say this: Willis has displayed very fantasy-friendly rushing skillz and is poised to earn in the ballpark of $30 million per year as someone’s new hopefully franchise QB. That’s a combination worth betting on, especially for a reasonable price in a range of rookie drafts mostly consisting of probable late first-round/Day 2 wide receivers.

8. Faced with this choice in a vacuum—Daniel Jones or Fernando Mendoza—I am taking …

Dwain: I prefer to avoid both of these players. Daniel Jones is coming off an Achilles tear, and Fernando Mendoza is not the dual-threat archetype we are looking for in Year 1 QBs. Could one of them end up being a fine waiver wire addition? Yes. Should you be drafting them in non-Superflex leagues? No.

9. The player I’m staying away from in 2026 drafts will be:

Freedman: I hate ADPs, not players … but I'm unlikely to have much exposure to QB Jalen Hurts. He has underwhelmed as a passer now for the past two seasons (197.6 yards per game), and last year was his worst rushing campaign as a starter (421 yards, 8 TDs). He enters 2026 with his seventh playcaller in seven years, and OC Sean Mannion has no play-calling experience and just two years as a coach. On top of that, the league might ban the "Tush Push" this offseason, and No. 1 WR A.J. Brown could be traded. This situation just feels bad.

10. I’m willing to chalk up ______’s 2025 as just a down year

Ian: Keon Coleman. Just kidding. Or am I? OK, for real: Darnell Mooney had 992 yards in 16 games catching passes from the ghost of Kirk Cousins in 2024. And he looked good doing it! Why did the encore not go so well? Breaking his collarbone on the first day of training camp—reported as a minor shoulder issue, mind you—wasn’t a good start. A hamstring injury in Week 4 also didn’t help matters. Still just 28 years young, Mooney is still very capable of being a (somewhat boring) WR3 in fantasy land—but now he’s back to being priced in the dumpster.

11. The big TE dropoff this year happens right after ______ is off the board.

Dwain: I like the depth of the TE position this season, but I think big questions begin after the top-3 options: Trey McBride, Brock Bowers and Colston Loveland. I love Harold Fannin Jr., but what about the QB? Tucker Kraft is coming back from a mid-season ACL tear. Will Daniel Jones be ready for Tyler Warren? Kyle Pitts … well, he is Kyle Pitts. Sam LaPorta is returning from herniated disc surgery in a crowded offense.

12. The non-Malik Nabers/Cam Ward player I think will thrive under his new OC will be:

Freedman: Maybe Justin Herbert? In his second season, he passed for 5,014 yards. We know he can sling it. And new OC Mike McDaniel schemed up an offense (as the Dolphins HC) that allowed QB Tua Tagovailoa to pass for a league-high 4,624 yards in 2023. What if we see the Chargers decide to play fast and rely on Herbert? Electricity.

13. T/F: Trevor Lawrence COULD be a top-5 fantasy QB in 2026

Dwain: True. He was the QB6 last year with 20.2 points per game. Trevor Lawrence appeared to get a feel for Liam Coen's scheme as the year progressed. He has solid weapons plus involvement in the run game.

14. T/F: You could probably FLEX Colston Loveland some weeks in PPR leagues next year

Ian: In terms of Colston Loveland, Fantasy Life’s consensus TE3 ahead of 2026, being good enough to provide FLEX-worthy numbers? True. In terms of most rosters probably not being in a position to have another awesome tight end worthy of starting treatment? False.

15. On a scale of 1-10, how do you feel about this statement? Patrick Mahomes will be a fantastic late-round QB pick in 2026

Freedman: Maybe a 4. Patrick Mahomes is no guarantee to start Week 1 after suffering a season-ending knee injury in 2025, and the Chiefs haven't ranked higher than No. 15 in scoring since 2023. With HC Andy Reid, the Chiefs should never be discounted, and Mahomes played like a true hero last season (No. 2 QB with 20.4 fantasy points per game, career-high 30.1 rushing yards per game), but his injury uncertainty and the team's roster fragility make me a smidge skeptical.

16. If you’re drafting right now, are you selecting Alvin Kamara or Kenneth Gainwell in PPR?

Dwain: Kenneth Gainwell. If he hits the nut landing spot he could move up drastically in ADP. The only direction Alvin Kamara is heading is down if they add anyone.

17. What’s Keon Coleman’s Dynasty value right now?

Ian: Wow. A Keon Coleman question shortly after making a Keon Coleman joke. Anyway, things aren’t great! We’re talking about massive steps back in basically every statistical category from a promising rookie season … and that’s before considering the fallout of being a healthy scratch on multiple occasions and having the team’s owner call you out. My proposal? A one-for-one trade of Coleman for the man drafted one pick before him: Xavier Legette.

18. With the news that he’ll be mostly playing CB, are you buying or selling Travis Hunter in Dynasty?

Dwain: We want to buy talented players when news cycles depress their value. That makes Travis Hunter a long-term buy for me at the right price. He is likely to play mostly as a defensive back in 2026, but that doesn't mean that is his outlook forever. Having said that, barring multiple injuries to WR teammates, my gut says his ADP in Dynasty will continue to plummet, so I don't think there is a rush to trade for him before that.

19. Is a fully healthy Jalen Coker primed for a big breakout in 2026?

Freedman: No. We're talking about an undrafted receiver with 872 yards receiving in his first two seasons. The 2025 OROY and No. 1 WR Tetairoa McMillan could be even more of a target hog in his 2026, and QB Bryce Young is still a major liability for any pass catcher in this offense. A good season for Jalen Coker would be 750 yards, and that's hardly a breakout.

20. You have Kyler Murray in Dynasty. What are you doing, in seven words?

Ian: Softly crying and remembering the good days.

21. Where are you ranking Oronde Gadsden in 2026?

Freedman: Oronde Gadsden is my No. 10 TE. He flashed as a rookie, and the Chargers offense could be better this year with the return of injured OTs Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, and the addition of new OC Mike McDaniel.

22. Is there any Dynasty value to be had with Kaleb Johnson?

Dwain: Theoretically, yes. Last year was a terrible start for Kaleb Johnson, but he could have a cleaner path to opportunities in 2026. With Kenneth Gainwell set to hit free agency, Johnson could take over the RB2 role and potentially enter a timeshare with Jaylen Warren. Still, he isn't the type of profile I typically target due to his significant limitations as a pass catcher.

23. Who is winning the 2027 Super Bowl?

Freedman: Chalk—Rams (+950). Longshot—Saints (175-1). I'm joking about the Saints … but not really.

24. We have Tyler Shough ranked at No. 19. Do you think he’ll move higher, lower, or stay the same for you over the next few months?

Ian: About the same, barring the Saints really going wild to improve what was a pretty rough offensive environment outside of Chris Olave last season. Credit to the man for working as fantasy’s QB12 in Weeks 9-18 last season; I just think QB19 is about right given the presence of guys like Jordan Love, Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield in the same range.

25. Give us the wildest prediction you can think of for 2026

Dwain: Freedman won't mention his mock draft or in-season rankings accuracy.

26. Give us the mildest prediction you can think of for 2026

Freedman: I will once again finish as a top-20 in-season fantasy ranker.