Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Is it cliche? Of course it is, but that doesn’t make it wrong.
I don’t think you have to have your 2026 fantasy football rankings fleshed out right now, but being generally aware of where things stand will give you an edge on your competition: having a frame of reference is critical and allows you to tweak things as the offseason progresses as opposed to playing catch up in the days leading into your draft.
So let’s get started with some way-too-early wide receiver rankings!
Wide Receivers Ranked 1-15
1) Ja’Marr Chase | Cincinnati Bengals
2) Puka Nacua | Los Angeles Rams
3) Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seattle Seahawks
4) CeeDee Lamb | Dallas Cowboys
5) Amon-Ra St. Brown | Detroit Lions
6) Rashee Rice | Kansas City Chiefs
7) Drake London | Atlanta Falcons
8) Justin Jefferson | Minnesota Vikings
9) Nico Collins | Houston Texans
10) Malik Nabers | New York Giants
11) Chris Olave | New Orleans Saints
12) George Pickens | Dallas Cowboys
13) A.J. Brown | Philadelphia Eagles
14) Tetairoa McMillan | Carolina Panthers
15) Tee Higgins | Cincinnati Bengals
Fantasy fatigue is a real thing.
Tee Higgins has been Robin to Ja’Marr Chase’s Batman for five seasons now, and it’s easy to fall in love with the upside of players (the next three on this rankings list are prime examples) instead of being happy with more of a known quantity.
In Cincy’s WR2, we have a player entering his prime (age-27 season loading) who has caught double-digit TD passes in consecutive seasons and has produced 11.7% above PPR expectations for his career.
Scoring stats can be variant year-over-year, and no one is really safe from that, but the Higgins profile doesn’t raise any red flags. He’s been targeted on over 28% of his red zone routes with Joe Burrow on the field in three straight seasons, and 10.2% of his career looks from his franchise QB have come with his feet in the paint.
Higgins has 1,000 yards or 10 TDs in four of the past five seasons: there’s no reason to think he can’t do both in 2026, and that puts him in the WR1 conversation, even if no one is excited to pay that price.
Wide Receivers Ranked 16-24
16) Garrett Wilson | New York Jets
17) Jameson Williams | Detroit Lions
18) Ladd McConkey | Los Angeles Chargers
19) Terry McLaurin | Washington Commanders
20) Zay Flowers | Baltimore Ravens
21) Davante Adams | Los Angeles Rams
22) Luther Burden III | Chicago Bears
23) DeVonta Smith | Philadelphia Eagles
24) Courtland Sutton | Denver Broncos
The Broncos earned the top seed in the AFC this season, and while Bo Nix made strides, Courtland Sutton was the part of the passing game that impressed me most.
Evan Engram entered the season as a target threat, Troy Franklin was a big factor early, and Pat Bryant developed with time. They all had their moments, but Sutton was the one who provided stability, and that consistency has a track record of being rewarded in a big way by Sean Payton.
#Broncos WR Courtland Sutton led all NFL players in receiving yards (507) on 3rd and 4th down this regular season, per @NextGenStats.
Sutton also led the league in the same category in 2024.
Few are more reliable than @SuttonCourtland. pic.twitter.com/h5K47yQpqp
— Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) January 15, 2026
His skill set is way different than what Michael Thomas brought to the table during Payton’s tenure in New Orleans, but the supporting cast around him looks similar in that they provide enough upside to demand attention.
The Saints had Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead, and Ted Ginn types. They’d post big plays/weeks just often enough to suck in cornerbacks, but they were never a real threat to take food off of Thomas’ plate.
At this point, we know we can count on 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns from Sutton. We’ve gotten it from him in consecutive seasons, and his combination of availability (three DNPs in five seasons) and upward offensive trajectory give him a strong annual floor.
He hit those thresholds in 2025 despite failing to clear 30 receiving yards on five occasions. It wouldn’t take much to get him to the Chris Olave counting numbers (1,163 yards and nine scores), and there’s room for even more production in his age-30 season.
Wide Receivers Ranked 25-36
25) Jaylen Waddle | Miami Dolphins
26) Emeka Egbuka | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27) Mike Evans | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
28) Christian Watson | Green Bay Packers
29) Michael Wilson | Arizona Cardinals
30) Marvin Harrison Jr. | Arizona Cardinals
31) Brian Thomas Jr. | Jacksonville Jaguars
32) Rome Odunze | Chicago Bears
33) Jakobi Meyers | Jacksonville Jaguars
34) DK Metcalf | Pittsburgh Steelers
35) Jauan Jennings | San Francisco 49ers
36) Parker Washington | Jacksonville Jaguars
