The Fantasy Footballers’ “My Guys” for 2026
You know Christmas was getting close when the first presents went under the tree. The house is all decorated, and the tree is up, but My Guys are the presents under the tree. My Guys are how you know football season is getting close.
Before we get into it, remember what Andy said about My Guys: “The goal is not to take a player that is obvious. That is the layup, that is the simple way to do it…The My Guys is to find and plant the flag on three players each that we feel present tremendous upside…and come in at a draft value.” Let’s see who Andy, Mike, and Jason selected this year!
The 2026 NFL season is around the corner; make sure to listen to The Fantasy Footballers Podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Jason’s My Guys
Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
Want to play a game? What do Zach Wilson, Old-Man Joe Flacco, Mike White, Trevor Siemian, Tim Boyle, Chris Streveler, Old-Man A-Aron Rodgers, and Tyrod Taylor all have in common? They all helped Garrett Wilson be one of only five players ever to begin his career with three straight 80-catch, 1,000-yard seasons. Yeah, you read that right. Last year, the Jets had the literal worst passing-volume offense in the league and the second-fewest passing yards as a team in the last decade. What did Garrett Wilson do? Before the injury, he was the WR5 averaging 19 PPR points per game on pace for 112 receptions for 1300 yards. He had FOUR top-15 finishes in the first five weeks, joining Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Puka Nacua. Did I mention the LITERAL WORST possible passing offense of the last decade? Unconfirmed, but Garrett Wilson may be wearing a Superman cape under his pads.
Let’s play the question game again. What do Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ja’Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Justin Jefferson have in common? They all have at least a 29% target share and are drafted in the first round of drafts this year. You know who is missing from that list? Garrett Wilson with his #2 target share at 30% in 2025. Before you say that is a fluke, consider this: Garrett Wilson’s four-year career average is a 28% target share.
Speaking of the first four years of his career, Garrett Wilson has averaged 12.5+ fantasy points per game in full PPR leagues, joining guys like AJ Brown, Ja’Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Terry McLaurin, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Michael Thomas. In addition, his fourth-round ADP this season is a steal – he is being drafted as the WR20 off the board, and that is dirt cheap. Draft Garrett Wilson in 2026.
Carnell Tate, WR, Tennessee Titans
Rookie Carnell Tate must have that dawg, because the pedigree is ridiculous. A five-star recruit out of high school, fourth-overall pick, 6’ 2” and 192lbs, and in college he led the nation in passer rating when targeted, including 5 TDs of 40+ yards in 2025 alone. His film shows polished execution, a willingness to never take plays off, and the work ethic to do the dirty work.
People are worried about his whopping 0 receptions after two preseason games, joining the ranks of Ja’Marr Chase, Drake London, and AJ Brown with disappointing preseasons. This is the sarcastic way of saying do not worry about it. Robert Saleh praises his work ethic and expects him to be a big part of the offense.
Rookie WRs are a great bet, and Tate is no exception. Every WR drafted in the top-10 since 2020 saw 100 targets as a rookie. Every WR drafted in the top five since 2010 saw at least 115 targets. Expect to see early production, as WRs selected in the top-15 picks of the NFL draft have averaged 75% of snaps and over seven targets a game for the first six weeks of the season.
Finally, the upgrade from Brian Callahan to Brian Daboll for the Titans offense cannot be overstated. He hypertargets his WR1. In Buffalo, Stefon Diggs averaged 165 targets in two seasons. In New York, Nabers had 170 targets and was pacing for 180 before he got hurt last year. Daboll loves Tate, saying, “I’ve done this for a long time, in terms of picking it up, he’s been one of the tops at the skill position.” Daboll has continued to sing Tate’s praises, saying he is the smartest rookie he has ever seen.
He is being drafted as the WR29 with an ADP of 6.08, which feels like overcompensation relative to last year’s rookie WR prices. Draft Carnell Tate in 2026.
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Welcome back to the My Guys column, Omarion Hampton. The process was right last year. Even in Greg Roman’s archaic offense, in the first five weeks, Hampton led ALL RBs in avoided tackles per carry. He averaged 19 routes per game and joined Kareem Hunt and De’Von Achane as the only rookies over the last decade with two games of 20+ fantasy points in their first four career games. When you zoom out, he was a workhorse. Among qualifying RBs, he was eighth in explosive rush rate, was the clear goal-line back, and he saw the work when he played, seeing 30% of the team’s rush attempts and targets.
Cue Mike McDaniel’s scheme upgrade. McDaniel makes easy buttons for his best players, and his best players crush. The Dolphins were bad last year, and they led the league in explosive rush rate. Hampton is an excellent outside zone runner, ranking 3rd last year, just behind former McDaniel RB De’Von Achane. These two are made for each other. Reports from the Chargers-49ers joint practice were that Omarion Hampton was a man among boys.
Year 2, first-round RBs historically CRUSH for fantasy, with 80% of them averaging 18 or more opportunities and averaging 10.3 total TDs. Keaton Mitchell does not scare; the Chargers have immaculate matchups in Weeks 1 and 2, and in the 2nd round, Hampton is a smash draft pick.
Mike’s My Guys
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
Mike’s WR17, Christian Watson comes in at a screaming value, going in the ninth round of ESPN drafts and in the middle to late sixth round on Yahoo and Sleeper as the WR28. Since 2000, Watson is one of three players to average 17 yards per reception and 20 TDs through his first four years.
Coming off an ACL tear, Watson missed the first seven weeks of the 2025 season as he ramped up to being a full-time player. From Week 11 on, he was the WR11 in fantasy with ELITE per-route metrics. He was second in yards per route run to only Luther Burden, tied with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for third in targets per route run at 29%, and was first in the NFL in first downs per route run at 15%. What changed? His usage on out routes jumped from 7.7% in 2022–2024 to a whopping 35% of his targets last season. Not only that, but he led the NFL in yards per route run (YPRR 3.98) on horizontally-breaking routes in 2025. Did I mention he was coming off an ACL tear?
The Ballers often say follow the money, and the Packers signed Watson to a four-year, $31 million guaranteed extension on top of shipping Doubs and Wicks out of town. The Packers are talking of “opening up” the offense in 2026, building off Love’s 2025 top-10 efficiency in EPA in a clean pocket, passer rating, completion percentage, and pressure-to-sack ratio. Preseason reports say there is a lot of play action in training camp, with Watson playing Z receiver, which should get him clean releases as the motion man.
Christian Watson is the perfect WR3/Flex in 2026.
David Banks-Imagn Images
Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears
The 10th overall pick in the 2025 draft got off to a slow start and then went on to lead the team in receiving yards as a 21-year-old rookie. By the end of the season, he was the centerpiece of the offense. When the switch flipped in Week 9, Loveland averaged more yards and more first downs per route run than both Trey McBride and Brock Bowers while being second in fantasy points scored over that time. In Weeks 17-18 and the first two rounds of the playoffs, he was leading all receivers in receiving yards and red zone targets while being targeted on 35%(!) of his routes.
Ben Johnson intends to feature him as a dynamic pass-catcher who is “the sun of the Bears’ solar system of receivers.” He’s dominating in practice and could break the position at his fourth-round ADP.
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Money, money, money, money, mon-ey, MONEY! Ken Bone Walker just got PAID with a three-year deal worth up to $45 million – making his $28.7 million guaranteed the fifth-most among RBs. Last year, Kansas City was dead last in Explosive Rush Rate with ONE 20+ yard run, dead last in forced missed tackle rate, and only had FOUR TDs of 20+ yards, tied for dead last.
Welcome to the Bone Zone, Chiefs fans, because Walker had 10 20+ yard runs and was #1 in forced missed tackle rate in 2025. He capped his 2025 with a playoff run that ended with a Super Bowl MVP.
Looking to 2026, he has everything you want: no one to compete with for targets, no one to compete with for red zone work, continuity on the offensive line, and league-leading 58 vacated red zone rushing attempts. Local reporters say the hope in Chiefs camp is that he reshapes the offense. Ken Bone is getting the ball all the time and is being used as the primary target in the screen game and red zone. His RB coach, DeMarco Murray, says, “he’s been everything-plus what we wanted.”
Andy Reid calls him “the full package of a player.” We have gotten used to the revolving door of Andy Reid’s RBs since 2019, but remember Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Spencer Ware, and Kareem Hunt. From 2004 to 2018, Andy Reid’s RB1s averaged 22 opportunities per game, 109 total yards per game, and almost 20 points per game. Ken Walker III is a smash play in the second round.
Andy’s My Guys
Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
There is a lot to be said about the Chargers’ offense, health, and new OC Mike McDaniel, but Ladd the player has the talent and opportunity to be ELITE in 2026. Through his first two seasons, Ladd is one of seven WRs over the last decade to have 200+ targets, 1,900 receiving yards, and 13 TDs, joining the likes of Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, JuJu Smith-Schuster, D.K. Metcalf, and Michael Thomas. All of these players were top-24 picks entering year 3. You can still get Ladd in the fourth or fifth round on ESPN.
The narrative is that Old-Man Keenan Allen punished ALL of Ladd’s 2025 numbers. It is simply not true. Ladd saw his snap share increase, and he led the team in red zone routes. His reputation is built on horizontal-breaking routes, but he also ranked No. 4 among all players from 2022–2025 in yards per route run on go routes. Yes, he was overdrafted in 2025, but this is 2026.
Mike McDaniel can unlock a special season for Ladd as the motion man in the offense. Check out these quotes:
“He’s just going to set us up for a lot more explosives.”
“I think it’s a reasonable expectation to exceed whatever their career highs are all across the board in that room. I think there’s a lot of untapped potential.”
He has been Andy’s My Guy all off-season and at a fourth-round cost; you are getting a full round discount from last year while getting arguably the best OC upgrade of any WR. The math ain’t mathin’; draft Ladd McConkey in 2026.
De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, San Francisco 49ers
De’Zhaun Stribling was a draft surprise with the 33rd pick. He is 6’2″, 207 pounds, with a 4.36-second forty and elite ball tracking. The film shows Stribling has great hands, great acceleration, and excellent blocking, which is a must in the Kyle Shanahan system. His counting stats and overall production profile are just okay, but when you zoom in on his final five college games, he averaged 84 yards per game. He showed up against Georgia – one of the top college defenses – twice with lines of 3/94/1 and 7/122/0.
He has been receiving all the camp buzz and showed out in the preseason against the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers. Per ESPN Research, he was the first rookie in the last decade with seven or more receptions in the first half of his team’s first preseason game. Shanahan is singing his praises, Brock Purdy is singing his praises, and with Mike Evans, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Deebo Samuel all north of 30 years old, Stribling should be a welcome injection of youth into the offense. Draft this free square in the double-digit rounds and do not look back.
Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
With an ADP of QB7 and a 2025 QB7 finish, it is wheels up for Caleb Williams. Last year he exploded with five games of 24+ fantasy points. He averaged 4.5 rushing attempts (with the eighth-most total rush attempts at QB), and he also ranked fourth in end-zone pass attempts.
He has been leveling up under Ben Johnson with the opportunity to level up again in 2026. In his 2024 rookie year, he had the second-worst pressure-to-sack ratio, and his sophomore campaign showed him to be the third-best among QBs. In 2025, his receivers had a 5.6% drop rate, the fourth-lowest mark in the league. The good news is that drop rate has the lowest correlation to fantasy points per game, meaning it has little predictive power year over year.
With a fourth-ranked offensive line in 2026, Chicago looks to continue their meteoric rise in points per game. Chicago jumped from 28th in points per game (18.2) in 2024 to ninth (25.9) in 2025. With Ben Johnson aiming to break the record of 37.9 points per game set by the Denver Broncos, Caleb Williams will be a huge beneficiary. First-round QBs who finish as top-10 QBs in year 2 have a great track record of averaging over 20 points per game in year 3. Caleb is surrounded by weapons, has the O-line, and a play-caller to finish as a top-5 QB. His seventh-round ADP is great, and he is going in the eighth round in ESPN leagues. Pick Caleb Williams in 2026 if you want something special.