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MOCK DRAFT
Ask the Commish.Com 2026 Draft Kit
There is no real consensus on where to draft Evans in 2026 -- the only agreement is that you should definitely not draft him before Round 5. Evans, who will turn 33 before the season starts, has already suffered and returned from a calf injury in the early days of 49ers training camp. It's a reminder of the 12 games he's missed over the last two seasons due to hamstring and collarbone issues. His fit in this offense could be as good as it was for Davante Adams with the Rams last season, but over the last three years this offense has only thrown 51% of its passes to wide receivers, and the offense is fairly stocked with Deebo Samuel back, rookie De'Zhaun Stribling making preseason plays and eventually George Kittle and Christian Kirk coming back to the field. Evans also just averaged a career-low 46 yards per game and 5.9 yards per target. He is best viewed as a boom-or-bust WR3 who could be much better than that if he scores double-digit touchdowns -- and stays on the field.
Pickens proved he can be a Fantasy stud last season, and assuming he gets the same opportunities in Dallas, he can achieve top-12 status again this season. That's not bad since you might be able to snag Pickens after 20th overall in PPR leagues (30th in non-PPR), maybe even after a dozen other receivers get taken. Naturally, Pickens' two very best games came without CeeDee Lamb on the field for Dallas, but he did have three other outings that were better than any of Lamb's season-best 24.2 PPR points. He just wasn't as consistent as Lamb, scoring 15-plus PPR in five of 12 games with Lamb, who had 15-plus in eight of those 12. There are mild concerns about Dallas' defense being better in 2026, resulting in a dip in pass volume for the Cowboys. When that happened after the Quinnen Williams trade last year, Pickens averaged 14.9 PPR points per game, which was more than Lamb's 14.2. As long as you don't reach for Pickens, you should be happy with the results.
Travis Hunter should be a bench receiver in Fantasy, but he's worth a dart throw based on upside alone. In seven games last year, Hunter played 66.7% of the team's offensive plays and 35.9% of the defensive plays. The Jaguars have indicated that he will play more on defense without exactly committing to how that will impact his offensive participation. Considering the presence of Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas, and Parker Washington, Hunter may become an afterthought on offense. That being said, it is hard to completely ignore Hunter after he had eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown in his last NFL game. He has the talent to be a top-24 wide receiver in Fantasy, but we have no idea if he will get to play enough on that side of the ball to prove it. Hunter's Dynasty value has cratered this offseason, but we are holding him in that format with the hope that playing time doesn't collapse on the offensive side.
As long as he can stay healthy, Higgins is a safe pick in Round 3 or 4 of Fantasy drafts. When Joe Burrow is on the field, Higgins almost always produces like a high-end No. 2 Fantasy receiver. In fact, in games in which Burrow, Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase have played normal snap shares, Higgins has averaged at least 15.4 PPR points per game in four of the last five seasons. Targets and yards have been issues at times for Higgins. His 18.7% target per route run rate was a career low and would be a big deal for most receivers, but Higgins compensates by catching touchdowns. Of course, if the touchdowns aren't there, he could be a bust, but good luck finding any receiver after Round 2 that doesn't have some bust potential. On the flip side, if the targets bounce back, he could be a steal. After all, Higgins was the No. 5 WR per game in 2024 with nine targets per game. Higgins may not be the sexiest name when you're making your third-round pick, but he is one of the safest, and he has hidden upside if he can earn a bigger target share.
At one point at the end of November of his rookie season, TeSlaa had caught a touchdown pass on 60% of his receptions. That stat underscored his upside and unique ability in red-zone packages while also confirming his lack of involvement in the offense. TeSlaa caught six touchdowns as a rookie on just 16 receptions despite seeing just 27 targets. At nearly 6-foot-4, he presents a unique red zone threat for the Lions, and if he can expand his role to more than 1.9 targets per game in 2026, he will be one of the biggest Fantasy sleepers in 2026. An injury to Williams or St. Brown could help TeSlaa emerge as a consistent WR2, and he is one of the biggest upside targets to watch at the end of drafts or on the early waiver wire.
With Nabers beginning training camp on time, Fantasy managers should be willing to draft the speedy superstar with an early-round pick as a must-starter. Nabers is coming back from a torn right ACL and a full meniscus repair, the kind of injuries players slog through 12 months of rehab and recovery before being "back to normal." However, Nabers looked mostly like his old self in late July, which could mean he may bounce back to the 18.2 PPR points per game he averaged as a rookie (11 in non-PPR). Some things to keep in mind: Nabers is in a new offense that figures to be a little more focused on running the ball. His playcaller, ex-Chiefs offensive coordinator and Bears head coach Matt Nagy, doesn't have a sterling track record. And he hasn't had a lot of work with young Giants QB Jaxson Dart, which honestly might be the least of our worries since Dart was solid as a passer without Nabers in 2025. Hype around Nabers could push him into early Round 2 if he suffers zero setbacks through the preseason, but until then expect him to get taken between 20th and 35th overall in redraft.
Brown, who was traded to the Patriots in June, has averaged at least 14.1 PPR points for four straight seasons, but before 2025, that number was 16.7 over three seasons. Even if 2026 expectations are closer to 14.1 per game than 16.7, he'll still get drafted as a borderline top-12 Fantasy receiver in Round 3. Brown will have a shot to regain his form in his age-29 season as the No. 1 option on a Patriots offense that saw an older Stefon Diggs catch 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four TDs in 2025. Bank on Brown as a slam-dunk starter with WR1 upside.
Rice will hopefully play a full season in 2026, and he has the chance to be a top-five Fantasy receiver in all leagues. He's worth drafting as early as Round 2 in all formats. Rice has played a combined 12 games in the past two seasons due to injury and suspension, but he's been fantastic when on the field. He averaged 16.2 PPR points per game in four games in 2024 and 18.8 PPR points in eight games in 2025. Rice averaged 9.8 targets per game last season, and he should lead the Chiefs in targets this year. The receiving corps is thin, with Rice, Xavier Worthy and Travis Kelce the top three options in the passing game, and Rice should continue to get plenty of attention from Patrick Mahomes. Now, Mahomes is coming back from a torn ACL and LCL in his knee, so keep an eye on his health. And Kansas City will likely focus more on the ground game after adding Kenneth Walker III, Emari Demercado, and Emmett Johnson this offseason. Rice also underwent a clean-up surgery on his knee in May, so keep an eye on his health in training camp. But Rice's production over the past two years and his role in the offense make him an exciting Fantasy option. If he stays healthy, then Rice could be among the best Fantasy receivers this season.
Golden steamed up draft boards last August after a buzzworthy training camp and the expectation that he could immediately emerge as Jordan Love's preferred target in Green Bay. The exact opposite transpired during a rookie season where Golden finished inside the top 36 scorers at WR on a weekly basis just once and never as a top-12 WR. Golden found a spark in the postseason that has some Fantasy managers excited about his 2026 outlook. Working in his favor is the fact that Green Bay has vacated targets after the departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. Also, last year's first-round pick remains the highest-capital investment Green Bay has made at wide receiver during the Matt LaFleur era. If he can take a jump and continue to improve his rapport with Love, Golden could easily pay off outside of the top 100 picks overall. Draft him as a WR4 with WR2 upside, but don't be hesitant to move on from him early on if his role remains stagnant.
Wilson's days of regularly getting over nine targets per game seem to be over, as are his days as a potential top-12 Fantasy receiver. Rejudging him in Round 4 as a No. 2 wideout in full PPR is fair (drop him another round in other formats). That's tough news after Wilson began 2025 as one of Fantasy's hottest receivers, averaging 9.6 targets and nabbing 19 PPR points over five weeks on throws mostly from Justin Fields. An injury sidelined him for much of the rest of the season, and since then, the Jets changed playcallers, changed quarterbacks, and added two exciting pass-catchers with first-round picks. The new playcaller, Frank Reich, has helped a receiver average at least 15 PPR points three times in 10 seasons, including one time this decade. The new quarterback, Geno Smith, has never led a wide receiver to a PPR average past 15 points over most of a season in any of his six years as a starter. Even if Wilson gets good volume (7.5 targets per game?), he shouldn't be expected to put up monster numbers, just good numbers.