Predicting the future in fantasy football is hard enough, but doing it accurately is what separates strong opinions from trusted analysis. For this article, we’re leaning on the latter. The 2026 fantasy football predictions you’ll find below come directly from experts who finished highly ranked in the FantasyPros Expert Accuracy Rankings, meaning their calls weren’t just bold — they were proven right. These analysts consistently outperformed the field across the 2025 season, earning their spot as some of the most reliable voices in the game. As you start prepping for 2026 drafts, these insights offer a data-backed look at which players, trends, and strategies could shape the upcoming fantasy football landscape. Here is fantasy football advice from some of the most accurate experts.
Fantasy Football Advice: Players Experts Will Avoid in 2026
Which player will you avoid in 2026 because you think their production is unsustainable?
Trey McBride (TE – ARI)
“Trey McBride just set the single-season receptions record for a TE by 10! That’s absolutely wild! If you could lock that in again, I’d take him in the first round of drafts. My issue is that I’ve seen a number of people posting their way-too-early top 10 rankings, and all of them have McBride in the top 10 overall. I get it, but you basically need him to have this same season again to pay off a first-round price tag. Otherwise, you’re really going to be hurting. There are actually a lot of young, athletic TEs in the game right now, so spending a first-rounder on McBride locks you out from drafting: Bowers, Kraft, Fannin, Loveland, Warren, LaPorta, etc. So yes, he could put together back-to-back record-breaking seasons…but he’ll need to if you want him to pay off likely first-round ADP. And that’s asking a lot.”
– Nick Zylak (Fantasy Football Advice)
Rico Dowdle (RB – CAR)
“Rico Dowdle is a strong option for a multi-headed backfield, but has been discussed more highly due to his strong early-season performance. If the price point is out of line with projections, I’ll be avoiding.”
– Christopher Gimino (RotoGrinders)
Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF)
“Christian McCaffrey led the NFL in touches in 2025 with 413. As I cited heading into the 2025 season regarding Saquon Barkley, chasing these RBs the year after they post monster touch totals is not a good bet. Barkley finished 2025 as the RB13. In the last 13 years, only one of those RBs was a top-5 fantasy RB the next year. after seeing 400-plus touches. One. Fade CMC in 2026.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
Josh Jacobs (RB – GB)
“Josh Jacobs finished as an RB1 in 2025 despite playing in just 15 games. But he turns 28 (gasp!) in February, and we saw Emanuel Wilson (who is surprisingly just over a year younger than Jacobs) have similar success when given opportunities. Jacobs has a cap hit north of $14.5 million in 2026, so it’s possible Green Bay decides to move on before this is even a consideration for fantasy managers. But if they don’t, my guess is Jacobs’s ADP will be too rich for my liking. I’m not banking on double-digit touchdowns to raise his floor again in 2026.”
– Mike Maher (FantasyPros)
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