3 Must-Have Wide Receivers (2026 Fantasy Football)

We’re still a while from the heart of fantasy football draft season, but with NFL free agency behind us, we can start monitoring early average draft position (ADP) value.

On this page, we’re going to take a look at FantasyPros expert consensus rankings (ECR) to find out the must-have wide receivers.

Without further ado, find out why Chris Olave, Luther Burden III, and DeVonta Smith are must-have wide receivers for the 2026 fantasy football season.

Must-Have Wide Receivers (2026 Fantasy Football)

Each of these three wide receivers has a good chance of getting a bump in value as we get closer to the season. If you’re drafting now, you’re going to want to take them before they get steamed up the boards even more.

Chris Olave (WR – NO)

Chris Olave is coming off a terrific season where he caught 100-of-156 targets for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns. The veteran wideout displayed an amazing rapport with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. In Olave’s last two games, he combined for 18 catches for 267 yards and three touchdowns.

As Shough gets more acclimated to the NFL, there’s a reasonable chance that Olave can put up even better numbers in 2026. You have to like how the Saints brought in Travis Etienne to be their new featured back. Having a capable runner can help this offense be more efficient. That means that Olave can improve on his 11.6 yards per reception from last year, which was a career low.

It’s also great that Olave has an offensive mastermind in Kellen Moore calling plays. The Saints’ head coach does a great job putting Olave in spots to succeed, getting him more layup targets rather than using him solely as a downfield threat, as previous coaches did. As we get closer to the season, expect Olave to be entrenched in the second round. Pay the premium, as the best is yet to come.

Luther Burden III (WR – CHI)

Luther Burden III showed flashes in his rookie season, especially in a ceiling game against the 49ers, where he made eight receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown. While Burden is already getting a ton of hype, especially with DJ Moore being dealt to the Bills, don’t be surprised to see even more steam as we head to the summer.

Remember: Ben Johnson hand-picked Burden to be one of his receivers. It’s clear that he has big plans for him. If we get positive reports out of training camp, Burden’s ADP could continue to rise. With Caleb Williams likely showing improvement in his second year in Johnson’s scheme, Burden is in a spot to put up big numbers.

While it always feels risky to pay a premium on a talented but unproven player, this is a case where you think about what it looks like if things break right. The ceiling is a top-12 wideout in an explosive offense. What does the floor look like? Probably a boom-or-bust WR3. With Burden’s upside, I’m willing to take my chances with this bet.

DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI)

DeVonta Smith has always been a consistent receiver, coming off his third 1,000+ yard season in the last four years. However, there’s one key factor here: there’s a chance that A.J. Brown is going to be traded this offseason. If that happens, Smith would become the clear-cut top target in the Eagles’ offense.

We’d see Smith’s ADP shoot up considerably. That’s why the time to buy is now. If it works out for you and Brown is traded, you get terrific value. But if Brown doesn’t get traded, it’s not like you’re getting a bad pick. Smith has the track record to feel secure when taking him, as he has a high floor.

Take advantage of this buying opportunity right now. If the Eagles trade Brown and make Smith their focal point, we could be looking at a 1,300+ yard type of season.