When preparing for your fantasy football drafts, knowing which players to target and which to avoid is important. The amount of information available can be overwhelming, so a great way to condense the data and determine players to draft and others to leave for your leaguemates is to use our expert consensus fantasy football rankings compared to fantasy football average draft position (ADP). In this way, you can identify players the experts are willing to reach for at ADP and others they are not drafting until much later than average. Let’s dive into a few notable fantasy football players our experts are targeting in drafts.
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2026 Fantasy Football Draft Advice: Players to Target
Andrew Erickson shares five wide receivers he loves to target in early fantasy football drafts.
Drake London (WR – ATL)
Drake London was in the middle of a top-3 finish through 9 games before injuries cut short his 2025 season, finishing top-10 in fantasy points per game while dominating targets in Atlanta’s offense. The Falcons’ WR1 posted elite production alongside Michael Penix Jr., and there’s little threat to his massive target share entering 2026. Even if Atlanta opens the year with Tua Tagovailoa under center while Penix recovers, London’s role as the focal point of the passing attack should remain unchanged. With volume, talent, and red-zone usage all working in his favor, London profiles as a top-tier fantasy WR1 once again.
Zay Flowers (WR – BAL)
There’s a world where Zay Flowers has the talent to be a top-5 fantasy WR if he can ever score TDs. Over 1,200 yards. 86 catches and 5 TDs (WR7) in 2025. WR3 over the last five games. 4+ catches in 13 of his 17 games: a testament to his reliable floor and consistent involvement. 5th in target share (28%). 11th in air yards share (35%). 4th in yards per route run behind Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Luther Burden.
Ladd McConkey (WR – LAC)
Don’t hold the OL injuries against the Chargers’ skill players. Ladd McConkey specifically. The Chargers’ WR failed to live up to his expectations from his rookie season, as Keenan Allen‘s presence capped his target/production ceiling. The 33-year-old WR LED the Chargers in targets under OC Greg Roman (hyper-targeted on third downs). But with Roman replaced by Mike McDaniel, we should expect McConkey to finish closer to his rookie season, when he averaged 2.6 YPRR. McDaniel knows how to deploy his WRs to achieve peak efficiency both for real-life and fantasy purposes.
Alec Pierce (WR – IND)
Alec Pierce cashed in after a breakout season, leading the Colts in receiving yards in each of the last two years while continuing to dominate as one of the NFL’s premier deep threats. The 26-year-old finished as the WR23 in fantasy points per game in 2025, posting 10 games with at least 65 receiving yards and clearing 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. With Michael Pittman Jr. traded away, Pierce enters 2026 as Indianapolis’ top wide receiver, although target competition from Tyler Warren and Josh Downs remains a concern. His fantasy ceiling will largely depend on the health and effectiveness of Daniel Jones, but Pierce has already shown he can produce splash weeks regardless of quarterback play.
Ricky Pearsall (WR – SF)
Ricky Pearsall quietly flashed major upside in an injury-shortened 2025 season, posting four games with at least 85 receiving yards while leading the 49ers in receiving yards per game. The opportunity is massive entering 2026 with Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk gone, George Kittle recovering from a torn Achilles, and San Francisco carrying significant vacated targets and air yards. Pearsall has a realistic path to becoming a featured option in Kyle Shanahan’s offense if he can finally stay healthy. Surrounded by aging veterans and inexperienced competition, the former first-round pick profiles as one of fantasy football’s top breakout candidates.
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Fantasy Football Draft Rankings
Check out the consensus 2026 fantasy football draft rankings from our experts.
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