2026 Fantasy Football: Lamar Jackson Eyes Top 5 Finish and James Cook III Leads NFL

Lamar Jackson averaged 27.6 FPPG before his Week 4 injury last season, while James Cook III led the NFL with 1,612 rushing yards.

Lamar Jackson enters the 2026 season healthy after averaging 27.6 fantasy points per game (FPPG) prior to a Week 4 injury last year. Despite battling hamstring, toe, ankle, and back ailments that caused four missed starts, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback maintained an 18.1 FPPG average in completed contests. Jackson now faces the NFL’s fifth-easiest strength of schedule supported by a rookie quartet featuring wideouts Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt, plus tight ends Matthew Hibner and Josh Cuevas. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle’s aggressive system projects Jackson for at least 120 rushing attempts, providing a path to a top-five fantasy finish from his current average draft position (ADP) of 35.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III claimed the NFL rushing title last season with a career-high 1,612 yards. Cook ranked fifth at his position in breakaway runs with 16 and seventh in evaded tackles with 77. Behind an elite offensive line, he recorded 3.09 yards before contact, trailing only Jahmyr Gibbs and Blake Corum. Cook contributed 4.4 FPPG through receiving work and finished 2025 with only six games outside the top 10 fantasy backs. New offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, who drafted Alvin Kamara in 2017, intends to further expand Cook's role in the passing game this year.

Rookie Breakouts and Third-Year Surges

Ladd McConkey averaged 2.79 yards per route run as a rookie and now enters his third season with the Los Angeles Chargers under offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. McConkey has recorded over 100 targets in consecutive years and is expected to absorb the volume left by Keenan Allen. Similarly, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed signed a three-year, $51 million contract after averaging 11.6 FPPG alongside Chris Olave. Before a midseason trade, Shaheed earned a 22% target share and ranked 15th among receivers with 7.3 targets per game. Seattle’s other wideouts, excluding Smith-Njigba, combined for just 82 catches and 1,100 yards last season, leaving a massive production void for Shaheed to fill.

Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland emerged as the fantasy TE2 from Weeks 9 through 18 last year. The former No. 10 overall pick averaged 12.0 targets, 7.0 receptions, and 94.5 receiving yards over his final four appearances. Standing 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds, Loveland averaged 1.96 yards per route run as a 21-year-old. He is positioned to claim a portion of the 150 targets vacated by D.J. Moore (85) and Olamide Zaccheaus (65) under the direction of Ben Johnson.

Injury Risks and Roster Shifts

Mike Evans joins the San Francisco 49ers for his age-33 season following career lows in yards per route run, which dropped 33.3% from 2024 levels. Evans missed nine games in 2025 due to hamstring and collarbone injuries and has already dealt with calf, quad, and groin issues during 2026 training camp. While he ranked third among 77 qualified receivers by scoring 38.8% of his points via touchdowns, he faces a bottom-10 strength of schedule this year.

In Tampa Bay, Bucky Irving is recovering from offseason surgery following a midfoot sprain and shoulder dislocation suffered in Week 4 of 2025. The Buccaneers replaced Rachaad White with Kenny Gainwell, who caught 73 passes for 486 yards last season. Gainwell generated 62% of his fantasy production through receptions, directly threatening Irving’s aerial volume, which accounted for 53% of the sophomore's points. Additionally, Sean Tucker remains a threat for goal-line carries. These factors complicate the 2026 outlook for Irving as he returns to a crowded backfield.