Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings - April 2026
- Kev Wheeler
- 1 day ago
- 12 min read
The Process
Dynasty Fantasy Football rankings can be interpreted in many ways. During the spring these rankings will be ranked as if we are using them for a start-up draft, during the season they will be focused on winning championships without destroying long-term value. During the winter these rankings will reflect trade value with a scaled 3-year outlook.
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These rankings are designed for drafting your Dynasty Fantasy Football team, most dynasty league start-up drafts happen between February and May so we are in full swing now. Before you start drafting, it is a good idea to develop a plan and then build a coherent draft strategy around it. Building a plan means deciding when you expect your team to establish its long-term dominance over the league.
Some strategies include, Win Now, Win Soon, and Productive Struggle.
Win Now: Establish your dominance immediately. While your competitors focus on youth in the startup draft, scoop up proven veterans at discounted prices and build a roster that will be a favorite for the league title in Year 1.
Win Soon: Focus on youth but mix in some proven veterans. Your young roster might not have the juice to win right away, but you’ll have a collection of players whose value will likely be higher a year from now, positioning you to contend in Year 2.
Productive Struggle: (Ryan McDowell of Dynasty League Football is credited for coining the term.) Committing to a slow build that will put you in title contention in 2-3 years. Focus heavily on youth in the startup draft and be willing to trade startup picks for picks in future rookie drafts.
Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings
When examining these dynasty fantasy football rankings take into consideration that we are looking at positional ranks, not flex or overall rankings. Rookies will be added periodically, with most being added after the NFL Draft. The emphasis on scouting for rookies is one of the most exciting parts of dynasty fantasy football. Preparing for rookie drafts is an integral part of team management in a dynasty league. A major influence on a rookie’s value is draft capital and the situation of the team that drafts him.
Quarterback
When ranking quarterbacks for dynasty fantasy football we can take a VERY long-term outlook (5-10 years) while factoring what type of QB we are examining. We always want a QB that is going to give us a nice rushing floor, but we must keep in mind that rushing production is also the first thing that fades away as players get older.
Drake Maye was a 74% passer for 2474yds in the 1st half of games in 2025. This was the best rate for any QB for either half in both metrics. He also had the 7th most dropbacks of any QB in either half, the 2nd most TDs, the most scrambles, and 2nd most points per opportunity. There could be a higher ceiling with better opponents in the future.
Nate Taylor reports the Chiefs are optimistic that Patrick Mahomes (knee) “is on track to participate -- even in a limited capacity -- in the team’s voluntary offseason practices” in May.
Sam Darnold 2025 numbers (rank among QB) via @ftnfantasy.com StatsHub:
4,048 yds (5th)
8.4 yds per attempt (2nd)
99.1 passer rating (11th)
67.7% completion rate (7th)
11.9% explosive rate (5th)
Malik Willis
Dolphins Sign QB Malik Willis for $22.5M/Year. It's essentially a 2-year, $45M deal with a team option afterwards. That's a rightful step up from Justin Fields' contract last year, yet below Sam Darnold's Seahawks deal.
In an extremely small sample of 159 plays, Willis is the QB1 in EPA per play out of 75 qualifiers over the past 3 seasons. He's also 1st in completion percentage over expected and 11th in success rate. Willis has real physical tools to work with beyond being a small-sample legend, and the well-run Packers seemed to really like him. Teams can’t be sure he will be their long-term starter given his inexperience, but Willis is an intriguing bridge for teams in uncertain situations like the Cardinals, Vikings, or NY Jets.
Daniel Jones
The Colts made a poor choice re-signing Daniel Jones. Jones Achillies tear is on the "throwing push-off side." Jones has also ended seasons with ACL and neck injuries, so Jones is likely going to have to sign a prove-it deal with a middling franchise.
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe said the Falcons think QB Michael Penix (knee) “will be healthy at some point in training camp.” Penix underwent surgery to reconstruct a partially torn ACL after suffering the injury in November 2025. Tua Tagovailoa will get to work with the first-team offense until Penix is ready to practice, which could give Tagovailoa an edge in the competition. It seems likely that both players will start at times during the regular season.
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe believes that the Browns will “likely” draft a wide receiver and a left tackle with their two first-round picks this year. The Browns’ quarterback competition is between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, seemingly rendering Dillon Gabriel a locked-in backup. New HC Todd Monken certainly has his work cut-out for him.
Vikings signed QB Kyler Murray, formerly of the Cardinals, to a one-year contract.
Jets acquired QB Geno Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick for a 2026 sixth-round pick.
Chiefs acquired QB Justin Fields from the Jets in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Marcus Mariota
The 32-year-old quietly played decent ball with the Commanders in relief of Jayden Daniels, and since leaving the Falcons in 2022 as the starter, Mariota ranks a lot higher in the advanced metrics than you'd think; QB17 in EPA per play, QB5 in success rate, and QB2 in completion percentage over expected out of 51 qualifiers.
Running Back
Dynasty Fantasy Football rankings for running backs aren’t very different from regular season rankings, although we tend to devalue running backs over 25 years old. Running backs tend to get injured more often than other positions and when an older RB gets injured it tends to be career ending or marks a sharp decline in production. In 2024 we saw a counter argument for this philosophy, but it was likely an outlier year, we shouldn’t expect the trend to continue. As soon as a running back turns 26 years old we will consider them to have a 1-year window.
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson was already our RB1, but his fantasy value is growing even larger following the team's offseason moves. The Falcons' allowed Tyler Allgeier to depart for Arizona in free agency, leaving Robinson as the only relevant name in Atlanta's backfield. That bodes well for the 24-year-old's chances to build upon an incredible 2025 in which he tallied 1,478 rushing yards, 820 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns even though Allgeier vultured eight touchdowns from him.
The Athletic’s Zach Rosenblatt believes there’s a “60-40" chance that Breece Hall signs an extension with the Jets after the NFL Draft. The other 40 percent here, of course, ends with Hall playing on the franchise tag. Hall is entering his age-25 season.
The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider reports the Broncos coaching staff believes RJ Harvey “is ready for a Year 2 jump.” Denver wound up bringing back JK Dobbins and most suspect that Dobbins will at least open as the lead back, as he did last year, but not paying a major premium for a back is probably an endorsement of the idea of Harvey breaking out in his second season.
Chiefs agreed to terms with RB Kenneth Walker, formerly of the Seahawks, on a three-year, $43.05 million contract.
Saints agreed to terms with RB Travis Etienne, formerly of the Jaguars, on a four-year, $52 million contract.
Rachaad White was effective as a receiver for his first 3 seasons (54% success rate on 185 targets), then that went away without OC Liam Coen in 2025. White's rushing success rate went from 45% in his first 3 seasons up to 57% in 2025, despite playing behind an injured OL. White should be a well-rounded RB2 who can be trusted in the pass game. White signed with The Commanders to play with Jayden Daniels and is on a very team friendly deal.
Tyler Allgeier started his career with a 1,000-yard rushing season, but he has taken a back seat to Bijan Robinson since then. Allgeier has been a very effective compliment to Robinson for the past 3 seasons. His 52% career rushing success rate stands out, even if he's more of a short-yardage hammer than a well-rounded back.
Kenneth Gainwell carved out an interesting pass-first role with the Steelers this season, earning the trust of Aaron Rodgers, who would audible at the line of scrimmage to get him quick receptions all the time. His 4.6 yards per carry were a career-high, and he had a huge fill-in start when Jaylen Warren missed games.
Rico Dowdle averaged 4.8 yards per carry and has a 50% success rate throughout his career. His size makes him a quality short-yardage option at the very least, but he can play all three downs.
Najee Harris visited with the Seahawks on Wednesday and now has a visit with the Raiders on tap. The 28-year-old running back is still recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered last season, but has been seen running at full speed in recent videos.
Falcons signed RB Brian Robinson, formerly of the 49ers, to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. It’s backup money, and Robinson will now be a breather back for Bijan Robinson after spending the 2025 season behind Christian McCaffrey. Brian Robinson enjoyed a career-high 4.6 yards per carry as Christian McCaffrey's low-volume backup, and he stayed healthy throughout. His 225-pound frame stands out as a low-volume hammer.
J.K. Dobbins will be forced into 1-year deals for the rest of his career due to his injury history. A lisfranc foot injury ended an efficient 2025 season (5.0 yards per carry), a new one after knee, ankle, and achilles injuries the seasons prior. Dobbins will be 28 years old in 2026.
Wide Receiver
The wide receiver position is of the utmost importance in dynasty fantasy football. Most dynasty leagues use PPR scoring, and most require you to start at least three wide receivers every week (usually with the option to start additional receivers in flex spots). These settings make it imperative to get extra depth at WR. The average NFL lifespan of a wide receiver is longer than the average NFL lifespan of a running back, and top receivers are often productive through their late 20’s.
Seahawks signed WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba to a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec reports the Ravens would “like to reach a deal sooner rather than later” to extend Zay Flowers. Flowers posted a 86/1211/5 receiving line in 2025 and again figures to be Baltimore’s No. 1 receiver in 2026 after an underwhelming offseason for Baltimore on the offensive side of the ball.
John Keim reports that the Commanders “still want to add someone who can be a strong complement” to No. 1 WR Terry McLaurin. 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk obviously comes to mind, and multiple team sources tell Keim that the Commanders are “well aware” of Aiyuk’s “desire” to be reunited with his former college quarterback, Jayden Daniels, but Keim believes the Commanders are unlikely to trade for him.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper believes Ladd McConkey could “have a bounce-back season in [Mike] McDaniel’s offense.” Popper also believes Tre’ Harris is in line for a bigger role. Popper lists Harris as a starter and notes that with Keenan Allen unsigned, he should be expected to see more work. Harris’ involvement steadily picked up in the second half of the season and it’s possible he finds fantasy relevance in 2026.
California Post’s Vincent Bonsignore reports that the Raiders are “digging really deep” into the incoming rookie wide receiver class. The Raiders’ second draft pick is No. 36 overall, which could be used to draft a No. 1 wide receiver.
Ryan McFadden reports the Raiders completed a top-30 visit with Texas A&M WR Kevin Concepcion this week.
D.J. Moore had career-low receptions and yards with Bears in 2025
Trading Moore before June 1st:
2026 Dead Cap: $12M
2026 Savings: $16.5M
Trading Moore after June 1st:
2026 Dead Cap: $4M
2027 Dead Cap: $8M
2026 Savings: $24.5M
George Pickens
The franchise tag is $28M, which is around Tee Higgins, Terry McLaurin, Brandon Aiyuk, and Garrett Wilson per-year money. If the Cowboys can't re-sign him to a monster deal long term, which they absolutely should and are incentivized to do with Dak Prescott's huge cap hit, then Pickens isn't going anywhere with the tag available.
Alec Pierce averaged a career-high 70 yards per game before Daniel Jones' Achilles injury. His primary strength is as a single-high downfield threat with his speed and ball skills, but Pierce has flashed breaking route ability in smaller samples, too. He was expected to disappear when weak-armed Phillip Rivers took over the offense, but Pierce continued to produce which is why he is now garnishing a lot of interest.
Brandon Aiyuk gave up quite a bit of money by allowing the 49ers to void his contract guarantees. Finding a situation he is happy with will likely be more difficult than he imagines it will be given the mentality of NFL organizations.
Romeo Doubs is a versatile WR that has played a lot of X receiver with some man coverage wins in the red zone in particular. His 40 yards per game is average, but Doubs' 58% success rate when targeted over the past two years is a confidence builder for QB’s and OC’s.
Rashid Shaheed has been one of the most explosive receivers on a per-target basis (9.3 yards per target). His speed and special teams value are obvious on tape, and he's flashed intermediate route running, too.
Wan'Dale Robinson set career highs in yards per game (63) and yards per reception (11.0) in a contract year. He was running more downfield routes, even if his long-term role is as a slot receiver. He followed OC Brian Dabol to Tennessee.
Tight End
There are more quality tight ends than there has ever been, but there’s still a finite supply of difference making tight ends.
Harold Fannin:
Todd Monken's last decade as an offensive coordinator, and where those teams ranked in touchdowns to tight ends per @pffnatejahnke.bsky.social :
Buccaneers 2016-2018: 2nd (Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard)
Browns 2019: 4th (Ricky Seal-Jones and Demetrius Harris)
Georgia 2020-2022: 7th (Bowers)
Ravens 2023-2025: 1st (Andrews and Likely)
The Athletic’s James Boyd believes that “regardless of whom the Colts add at wideout,” Tyler Warren will be the team’s No. 2 pass catcher in 2026.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper believes Chargers TE Oronde Gadsden’s receiving skill set will be “maximized” in Mike McDaniel’s offense. Gadsden was a surprise in fantasy last season, totaling 664 yards and three touchdowns on 49 receptions. He ranked 14th among 50 qualifying tight ends in yards per route run, in line with Tyler Warren and Harold Fannin. If he runs 60 or 70 percent of the Chargers’ routes in 2026, Gadsden could be a tight end target in drafts.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reports TE Isaiah Likely is “expected to be a featured piece” of the Giants offense in 2026. Likely followed former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh to New York in free agency, as expected, and signed a three year deal worth up to $47.5 million — a hefty deal considering Likely’s 2025 struggles in Baltimore. With the signing, the Giants “essentially swapped Likely in for Wan’Dale Robinson, signaling the shift in their offensive approach,” Duggan said (Robinson signed with the Titans). Likely will be “paired often” with TE Theo Johnson in a New York offense that should be among the league leaders in two tight end usage, just like Harbaugh’s Ravens, Duggan added. Likely, who should operate as a big slot receiver for Jaxson Dart, could have volume-based upside in 2026.
The Athletic’s Nate Atkins believes Rams TE Terrance Ferguson should see “a significant uptick” in snaps and targets in 2026. Ferguson dealt with a late-season hamstring injury that masked how his snaps and targets were growing late in the year. The Rams have enough weaponry that it’s hard to believe Ferguson would be a consistent TE1 this year without injuries ahead of him.
TE David Njoku was released by the Browns as the new league year began, designated as a post-June 1st cut. The 29-year-old spent the first nine seasons of his career in Cleveland, making a Pro Bowl in 2023 when he caught 81-of-123 targets for 882 yards and six touchdowns. Njoku played in 12 games last season as Harold Fannin Jr. slowly took over, catching 33-of-48 targets for 293 yards and four touchdowns.
