We’re officially in the month of July, which means fantasy football season is right around the corner. Over the next two months, leagues will begin drafting for the upcoming season, which means it’s time for you to start doing some research.

We at EssentiallySports have already started pumping out fantasy football content, such as my quarterback rankings, and we will continue to do so throughout the month of July to help you prepare for your upcoming draft.

We hit on the quarterbacks yesterday, so now it’s time to move on to the guys they will be throwing the football to.

Note: these rankings are based on a full-point PPR format.

1. Ja’Marr Chase

My WR1 for 2026 isn’t Puka Nacua or Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but Ja’Marr Chase. The Cincinnati Bengals’ star WR has proven he’s QB-proof, finishing as the WR4 despite Joe Burrow missing nine games last season. On top of that, Chase sees the highest volume of targets of any receiver in the NFL, with 175 in 2024 and 185 in 2025. He’s going to get a ton of balls thrown his way, so in a PPR format, he’s definitely the top receiver.

2. Puka Nacua

It was a close race for the WR2 spot on my list, but I ended up giving it to Puka Nacua over JSN. I think they’re both phenomenal players that are going to put up a ton of points, but I just trust Matthew Stafford more than Sam Darnold, so Nacua just edges out JSN for the WR2 position.

3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba

But let’s say Nacua goes fourth overall in the draft, JSN should be going fifth overall. Like I said, there was hardly anything between the two, so I decided to go with the quarterback I trust more. But that doesn’t mean I don’t believe in Sam Darnold. He’s flipped the script on his career and has been playing extremely well over the past two seasons. JSN could easily finish as the WR1 this year, but I trust Chase and Nacua’s QBs more.

4. Amon-Ra St. Brown

Slot receivers are usually reception merchants for fantasy, and while that’s kind of the case for Amon-Ra St. Brown, he still puts up 1,200 yards and 10+ touchdowns a season. I think he’s in a clear tier below the top-three guys, but he’s also in a clear tier above the rest of the guys on this list. If he’s not the fourth WR off the board in your league, your league mates don’t know what they’re doing.

5. CeeDee Lamb

I know CeeDee Lamb didn’t have the greatest 2025 season, but he dealt with some injuries and his touchdown number dipped, so I fully expect him to bounce back this year. The Dallas Cowboys throw the ball too much for their WR1 to be much lower than this. Even with George Pickens in the mix, Lamb is still their top receiver, so if he can stay healthy, he has a top-five season loading.

6. A.J. Brown

This may seem a bit high for A.J. Brown, but I don’t see why some people have him ranked so low. I don’t think he’s as good of a receiver as some of the guys he’s above, but he’s the clear No. 1 guy on a New England team that has Drake Maye, the MVP runner up, under center. Maye has never had a weapon like Brown before, so I expect him to take full advantage and throw his way a ton this year.

7. Justin Jefferson

When Justin Jefferson is healthy and has average quarterback play, he’s one of the best receivers in the league. He wasn’t able to show that last year because of J.J. McCarthy and others, but if Kyler Murray wins the starting job, I think Jefferson’s ceiling shoots through the roof. Maybe this is the LSU fan in me being a bit irrational, but Jefferson is too good to have back-to-back seasons outside of the top-10.

8. Drake London

In 2024, Drake London finished as the WR5 in fantasy. He was the WR19 last year, but he also played in just 12 games, where he averaged nearly 17 PPG. I am a bit worried about his quarterback situation with Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix, but he’s the clear WR1 on his team, so he’s going to get his targets. His ceiling may not be incredibly high, but his floor feels higher than most.

9. Chris Olave

Once Tyler Shough took over as QB1, Chris Olave averaged 18.75 fantasy points per game, and over his last three games, that number shot up to 27.7 PPG. 27.7 PPG isn’t sustainable throughout an entire season, but it shows just how high his ceiling is with Shough under center. Jordyn Tyson entering the fold does bring him down a little bit, but he’s still the WR1 on this team until proven otherwise.

10. George Pickens

George Pickens had a career-year with Dallas and finished as the WR1 last season, but that was largely due to Lamb missing time. I still think Pickens is a very viable WR option in fantasy – I have him in the top-10 for a reason – but I don’t think he has a better season than Lamb this year. Still, two top-10 guys on one team isn’t bad.

11. Nico Collins

Nico Collins is clearly incredibly talented, but he’s suffered from injuries and subpar QB play throughout his career. The only reason he isn’t a top-10 WR is because I don’t trust C.J. Stroud. If I knew Stroud was going to play like he did as a rookie, Collins would probably be WR6 on this list, but there are just too many question marks for me to put Collins higher than this.

12. Rashee Rice

I love Rashee Rice as a fantasy player. When he’s on the field, he puts up big numbers every week, but he can’t stay on the field. He’s been hurt multiple times, he’s dealt with legal issues multiple times, and even though he’s cleared to play right now, there’s no guarantee something else doesn’t pop up midseason. But if you can get 17 games out of Rice, he could win you your league.

13. Jaylen Waddle

Jaylen Waddle has suffered through years of Tua Tagovailoa, but now that he’s with the Denver Broncos, he has a quarterback that can help him finish as a top-15 fantasy receiver. We all know how talented Waddle is and how explosive he can be, so with Bo Nix throwing him the ball and Sean Payton calling plays, I expect his fantasy value to sky rocket. This is higher than most people have him, but I can see Waddle hitting 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, so I’m betting on upside.

14. DeVonta Smith

Now that A.J. Brown is gone, we finally get to see DeVonta Smith be a WR1. Despite playing second fiddle, Smith has finished as a top-20 fantasy receiver in three of the last four years, and I know Makai Lemon is there now, but Smith should be the unquestioned WR1 this year. Jalen Hurts had some woes last year, but with Sean Mannion calling plays, I think they’ll be much better offensively.

15. Malik Nabers

This one has a bit of an asterisk next to it. Nobody knows exactly when Malik Nabers is going to return to the field. It could be Week 1, or he could miss a large portion of the season. If he’s ready for Week 1, he’s a top-10 receiver in fantasy. If he’s not ready til Week 10, he shouldn’t go in the first 10 rounds. It’s a risk, but I put him at the WR15 spot because if you’re willing to risk it and draft him for a late-season push or a playoff run, he could win you your league.

Rest of the Top-30

16. Tetairoa McMillan

17. Garrett Wilson

18. Mike Evans

19. Zay Flowers

20. Tee Higgins

21. Emeka Egbuka

22. Ladd McConkey

23. Rome Odunze

24. Terry McLaurin

25. Davante Adams

26. D.J. Moore

27. Marvin Harrison Jr.

28. Michael Wilson

29. Luther Burden III

30. Jordyn Tyson