Scott PianowskiFantasy analystWed, April 29, 2026 at 6:11 PM UTC·11 min readFor me and I’m sure several others, the new fantasy football season really begins after the NFL Draft. We’ve made it through free agency, we now know where rookies are at, and it’s time to see what’s what and how we feel about it all.
And with that in mind, now is when I work on my first set of team power rankings for fantasy football. Those are below.
But a couple of things feel different this year, make today’s assignment a little trickier than usual.
The first one isn’t a big deal, I suppose, but I want to acknowledge it. The 2026 NFL Draft felt a little bit like an ellipse. It wasn’t a deep draft for skill position players and there isn’t as much rookie bump element to these rankings. That doesn’t have to be good or bad. It’s just different.
The second quirky issue is the state of quarterback play. The NFL had a slew of quarterback injuries and slumps last season, and those facts and memories seep into what we expect this year.
Can the Vikings fix Kyler Murray (or boot up J.J. McCarthy)?
When will Patrick Mahomes be ready, and can the Chiefs become elite again?
Is Daniel Jones going to be healthy enough to lead a Colts offense that’s loaded with fun pieces?
Will Jalen Hurts be happy and productive with this new-look Eagles offense?
Those are just some of the quarterback dramas in front of us — there are more. I’ll just want to underscore that this position feels less certain than it usually does during this time in spring. I know I regularly refer to the NFL as a reshuffle league, but analysis and projection feels a little more challenging when we’re not positive about the quarterbacks.
Take that for what it’s worth and let’s rank the offenses, starting from the bottom and working up to the top.
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I thought Cam Ward did a respectable job keeping his head above water as a rookie despite very modest help — it reminded me a little bit of Drake Maye in 2024. Carnell Tate and Wan’Dale Robinson weren’t perfect fixes for the Tennessee receiver room, but it was the best Tennessee could do with the available options. Tony Pollard was a fantasy winner after the Titans mostly ignored the RB position at the draft (Nicholas Singleton landed in the fifth round).
I still think Garrett Wilson has a top-10 receiver season in him if the quarterback play is competent — hopefully Geno Smith can approach that level. It feels like Breece Hall has been in 100 prospective trades over the last year but he’s still in New York, and will probably be a third-round pick in most pools.
Half of my mind says I don’t want to see Aaron Rodgers play again, and then I examine the rest of the Pittsburgh depth chart and I start to change my mind. The backfield looks like another platoon and DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. are just support receivers these days, not primary players we can trust every week.
Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr. had impressive rookie years and the Browns drafted some interesting receivers last week (anything that gives me less Jerry Jeudy in my life, I’m in favor of). But a quarterback room of Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel is an upside-capper.
Brock Bowers only needs health to be a dominant player and Ashton Jeanty was solid as a rookie, helped in the second half by an increased role in the passing game. Kirk Cousins looked dusted in his final Atlanta days, but the Raiders probably don’t want to rush Fernando Mendoza into the NFL. The less we say about the Las Vegas receiver room, the better.
This was a fun team in the second half of 2025 and it could be fun from the jump this season. Kellen Moore was a home-run hire at head coach and Tyler Shough, no matter his age, proved he belonged in the NFL. Don’t sleep on tight end Juwan Johnson, one of the league’s most improved players last year.
It feels like we’ve seen a lot of Malik Willis because it’s been spread over three seasons, but he’s still made just six NFL starts. Miami made an intelligent guess by signing him, but it’s still a guess. Willis is going to need his best improvisational skills, given the shaky WR room he’s been dealt.
The Commanders were fifth in points and seventh in yards two seasons ago, and then 22nd in points and 22nd in yards last season. That’s the difference between healthy Jayden Daniels and hurt Jayden Daniels. It would be a significant boost if rookie slot Antonio Williams can produce right away; Washington’s old roster was part of the 2025 collapse.