My Top 10 Fantasy Football Players Before Training Camp (June 2026)
My Top 10 Fantasy Football Players Before Training Camp (June 2026)
When I think about the Fantasy Football Almanac, I think it realy comes in two stages. The first begins after the draft and prior to NFL training camp. This is when the book is published. The rankings that come out are the best approximation of what players will look like in their new offenses.
Once training camp begins, rankings are refined. I pride the Almanac on being the best book between rounds 5 and 20 because that’s really where drafts are won and lost. That said, the top of our drafts can mostly remain consisten. Sure, you may see me bump a guy up from #6 to #5, but the top 10 fantasy players tend to stay stable through September.
Today I’m going to be discussing my top 10 fantasy football players prior to the start of training camp. I will revisit this column later in the offseason and it’ll be fun to see how (or if) things changed.
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Top 10 Fantasy Football Players Before Training Camp
Top 10 - June 2026
The rankings above provide a quick snapshot. As you can see, between PPR, Half PPR and Standard leagues, the rankings vary a bit. I wanted to also want to give you a quick note on each player below. For full analysis including their statistical trajectory over the past few seasons, check out the full Fantasy Football Almanac.
1. Bijan Robinson
New head coach Kevin Stefanski has consistently had issues generating a quality NFL passing game, but he has had no issues running the ball throughout his coaching career. The 2025 Browns rushing efficiency left something to be desired, but it was still the best part of their offense. Bijan Robinson will be involved quite a bit this year. I will warn you that his touches could theoretically drop compared to last season, but he’ll be a very safe pick in all formats.
2. Ja’Marr Chase
You’ll notice something about receivers in my top-10. Their quarterbacks trust them implicitly. I’ve said for years that Ja’Marr Chase is the closest thing to “Megatron” as we’ll get in this generation of receivers. I think he’s uncoverable. If Burrow throws the ball to Chase downfield and into triple coverage, I have full faith Chase will come down with the ball. He’s a unique talent and will continue to be dominant if healthy.
3. Jahmyr Gibbs
The consensus has Gibbs as the #2 overall player, but I dropped Gibbs to third (for now) in PPR formats. My reason? I think the slight shift in offensive philosophy will limit Gibbs’ ceiling a bit. He’s still an excellent pick, but in a PPR format, I’ll take Chase if both players are sitting there.
4. Puka Nacua
He’s being a bit of a knucklehead off the field, but he also isn’t doing anything that will get him suspended by the league. Nacua wants a big contract extension. I think he’ll get his act together and when he plays, he scores big.
5. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
You may see Nacua and JSN trade places in rankings throughout the offseason. I give the slight edge to Nacua at this point becuse he’s in a more stable offense (JSN has a new coordinator).
6. Amon-Ra St. Brown
St. Brown is also in a new offense, but as you’ll no doubt see/hear me say repeatedly – Jared Goff will be looking for St. Brown every time he drops back on a 3rd and long. If he’s healthy, lock him into your lineup.
7. Christian McCaffrey
The calf injury that cost McCaffrey his 2024 season concerned me coming into 2025, but his performance last year erased those concerns. CMC is getting older, but he is unquestionably the focal point of a good 49ers offense. His touches should come down slightly, but he’s still a great option – especially in PPR formats.
8. Jonathan Taylor
McCaffrey and Taylor are similar players from my point of view. Both players have uniquely strong utilization (touch totals). Both players are the most important part of their offenses. Neither player has a compelling enough backup running back to cede touches. On one hand, I worry about the sheer volume these guys are getting. On the other hand, isn’t volume what we want?
9. Justin Jefferson
When I started writing the book in late April, I was excited because Jefferson’s consensus ranking was low. I’m talking stupid-low. When the Vikings added Kyler Murray to the offense, Jefferson’s ranking slowly rose. I think I’m still slighly higher than other publications. I’ll just leave you with this: if Jefferson can clear 1,000 yards receiving with J.J. McCarthy at QB, he’s in for a huge season with Kyler playing. I’m not saying Kyler is an amazing QB, but he’s a capable passer. That’s all Jefferson needs to dominate.
10. James Cook
James Cook has been massively underrated his entire career, but that is changing in 2026. He’s widely considered a first or early second round pick and that’s right where he should be. Though he offers quality receiving ability, my ranking on him does suffer a bit in the PPR formats but don’t lat dissuade you. He’s a touchdown machine.
Biggest Training Camp Storylines I’m Watching
There aren’t many storylines or training camp battles that will impact these guys. Below is a quick list of what could make me raise or drop their ranking (outside of injury of course).
- Bijan Robinson – Stefanski doesn’t always do this, but sometimes he rotates inferior backs into goal line roles. Brian Robinson Jr. is a capable backup, but there isn’t anything he does better than Robinson.
- Ja’Marr Chase – there won’t be any reason for me to “drop” chase. It comes down whether Gibbs can overatke him.
- Jahmyr Gibbs – we wont’ see Gibbs play in preseason, but I want to see how the other backs fare in game action. We’re going to see other backs utilized, but I want to size up the percentage.
- Puka Nacua – if he puts his foot in his mouth again, I will probably drop him behind Smith-Njigba. Off the field stuff shouldn’t matter, but it is a distraction. We’re splitting hairs here. Any bit of outside stress could be enough to push JSN higher.
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba – like Chase, I doubt I’d push JSN down my rankings. I don’t envision St. Brown climbing ahead of him either. I think #5 is his floor and #3 is his ceiling in my rankings this season.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown – based on his relationship with Goff, I think St. Brown is “system-proof”. Basically, even if the new play caller sucks, Goff and St. Brown will be able to correct it on the field.
- Christian McCaffrey – you’ll likely see me pairing Taylor and McCaffrey together in the rankings in all formats. I see them as very similar players in terms of their role on their team and statistical production. If McCaffrey suffers the type of injury that nags (like a muscle pull), you may see me elevate Taylor.
- Jonathan Taylor – if Anthony Richardson has to play an extended amount of time while Daniel Jones recovers from his achilles tear, that could negatively impact Taylor’s goal-line utilization (Richardson will poach Taylor’s rushing touchdowns). But even Daniel Jones gets a solid rushing TD total so I’m not too worried about this.
- Justin Jefferson – I’ll say this, if J.J. McCarthy wins what I’m assuming is a sham QB competition in Minnesota, I will be moving Jefferson’s ranking down. For Jefferson, the difference between Murray and McCarthy throwing the ball could be as much as 400 receiving yards and 5 TDs (i.e. 1,000 yards and 8 TDs compared to 1,400 yards and 13 TDs). Obviously, that’s a massive difference in terms of fantasy output.
- James Cook – If Jeanty is really lighting up training camp in the new system, perhaps he can overtake Cook. Da’Von Achane could be a threat to this ranking as well. For the most part, I like where Cook is.
My Final Thoughts
I’ll be putting together more rankings features this year. I will get to a rookies ranking, an IDP ranking, etc. I’ll probably dig more into positional rankings as well. Of course, if you want the full set of rankings, pick up the 20226 Fantasy Football Almanac. And if you’re on the fence, check out the 2023 Almanac (digital version). I’ve included all of the updates including the projection sheet, auction value sheet, preseason game analysis, etc.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When should I update my fantasy football rankings before draft season?
Fantasy football rankings should be updated throughout the offseason, but the most significant changes typically occur during training camp and the preseason. Position battles, injuries, coaching decisions, and player usage can dramatically impact fantasy value. Smart fantasy managers use early rankings as a baseline while remaining flexible as new information becomes available.
How important are preseason fantasy football rankings?
Preseason fantasy football rankings provide a starting point for evaluating players, but they should not be viewed as static. Rankings are most useful when paired with an understanding of player opportunity, projected workload, offensive scheme, and overall roster construction. Successful fantasy managers use rankings as a tool rather than a strict draft roadmap.
What factors matter most when creating fantasy football rankings?
The most important factors in fantasy football rankings include projected workshare, offensive environment, coaching tendencies, player talent, injury risk, and supporting cast. While previous statistics provide valuable context, future opportunity often has a greater impact on fantasy success than past production. This is why player roles and coaching changes can significantly alter rankings from year to year.
About The Fantasy Football Almanac
The Fantasy Football Almanac is an independent fantasy football publication built on structured analysis, tier-based rankings, and disciplined draft strategy. Every season, we evaluate coaching changes, offensive scheme shifts, usage trends, historical hit rates, and risk profiles to create a comprehensive draft framework designed to reduce mistakes and increase long-term consistency. The Almanac is not driven by hot takes or weekly hype cycles — it is built around probability, roster construction principles, and value-based decision-making.
While the analysis is detailed enough for experienced fantasy managers, the system is intentionally structured so beginners can apply it immediately. In fact, many first- and second-year players have used the Almanac’s tier models and draft frameworks to compete with — and often outperform — long-time league veterans. Whether you’re drafting from the early slot, managing turn picks, or navigating positional runs, the Fantasy Football Almanac provides a clear, repeatable process from Round 1 through your final pick.
For more information on Rankings, see our Fantasy Football Rankings hub which starts to see more year-focused rankings in June. Also be sure to check out the Fantasy Football Strategy hub for tips and tricks for both beginners and seasoned fantasy football veterans.
If you’re interested in picking up the Almanac, you can find it on Amazon. I recommend buying the DIGITAL (.pdf) version on my Shopify store: Get the Almanac.
