Getting Back Into Fantasy Football? 3 Things to Know for 2026

It’s the best time of the year! Fantasy football season is here, and over the next 10 days, everyone you know will be competing in some sort of fantasy football league. But not everyone is listening to podcasts daily or reading the latest practice reports.

If you took some time off this summer and maybe spent some time watching other sports or diving into prediction markets and have now just realized that your draft is later today, this piece is for you. Here are the three biggest things you need to know going into the 2026 fantasy football season:

1. Injuries Are Already Piling Up

One of the toughest parts about NFL training camps and the preseason is the number of injuries. Usually, there are one or two big injuries during training camps that have an impact on fantasy leagues. This year, there are more than ever, and coaches are being particularly vague about how injured a player might be going into Week 1.

Here is a not-so-brief list (by position) of all of the fantasy-relevant players who are currently dealing with injuries and their status heading into the 2026 NFL season, courtesy of NBC Sports:

Running Backs

Jeremiyah Love (ARI): High ankle sprain. Very questionable for Week 1

Alvin Kamara (NO):  MCL sprain. Expected to miss at least a month

Chuba Hubbard (CAR): Hamstring. Very questionable for Week 1

Zach Charbonnet (SEA): Torn ACL in 2025-2026 NFL Playoffs, unlikely to play in Week 1

Breece Hall (NYJ): Groin. Seems rather minor. Likely to play in Week 1

Ashton Jeanty (LV): Ankle sprain. Not overly serious, but not a guarantee to play in Week 1

Wide Receivers

Malik Nabers (NYG): Recovering from last year’s ACL + meniscus injuries – On track to play in Week 1

Jordyn Tyson (NO): Hamstring. Expected to miss multiple months

Jayden Higgins (HOU):  Torn ACL. Season-ending.

Josh Downs (IND): Calf. Not practicing recently; questionable for Week 1

Alec Pierce (IND): Ankle (post-surgery). Came off PUP Aug. 27; Could miss Week 1.

Emeka Egbuka (TB): Turf Toe. Has missed most of camp. Questionable for Week 1

Tight Ends

Tucker Kraft (GB): ACL recovery. Expected to play in Week 1

Sam LaPorta (DET): Hip. Expected to play in Week 1

Tyler Warren (IND): Groin. Questionable for Week 1.

George Kittle (SF): Achilles recovery. Week 1 status remains uncertain

Just to be clear, these are not all of the injuries going into the 2026 season, but just some of the most notable. This will be one of the hardest years in recent history to draft due to all of the injuries, and avoiding banged-up players will be nearly impossible. Be sure to check out all of the latest injury reports before you head to your drafts.

2. Do Not Draft A Quarterback Early

There is no doubt that it’s really fun to draft Josh Allen and have him as your weekly starter. There is something comforting about knowing that you have an elite quarterback on your fantasy roster each week and you don’t have to stress about that position. And for what it’s worth, Allen is one of the most consistently great fantasy quarterbacks we’ve had since Peyton Manning in his prime.

However, using an early-round pick on Allen or Lamar Jackson or Drake Maye just isn’t wise in 2026 due to the depth at the position. There are more quality quarterbacks than ever in the NFL. And with more offensive-minded coaches being hired every season, it makes it easier to find quality quarterback play in fantasy football.

Based on the current consensus ADP, Allen is being selected at 30^th overall, which is right in the middle of Round 3. That means you are passing on low-end RB1s like Javonte Williams, Kyren Williams, or Breece Hall in favor of a quarterback.

The receivers who typically go in that range included Garrett Wilson, Ladd McConkey, Zay Flowers, and DeVonta Smith. There is no doubt that Allen is a better player than all of those names, but it’s just not a sound strategy this year.

If you were to be the last one to select a quarterback in your drafts this year, that means you would likely have a pick of the following QBs in this range:

Matthew Stafford (Round 9)

Bo Nix (Round 10)

Jared Goff (Round 10)

All three of those quarterbacks are being drafted as QB12 or later but finished inside the top-nine quarterbacks for the 2025 season. And given the weapons that all three quarterbacks have, there is no reason to expect that to change.

However, you don’t even have to spend a 10^th-round pick on a quarterback. There are plenty of value options later that can produce similar numbers while you load up on positional players (RBs, WRs, TEs). That includes some of the following QBs based on the current ADP:

Baker Mayfield (QB18): Round 12

Jordan Love (QB19): Round 12

Sam Darnold (QB22): Round 13

These are three proven quarterbacks who are on loaded offenses that should be among the top-12 scoring teams in the league. The best strategy might be just to use your 12th and 13^th-round picks to grab two of these players and play the matchups. But the point is that you don't need to spend a 3rd- or 4th-round pick this year to get quality play from your QB spot.

3. Grab Your RBs Early

Fantasy football really started to gain popularity in the mid-2000s, and back then, running back was the most important position by a mile. That trend has shifted over the last 20 years with receivers going early in drafts, especially in PPR leagues. You’ll still see anywhere from 5-7 WRs go in Round 1 this year, but the optimal strategy is to grab at least two running backs with your first four picks.

Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson should be the first two picks in every single fantasy league this year, as they are two elite talents and are dynamic in the receiving game. Both players are 24 years old and are officially entering the prime of their careers.

But if you don’t get the No. 1 or No. 2 pick in your draft, have no fear, as there are plenty of viable options later in Round 1. Christian McCaffrey (30) and Jonathan Taylor (27) are two older running backs, but both have finished as the overall RB1 in the past, and both have 20+ TD upside. There are very few other running backs in the league who have that ceiling.

If you are drafting at the end of Round 1, Chase Brown and James Cook are both phenomenal options as they are the clear-cut lead backs on two offenses that could compete for the scoring title. Both players are frequently targeted in the passing game and are threats to rack up over 2,000 yards from scrimmage this season.

The running back depth in drafts dries up quickly, and you don’t want to be stuck starting two subpar players for most of the 2026 season. Grab your running backs early, and you will guarantee yourself a shot at making the fantasy football playoffs.