Have Players (2026 Fantasy Football)

Every year, there are players you like and some you don’t. Amongst the players you care for, there are always a few who you simply must get on your fantasy football roster — even if you have to reach a little bit. No harm there; get your guys.

Below, I’ve highlighted five of my must-have players for 2026. These are players who I keep finding myself clicking on for various reasons: Talent, role, schedule and price. I don’t always get them all, but I’m content and delighted if I end up with a few of them.

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Must-Have Fantasy Football Players

Saquon Barkley (RB – PHI)

It feels like we could be in for another vintage Saquon Barkley season in 2026.

All-Pro tackle Lane Johnson recently talked about their new offensive system and said, “We will see the Saquon Barkley from two years ago.”

That’s one heck of an endorsement. Now, I don’t think he’s topping 2,000 rushing yards again, but with Philadelphia’s soft schedule, Barkley should easily top last year’s 1,140 yards and seven scores on the ground.

For one, he’s not coming off an exhausting 482-touch campaign. Including the playoffs, Barkley had 346 touches last season.

Also, we’ve heard all offseason about how new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion wants to make his star running back the focal point of his offense. With A.J. Brown no longer in town, there will be more touches to go around. Hopefully, Barkley soaks up most of them.

Even in a “down” year, Barkley still had 13 breakaway runs (RB9) and 72 evaded tackles (RB9) in 2025. The big-play ability is still there.

With a new system that will maximize his talents and feature him, Barkley will crush it in 2026. He’s an easy click near the round one/round two turn if you still have drafts.

Kenneth Gainwell (RB – TB)

Kenneth Gainwell, come on down. You’re officially a “my guy” for 2026.

All signs point to Gainwell being a major weapon for Tampa Bay. Baker Mayfield recently said that he was “overwhelmed” by how much Gainwell can do to help the Buccaneers’ offense this season. That’s a bullish statement if I’ve ever heard one.

Gainwell will be the 1B to Bucky Irving‘s 1A. He’ll mix in as a change-of-pace option, but expect him to make his biggest impact to come in the receiving game.

Last season in Pittsburgh, Gainwell finished fifth among running backs with 73 receptions. He turned those catches into 486 yards and found the end zone three times. He also finished fifth in catch rate (85.9%) and seventh in yards per route run (1.59) at the position. That’s in addition to the 537 rushing yards and five touchdowns he scored on the ground.

Gainwell won’t be the every-down back, but he doesn’t need to be. He made the most of his limited touches last season, ranking fourth in yards created per touch (4.32) and second in fantasy points per opportunity (1.11), per PlayerProfiler.

Gainwell is a fantastic RB3 or FLEX option if you’re playing full PPR. With his pass-catching prowess, I want him on as many of my rosters as possible.

Jameson Williams (WR – DET)

I didn’t set out to be a Jameson Williams truther this season. Nevertheless, last year’s WR12 in total fantasy points kept falling to me in drafts to the point where I ended up with him as a third or fourth receiver on several teams.

At that price, count me in all day.

The knock on Williams has always been that he’s a better best ball pick than a managed-league option because of his boom-or-bust nature. That continued in 2025.

Williams had two games where he put up a goose egg. On the flip side, the speedster also produced four top-10 finishes from Week 10 on. As a WR2, that inconsistency can be a little frightening. But if you already have a strong receiver room, Williams can win you weeks when he pops off.

The Lions wideout is no longer just a fun toy for the team to roll out for trick plays; Williams had a 91.3% snap share last season, ninth-best among wideouts, and he ran the fifth-most routes (585) at the position.

In Williams, we have a 25-year-old receiver on one of the league’s most explosive offenses who runs a sub-4.4 40 and is coming off a season in which he set career highs in targets (101), receptions (65), receiving yards (1,117), and touchdowns (seven).

And you can sometimes get him in round six?

Take some Jameson shots. Williams, that is.

Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL)

Kevin Stefanski’s offenses ranked in the top six in total targets to tight ends in each of the past six seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He’s now the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons; that’s music to the ears of Kyle Pitts managers.

The former No. 4 overall pick is already coming off a career year, in which he finished as the overall TE2, thanks to personal-best numbers in catches (88) and touchdowns (five).

We could easily see an encore from Pitts with Stefanski, who has consistently funneled targets to the tight end position and produced fantasy-relevant tight ends throughout his career.

If we marry the expected bump in targets with Pitts’ efficiency from 2025, the sky is the limit. Among all tight ends, he finished third in expected points added (+55.9), fifth in first downs per route run (0.101) and ninth in yards per route run (1.80).

Regardless of who starts at quarterback for the Falcons, Pitts is a must-draft player.

Expect more of what we saw in 2025 — not what we got in 2023 and 2024.

Justin Herbert (QB – LAC)

It’s been a few years since we’ve seen peak Justin Herbert. After a 5,000-yard campaign that resulted in a QB2 finish in 2021, Herbert has lingered around the low-end QB1 range for the past four years.

Cue Mike McDaniel.

Everyone’s favorite barista-looking play designer made the cross-country trip to Los Angeles after being let go by Miami. As the Chargers’ new offensive coordinator, he’s there to help Herbert put everything together in what should be a return to dominance — at least from a fantasy perspective.

We’ve known Herbert had some wheels, but last season was his best on the ground as a pro. He finished with 498 rushing yards, second only to Josh Allen among all quarterbacks.

Herbert’s passing efficiency was middling last season, but some of that can be attributed to losing his two star tackles. When Herbert had a clean pocket, though, he ranked fifth in completion percentage with a mark of 72.2%, per PlayerProfiler.

McDaniel’s system will create more separation and explosive plays in the passing game. If Herbert produces on the ground similarly to last season, he’s headed for another top-five fantasy finish.

Don’t leave drafts without him.

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