Pat Fitzmaurice’s Top 10 Fantasy Football League Winners in 2026 (Ep. 2101)

Pat Fitzmaurice notes that Amon Ra St. Brown is the clear top option in the Lions' polarized passing game and is considered a slam-dunk first-round pick. From week 10 on last season, he was separated from Jamison Williams by less than a point per game in half-point PPR scoring.

Baker Mayfield's 2025 season took a bad turn coinciding with Emeka Ibuka's hamstring injury in week six. Mayfield was also playing through injuries during the season, contributing to the Buccaneers' offensive struggles. The expectation is that with a healthier offensive line and new offensive coordinator Zach Robinson, the passing game should improve in 2026.

Pat Fitzmaurice is excited about Baker Mayfield's prospects with the new offensive coordinator Zach Robinson, noting that Mayfield had injuries he was playing through in the prior season. The new coordinator is expected to enable volume distribution to wide receivers, which is a positive development for the offense overall.

Pat Fitzmaurice names Brock Bowers his number one league-winner pick, citing his rookie 2024 production of 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns (tight end one in fantasy scoring, third among all pass catchers in receptions, sixth in targets, eighth in receiving yardage, ninth in PPR points) despite playing with Gardner Minshew, Aiden O'Connell, and Desmond Ritters (combined 82.4 passer rating). Fitzmaurice projects massive upside with Kirk Cousins arriving (noting Cousins' history of supporting elite tight ends like Kyle Pitts' 166-yard, three-touchdown game and Jordan Reed's 954-yard, 11-touchdown 2015 season with Washington) and eventual Fernando Mendoza, plus Clint Kubiak's offensive system overhaul, Tyler Linderbaum's addition, and Colton Miller's health. With no clear wide receiver competition on the Raiders, Bowers is the unquestioned star and will account for a massive percentage of the team's yards and touchdowns, positioning him as a potential consensus first-round pick in 2027 drafts.

Brock Bowers suffered a PCL injury and bone bruise in his knee during the 2024 season, starting strong with five catches and 103 yards in week one before the injury forced the Raiders to shut him down for four weeks. Upon return, he posted 12 catches for 127 yards and three touchdowns in his first game back, but managed only four touchdowns in subsequent games as the offense struggled. However, Fitzmaurice emphasizes that the Raiders' offensive overhaul under Clint Kubiak, improved offensive line with Tyler Linderbaum and healthy Colton Miller, and better quarterbacking should enable Bowers to return to form and avoid the dysfunction that plagued his 2024 season.

Godwin was not as effective in 2025 as in his past seasons, potentially due to lingering effects from a serious injury a couple of years prior. Pat Fitzmaurice suggests Godwin may not be the same player he once was, which supports the thesis that Emeka Ibuka will become the Buccaneers' leading receiver in 2026.

Pat Fitzmaurice includes Christian Watson as a league winner, arguing he could blow up this season if healthy. Watson is being held down in ADP due to injury concerns, but Fitzmaurice notes people get terrified of injuries in home leagues and players with worrisome injury histories go later than they should. Watson is currently WR28, 66th overall in real-time ADP. He came back from an ACL tear sustained at the end of 2024, played 10 regular season games in 2025, averaging 17.5 yards per catch, 11.1 yards per target, 2.28 yards per route run—all excellent numbers, producing at a 1,000-yard, 10-TD pace. The Packers have thinned the WR herd; it's now a core three of Watson, Jaden Reed, and Matthew Golden (Tucker Kraft could be major but is coming off torn ACL). Watson is 6'4", 208 lbs with 4.36 speed; when on a dead run, he makes defenders look like traffic cones. He has high-quality QB Jordan Love. The Packers were 31st in pass rate over expected two years ago, 22nd last year—if they're pass-heavier (due to Micah Parsons absence for half the season or Josh Jacobs discipline), Watson's ceiling is immense. Once he returned from the 2024 ACL tear, he was impressive.

Christian Watson is included as the number 8 player on Pat Fitzmaurice's top 10 fantasy football league winners list for 2026, indicating Fitzmaurice views him as a breakout candidate with league-winning upside.

Pat Fitzmaurice notes Chuba Hubbard is the favorite to start week one for the Panthers but it's not a slam dunk. Hubbard had a nice 2024 season but has been a replacement-level performer for most of his career. The Panthers benched him for Rico Dowdle (on a one-year contract) last year, demonstrating their willingness to move on from him. Hubbard had double-digit carries in only one of his last nine regular season games, indicating declining usage.

Colston Loveland is included as the number 4 player on Pat Fitzmaurice's top 10 fantasy football league winners list for 2026, indicating Fitzmaurice views him as a breakout candidate with league-winning upside.

Pat Fitzmaurice notes that while he likes DeAndre Swift, the upside argument for Swift does not match that of Travion Henderson. Swift's receiving and breakaway run potential do not equal Henderson's explosive profile, making Henderson a more compelling target at similar ADP ranges.

Pat Fitzmaurice notes that Daniel Jones' injury history is a concern for Tyler Warren's ceiling. Jones fractured his fibula in late November and then tore his Achilles two games later, causing Warren's production to nosedive. Fitzmaurice acknowledges there is a floor scenario if Jones gets hurt again, though he notes Jones won't run as much going forward, which could help Warren get some goal-line carries and short-range touchdown catches.

David Montgomery is ranked ahead of Travion Henderson at RB21 in Pat Fitzmaurice's rankings, though Fitzmaurice is considering moving Henderson into the top 20 to gain exposure to Henderson's superior upside potential.

Pat Fitzmaurice identifies Jamison Williams as a league winner, noting he averaged exactly six targets per game last season and finished with 1,117 yards—raising the question of what he could do with 7-7.5 targets per game. The Lions passing game is polarized: Amon Ra St. Brown gets his, Sam LaPorta (dealing with herniated disc, missed significant time) is the second option, and they don't use Isaac Nauta much. There was a big shift in Williams' usage last year; head coach Dan Campbell yanked the play sheet from offensive coordinator John Morton midway through the season. With Morton calling plays, Williams was used as a go-route guy running deep routes but not making many catches: 2.6 catches and 44.4 receiving yards per game. After Campbell took over, Williams averaged 4.9 catches and 84.7 receiving yards per game, running more crossers and easy pitch catches to get into space and use his wheels after the catch. From week 10 on, he was WR9 in half-point PPR, less than a point per game behind teammate Amon Ra St. Brown (considered a slam-dunk first-round pick). Now that Campbell has seen what Williams can do with proper usage, they won't go back to using him as just a go-route guy, even with new OC Drew Petzing. The usage should stick. Williams is being undervalued and could have a big impact.

Pat Fitzmaurice expects Jamison Williams' usage to shift under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, similar to the changes Dan Campbell implemented as play caller; Williams will see more touches closer to the line of scrimmage to leverage his dangerous after-the-catch ability, though some deep shots will remain in the game plan.

Jameson Williams is included as the number 7 player on Pat Fitzmaurice's top 10 fantasy football league winners list for 2026, indicating Fitzmaurice views him as a breakout candidate with league-winning upside.

Tara Roberts notes she's been fighting reasons to feel more comfortable drafting Jared Goff as a QB because of the playmakers around him. The Lions' schedule is extremely pass-friendly, particularly in the second half. From week 17 onward, the schedule is stacked with great situations (domes and nice weather), which is when Goff performs best. This supports upside for Jamison Williams and the Lions' passing game in the back half of the season.

Pat Fitzmaurice mentions Jaden Reed as part of the Packers' new core three WRs alongside Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, after the team thinned the herd at the position. Matt LaFleur had been rotating four or five guys; now it's basically these three.

Pat Fitzmaurice identifies a well-lit path for Brooks to become Carolina's lead back; Chuba Hubbard is the favorite to start week one but is replacement-level and was benched for Rico Dowdle last year, showing the Panthers' willingness to move on. Brooks had double-digit carries in only one of his last nine regular season games. Brooks is a medical risk after two ACL tears within 13 months, but it's been almost 20 months since the second tear and Panthers reports are positive on the reconstruction. Brooks had 1,400 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns in 11 games in his one year as a starter at Texas; Lance Zierlein compared him stylistically to Jamal Charles. If Brooks becomes the lead back, he'll operate in an offense that tried to hide its QB (Bryce Young threw 25 or fewer passes in half his starts; Panthers pass rate over expected was minus 6.1%, fifth lowest in league). Brooks is still going in the middle rounds despite recent ADP movement.

Jonathan Brooks is included as the number 10 player on Pat Fitzmaurice's top 10 fantasy football league winners list for 2026, indicating Fitzmaurice views him as a breakout candidate with league-winning upside.

Pat Fitzmaurice notes that Christian Watson has a high-quality quarterback in Jordan Love, which supports Watson's upside.

Pat Fitzmaurice speculates that if Josh Jacobs faces disciplinary action, the Packers may not be able to lean on the running game as much, which could lead to more passing volume and upside for Christian Watson.

Pat Fitzmaurice ranks Kenneth Walker at the top of the tier containing Saquon Barkley, Chase Brown, O'Marion Hampton, and Devon Achan, citing his 30 touches per game average during Seattle's three-game playoff run (161 scrimmage yards in the Super Bowl) and projecting 20+ touches per game with Kansas City after signing a big-money free-agent deal. Fitzmaurice would take him as early as the round one-round two turn, believing the Chiefs are highly incentivized to feed him touches given Patrick Mahomes' knee injury recovery and the lack of explosive plays from Kareem Hunt and Isaiah Pacheco. He notes Walker averaged 16.4 touches per game over four seasons in Seattle and projects closer to 20 or over 20 touches per game this year, running behind an arguably better offensive line than he had in Seattle.

Despite being perceived as a platoon back, Kenneth Walker demonstrated three-down back capability in Seattle with checkdown receptions and pass-catching ability, and the Chiefs' big-money free-agent investment suggests they purchased a full three-down back to unleash the backfield to one specific player, positioning Walker's upside as massive if Kansas City's strategy succeeds.

Pat Fitzmaurice identifies Matthew Golden as part of the Packers' new core three WRs alongside Christian Watson and Jaden Reed, after the team thinned the herd at the position.

Mike Evans was traded to San Francisco in the offseason, removing him from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' receiving corps. This departure clears target share for Emeka Ibuka to become the team's leading receiver in 2026.

Pat Fitzmaurice expresses confidence that Quinchon Judkins will be a three-down back, but notes that his receiving upside and breakaway run potential do not match Travion Henderson's explosive profile, making Henderson a more compelling value target despite Judkins' three-down role.

Stevenson averaged just 3.7 yards per carry in New England's four postseason games, demonstrating playoff inefficiency. His fumble rate of 2% is described as sky-high, and he has recorded only three 40+ yard runs across five NFL seasons, significantly underperforming Henderson's explosive profile and creating a vulnerability to losing touches.

Pat Fitzmaurice notes that Sam LaPorta has been dealing with a herniated disc in his back and missed significant time last year, which opens up more opportunity for Jamison Williams in the Lions' passing game.

Pat Fitzmaurice notes that Tucker Kraft could be a major player in the Packers offense but is coming off a torn ACL, which limits his upside relative to Christian Watson.

Pat Fitzmaurice highlights Tyler Warren as a league winner, noting the injury concern is with QB Daniel Jones, not Warren himself. Over the first 11 games of Warren's rookie season (before Jones' fibula fracture in late November), Warren averaged five catches and 60 receiving yards per game and was tight end three in fantasy scoring. After Jones' injuries (fibula fracture then Achilles tear), Warren's production declined but he still finished with 76 catches for 817 yards and five touchdowns, finishing tight end five. Warren led the Colts in targets with 112; Michael Pittman (who had 111 targets) left for Pittsburgh, and the Colts made no significant WR additions. Warren has an excellent chance to lead the Colts in targets again and adds value as a runner (eight carries, one rushing TD last year; four rushing TDs in his final college season at Penn State with 104 catches for 1,233 yards and 12 total TDs). Warren could have an even better second season with reduced target competition and is one of a handful of tight ends who could lead their team in targets.

Tyler Warren is included as the number 9 player on Pat Fitzmaurice's top 10 fantasy football league winners list for 2026, indicating Fitzmaurice views him as a breakout candidate with league-winning upside.

Pat Fitzmaurice is 100 percent on board with Zay Flowers as a league-winner candidate, positioning him as a player poised for breakout upside in 2026.