Lou’s 2026 Fantasy Football Rankings Are Live — And He’s Not Afraid to Go Against the Crowd

Our resident fantasy expert, Lou Brunson, handed over his initial 2026 fantasy football rankings last week and they are now up at DraftBuddy.com. We have overall Top 150 for 1QB redraft and Superflex. Rankings are generally based on half-point PPR, but the tiers and rankings hold pretty well across various scoring formats.

Fair warning: these aren’t consensus rankings. Lou has some opinions. Here are a few examples where he’s going against the grain at each position compared to current ADP. Note, the rankings display ADP from National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC). We will also reference our multi-site ADP tool.

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Quarterback – Purdy and Dart Up, Lamar Jackson Down

Brock Purdy is QB2 behind only Josh Allen. That is eye popping. Purdy’s ADP is around pick 100 (9.04) or QB11 off the board. Lou’s clearly not buying the idea that the 49ers’ offense cools off just because they’ve had some roster turnover, and he thinks the market is massively undervaluing Purdy in 1QB leagues.

Jaxson Dart is another. The Giants’ second-year quarterback comes in at QB3 with an ADP of 9.01 (pick 97) or QB7 per our multi-site ADP. Lou has him ahead of Drake Maye (QB4, ADP 5.11), Joe Burrow (QB6, ADP 5.06), and — most notably — Lamar Jackson (QB7, ADP 5.03).

Jackson missed extended time on two different occasions last season, and needs to transition to a new coaching staff and system this season. I’m with Lou on this one. Jackson carries significant risk that the fantasy community is overlooking somewhat.

Running Back – Taylor on Top, Gibbs Slides, Henry Still Cooking

The market has Jahmyr Gibbs as the #1 overall pick (ADP 1.01). Lou has him at RB4. He’s not fading Gibbs dramatically — still a first-rounder — but he’d rather have Jonathan Taylor (RB1, ADP 1.08) and Christian McCaffrey (RB2, ADP 1.06). Gibbs checks in at #10 overall in the Top 150.

Derrick Henry is a polarizing pick for 2026 fantasy draft season. After finishing as RB7 last year, the market has him going in the mid-second (ADP 2.10, pick 22). Lou has him at RB3. Henry hasn’t really given us a reason to not trust him. Can he keep it rolling at age 32?

Wide Receiver – Puka #1 Overall

Puka Nacua is Lou’s #1 overall player. His ADP is 1.04, so the market isn’t ignoring him, but putting him ahead of Gibbs (ADP 1.01) and Bijan Robinson (ADP 1.02) as the first pick off the board is a real statement about how Lou wants to invest an early pick in drafts.

Some of the biggest gaps between rankings and ADP at WR include:

Rashee Rice (WR4, pick 7) vs. ADP 3.03 (pick 27) — a 20-spot jump above market. Admittedly Rice’s legal troubles and personality aren’t helping endear himself to fantasy players, but if the guy is healthy and plays, he produces.

Nico Collins (WR6, pick 9) vs. ADP 3.01 (pick 25) — a touch ahead of ADP to help make sure you get him rather that waiting into the top of the third round and hoping he makes it.

Tetairoa McMillan (WR10, pick 19) vs. ADP 3.09 (pick 33) — top of Tier 3 and a handful of spots ahead of his ADP.

Tee Higgins (WR11, pick 21) vs. ADP 4.02 (pick 38) — WR17 in our multi-site ADP.

Tight End – Tucker Kraft at TE2 Is the Boldest Call in the Rankings

The single biggest gap anywhere in the rankings might be Tucker Kraft. Lou has him at TE2 and 22nd overall. His ADP is pick 84 (7.12). That’s a 62-pick difference. Lou is projecting a major breakout for the Packers’ tight end and is essentially saying he’s going to be back from injury and pick up right where he left off. Kraft was TE2 in PPG last season.

Agree Or Disagree?

If you are in a superflex or 2QB league, don’t forget to check Lou’s Superflex rankings. He has eight QB in the Top 12, and another four in the next twelve picks. Do not get left short at QB in superflex.

Of course there are going to be a lot of changes through the summer as camps open, preseason kicks off, and more and more news rolls in. Lou will continue to update his rankings and we will continue to update Draft Buddy all the way through draft season.

Agree or disagree with Lou’s rankings? We’d love to get some constructive discussion going. Drop your questions or feedback it in the comments below.