3 Fantasy Football 2026 Projections To Target: Quinshon Judkins, DeVonta Smith And More

When you are looking at position rankings, it doesn’t give much information, just a list of names. We want more information on why they are ranked in that spot and if they are worth taking in that spot.

These three players are absolute must-buys at their current rankings and could far exceed their expectations.

2026 Fantasy Football Projections to Targets

Cam Ward | QB | Titans

Projections: 3,438 passing yards, 19.3 TDs, 40 rush attempts, 171.5 yards, 2 TDs

The 2025 No. 1 overall pick had a forgettable rookie campaign, finishing last among 33 qualified quarterbacks with a -0.23 EPA per dropback and was the QB23. Instead of giving up on him, the Titans built around Cam Ward, adding receivers and improving his offensive line.

With these moves, Tennessee built on his best asset: his explosive arm. Last season, he ranked 12th with 54 deep passes and 12th with 3,867 air yards. The Titans added Wan'Dale Robinson, who is an explosive slot receiver, finishing 28th with 1,187 air yards. His 2.3 yards of separation on passes of 20 or more air yards was the ninth highest in the league. They also drafted Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate, who last year excelled as a deep threat, finishing tied for first in PFF rating on passes of 20 or more air yards (99.9), 14th in receiving yards (458) and third in yards per route run (26.8).

As a late-round quarterback, his floor is potentially a high QB2, but don’t be surprised if he sneaks into QB1 territory.

Quinshon Judkins | RB | Browns

Projections: 245 rush attempts, 980 yards, 7.1 TDs, 29 receptions, 197 receiving yards, 0.7 TDs

The Browns will face a dilemma heading into training camp: whether to go with Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders as their starting quarterback.

It may not matter who the starter is because neither quarterback has explosive arm strength; last year, Sanders’ 7.1 air yards per attempt ranked 26th, and in 2024, Watson’s 5.3 air yards per attempt were the lowest among all starting quarterbacks.

This could mean shorter routes or screens. That’s where Quinshon Judkins excelled, finishing seventh in receiving yards (67) and third in yards per catch (16.8) on running back screens.

The Browns utilized him a lot last year, as Judkins' 73% designed rush rate ranked third. As a result, he faced a stacked box on 45.2% of plays, more than any other running back. This led to him gaining yards the hard way, averaging 3.4 yards after contact.

New Browns HC Todd Monken is coming from Baltimore, bringing to Cleveland a new offensive scheme that will emphasize the run game. The offense with the Ravens was run-heavy, as they finished in the top 3 in run-play percentage in each of the last four seasons and were the only team to run on more than 50% of their plays in multiple seasons during that span. Travis Switzer will serve as Monken’s OC, and he was the Ravens’ run-game coordinator over the last two seasons.

Judkins’ sophomore year could be a breakout, mainly due to the volume he could see, and exceeding 300 touches is possible. For someone ranked outside of the top 20 at his position, that’s too good a value.

DeVonta Smith | WR | Eagles

Projections: 89 receptions, 1,148 yards, 6.9 TDs

Living in A.J. Brown’s shadow, we forget about DeVonta Smith’s resume and why he could smoothly slide into the WR1 role in Philadelphia, becoming a top-tier fantasy receiver.

In his 2020 college football season at Alabama, he led the country in receptions (117), receiving yards (1,856) and receiving touchdowns (23), on his way to a Heisman Trophy.

Even while sharing the field with Brown in Philly, he was still able to carve out a role with three straight seasons of 1,000+ yards, two of which were accompanied by 8 receiving touchdowns. He’s also had three finishes in the top 25, including one in the top 10.

When Brown was healthy, he was a lock to be inside the top 10 in this Eagles offense. Smith should take over that role, and his ceiling is potentially in the top 5.