Adjust The Fantasy Football Rankings For The Buccaneers

How to play the Bucs WR room in 2026 should have been fairly straightforward.

Mike Evans is gone, Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka get a boost … Easy game?

Unfortunately, nothing is ever easy when it comes to Tampa Bay WRs—considering they seem to draft a new one every single year.

In 2024, it was Jalen McMillan (Round 3). Last year, it was Egbuka (Round 1) and that scoundrel Tez Johnson (Round 7). Then this year, they added Ted Hurst (Round 3).

With Evans gone, there is plenty of opportunity available, but who is actually going to be the beneficiary?

Luckily, some recent coachspeak is helping to point us in the right direction.

On the rookie Hurst: Bucs WRs coach Bryan McClendon has been hyping him up during rookie minicamp, calling him a potential “weapon, not just in the red zone” and saying the staff got “more and more excited” when they realized he was still on the board for them.

On McMillan. The quotes on Jalen were more about his resilience than future opportunity, praising how he’s made the most of every moment after his scary neck injury. But there was nothing there to indicate he’s going to be a big part of the team’s plans.

Dwain has since adjusted his rankings accordingly:

Hurst: WR125 > WR87

Hurst is now firmly on the late-round WR dart radar, considering he could easily be on the field in 3-WR sets. Dwain thinks he’ll be their preferred X with Egbuka at the Z.

McMillan: WR60 > WR82.

With the assumption that Godwin is in the slot, Egbuka at the Z, and Hurst in the X, McMillan quickly becomes the odd man out.

I struggle with Egbuka’s price right now—it feels way too frothy for a player who essentially disappeared down the stretch—which means Godwin and Hurst are how I’d like to attack the Bucs passing game … at least until they add another WR.

HURST HAS SO MANY PUMPED AFTER LANDING ON THE BUCS

Around the Watercooler

Our merry band of football nerds is back and bringing you the latest news, content and memes from the NFL universe …

🚨 De’Von Achane is staying in Miami. Four more years!

🔮 Is Garrett Nussmeier Patrick Mahomes’ long-term backup? Or a future starter elsewhere?

✌️ Jonathan Taylor is riding with some good company. This RB tier is still loaded.

🤔 Is Jaylen Waddle mispriced after the move to Denver? Expectations just might be Mile High.

⏱️ Tonight we get the official NFL schedule. We’re on Travis Hunter watch.

↗️ Speaking of Ted Hurst, he’s rising up in this rookie mock draft.

🕸️ George Kittle is a great husband. Brock Purdy isn’t the only one he protects.

🥖 You won’t believe which team is playing in Paris … they did it to themselves.

🔥 It’s Jahmyr Gibbs szn. Are you taking him or Bijan 1.01?

Fantasy Life Rankings Updated All Offseason

With the NFL Draft behind us, depth charts are “mostly” set. So the Fantasy Life crew has updated the rankings so we can all get an idea where some of our favorite players will get drafted this summer. And they’ll be updated as news breaks.

Are you taking Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs 1.01? See what the rankings say.

TAKE ME TO THE FANTASY LIFE RANKINGS

Are The Chargers THE Breakout Offense Of 2026?

The Chargers meet two of Dwain McFarland’s three criteria for a breakout offense, with a new playcaller and a talent influx, and doing it with one of the most consistently reliable top-10 QBs in fantasy football under center.

Playcaller Change ✅ → OC Mike McDaniel

McDaniel is one of the most creative offensive minds in the NFL. He grades out as one of the top-three-most influential playcallers over the last three years when it comes to fantasy, pushing the easy buttons that boost fantasy scoring at a high rate.

Motion at the snap: 69% (2nd of active playcallers)
Two-WR sets: 46% (2nd)
Play Action: 27% (4th)

His arrival at Miami, along with Tyreek Hill, coincided with two of the largest offensive jumps since 2020, turning a stagnant Dolphins offense into a fantasy goldmine.

Influx of Talent ✅ → Offensive Line + Versatility and Speed

This is less about a single flashy addition and more about getting healthy while adding extra pieces that mobilize McDaniel's vision for the offense. Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, two of the better tackles in football, both missed significant time in 2025 due to injuries, totaling 17 and 11 games, respectively. Los Angeles also added three new interior offensive linemen:

LG: Jake Slaughter (Round 2, 2026 NFL Draft Pick)
C: Tyler Biadasz (Free Agent)
RG: Cole Strange (Free Agent)

The Chargers front office also added two TEs in Charlie Kolar and David Njoku, along with fullback Alec Ingold. These additional bodies give McDaniel the flexibility to use heavy personnel, leading to more two-WR sets and the potential for target consolidation.

Finally, the team injected NOS into their depth chart with RB Keaton Mitchell (4.37-second 40-yard dash) via free agency and Brenen Thompson (4.26-second 40-yard dash) in the draft. These two players might not have full-time roles, but they add explosive field-flipping upside to the offense.

These players join an already solid set of weapons:

RB: Omarion Hampton, Kimani Vidal
WRs: Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Tre' Harris
TE: Oronde Gadsden

The Chargers are now equipped to run a balanced offense that can keep opposing teams off balance and win through efficiency rather than high volume. No team on this list has a cleaner path to offensive improvement.

Here's how I am projecting the key fantasy contributors heading into draft season in 2026:

2026 Chargers Fantasy Outlook

Justin Herbert | QB: Low-end QB1 with high-end QB1 upside
Omarion Hampton | RB: Low-end RB1 with mid-range RB1 upside
Keaton Mitchell | RB: RB5 with upside
Ladd McConkey | WR: Low-end WR2 with borderline WR1 upside
Quentin Johnston | WR: Borderline WR4 with upside
Tre Harris | WR: Dart throw with upside
Brenen Thompson | WR: Dart throw with upside
Oronde Gadsden | TE: Mid-range TE2 with TE1 upside

MORE BREAKOUT OFFENSES TO TARGET IN 2026

Houston Texans Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

It was hard not to feel sorry for C.J. Stroud. Watching him struggle through a relentless pass rush amid the freezing temperatures and snowy conditions in New England during a Divisional Round loss in January, the one-time wunderkind was picked off four times by the Patriots. It was almost enough to want to throw in the towel.

Stroud is likely only a superflex play as a second QB, but there are still important pieces in the Texans offense like Nico Collins and David Montgomery. Stroud’s play is going to be important to how those two, among others, perform in 2026. Because we know that suffocating defense is going to get them back the ball. ⤵️

NICO COLLINS A BARGAIN IN ROUND 3?

NFC West Preview: One of These is not Like the Others

It must not be fun being the Arizona Cardinals. Set in the NFC West with behemoths like the Super Bowl champion Seahawks, and two high-scoring offenses in the Rams and 49ers, the Cards have a new coach in Mike LaFleur and are rebuilding. Dwain and Ian will break down the entire division, but the Cards are staring at 0-6 in their division. ⬇️

HEAVEN FOR PASS CATCHERS