EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsI go into my fantasy football drafts every year with two things: a plan and a list.The plan is how I approach each draft I'm in, and the list is the players I'm most bullish on who I'm willing to "overpay" for relative to where they are being ranked and projected by our ESPN analysts.We've coined the list "Field's Favorites" for several years now, and it's time to unveil the 2026 version.Sign up for ESPN Fantasy Football. Play the No. 1 Fantasy game for free! Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles ChargersMy belief in Herbert's fantasy stock is rooted in two factors: my faith in Herbert the player and my confidence in Mike McDaniel the playcaller. Herbert has been a solid, but not elite, fantasy quarterback throughout his career while playing in far less friendly offenses. McDaniel can help him reach elite status. In Tua Tagovailoa's second year under McDaniel, he led the NFL in passing yards and had three top-two QB weekly finishes. Unlike Tagovailoa, Herbert is a threat to run, as he had more rushing yards in 2025 (498) than Tagovailoa has compiled in six combined NFL seasons. I have Herbert way up at QB6. Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago BearsIt took time, but Loveland became a focal point player for the Bears during the most consequential stretch of their season. Over the team's final four games (including the playoffs), Loveland saw 10, 13, 15 and 10 targets in high-leverage games, leading all Bears players in each of those games. Loveland is a dynamic talent fully capable of being that guy for the Bears this season, even amid a talented group of pass catchers. Though it's hard for anyone to threaten Brock Bowers and Trey McBride as the top two tight ends in fantasy, Loveland is my third-ranked TE and ranks 36th overall in my top 160, almost a full round ahead of his current ESPN ADP of 45.3. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore RavensHenry is in the midst of an impressive streak, as he has finished as the NFL's second-leading rusher for four straight seasons. He seems underappreciated in the world of fantasy, perhaps because he has been around for so long that drafters have Henry fatigue. Despite just 34 catches and 343 receiving yards over the past two seasons, Henry had 13 games with 20-plus fantasy points, tied for third most among running backs. That's because no player is a better threat for a huge rushing game than Henry, who had 12 games of 125-plus rushing yards over the past two seasons, easily the most in the NFL (Saquon Barkley was second with nine). Henry checks in at 11th overall on my big board, nearly a round before he is going on average. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Kansas City ChiefsChiefs running backs combined for one run of 20-plus yards in 2025; the lack of explosive carries was a massive issue. Kansas City addressed that glaring need by signing one of the most explosive backs in the league in Walker, who had 10 runs of over 20 yards in 2025, third most in the NFL. The Chiefs need to lean heavily on Walker to improve their running game and to take pressure off of Patrick Mahomes in his return from a major knee injury. Walker is a gifted pass catcher whom I have as my 15th-ranked player overall, six spots ahead of his average draft spot on ESPN. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota VikingsLet me begin this with a caveat: my affinity for Jefferson is not reflected in my ranking being well ahead of his average draft position. He's my 12th-ranked player overall, in line with where he is going. But he's my favorite late first-round pick because of the chance he bounces back and reverts to his top-three form among wide receivers. The 2025 season was a total mess for the Minnesota offense as Jefferson was hindered most with just two receiving touchdowns. Kyler Murray is an upgrade at quarterback over J.J. McCarthy, and Jefferson was essentially QB-proof prior to last season when McCarthy struggled so dramatically. I refuse to believe Minnesota will allow his 2026 season to unfold in the same way. I'm bullish on a bounce-back for Jefferson. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ersKittle represents a very different type of player from anyone else on this list as he is not a young prospect, and as I type these words, he just took part in his first practice and remains on the mend from his torn Achilles suffered in January. His removal from the PUP list means it's at least possible he will be on the field for Week 1. And that's why he makes this list: a full season of Kittle would present a top-five tight end option to me, and he's currently going as TE9 at the ninth/10th-round turn. The upside is too good to ignore, as he tied for the second-most fantasy points per game among tight ends (14.7) just last season. Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay BuccaneersEgbuka was a rock star during the first half of his rookie season in 2025, finishing as a top-four wide receiver in three of his first nine NFL games. It was a testament to his talent; he's a precise route runner with vise-grip hands. Following major staff changes in Tampa Bay, I'm bullish on this passing offense getting back on track (the Buccaneers averaged nearly 50 fewer passing yards per game in 2025 than in 2024). A full offseason with Baker Mayfield and Egbuka's natural development as a second-year player should lead to a major jump in target efficiency, as his 63 catches in 2025 were by far the fewest of any player to see 120-plus targets. Earlier this summer, I was even more bullish on Egbuka, but I must concede that his lingering toe injury -- which makes Week 1 less than a lock to play in -- has made me less optimistic. He still checks in as my WR13. Carnell Tate, WR, Tennessee TitansThe No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL draft should soon challenge for some of the best hands in the league, as Tate's catch radius combined with his body control and vertical ability (over 17 yards per catch in 2025) made him a college star. Tennessee's offense is due for a huge bump with QB Cam Ward's projected progress, Brian Daboll's arrival as coordinator and a beefed-up receiver room. I thought Tate became underrated during the NFL predraft process, and I now feel the same about him in fantasy. My belief is he will be the featured wideout in the Titans' offense from the jump. He's my WR22, five spots higher than the ESPN consensus. Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay PackersPlacing your faith in a Green Bay wide receiver is risky business, as the Packers' strength in numbers at the position has served them well and fantasy managers poorly over the past few seasons. But as they say, no risk it, no biscuit. Watson has been oft-injured, but I believe he is the most-talented wideout in a room that no longer has Romeo Doubs and for a team that will be managing snaps for TE Tucker Kraft early in the season. It's hard to make the case for Watson through a statistical lens, as he has never topped 620 receiving yards in a season. This is a pure gut call on 2026 being the year of Watson, my WR29.
