July 4th has come and gone, and it’s time to formally kick-start your fantasy soccer draft prep for 2026, when you haven’t executed so already. I’m right here that will help you with that. The start of draft season for season-long redraft leagues is barely about six weeks away.
In the present day I’m sharing 25 random ideas for the upcoming season of fantasy soccer. Some are profound, some are hunches, and a few are extra like intrusive ideas that I can’t shake because the season approaches.
Yow will discover all my fantasy columns by following this hyperlink. Current items embody info and stats for every of the principle fantasy place, the most effective rookie touchdown spots, and the most important fantasy query for every NFL workforce. And I’m simply getting began. I’ll have extra fantasy soccer draft prep items to share within the coming weeks, together with rankings and tiers, sleepers, and gamers to focus on and keep away from at common draft place (ADP), so preserve it proper right here at Huge Blue View.
Fantasy rankings referenced within the column are for Half-point PPR, on a factors per sport foundation, and exclude Week 18.
Can CMC string collectively two wholesome seasons? Getty Photos
Random Fantasy Soccer ideas for the 2026 season, as of July 5, 2026:
It’s been 19 lengthy years since a working again repeated because the fantasy RB1 (LaDanian Tomlinson, 2006-2007). Christian McCaffrey already has three RB1 finishes to his identify in his good nine-year profession, together with final season. However like Saquon Barkley a yr in the past, CMC is coming off a season the place he led the NFL in whole touches (he logged 450, together with playoffs). Saquon fell off significantly final season. Will CMC comply with? His heavy 2025 utilization, plus his age (30) and harm historical past, recommend regression, and that somebody will unseat him. McCaffrey is at the moment ranked because the RB3 and total participant No. 7 in ADP, so he’s an enormous risk-reward play in Spherical 1.
2. Greater than half of the groups within the NFL have a brand new offensive coordinator and/or play caller this season. I’ve ideas on every state of affairs, that are too prolonged to share right here. I’ll simply say this: I believe you’ll see total offensive enchancment with a lot of groups, together with the Chargers, Raiders, Eagles, Titans, and Ravens, amongst others.
3. Don’t sleep on Jayden Daniels. That’s all the thought.
4. Kyle Pitts has performed 5 seasons, however remains to be solely 25. Travis Kelce didn’t have a 1,000-yard season till he was 27. The Falcons have a really unproven receiver corps after Drake London. I’ve been sucked in by this thirst entice earlier than, however I believe Pitts is lastly coming into his personal and can ship a Prime-5 tight finish season in 2026. Wait, did I actually simply say that?
5. Keep in mind Mark Andrews? The man who was a perennial Prime-5 tight finish? You’ll positively keep in mind him by the tip of this coming season, after he rings up double-digit TDs for the third time in his profession.
6. I don’t know how you can rank Jacksonville’s receivers. They’re this yr’s model of the 2023-2025 Packers.
7. I’m nervous concerning the well being of Malik Nabers, and doubtless gained’t have many shares of him. With Wan’Dale Robinson gone, an abundance of targets are up for grabs. Isaiah Possible ought to emerge as a favourite goal for Jaxson Dart and is a logical tight finish breakout candidate.
9. We now have to speak concerning the Dak Prescott even-odd harm yr factor. Dak’s missed begins per season since 2019 reads like an EKG:
10. The Dolphins are going to be unhealthy, and possibly even traditionally so, however I’m in on Malik Willis as a high-end QB2 with upside. If he stays wholesome, he’s dashing for 1,000 yards. E book it. It’s a small pattern measurement, however he’s averaging 58 dashing yards per sport began, and that’s greater than the all-time chief at quarterback (Lamar Jackson, 56.2). They usually have no one else – he’s unlikely to get benched even when (when) the workforce retains shedding. They need to even be chasing factors repeatedly. Draft somebody first rate like Jordan Love or Sam Darnold to pair with him.
The King retains on rolling Getty Photos
11. Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet had a really even snap break up in 2025. Well being is all the time a priority with Walker, however he’s now on an Andy Reid-Patrick Mahomes offense, and the Chiefs don’t have one other again with greater than 200 profession touches. He ought to get an opportunity to be a real workhorse, they usually’re definitely paying him like one. I’m OK with Walker as my RB1.
12. Quite a lot of analysts are lukewarm on D.J. Moore, who turned 29 in April and is now on his third workforce. I’m not. Josh Allen hasn’t had a receiver who can assault each stage of the sector since Stefon Diggs left. Don’t be stunned if Moore has 1,200 yards and 8-10 TDs. His present ADP is WR28 and that’s a cut price.
13. Talking of Moore, his departure from Chicago opens the door for the Bears’ proficient younger broad receiver duo. However from what I’ve seen in greatest ball and different early drafts, persons are overvaluing Luther Burden III and undervaluing Rome Odunze.
14. No 2026 rookie will end Prime-15 at his place, and that features Jeremiyah Love, who I believe will likely be in sufficient of an annoying timeshare to complete simply exterior that vary.
15. With that stated, 4 rookie broad receivers who went exterior the primary two rounds within the NFL draft, who gained’t be drafted in most standard-sized 12-team redraft fantasy leagues, and who I believe might make some noise earlier than the 2026 season is over are (on this order) Zachariah Department, Antonio Williams, Elijah Sarratt, and Malachi Fields. All 4 joined skinny receiver rooms and will see their technique to important alternatives. Hold them in your deep sleepers checklist in deeper leagues, and your waiver wire watch checklist in others.
16. The 2025 Saints’ offense was my “only break glass in case of emergency” fantasy unit in 2025 – a bunch I needed no a part of. One yr later, and I’m fairly focused on dipping my toe in, as I believe there will likely be some good worth. Kellen Moore’s offense runs very quick (the 2025 Saints ranked tenth in performs run per sport, with simply the twenty third ranked offense), Tyler Shough confirmed promise as a rookie, the protection isn’t stellar, and the upgrades at RB1 and WR2 vs. what that they had final season are important. Laissez les bon temps roullez!
17. Talking of unhealthy defenses, cease me when you’ve heard this earlier than, however the Bengals are as soon as once more going to wish to attain lots of factors to win video games. For the final 4 seasons, Joe Burrow has an identical harm sample as Dak Prescott, however in reverse years. Burrow missed 9 begins final season, zero in 2024, seven in 2023, and only one in 2022. A wholesome Burrow goes to be among the many league leaders in makes an attempt, completions, yards, and passing TDs.
18. I’ve by no means been much less anxious about an over-age-30 working again than I’m with Derrick Henry. The dude led all backs final yr with 17 carries of 20-plus yards, at age 31 and with about 250 kilos on his body. He’s missed only one sport throughout the final 4 seasons, and scored 16 dashing TDs in every of his first two seasons in Baltimore. The King is simply constructed diff, as they are saying.
19. I don’t know what to anticipate from Kyler Murray and the Vikings’ passing sport this season, and neither do you have to.
20. For fantasy functions, I’d somewhat see Tua Tagovailoa throwing passes to Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson than Michael Penix, Jr. If Tua begins a lot of the video games, Bijan goes to steer all RBs in receptions.
21. Whereas we’re right here…there are going to be a number of situations of the unsuitable B. Robinson, RB of the Falcons going with a Prime-5 decide. Don’t let it occur to you.
22. I really just like the tight finish place this season. Somebody test me for a fever.
23. Within the lengthy historical past of the NFL, it’s laborious to discover a workforce that had extra of a “tale of two seasons” than the 2025-26 Indianapolis Colts. They went from enjoying lights out within the first half of the season to a complete energy outage within the second half. We’ll clearly get one thing within the center this season, and rather a lot will rely upon the well being of Daniel Jones. I believe there could possibly be some first rate values there.
24. Geno Smith’s excellent 2022 season was a very long time in the past, and within the three seasons since then he’s thrown simply 60 TDs in opposition to 41 INTs. I’m undecided he’s competent sufficient to maintain Garrett Wilson and Breece Corridor from being fairly huge disappointments, given their expertise stage.
25. It’s boring as a result of he offers you nothing on the bottom, and his identify is “Jared,” however Jared Goff is an especially protected decide to complete within the QB7-10 vary.
Thanks for letting me get all these ideas out of my head. I really feel higher already. Hold it right here for extra fantasy content material!
