Ian Ritchie’s 2026 Fantasy Football Picks
A former world No. 1 reveals his breakout, bust, comeback player, sleeper and late-round targets for 2026.
The Former No. 1-Ranked Fantasy Football Player in the World
Before becoming an industry builder, Ian Ritchie reached No. 1 in the world as a high-stakes fantasy football player. At one point, he also held the highest winning percentage in the high-stakes industry and produced four top-15 tournament finishes.
Ian stepped away from active high-stakes play when he launched the Fantasy Football World Championships in 2012. More than a decade later, his player evaluation remains grounded in the same question that drove his success: Where is the market wrong?
That competitive sports instinct runs in the family. Ian’s son, right-handed pitcher JR Ritchie, was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the first round with the 35th overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft and reached the Major Leagues with Atlanta in 2026.
Every fantasy football season produces a few players who make us look like geniuses—and a few who make us wonder what we were thinking on draft night.
The real edge is not identifying the obvious stars. It is finding the players who can outperform their draft position, recognizing when a respected name has become too expensive and locating championship-level upside before the rest of the room reacts.
That is the purpose of FullTime Fantasy’s Preseason Pro. We ask proven high-stakes players for their strongest calls: the players they are targeting, fading and stashing when real drafts begin.
The Six Names to Remember
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The pick: Emeka Egbuka over Jaxson Dart
Jaxson Dart will be one of the most popular breakout candidates in fantasy football this season, and I understand why. Quarterbacks who can run have a built-in advantage, and Dart showed that as a rookie. He does not need 4,500 passing yards to become a fantasy QB1 because his legs create another scoring path.
If I am choosing one breakout player for Preseason Pro, though, I am taking Emeka Egbuka.
Egbuka does not need to reinvent himself in Year 2. With Mike Evans gone, the opportunity should simply be easier to find. His rookie season was a tale of two halves: he averaged 16.1 PPR points and 8.9 yards per target over his first nine games before slowing down, but still finished with 63 receptions, 938 yards and six touchdowns on 127 targets.
The underlying usage is why I am buying. Egbuka commanded a 36.5% air-yards share as a rookie and is now the favorite to lead Tampa Bay in targets. That is the involvement I want from a receiver I am considering in the third round—especially one who nearly reached 1,000 yards as a rookie while battling a hamstring issue.
Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan remain part of the offense, and Baker Mayfield still has to distribute the ball. I am not drafting Egbuka because I expect 180 targets. I am drafting him because we have already seen high-level production and one of the largest obstacles to elite volume is no longer there.
Current injury note: Egbuka is working back from a toe injury suffered in August. Current reporting indicates he remains on track to play in Week 1, although fantasy managers should monitor his practice participation and any setback. The issue adds short-term risk but does not erase Ian’s season-long breakout case.
1,100-plus receiving yards, 8–10 touchdowns and a top-12 fantasy WR finish.
VERDICT: BUY.
Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
The pick: Derrick Henry over Bucky Irving
Henry is the most uncomfortable pick on this list. At 32 years old, he just rushed for 1,595 yards and 16 touchdowns and produced another top-eight fantasy finish.
Let me be clear about what “bust” means here: I do not think Henry suddenly becomes a bad football player. I am questioning whether he can return the value required from a second-round fantasy pick.
Running backs eventually decline, and it does not require a dramatic collapse. A modest reduction in workload, efficiency or touchdown production could move Henry from an elite RB1 into the RB2 range. If that happens, you have lost value on an expensive selection even if he remains productive.
Baltimore is also entering a new offensive era under coordinator Declan Doyle. Henry has been remarkably durable, but he is coming off his lowest fantasy points-per-game season in seven years. This is about the price—not disrespecting the player.
Why I Prefer Bucky Irving at His Price
Irving is going several rounds later, giving him much more room to beat his draft cost. We saw the ceiling when he ranked as RB7 during the second half of his rookie year and RB9 during the first month of 2025. Injuries and inconsistent efficiency hurt him last season, but Tampa Bay has moved on from Rachaad White.
Kenneth Gainwell may take some passing-game work, so I am not projecting a guaranteed workhorse. But if the choice is paying for Henry’s past production or betting on Irving’s upside several rounds later, I will take the discount.
Henry remains productive but finishes outside the top 10 at running back and fails to justify his second-round price.
VERDICT: FADE AT COST.
Daniel Jones, QB, Indianapolis Colts
The pick: Daniel Jones over Chris Godwin
Jones is an unusual comeback candidate because fantasy managers do not have to imagine a dramatically improved player. We already saw a rock-solid version during the first half of last season—and the rushing production pushed him into QB1 territory.
Before his Achilles injury ended his 2025 season, Jones was a top-eight fantasy quarterback during the first half, averaging 22.6 fantasy points per game. Of that production, 4.3 points per game came on the ground.
That rushing contribution is central to the case. Fantasy quarterbacks do not need to be elite NFL passers when they consistently add yards and touchdowns with their legs. Jones was producing efficiently through the air while creating the weekly floor that pocket passers in his draft range cannot match.
The Achilles tear still introduces risk, particularly to his mobility, but the outlook has improved as the season approaches. Jones has returned to football work and enters Week 1 much closer to ready than early-offseason expectations suggested. The market has not fully restored the price that his pre-injury production earned.
Chris Godwin also deserves consideration. Before his major ankle injury in 2024, he averaged 19.7 PPR points per game, and Mike Evans’ departure creates opportunity in Tampa Bay. I still prefer Jones because quarterback rushing upside can change the construction of a fantasy roster.
Jones finishes as a top-eight fantasy quarterback, with top-five upside if his rushing production returns.
VERDICT: BUY THE COMEBACK.
RJ Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos
Harvey’s rookie box score does not fully explain why I am interested. The beginning of the season was inconsistent, particularly while J.K. Dobbins was healthy. Harvey averaged only 9.9 PPR points over the first 10 games of 2025, so I am not pretending the full rookie season was a success.
What matters is what happened when his role changed. Harvey scored at least 18.6 PPR points in three of his final five regular-season games. After Dobbins went down, he received at least 14 total touches in six of seven games from Weeks 11–18.
Dobbins is back and Denver drafted Jonah Coleman, which is why I am not reaching. Around Rounds 6–8, however, the risk starts making sense.
Harvey’s receiving ability gives Sean Payton options to use him in a “Joker” role without requiring him to win the traditional lead job. That creates an independent path to PPR value—and we already saw what can happen if extra touches become available.
Harvey becomes a weekly flex option early and finishes as an RB2 if his passing-game role expands.
VERDICT: TARGET IN ROUNDS 6–8.
Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints
Shough is exactly the kind of late quarterback I want because the draft-day investment is small and we already have evidence that the upside exists.
He is available around Round 12 in current drafts. From Week 10 on last season, Shough averaged 20 fantasy points per game and added more than 20 rushing yards per game. Even modest ground production can separate a late-round quarterback from the pocket passers available beside him.
New Orleans has also improved the environment around him. Chris Olave remains in place, Jordyn Tyson joins the receiving corps, Travis Etienne replaces Alvin Kamara as the lead back and Kellen Moore operates an aggressive, pass-heavy offense. The Saints play 11 indoor games and draw Tampa Bay, Arizona and Atlanta during the fantasy playoffs.
Shough does not have to win you over immediately. At this price, you can stash him, watch the offense develop and potentially uncover a weekly starter without spending meaningful draft capital.
Shough finishes inside the top 12 at quarterback.
VERDICT: STASH AND CASH.
Emanuel Wilson, RB
Wilson is a different kind of stash. I am not expecting to draft him in a typical 10-team league. He is someone I want on my late-round radar in deeper formats—and, more importantly, a name I want to remember while watching the waiver wire.
Running back depth charts change faster than almost any other position. One injury can turn a player buried in August into someone receiving 15 touches per week.
Wilson has enough talent to matter if that opportunity arrives, but I will not manufacture a larger case. This is a deep stash—not someone I am telling you to force onto a standard-league roster.
VERDICT: DEEP-LEAGUE STASH AND WATCH-LIST NAME.
Other Players I Want on My Draft Board
Not every player needs a breakout or sleeper label. These are players I simply want higher on my board than the room may value them.
Jaylen Waddle — DEN
Denver gives Waddle a fresh start and another chance to display his explosiveness. If the room lets him fall, I am interested.
TARGET: WR2 WITH WR1 UPSIDE
Romeo Doubs — NE
I will let Doubs come to me, but the move to New England creates a path to more volume than he received in Green Bay.
TARGET: WR3/FLEX
Keenan Allen — WR
I am drafting volume, route running and quarterback trust. Those traits can produce useful weeks even after a receiver loses a step.
TARGET: LATE-ROUND DEPTH
Wan’Dale Robinson — TEN
Robinson caught 92 passes for 1,014 yards last year and reunites with Brian Daboll. More touchdowns would turn that volume into a strong PPR return.
TARGET: PPR WR3/FLEX
Rico Dowdle — RB
I want bench running backs whose value can change quickly as a depth chart develops, and Dowdle fits that profile.
TARGET: RB DEPTH AND INJURY-AWAY UPSIDE
Rome Odunze — CHI
This is a bet on talent. I am willing to buy before the larger breakout rather than pay for it afterward.
TARGET: UPSIDE WR3
Quinshon Judkins — CLE
Judkins showed enough as a rookie to make Year 2 intriguing. A majority share of Cleveland’s carries would allow him to beat an RB2 price.
TARGET: RB2 UPSIDE
Kenneth Walker III — KC
Walker brings explosive ability to Kansas City. If the Chiefs push him toward a career-high workload, his fantasy ceiling changes dramatically.
TARGET: RB1/2
Terry McLaurin — WAS
Injuries affected both McLaurin and Jayden Daniels last year. With better health, I expect a meaningful rebound.
TARGET: WR2
Bhayshul Tuten — JAX
Tuten is an inexpensive bench player whose relevance can change quickly if Jacksonville’s backfield shifts.
TARGET: LATE-ROUND STASH
Kenneth Gainwell — TB
Gainwell’s receiving skill can create standalone PPR usefulness, while an Irving injury would make him substantially more valuable.
TARGET: PPR HANDCUFF
Jordan Addison — MIN
The production has been uneven, but quarterback play deserves some blame. I will accept the volatility at the right price.
TARGET: WR4 WITH WR2 UPSIDE
Michael Pittman Jr. — PIT
Pittman has consistently earned targets, and Pittsburgh gives him an opportunity to reset his fantasy value.
TARGET: WR3
Cam Skattebo — NYG
His ability as both a runner and receiver creates multiple scoring paths. I like the player, but I do not want to pay for the breakout in advance.
TARGET: RB2 WITH UPSIDE
The Rest of the Preseason Pros Are Coming to Premium
Ian opens the series. The remaining installments feature more proven high-stakes players putting their reputations behind one sleeper, one breakout, one bust—and the additional names they want on their draft boards.
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Editorial update: September 4, 2026. Player statistics reflect the 2025 regular season. Egbuka’s current toe status and Jones’ recovery outlook were updated before publication.
