Published January 2026
Those who follow my work know I approach all of my rankings from an analytical foundation and then layer in additional context on top of that. This series is no different. The foundation of my Dynasty rankings is a proprietary model that utilizes a combination of predictive metrics with an emphasis on prior season fantasy points per game and then combines that with a position-specific age multiplier, flattening of TD luck, and position adjustment. This is the Dynasty1 score. From there, I layer on situational adjustments that pure statistics can not identify. I also prioritize consistency in my rankings. How likely are the players to be able to repeat their prior season performances based on their archetype?
With that introduction, let me introduce you to my Dynasty rankings series. Note these are a snapshot in time vs. the always-evolving rankings you can find on our rankings site. But in this article series, you get the context and thinking behind the ranking that is not supplied by the pure ranking. Rankings are always fluid, and at DFF, we update them continuously here. These are a snapshot with the thought process behind each that you don’t see in simple rankings.
These ranks are a snapshot as of January 2026. (Superflex, Full PPR, TE Premium)
*Data sources: PFF, Pro Football Reference, Player Profiler
**The top 10 are free to all. The rest of the articles in this rankings series will be available to DFF Members only and will be posted over the coming weeks and throughout the season.**
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1. Jayden Daniels (QB – WAS)
DOB: 12/18/2000 (24)
- 2025 Fantasy Points Per Game – 18.9
- Dynasty1 score – 24.5
- Dynasty Community Rank – 10 (Per Keep Trade Cut)
We start with a bit of a controversial pick. Josh Allen will stand atop most people’s rankings. I have Daniel’s higher simply due to age and the fact that both accrue much of their value from rushing, which doesn’t age as well as passing. Daniels is 4.5 years younger than Allen and finished only 1.1 fantasy points per game behind Allen in his rookie year. He is a far younger version of Lamar Jackson. He had the type of rushing pedigree from college I drool over when eyeing prospects in rookie drafts. He rushed for 1134 yards and 10 touchdowns at LSU. Rushing is a great foundation for sustained QB fantasy success. The excellent passing season Daniels layered on top of that in his rookie year was just gravy.
But what about 2025, you ask? 2025 was a lost year due to injuries (Both his and Terry McLaurin’s). But he must be injury-prone, you say. Well, what if I told you that despite starting five years in college, he only missed one game. That is remarkably durable. Use his injury-marred 2025 as a buying opportunity, not as a reason to fade him.
2. Josh Allen (QB – BUF)
DOB: 5/21/1996 (29)
- 2025 Fantasy Points Per Game – 22.0
- Dynasty1 score – 23.3
- Dynasty Community Rank – 1 (Per Keep Trade Cut)
Allen is a solid second in my rankings. He has six straight top 3 finishes in fantasy PPG at the QB position. The last 2 years have been quite impressive, given that he had what may have been the weakest WR group of his career. Per Jared Smola, Allen’s designed runs and carries have seen a steady decline.
Carries per game:
2021: 7.2
2022: 7.8
2023: 6.5
2024: 6.0
Designed carries per game:
2021: 4.2
2022: 4.2
2023: 3.6
2024: 3.5
That is concerning and enough to give Jayden Daniels the top spot for me.
3. Ja’Marr Chase (WR – CIN)
DOB: 3/1/2000 (25)
- 2025 Fantasy Points Per Game – 19.6
- Dynasty1 score – 22.9
- Dynasty Community Rank – 5 (Per Keep Trade Cut)
Chase finished third among wide receivers with 19.6 fantasy points per game, one year after finishing first at 21.5. The most impressive part of this is that he did it despite Joe Burrow playing only 8 games for the Bengals.
He led the NFL in targets for the second year in a row with 185. I love that he is tied to one of the most elite passers in the NFL with Joe Burrow. Burrow consistently ranks among the leaders in catchable target rate for quarterbacks.
4. Drake Maye (QB – NE)
DOB: 8/30/2002 (23)
- 2025 Fantasy Points Per Game –21.1
- Dynasty1 score – 20.1
- Dynasty Community Rank – 21 (Per Keep Trade Cut)
In last year’s Definitive Dynasty Rankings, I wrote, “Elite foundational rushing QBs are a highly prized asset in Dynasty leagues. Does Drake Maye qualify as this? No. Does he have this potential? Yes. We could easily be talking about him as a top 5 Dynasty asset next year.” Fast forward to 2026, and Drake Maye is our biggest mover in the top 20 this year, jumping all the way from number 20 last year to number 4 now.
We knew coming into the NFL, Maye had the rushing arsenal in his bag. He accumulated over 1000 yards rushing at North Carolina in his two years as the starting QB. He backed this up with 421 yards rushing in his shortened rookie campaign and 450 yards this past year. Rushing ability is imperative for consistent perennial QB results. Adding a proven alpha wide receiver in Stefon Diggs this past year helped elevate Maye’s passing game. I fully expect the Patriots to add another top-tier wide receiver this offseason to complement Diggs.
5. Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL)
DOB: 1/7/1997 (29)
- 2024 Fantasy Points Per Game – 17.1
- Dynasty1 score – 21.0
- Dynasty Community Rank – 14 (Per Keep Trade Cut)
What happens when Lamar Jackson stops running the football at an elite clip? When will that happen? Does his age cliff follow a more RB-type arc? These are all fair questions to consider when you rank him in Dynasty.
What is encouraging is how he has improved over his career as a passer. That insulates his long-term value. In 2024, Jackson had a huge year, leading all players in fantasy points per game with 25.6, including his first 4000-yard and 40 TD passing seasons.
2025 was a mess as he battled through injuries most of the year. However, he is still an elite option for fantasy and should be treated as such. It would not surprise me in the least if he led all players in fantasy points per game in 2026.
6. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – SEA)
DOB: 2/14/2002 (23)
- 2025 Fantasy Points Per Game – 21.2
- Dynasty1 score – 21.0
- Dynasty Community Rank – 4 (Per Keep Trade Cut)
Smith-Njigba vaults to number six in the rankings. JSN compiled an absurd 35.8% target share in 2025. This led all wide receivers. He earned every bit of those targets as well. His 3.62 yards per route run showed elite efficiency, finishing second overall among receivers and proving this was not a situation where he was simply force-fed the ball due to lack of target competition.
This suggests a level of sustainability for future years. Sam Darnold also proved he can be a top-tier quarterback without the watchful eye of quarterback guru Kevion O’Connell.
7. Brock Bowers (TE – LV)
DOB: 12/18/2000 (24)
- 2025 Fantasy Points Per Game – 14.5
- Dynasty1 score – 17.3
- Dynasty Community Rank – 12 (Per Keep Trade Cut)
Is this high? This is tight-end premium, remember. That multiplies the already massive positional advantage Bowers gives you, along with the older Trey McBride. Bowers powered through injuries and a horrific offense in Las Vegas. Despite this, he still finished as the second-highest tight end in fantasy points per game.
As a rookie, Bowers led tight ends with a 15.5 fantasy points per game mark. Despite being a rookie, Bowers is a known commodity. He burst onto the scene with an unheard of 882 yards receiving as a true freshman tight end for the best program in the country at Georgia. Stud WR Ladd McConkey had only 447 yards on that same team. Prior to being drafted, I am on record as saying Brock Bowers was the greatest tight end receiving prospect ever based on his college profile.
Then, Bowers put up 15.5 fantasy points per game last year as a rookie tight end. Tight end is notorious for being a difficult position to acclimate to due to the blocking responsibilities on top of pass catching. Bowers’ 153 targets ranked sixth amongst all WIDE RECEIVERS.
And I reiterate, Bowers did this as a rookie.
I put my money where my mouth is rostering Bowers in 50% of my leagues and still looking to acquire more shares at this dip in his value. The triumvirate that dominated the Dynasty tight end ranks for years (Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, and George Kittle) is now in the twilight of their careers.
8. Trey McBride (TE – ARI)
DOB: 11/22/1999 (26)
- 2024 Fantasy Points Per Game –18.6
- Dynasty1 score – 16.9
- Dynasty Community Rank – 19 (Per Keep Trade Cut)
As mentioned above, with Brock Bowers, the elite tight ends of past years are aging. Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, and George Kittle will be moving on to greener pastures soon. That leaves Brock Bowers and Trey McBride as the only two truly elite tight end options. Trey McBride had a 4 FPPG differential to the next tier of the tight end position. Clearly, I expect a healthy Bowers in a functional offense to join him, but still, that is the kind of difference maker that wins championships.
Economics 101 is supply and demand. Economics 101 is supply and demand. When supply is lean, it increases demand.
McBride secured a lofty 27.4% target share in 2025 despite the Cardinals spending a top 5 pick on Marvin Harrison Jr. That is impressive.
We posted last year in this series. “His touchdown issues were well chronicled as he set the record of most catches, 87, without a touchdown in NFL history. Positive regression is coming in a big way.” This year he had 11, which nearly doubled his prior three-year combined total of 6.
9. Bijan Robinson (RB – ATL)
DOB: 1/30/02 (23)
- 2024 Fantasy Points Per Game – 21.8
- Dynasty1 score – 19.8
- Dynasty Community Rank – 3 (Per Keep Trade Cut)
Running backs like Bijan Robinson are a dying breed, which makes him all the more valuable. In 2024, Bijan was the only running back to finish ranked in the top 5 in both rush attempts and targets. CMC joined him in 2025. That is true bellcow work. He has prototype NFL running back size at 5’11”, 215 pounds. This is a frame that can withstand a beating over a career.
He came into the NFL with high expectations, being drafted 8th overall, which is very high for a running back. He has exceeded those expectations. Last year, he ranked 2nd overall for running backs in fantasy points per game after ranking 3rd in 2024. He is still younger than some of the rookie running backs entering the NFL this year.
10. Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)
DOB: 3/20/02 (23)
- 2025 Fantasy Points Per Game – 21.6
- Dynasty1 score – 19.6
- Dynasty Community Rank – 7 (Per Keep Trade Cut)
Gibbs was a surprising pick at 12th overall when the Lions selected him in the NFL Draft. At 5’9”, 199 pounds, he did not profile as a bellcow-type running back. He did, however, have the huge benefit of one of the best offensive minds in the NFL, Ben Johnson, knowing how to optimize his talents. With Johnson leaving and transforming the Bears into contenders, could Gibbs keep it up? The answer was a resounding yes.
Many have him on equal footing or above Bijan. Bijan gets the nod for me and is a separate tier, mostly because of his size and projected usage. Gibbs showed he could handle a larger workload last year, but it was a small sample of games. I prefer the Bijan style of running back vs. the Gibbs style for fantasy. Gibbs can go for 40 fantasy points one week and 10 another. Over time, it levels out. Remarkably, Gibbs averaged 21.4 fantasy points per game in 2024 and 21.6 in 2025.
The top 10 are free to all. The rest of this rankings article series will be available to DFF Members only and will be posted over the coming weeks and throughout the season.
I hope you enjoyed reading my article. All of my articles share one goal: to provide you, our member, with actionable advice that can improve your Dynasty team. You can follow me on Twitter @force_fantasy or Blue Sky @forcefantasy.bsky.social. #DFFArmy #FantasyFootball #AlwaysBeBuilding #NFL #NFLDraft #NFLTransactions #NFLTrades #AlwaysBeScouting
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