Whether you play fantasy football for fun, bragging rights, or bundles of your coworkers’ or cousins’ hard-earned cash, winning the league makes all the difference. But it’s hard to do. Typically, there’s a one-in-10 or one-in-12 chance of claiming the title, and luck plays a much bigger part in determining outcomes than most would like.
Yet, each and every year, there are a handful of “cheat code” players who make winning a whole lot easier. Last season, Christian McCaffrey, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Trey McBride and Drake Maye fell into that category — all finishing top two in their respective positions after being undervalued in drafts. Finding these players in advance isn’t easy, but with careful research and a little elbow grease, it can be done.
Lucky for you, I’ve already done the work. These are my 10 favorite targets for the fantasy league winners of 2026. May they find their way to your roster and may your roster find its way to the trophy.
Let’s get into it.
NOTE: Average draft position (ADP) is via ESPN and all fantasy scoring uses PPR totals.